Food & beverage magazine by J. Tony Fernandez Davila

BEVERAGE FOOD& JANUARY 2009

$4.95 US / $5.95 CAN

MAGAZINE www.fb101.com

Cabo A ﬁ ne ﬁ shing destination

BOSTON SEAFOOD Swimming strong in a tough economic tide

BEST OF DINING IN LOS ANGELES: The City of Angels dines deliciously

MicVac Modern technology

makes take-away better

Fishtail A tale of a sea sustainability on a plate

Letter

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JANUARY 2009 Spotlight On Seafood

Back Of The

House ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER

Shelby Rae Lancaster-Politz ART DIRECTOR

Tony Fernandez-Davila

PUBLISHER / CEO Michael Politz michael@fb101.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Francine Cohen francine@fb101.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John Fiske, Andrew Freeman, Damon Gambuto, Mort Hochstein, Jessica Pogash-DiMarco, Fabiana Santana, Josh Thomsen, Paul Tuennerman

From the Editor

PHOTOS COURTESY David Burke, Rachel Coleman, Elevin Photography, John Fiske, Dick Lowry, David Matheson, Lisa Thompson Photography, Josh Thomsen, Anthony Tieuli for WGBH, Turner Fisheries/Westin Copley Place Boston, IStockPhoto. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Liza Johnson liza@fb101.com DIRECTOR OF SALES Randi Ploff randi@fb101.com NATIONAL SALES Dawn Taarud dawn@fb101.com Gayanne Fried gayanne@fb101.com Executive Office: 3280 West Hacienda, Suite 206 Las Vegas, NV 89118 Ofﬁce: 702-878-5920 FAX: 702-995-0405

I’ll admit it, I’m scared of 2009 all it fear of the unknown or call it being old enough to appreciate history, and the lessons learned and taught by generations past. But whatever you want to call it, know that it is making me uneasy. Particularly as I get calls from job hunting pastry chefs who were let go, executive chefs who find that an empty dining room results in a slashed-in-half paycheck, and floor staff in a four-star restaurant who discovered they were expendable. And yet, on the other hand, I am sort of simultaneously excited as I contemplate all the creative possibilities that exist to please our guests and turn the proverbial lemon into lemonade. More and more I’m seeing evidence of thoughtful menu engineering, special menus, new and attractive pricing and other deals crafted to bring diners in regularly. As I talk with chefs, restaurateurs, catering managers, f&b directors, hotel managers, mixologists, and purveyors around the country I’m hearing a tone of uncertainty and mild exhaustion in everyone’s voice. Like me, they are all wondering what will come in the new year. Will consumer confidence continue to drop? Will buying and dining and entertaining habits remain scaled back for long? Is there a light at the end of the (hopefully very short) tunnel? How long will this recession last and how much longer until we get back on our financial feet and have plenty of disposable income instead of hoarding it all for a rainy day. And while we are dealing with the unpleasant financial realities what can we do to keep our customers happy and coming back for more? Mind you, some balanced hoarding is probably a wise thing to do. And in order to see our doors stay open I’d say that advance planning for a rainy day is evidently a necessity given the volatility of our current economy. And don’t forget that sometimes you do have to spend money to make more money

so now may not be the time to slash your advertising/ public relations/marketing budgets. But it is time to get innovative and figure out what you can do to keep that cash flow on target. You know, money in the mattress sure makes for sound sleeping at night. My grandparents slept well because they never spent money they didn’t have. They anticipated expenses and potential emergencies and put that money aside and did without for the present time, knowing that the future was safe. If the recent $7 billion bailout taught us anything it’s the lesson that maybe we should be more like my grandparents and not rely on credit. This sounds great, but may not be completely feasible in our business. However, it’s a good practice to try and institute, no matter whether it’s executed in a big or small way. Every bit helps. It really does. In this month’s seafood issue we’re swimming with the tide and offering up some help for you as you head into 2009. Paul Tuennerman is back with nine great ways to look at your business in 2009 and position yourself for success, and restaurant turnaround expert Chef Erik Blauberg reveals his secrets for better revenue management. Fabiana Santana sat down with the extraordinarily busy David Burke to get a peek into Fishtail, Burke’s brand new (almost all) sustainable seafood palace. And John Fiske joins us with a tale about seafood purveyors and restaurants in Boston. Of course the left coast gets its due as Damon Gambuto introduces us to some of the most appealing dining options in the City of Angels. Here’s to hoping my fear is unfounded and 2009 turns out to be the year we all create food & hospitality magic!

Cheers, Francine FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 3

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INSIDE

In Every Issue:

Letter from the Editor

Calendar of Events

New/Trends & Events

Taste This

Food Coma

Features:

Boston Seafood - by John Fiske

MicVac- by Francine Cohen

Behind The Bar

3 10 12-13 , 53 38 56

Nine Management Tips for 2009 - by Paul Tuennerman

My Restaurant’s in Turnaround - by Francine Cohen Fishtail - by Fabiana Santana Cabo - by Josh Thomsen Truffle Epiphany - by Mort Hochstein 2009 Trend Watch - by Andrew Freeman

6 16 24 26 28 32 44 48 61

ood

Strategies for Survival in Hard Times

Boston Area Seafood Restaurants Adapt By John Fiske

As the city once known as the capital of the east coast fishing industry, Boston has long been a magnet for seafood lovers. Now fewer tourists are visiting the area and there’s a slump in the financial markets that has seriously affected Boston with layoffs and reduced consumer spending, as the city is home to large money-management firms. So everyone is feeling the pinch. And the seafood restaurants in and around Boston, as well as the fisherman who supply them, are not immune.

ith a business that is as dependent on the economy as it is dependent on the ebb and flow of the tide, generations of fisherman are poised to survive the bad times. Kim Marden, President/ Buyer at Captain Marden’s Seafoods, a premier seafood wholesaler/retailer in New England since 1945, says, “The sky is not falling. Things have slowed down a little bit. But we’ve all been through this before.”

Ahead of the tide

Photo by John Fiske

6 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY

Jeff Senior, owner of 22-year old seafood restaurant chain Skipjack’s (with outlets in Boston’s Back Bay, Newton, Natick, and at the new Patriot Place development in Foxborough all offering a seasonally inspired daily menu) saw the slowdown coming. The telltale signs were a reduced use of credit cards and more cash transactions in recent months. Another was

Craigslist, where Senior posts help-wanted notices. In the “old days,” he says, “I’d get five or six replies for a manager’s job. Now I get 200. And these people are qualified. This is the most difficult business environment I’ve experienced since 1986. But good operators will survive.” Rich Polins, a company representative for Northcoast Seafoods, a family-run exporter/importer/wholesaler, operating in Boston for three generations, has seen what it takes to survive tough times and he concurs with Senior’s assessment. Polins comments, “Good restaurants will persevere and do well. Places that have outstanding service, food and value will survive as they have in the past.” Many tactics are being deployed to survive the situation and remain afloat. Some are small steps, like cutting utility expenses, changing business hours, and in some cases altering the menu. Turner Fisheries, a fine dining seafood restaurant located in the Westin Copley Place Boston, experienced a good summer in 2008. But, according to Debbie Dewar, the restaurant’s General Manager, their business has slowed down in recent months. For this reason, the restaurant decided that from Thanksgiving until April

Photo courtesy IstockPhoto

they will be closed eventuality. Earlier for lunch. With the this year he expanded reduction in hours and renovated Blue at Turner Fisheries Ginger. The restauPhoto by Elevin Photography hotel guests are not rant now has three left without midday dining options; there are options for diners: the Blue Ginger dining room, still several other restaurants within the hotel three private dining rooms for business and sothat serve lunch. Turner Fisheries will resume cial gatherings and a new bar/lounge area lunchtime service when tourism traffic picks up that serves a casual, Asian in the spring. tapas menu. “Even on nights Hope springs eternal for those restaurants with a regular, repeat customer base. Even in bad times it seems there are restaurants that keep seeing their good customers coming back. Senior has noticed that the Newton Skipjack’s has a very loyal local customer base, which suggests continuing health for the restaurant, even in the most difficult times. Similarly, Blue Ginger, a single-location fine dining restaurant in Wellesley, one of Boston’s prosperous western suburbs, has an extremely loyal local clientele. “These people are like family to us,” says Chef/ Owner Ming Tsai. Photo by Tsai’s shrewd business practices may have Anthony Tieuli positioned Blue Ginger well for any economic for WGBH

“I’m happy we have this diversiﬁed space to offer people. It’s basically three Blue Ginger experiences in one. It was a good idea for this economy.” But Blue Ginger is not immune. “We are not bullet-proof, no one is,” Tsai says. FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 7

ood Photo courtesy

of Turner when the dining room may be quiet Fisheries/ — for instance, a Tuesday night in midWestin Copley winter — The Lounge at Blue Ginger Place Boston and the private dining rooms are still hopping,” Tsai reports. “I’m happy we have this diversified space to offer people. It’s basically three Blue Ginger experiences in one. It was a good idea for this economy.” But Blue Ginger is not immune. “We are not bullet-proof, no one is,” Tsai says. Tsai’s assessment that nobody is bullet-proof is accurate; though some may be more protected than others. For instance, Dewar, at Turner Fisheries, says that private dining rooms continue to bring in steady business. The dining rooms Photo courtesy of Blue Ginger may host a reunion, or Senior notes that Skipjack’s is adcompany retreat. She reports that the justing in other ways too: he and his dining rooms have helped against the chefs have reengineered the menu. Each slowdown in the main restaurant. Derestaurant now serves sushi, which is spite the reliable strength of private din- less expensive and more unique that ing rooms, there has been a decline in traditional shellfish offerings. Turner company holiday parties. “With all the Fisheries has not changed the menu. layoffs,” Dewar observes, “companies Ming’s successful program on pubdon’t feel its right to celebrate.” lic television, Simply Ming, has had

Small Measures, Big Savings

Although there have been layoffs in other industries, Turner Fisheries has not cut staff. There are fewer shifts, Dewar says, and staff has been redeployed to other restaurants within the hotel. Senior has addressed his staffing issues in unique ways, instructing them to report for work one half hour later than normal. Additionally, as a cost saving measure, he turns on lights and air conditioning a half hour later than he would have in the past. Such tactics are especially important at the Natick Skipjack’s, located in an area with many family and upscale restaurants. According to Senior, this is his slowest location, quite likely due to market saturation locally. A shakeout in that local restaurant business could be a possibility.

the non-traditional, though intentional, effect of bringing attention to the restaurant, and built its international following. “TV means people come from all over the world to dine at Blue Ginger, Ming explains. “It’s the irrational power of television.”

Location, location, location

Whether it’s a television chef or a winning football franchise, a creative hook is a good way to keep business flowing. For Senior the new Patriot Place Skipjack’s is the busiest of the four, as the recent success of the New England Patriots professional football team has attracted people to the development. Patriot Place, itself non-traditional, is a vast, new one-of-a-kind super-regional shopping, dining and entertainment destination adjacent to Gillette Stadium. Skipjack’s occupies s choice location in

the development. A choice location is the reason why Turner Fisheries’ business is not as exposed to economic turmoil as that of smaller establishments. Being based in a hotel the restaurant has direct access to a captured customer base, whereas the others do not. The hotel also has deeper financial resources, with which Turner Fisheries can survive the present storm. “Many of our customers are hotel guests. We’re lucky to be in a hotel,” Dewar says. Even with its excellent location, in a hotel, Turner Fisheries relies on promotions to enhance sales. Recently, kids, who ate for free before 7:00, received a miniature chef’s hat. Hotel guest coupons, also in use, are a variant of the promotion model. Coupons and promotions initiate a sense that the customer is getting a good value. “People are hesitant to spend, these days,” Dewar says, “but they will spend more if they perceive a good value.” The value message rings true from purveyor to restaurateur. High end restaurants are busy,” Marden says, suggesting that quality trumps a recession. Jeff Senior, of Skipjack’s agrees, “Good operators will survive. The first half of 2009 looks very hard,” he says. “But with smart decisions, we’ll make it.” Polins concludes, “Now is the time to improve quality and value. In adversity there is opportunity.”

8 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY FOOD & BEVERAGE • DECEMBER / 9

alendar of Events

January

January 17-18

Sun Winefest Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut www.sunwinefest.com

January 18-20

34th Annual Fancy Food Show Moscone Center, San Francisco, California www.fancyfoodshows.com

January 23-25

VINO 2009 The Industry Convention of Italian Wine In America Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, Massachusetts www.italianmade.com

January 26-28

VINO 2009 Continuing with Seminars and Speakers Events at the NY Palace, Waldorf=Astoria, and Hilton (Ave. of the Americas) New York, New York www.italianmade.com

January 30

VINO 2009 The Italian Wine Exchange Grand Tasting for Importers, Distributors, Retailers, Restaurateurs, Ship Chandlers, Buyers & Press www.italianmade.com

January 25-26

Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie - World Pastry Cup 2009 Lyon, Franc www.cmpatisserie.com

January 27-28

Bocuse d’Or Lyon, France, www.bocusedor.com

February 14-17

11th Annual FENI (FoodService Educators Network International) Education Summit, Las Vegas, Nevada

February 19-22

South Beach Wine & Food Festival South Beach, Florida www.sobefest.com

February 25

C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program) Benefit – Honoring Drew Nieporent, Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, New York, New York www.ccapinc.org

10 / FOOD & BEVERAGE •JANUARY

ews & Trends

Seven Years for Seven Generations

Jim Beam introduces limited “Distillers Edition” Jim Beam came out with a new limited, seven years-aged “Distiller’s Edition” recipe in October. The 90-proof liquor commemorates seven generations of the Jim Beam family legacy who have contributed to the industry for over two centuries. Each generation is featured on the label, including Jacob Beam, the founder of the family of distillers who made a name for himself with his Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795. The 750 ml “Distiller’s Edition” will only be available through the end of January.

Lotsa Lobsters

Record low for lobster prices There’s excellent news for lobster lovers everywhere. The price of lobster is the lowest it’s been in 25 years. Until recently, excess catch by lobstermen were shipped to Canadian processing plants, which then sold them frozen to fast food restaurants. But due to the ailing economy, many of these Canadian plants have shut down, leaving lots of extra lobster. The result: cheaper lobster for consumers. Consumers have been urged to take advantage of the prices now, while the drawn butter is still hot.

Fishing for Information

Dial up mobile technology from Blue Ocean Institute More and more, consumers are opting for sustainable and eco-friendly choices when it comes to food. Seafood-lovers are no exception. The Blue Ocean Institute, founded in 2003, is known for developing the first sustainable seafood guide that inspired many of its own programs geared towards “greener” cooking. This past October, Blue Ocean came out with its Guide to Ocean Friendly Sushi, a wallet-sized guide with 32 color-coded, science-based environmental rankings for common species used in sushi. The guide helps sushi lovers become more informed with tips from sushi experts. In addition, Fishphone text messaging service is Blue Ocean’s newest technology aimed at helping consumers make better choices in restaurants and at the supermarket. Just text the message “FISH”, and the name of a fish to 30644, and within seconds Fishphone texts back Blue Ocean’s environ-

IstockPhoto 12 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • DECEMBER

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mental assessment. The database contains over 90 species of fish and includes information such as the fish’s abundance in the wild, and the catch method or farming system used. It will also text back important health advisory information. The new cell phone and PDA-formatted website, www. fishphone.org, puts valuable information at consumers’ fingertips. Blue Ocean’s website, www.blueocean.org, offers more information about the Institute and its newest technology.

Japanese Whisky Goes to India?

While it may seem rather unusual, Japan is indeed introducing its own malt whiskies to India. Available at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, Japan’s 20-year-old malt, Yoichi, is being very well received by whisky connoisseurs. In fact, Yoichi even won best single malt in the world at the World Whisky Awards this year. The Suntory Yamazaki brand has also made its presence known in India. Other alcoholic beverages to hit the Indian market include Italian wines like Caviro, Cavit, and Cantine, which are not yet available in the United States.

Tag, This Is It

Santa Monica Seafood offers tag boxes For over 70 years, Southern California’s Santa Monica Seafood has provided top chefs, restaurants, and hotels with fresh, sustainable seafood. Owned by the Cigliano family, Santa Monica Seafood has made sure they meet and surpass environmental and sustainable standards

and have formed alliances with conservation communities. The latest innovation from the company is their signature SMS shellfish tag boxes for the required seafood tags that come on all shellfish. They have been created to comply with all regulations mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Food Administration. The Department requires the use of the tags, which supply detailed information on when and where shellfish were harvested, in case of illness. For the busy chef, these SMS tag boxes allow for easy storage of information without the hassle of cataloguing or sorting through old records. Future plans for Santa Monica Seafood include the winter 2009 opening of its new store. The newest storefront will include an even larger variety of seafood, 64 feet of chef’s cases with seafood from around the world, as well as an oyster bar, sushi, breads, cheeses, beer and wine service, and regular in-house demonstrations by notable chefs.

Pocket Cocktails

Technology enables mixology Cocktail hour will never be the same. New for the iPhone is Pocket Cocktails, an application that uses high-resolution images, recipes, and noises for the ultimate entertaining experience. Users can use the “shaker” feature and shake the phone to receive random cocktail recipes, noises, and catchy phrases. All available without an internet connection. There are even special holiday-themed cocktails. It can be purchased for 99 cents at Apple’s iPhone application store. Continued on Page 53 FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 13

FOOD & BEVERAGE • DECEMBER /15

Suck It Up, And Play Hurt Nine Management Tips for a Successful New Year By Paul Tuennerman

1) Do Pick-Up Speed

When this month’s assignment came out, I began thinking about all that 2008 has laid on our plates. It’s as if we’ve somehow slipped in to the pages of Dr. Seuss’, Oh the Places You’ll Go. Damn it, I distinctly remember reading about the abundance of optimism for the second half of 2008!

Come on folks, if it takes eighteen months to test a Senior Discount Program, something’s horribly wrong. We’re not curing cancer here; expect the unexpected and move forward with contingencies, should you find yourself the recipient of the unintended.

What was forecasted to be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel became a resounding thud of simply unimaginable bad economic news. And I was so looking forward to escaping the cost pressures of rising commodity prices and soft, samestore-sales as consumers grappled with economic uncertainty, job losses and dwindling levels of disposable income. Well, to steal a line from a dear friend, “suck it up and play hurt.” Rather than repeat the mistakes of pundits past, I’ve decided to assemble a list of do’s and don’ts for 2009.

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Avoid getting bogged down with testing and analysis to the detriment of innovation. If we’re going to keep pace in today’s competitive market, we need to prepare and move forward quickly…and when we realize an idea isn’t going to pan out as expected, trim your corporate sails, tack just as quickly in another direction and get going!

2) Don’t Tolerate Barriers to Success I am still surprised at the number of organizations, large and small, that are bogged down by bureaucracy, turf wars and organizational silos. If people can’t play fair in the sandbox, then empty the pool and start over. Tough economic times provide opportunities to upgrade by hiring talented staff that have either been laid off by other firms or are more open to switching jobs. The goal here is to end up with a cohesive team that has a shared understanding, on all levels, of what success looks like.

3) Do Empower Your People You hired them for a reason, let them do their jobs! Associates that are hobbled by oversight and bureaucracy are just as detrimental to making head

way, regardless of the market, as those that haven’t learned to play fair in the sandbox. There’s no better way to instill a sense of ownership, then by letting your associates do the job you hired them for. Encourage them to proceed as a group and seek out success on their own.

4) Don’t Be Cheap, Be Fiscally Responsible I’m not suggesting that you tear a page from AIG’s playbook and jet off to some Beverly Hills resort, but if you’re going to capitalize on the unsettled nature of the marketplace, you’re going to need to invest in the development of a future competitive edge. Don’t miss an opportunity to upgrade your staff or invest in capital assets. Now, more than ever is the best time to begin looking for the premier location that in better times, was either not available or out of reach.

5) Don’t Confuse Efforts with Results If you’ve ever been part of a group that has taken a restaurant company out of bankruptcy, you’ve had the pleasure of seeing a lot of good people, working very hard, at going nowhere. If you’re not bringing value to the company’s balance sheet, it’s all for naught. The goal is to gain momentum and move forward, not fool ourselves into believing we’re minimizing the slide backwards.

6) Don’t Over-Analyze Yesterday’s Failure While it’s important to understand yesterday’s failures, don’t lose momentum in the process. Plotting a course for tomorrow’s success is just as important as learning from yesterday’s failure. But short of a “Mr. Peabody Way Back Machine,”

what is done is done. It is too easy to get caught up in justifications as to why sales are down at the expense of developing viable strategies to achieve success, tomorrow.

7) Get Real & Get Over It There is no substitute for the basics. If we’re going to succeed in today’s market we need to focus on what matters most; our product, our customers and our associates. If our organization hasn’t mastered the basics, you can throw what you want at it, be it new technology and what not; you’ll simply dilute the resulting benefits by building upon a weak foundation. Make sure the basics are firmly in place before laying out capital for that new POS technology guaranteed to reduce your food cost.

8) Lead! If we’re going to achieve the unimaginable, then someone is going to have to lead. The current economic difficulties are not lost on our associates. They are intently focused on the leadership and looking for direction. They’re smart enough to know, that standing still isn’t going to cut it; they need direction. Share the vision and above all, get out from behind the desk, into field and let them know where you’re headed.

9) Be Unbelievably Successful Success is a matter of choice; we can either succumb to failure or we can choose to stand up and achieve the unimaginable. Do what it is you do well, be a first rate version of yourself and above all, don’t stare into the light; mentally buying into the recession is not a requirement for today’s leaders.

FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY /17

eature

Photos courtesy of Richard Carroll and Robert Landau

Valentino

Best of Dining in Los Angeles By Damon Gambuto

Los Angeles has long been known as the city where people go to run from the cold and chase their dreams of movie stardom. While it’s not true that we all moved here to see our name in lights, the weather certainly seems scripted. Having grown up in the Northeast, I still feel like I am California dreaming when I wake up to a seventy-two degree day in the middle of January. It’s understandable that all that sunshine gave rise to a food culture marked by lighter and healthier fare, but that’s just the beginning of the story. In fact, the dictates of ‘California cuisine’ have so thoroughly permeated American cooking that the regional naming device barely seems relevant any longer. The lightness and ingredient-forward approach that made California chefs famous has transformed into a food movement amongst contemporary American cuisine. As the food world has marched forward, so too has the city that was the origin of much of that California aesthetic. These days there is no simple answer to what unites Los Angeles’ diverse restaurant scene. The reasons for this become clear once you start exploring the vast cityscape.

18 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY

Traversing Los Angeles can feel like a transnational adventure. The city covers almost five hundred square miles and is home to over two hundred languages. We Angelenos are forced to navigate the cityscape in our cars, so sometimes it can feel like life passes by through the windshield. To get a real sense of Los Angeles, you’ve got to get out of your car and into a restaurant. Privately owned eateries are our public spaces. It is how we get to know our city’s other residents and by extension, the city itself. During my time here, I’ve come to realize that the restaurant culture of Los Angeles mirrors the city’s diverse populations and lifestyles. It is this very diversity that makes Los Angeles such an amazing culinary adventure. Whether it is an established fine dining restaurant, a hot new celebrity hang out or just a delicious and affordable family-run eatery, the City of Angels offers up manna from heaven around every corner. Here are some of the best examples of what you can find if you finally decide to chase your Hollywood dream, or just get fed up with all that cold weather.

3115 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone: (310) 829-4313

n a city known for its dedication to trends, a restaurant that has lasted over thirty-five years is nothing short of an institution. Valentino began as a simple trattoria in an unremarkable section of the beachside neighborhood of Santa Monica and has grown into one of the premier Italian restaurants in the nation. The charismatic owner, Piero Selvaggio, still greets his customers nightly with the enthusiasm of a young restaurateur. Enthusiasm coupled with a passion for food and wine seems too be the secret to his success. Selvaggio came to Los Angeles from Sicily in 1964 as an eighteen year-old and worked in some of the top restaurants of the day. Just eight years later, he opened his own restaurant with dreams of American-sized success. He recalls the coming-ofage of his restaurant occurring against the backdrop of a maturing American food culture. “We opened in 1972 which was very lucky because America was becoming fascinated with food at the same time. We started as a trattoria and slowly started looking into real Italian cuisine. We became fascinated with great products and our customers – thank God - responded.” By the late Seventies, Valentino had become one of the most important Italian restaurants in the country. A stint in Selvaggio’s kitchen became invaluable bona ﬁdes for any young cook aspiring to become an Italian chef in America. At this time, Selvaggio also discovered a new passion that would become the defining aspect of Valentino’s reputation: wine. His love of wine led to a wine cellar that today numbers over 65,000 bottles spread across over 1,600

labels and numerous awards of excellence. Selvaggio can’t overstate the importance of wine to his business, “Wine is essential to our customers. You can come to Valentino and discover things you can’t find anywhere else.” Describing the transformation from a restaurant that sold wine to an oenophile destination, he states: “We became fanatics. It was so exciting what was happening. The commercial winery was being challenged by the small vineyard. California wines began to gain the respect of the world.

Photos courtesy of Lisa Thompson Photography

Valentino became a destination for people who loved great food and wine.” Selvaggio has since allowed his restaurant to change and grow without losing its connection and dedication to superlative cuisine and service. The recently remodeled dining room now includes their Vin Bar, a more casual section of the restaurant that offers up a scaled-down menu. He says, “We are tying to approach the new generation of wine and food enthusiasts. We don’t want Valentino to be an intimidating restaurant.” This new generation can sample the signature dishes that have built Valetino’s reputation. Among the

FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY /19

favorites are: an elegant lobster carpaccio with a blood orange sauce, an impossibly delicate porcini mushroom tortino with a rich fonduta, and their famous cannoli that are hand made using an old, Sicilian recipe. After thirty-six years in operation and no end in sight, Selvaggio considers himself an Angeleno at heart. “Like many in this city I came here to build a dream. Today I live by the ocean in a place I consider a little piece of paradise. We are very proud to have represented quality food and wine in this city that has become so very dear to us. We have become part of the community and the community is part of us.” Los Angeles would be lucky if they could make the Valentino ethos a trend.

eatery in Los Angeles. All this star power gives light to a true Hollywood restaurant experience. Walk into the vast, transformed warehouse space and you immediately realize that you’re not in Kansas anymore. The Tracie Butler designed interior looks as though a movie set has come to life; glass chandeliers hang from a ceiling that is no less than twenty-five feet high, the walls are a mix of fabrics and sculpted rock and candles add a warm subdued feel. The huge 8,000 square foot space is broken into three sections: an inviting bar area where the mixologists serve up stand out cocktails using freshly squeezed juices, a candle lit dining room that faces the open kitchen and an upstairs lounge called “Kiss” that awaits VIP’s looking for an ele6350 Hollywood Blvd gant alternative to a nightclub. The menu is a collaboration between English, Longoria (who added Hollywood, CA 90028 a few of her family’s favorite recipes) and ExecuPhone: (323) 467-7991 tive Chef Katie Hagen-Whelchel. No section of Los Angeles has undergone a The menu is an upscale take on Spanish and more dramatic change in the last few years than Latino cooking. Hagen-Whelchel playfully dethat most storied of neighborhoods: Hollywood. scribes it as “a globetrot through Spain and Latin The very word evokes the glamour and excite- America.” ment that is synonymous with the city. UnfortuIn lesser hands this might be a recipe for dinately, as the Golden Age of cinema gave way to saster, but the classically trained Hagen-Whelchel the blockbuster, the boulevard that gave rise to the knows what she’s doing. Having trained under movie industry fell on some hard times. Much Alain Ducasse and then English, she manages like New York City’s 42nd street, Hollywood Boule- her kitchen with an ease that belies her youthful vard became a seedy strip of adult bookstores and twenty-nine years. The presentation of the food is ne’er-do-wells. as dramatic as the Now, a reinvigoratinterior design. ed movie industry and The Tomathe help of a little urban hawk Chop is renewal has turned the Beso’s take on the derelict Hollywood Boubone in rib-eye. levard back into the cenIt arrives sizzling ter of the city’s nightlife. on the plate with Clubs and restaurants bones frenched in have sprouted up like the shape of that mushrooms after a rainNative American fall and with them has hatchet namecome a Hollywood gensake. trification movement. Of course, Among the most draHagen-Whelchel matic new restaurants to Photo by Rachel Coleman insists that the open in recent years is the style be borne of substance. Beso only uses meat quintessentially Los Angeles hotspot Beso. The from a local, sustainable rancher with whom she joint efforts of celebrity chef Todd English, celebri- has a personal relationship. Along with an impresty club/restaurant impresarios J.T. Torregiani and sive selection of “Steakhouse cuts” you can find Jonas Lowrance and regular Hollywood celebrity one of Hagen-Whelchel’s signature dishes: Brick Eva Longoria has led to the premier pan-Latino Mole Scallops. It’s an inspired reimagining of the

Beso

Oaxacan preparation as she uses white chocolate to add a surprising and delightful sweetness. The overall effect of this great food and dramatic design is one of theater; an idea not lost on Hagen-Whelchel. “The open kitchen speaks to our commitment to quality and honesty in preparation, but more than that, we know that ours customers come to us for a dining experience so our cooking is also a performance.” Partner J.T. Torregini echoes this idea of creating a dining experience when discussing the Beso notion of hospitality, “It’s all about service and it begins the moment you hand your keys to our valet. We want you to feel welcomed and that you are experiencing something special when you come to dine here.” The addition of a Hollywood celebrity brings a lot of initial attention, but Longoria is more than just the pretty face and famous name. English says, “I’m extremely proud and excited to be working with Eva Longoria to open my first restaurant in Los Angeles.” Torregini enjoys the opportunity to work with people who are as passionate about creating an exceptional restaurant as he is. “Eva is a partner, not just an investor. She’s in here three or four times a week,” says Torregini. Like most Hollywood productions, Torregini’s goal is to create a beautiful, lasting piece of history. “What we have set out to do with Beso is create a landmark restaurant.”

This dream team has dreamed up a restaurant that has set a new standard in Los Angeles nightlife. The interior is designed to evoke the ornate opulence of a 17th century French chateau while still maintaining a firm connection to Starcke’s modern edge. Mina, whose résumé includes a Bon Appetit Chef of the Year award and 14 restaurants and lounges opened under his Michael Mina Group, hasn’t lost his personal connection to creating the menu at XIV. He says, “I am still as intrigued with the process as I was when I was a 15 year-old garde manger in small French restaurant in my hometown.” What Mina has chosen to do with XIV is create a modern American all-tasting menu. The twist is that each dish is chosen by the diners and then served in individual portions to everyone at the table. This allows guests to dream up their perfect tasting menu from Mina’s ample and creative options. Among the stand outs on the menu are the Salt and Pepper Big Fin Squid with Glass Noodles, Carrots, Sprouts, and Ginger and the decadent Caviar Parfait. For Nazarian, the project is clearly the full expression of his high-end hospitality aesthetic. He sums it up, “the stars have truly aligned to integrate Michael’s culinary concept with stunning design of Philippe Stark at this incredible location on Sunset Boulevard.”

XIV

8117 West Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046 (323) 651-1414

ome restaurants are opened by celebrated chefs. Others are the creations of world class nightlife impresarios; and still others boast a beautiful interior space created by a world class designer. XIV is the rare breed that lays claim to all three. Chef Michael Mina has teamed with hospitality industry titan Sam Nazarian to open what just might be the most ambitious restaurant to hit Los Angeles in recent years. Who did they call to design their space? The newest partner in Nazarian’s growing empire, celebrity designer Philippe Starck, of course. Photo by David Matheson

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FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 21

Zankou Chicken 5065 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027 Phone: (323) 665-7842

he very first Zankou Chicken opened in 1962 in the middle of a vibrant, bustling city… Beirut, Lebanon. Twenty-two years later the Iskenderian family would leave their embattled home and set up shop in the heart of Hollywood. The rest is Los Angeles food history. The family’s beloved roasted chicken, shwarma, and incomparable garlic paste have kept generations of hungry young actors fed while attracting among the more loyal followings of any Los Angeles eatery. With little more charm than a fast food restaurant, one’s first impression of the original Zankou on Sunset Boulevard can be one of suspicion. All of these doubts subside with the first bite of succulent chicken. Zankou is one of those special places where the food transcends the environs. The varied Middle Eastern menu offers up all of the Photo courtesy of Zankou Chicken expected delicacies: hummus, falafel, taboule, etc. At first glance, it seems little more than another outpost of those familiar favorites. What has set Zankou apart is an uncanny ability to lift each of those familiar items into the realm of unique delicacy. Ask a regular what makes it so special and he or she will say, “there’s just something about the way Zankou does it.” The recipes are closely guarded family secrets, so the Zankou experience remains one only to be had at the restaurant. This is hardly a sacrifice as prices for almost every dish on the menu come in under $10 so you don’t have to fret about your dining out budget. While they haven’t spread the wealth to the rest of the country (yet), multiple outposts are dotted across the city. Finding your way to a Zankou Chicken means a trip to Los Angeles, but at least you might find one a little closer to your hotel.

Rush Street

9546 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 837-9546

erhaps nothing in the restaurant industry is as much a sign of high end food culture going mainstream as the popularization of the gastropub. In America, our bars are where we meet, drink, and of course, eat.

What we opt for in bar food is what we came for in the first place, comfort. Whether it’s a greasy burger and fries or a plate of mac and cheese, we are looking for that taste of home in our home away from it. The gastropub allows the classically trained chef to bring the grace and precision of his or her talents to bear on the classics of American fare. Here in Los Angeles, where dressy means giving your flip flops the night off , we’ve embraced this new restaurant concept like an ingénue on the red carpet. It seems as though you can find one popping up on every other corner and while many have a had brilliant debuts, few have lived up to their promise. On the Southern edge of L.A., in the resurgent neighborhood of Culver City, a new entrant has opened its door to little fanfare, but seems like it’s here to stay. Rush Street is a breathtakingly large and attractive restaurant that has been designed to embrace the industrial bones of the sign shop that once occupied the space. The name and concept of Rush Street is an homage to the Chicago strip famous for its bar scene. Before you dismiss this concept as yet another example of empty Hollywood artifice, you need to meet the man behind the idea. Not only was Brian McKeaney born and bred in the Windy City, but his family owns a number of bars on the real Rush Street. The former Hollywood producer has embraced his family’s legacy with gusto. McKeaney says, “I want people to not only feel welcome and comfortable like they would at their favorite bar, but also have a dining experience that is as satisfying as their favorite restaurant.” High standards to be sure, but once you dig into Rush Street’s Tataki Nachos (seared Ahi tuna, avocado and slaw served on crispy wontons) you realize the food is the real deal. Their dry-aged burger with truffle Asiago fries is one of the better examples of gastopub fare in the city. Of course you can wash it all down with a vast array of microbrews and signature cocktails. McKeaney has created a convivial and inviting bar that serves truly great food. He’s also broken the mold of the early-to-bed ethos of the L.A. restaurant community. We are a vibrant metropolis to be sure, but I’ve pulled my hair out more than once trying to find a decent meal after 10pm. So if you are looking for a place where you can eat, drink and make merry well into the evening, Rush Street hits the mark on all counts. Photo by Dick Lowry

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MICVAC INNOVATES THE GRAB AND GO MEAL CATEGORY Swedish company delivers great food via new packaging and process By Francine Cohen Ready made meals are an untapped revenue stream for many retailers and restaurants; but, until recently, people were hesitant to enter the ready made meals category as it had a bad rap. And rightly so. Known for a too-short shelf life, less than fresh and nutritionally weak ingredients, and convoluted cooking directions, there’s been little appeal and few options for consumers who crave great food fast. That all has changed with the introduction of the MicVac Method. Now getting food fast and great fast food can go hand in hand. And profits will climb.

Taking Proﬁ ts Higher

That uptick in profits can be directly tracked to MicVac (www.micvac.com), a Gothenburg, Sweden based solutions provider for in-pack pasteurization of chilled convenience food. It all began in 2005 when the first food manufacturer launched its MicVac-processed ready meals on the consumer market. The unique patented innovations developed by MicVac definitely proved to have strong customer value – MicVac today supplies six manufacturing customers in Europe. The patented MicVac technology allows for the efficient production of premium quality chilled ready meals thereby reducing stress on the distribution chain and ensuring customers pick up the freshest pasteurized ready made food possible. To provide a superior product to the consumer the MicVac method takes advantage of a proprietary 24 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY

cooked, pasteurized and vacuum packed system. First food ingredients (e.g. dry pasta, fresh vegetables and pre-cooked sauce) are inserted into a tray (1). The MicVac valve is applied on the film and the package is thereafter sealed (2). The package is transported into a microwave tunnel where the product is cooked and pasteurized (3). The valve opens and a controlled amount of steam is let out through the valve together with air previously in the package. After cooking, the cooling process begins immediately (4). The valve is closed and the remaining steam condenses, causing an underpressure in the package. The final result is a cooked, pasteurized and vacuum packed product that is tamper proof, and it offers a long shelf life of a minimum of four to five weeks at +8°C.

Tastes Good and Good for You

In the MicVac Method air and oxygen from the product are released out of the package. This, in combination with the short processing time, makes it possible to keep the product’s natural moisture. It also renders flavorings and nutritive substances to stay inside the package undamaged, without any risk of rancid taste. The result is products with outstanding quality in terms of taste and nutrition that are conveniently reheated in the original package. Philip Nordell, CEO of MicVac explains, “As ingredients are cooked in the sealed package at no less than +95°C, we recommend that our customers use some non-processed ingredients such as dry pasta and fresh vegetables. The short process time reduces the thermal decrease of nutritional values, color and flavor. As a

“Today, their annual turnover of this segment exceeds 13 million euro. In other words, our innovation strengthens the growth of our customers.” result, nutritional value can be increased in the ingredients and retained in the processed products.” Additionally, together with machinery suppliers such as G.Mondini and JBT FoodTech, MicVac is able to deliver complete production lines to food manufacturers worldwide. MicVac also supplies packaging material optimized for the MicVac Method. The fact that the MicVac Flextray is thinnest in the centre of the tray, as well as the overpressure and the homogenous steam atmosphere inside the package, makes the heating uniform and quick. The ideal eating temperature is indicated by the “MicVac Ready Sound” from the valve. The package is sealed with user-friendly peel-off film.

Real Results So can one simple thin tub, a piece of film and a valve make a difference in packaged food flying off the shelves? It did for Norway’s Rieber & Son in Norway,

which invested in a MicVac production line in March 2006. That year, they sold two million packaged ready meals. In 2008, they passed the five million mark. These numbers are quite impressive, considering Norway has less than four million inhabitants. “Rieber & Son in Norway was not even producing chilled ready meals when they first visited our demonstration plant,” says Nordell. “Today, their annual turnover of this segment exceeds 13 million euro. In other words, our innovation strengthens the growth of our customers.” Customers like Rieber & Son are discovering that their investment with MicVac offers more than just a financial return. Nordell explains, “With this shelf life, our customers can produce one or two recipes each day. This production cycle means efficiency. ” The efficiencies found in the MicVac system clearly offer the opportunity for an expanding bottom line for anyone interested in branding their own readymade meals and offering consumers a great dining experience at home. FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY /25

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RESTAURANTS IN TURNAROUND

An Interview with

Erik Blauberg By Francine Cohen Since the age of 12, when Erik Blauberg began his culinary career in the kitchen of a busy hotel restaurant in New York’s Catskill Mountains, he’s been fascinated with how it all comes together, from food to service. That fascination has turned into a career as a turnaround expert. If there was ever a time when restaurants needed outside help, this is it. And so, Blauberg, and his company, EKB Restaurant Consulting, have been in great demand as the dining landscape becomes more and more uncertain with ever economic glitch we hit. With “waste not want not” becoming the mantra of restaurant owners who want to remain in business they are reaching out to Blauberg. Getting into the business of turning restaurants from destitute to profitable seems to come naturally for Blauberg. His expertise was honed the old fashioned way; with hands-on experience in kitchens around the globe. And, he has worked alongside some of the most celebrated chefs in the world. Most notably, after a tour of the best kitchens in the US, France, Italy and Japan, he landed at the ‘21’ Club, where he helped give new life to the iconic New York City restaurant that had been open since 1930. 26 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • january

Acclaimed both for his cooking prowess and his management skills Blauberg is busy working with restaurateurs and chefs overhauling major food programs, designing state-of-the-art gourmet kitchens in pre-existing and new establishments, introducing his clients to the concepts of menu engineering and cost control implementation, as well as offering other ‘turnaround’ services. Blauberg generously offered his consulting services up for free to the readers of Food & Beverage Magazine. Keep reading to see what Blauberg promises will keep your doors open in these uncertain times: “A lot of these operators, especially the mom and pops, they don’t realize [they are in trouble] until it’s too late. Once they are in it and in it deep it is hard to come out of it especially if they are undercapitalized to begin with. You can’t operate the same way you were operating when you had a lot of business. Volume can fix all problems. Product costs and labor costs and then your rent are your highest costs in operating. And now you want to keep your expenses down. Yet you want to maintain your quality and integrity of your venue. I would put all these ideas into place at the same time.”

Think people!

•

I think that first of all they [restaurateurs] need to come up with better ideas. I was always one for staying ahead of the curve and watching the trends; pretty much on a daily basis. To do this there are different reports, daily sales reports, etc. that you can have your accountant running. And you always need to look ahead.

• Offer incentives for your custom-

ers. You know, it’s cheaper to dine out than eat home. It’s about staying ahead of the curve - that is what it is all about; coming up with different incentives and programs for your customers. There’s a lot of competition. You need to stay ahead of your competition.

Manage Smart, Work Smarter.

• Cut your expenses without cutting the experience. You need to monitor and cross train your staff. Staggering the schedule is one way to do it. Stagger the staff and have different people come in at different times. For example, if you are open for dinner then have someone in at 2:00 and they can start setting up and then just before service the rest of staff can come in.

• You’ve gotta work it.

Stay on top of your staff and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Make sure they punch in and out at time.

• Change is important. A lot

of people have a problem with change. Particularly employees. You need to communicate with the employees. You don’t want them saying “we didn’t do that in the past” because guess what, we have to do it now and we have to give the customer what they want.

• Go out and find the business.

If you do parties have the banquet sales director constantly working with the chef to bang on doors and not just waiting for business.

•

You really need to pump up the energy to bring in new customers. If you are near hotels- throw a party for the concierges to let them know you are there.

Engineer and Weigh Your Way to Fiscal Happiness.

•

At the end of the day it’s not the percentages that are paying the bills, it’s the dollars. At this point if you are going to increase your business in this economy you need to take a less of a cut. It is about menu engineering. Look at a four star and there are certain items you need to have – lobster, foie, truffles all the luxury food items. Those items are less profitable. They

Incentives Work Wonders With Clients And Vendors. • [To book a special event] You can offer

them a little more than they would normally get, and let them know it. If it’s a party and there’s an up charge for simple things like a confit of baby lamb chops maybe you want to throw it in there. Give them something a little extra so that they keep coming back.

• If you are paying your bills on time, leverage your purveyors. [Meaning] they work on a lower percentage basis with you to get through this time period. You can say to a good purveyor, “I can’t pay these prices right now, I have your competitors coming in, but you and I’ve got a long time relationship. I’d like to continue with you and right now you have to work on a lower percentage profit margin than you have in the past and then when things get better we can renegotiate.” The purveyors, rather than lose you to their competitor will reduce their prices.

are expensive to begin with and profit margins are low. So now you need to place other menus on the menu to balance out the luxury items. A balance is what it becomes.

• Make sure you are getting the

product you are ordering. Have a scale in place. I’m really tough when it comes to purchasing and receiving. I look at the price quotes that I am receiving, if I am under a special pricing, and I will post those over where the receiving area is. When you finally come to make your deal with the purveyor you want to post those rates at the receiving area so you can make sure the invoice coincides with the pricing you are now on with them. Then you want to make sure that you are weighing the goods. Chickens for instance – take the chickens out of the box and drain the chickens. And then they go up on the scale. I’m not paying for water weight – that’s where you can lose. I had a problem with this one company when I explained to them they needed a scale. They had been in business for six years and never weighed anything. I suggested they buy a scale and they did and started weighing the goods in, and within six weeks there was such a shortage on chickens that I received back $2700 from the purveyor. That was just one item.

•

Also encourage the receiving department to scratch out the invoice, correct weights and pricing right there on the bill even before sending it to the accounting department. Otherwise here you are paying the purveyor money that doesn’t belong to them and then you are waiting for them to send a check back. If you adjust the bill and there was a $500 shortage on it you write the adjusted check before the driver leaves. All these little things together make the difference.

FOOD & BEVERAGE • january /27

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Riding the Wave

Chef David Burke is ﬁshing in new waters with his almost all sustainable NYC seafood restaurant. by Fabiana Santana Photos courtesy of David Burke Diners are becoming more and more aware of what they are eating; produce preference is organic, and we want to know what cattle ate before we do. Now, armed with a growing awareness of the state and treatment of ocean life, the focus has shifted to fish and the time has come for diners and chefs to ride the sustainable seafood wave. A handful of organizations and groups make it easy for diners to stay aware and know what and where to eat when it comes to ordering seafood responsibly. So chefs have been taken to task to serve only the most eco friendly seafood procured by the safest methods. One chef happy to take

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on the challenge is David Burke, and his newly opened NYC seafood restaurant Fishtail is the medium for it. The goal of Fishtail, which opened December 1 of last year, is to be as sustainable as possible, and eventually the first fully sustainable seafood restaurant in the city. “We are 80% there,” explains Burke, “and that is just within the first two weeks of opening. Will we get to 100%? I am not sure, but we will try.” Burke says the challenge lies, really, with the customer. “The clientele wants product that is not all sustainable. And I have to stay in business. So in order to do that, I have to give it to them. They want calamari, but it is not sustainable. But this is a seafood restaurant; I have to give it to them.” In order to be deemed sustainable, seafood sources must be those that are “either fished or farmed, that can exist over the long term without compromising species’ survival or the health of the surrounding ecosystem.” Essentially, grown and caught with gear that minimizes harm

to the marine environment and the species. Harmful harvesting of seafood species (overfishing, for example) causes habitat degradation and species depletion. According to a report by the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, an estimated 90% of all large, predatory fish are gone from the oceans and, if we do not change our seafood choices today, many more species will be lost. Burke estimates that it is 20 percent more expensive to run a sustainable seafood restaurant. But he has committed to that expense. The added cost comes from sourcing the proper product and bringing it in. And quantities of the safe stuff are limited, so they cost more. Also, the demand always isn’t there, therefore increasing the cost. But he remains committed to the choice. “I recently took codfish off the menu, and we will be removing the monkfish soon

too, so that will put us to about 90 percent.” Seafood can be the hardest thing to regulate, he says, simply because you can’t easily see the habitat. The farms are in the water, so a visit is not always the easiest thing to schedule. “We’ve got to start doing things the right way in this country.” For Burke, that means dedicating time, energy and money to determining what fish he can serve with a clean conscience and working with fisheries that vow to remain vigilant and manage themselves correctly to avoid overfishing of healthy stock. So where does he get his seafood from? “Litchfield Farms is our main source for seafood and they are becoming the experts on how things should be done. They have farms around the world to get the best quality, eco friendly product. “Litchfield Farms is a member of the CleanFish Alliance

Continued on Next page

FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 29

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as a northeast distributer and can assist clients in developing organic and natural farm programs of their own as well. But Litchfield Farms isn’t Burke’s only source for fresh fish. Some days it doesn’t get any fresher than chef caught as Burke continues to explain, “I have my own 60-foot fishing boat that we bring out into seasonal waters to

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Crabcakes served with a peppadew chutney and cumin citrus glaze. A new late night menu features po’ boys, pizza, sliders and a full raw bar until 1am. But Burke’s not done yet. “I am working on the new davidburke townhouse menu right now and that will definitely have more of an emphasis on organics and sustainable, following the lead of what we are doing at Fishtail. It’s all a matter of economics. That is the one line catch fish. Going direct to the source is always the best. Nothing beats that taste, too. When we catch a tuna we can have it on the plate in a matter of hours. That is what keeps us clean and interesting and keeps us passionate about doing this.” Burke’s seafood menu at Fishtail is divided into two sections: Whole & Simple featuring dishes like roasted wild salmon and swordfish steak “Rossini” (swordfish stock has recovered dramatically since 1998 when the North Atlantic stock was in danger) and Fishtails with inventive Burke style offerings like Maine lobster tail carbonara. Other entrées include turf options like a 55-day dry aged rib eye and seawater brined organic chicken. An oyster bar features selections from the east and west coasts and sides include shrimp home fries and tomato couscous. The 3800 square foot, two floor restaurant is decorated with a Warhol print from Burke’s personal collection as well as custom designed fish focused artwork by Texas based artist J. Vincent Scarpace and red glass buoys created by Michael Ayoub, a glass blower and Brooklyn–based chef. Executive Chef Eric Hara, who will do double duty between Fishtail and the new davidburke townhouse (formerly davidburkeanddonatella), will be in charge of combining the classics with Burke’s signature whimsy, like his calamari “mac & cheese”, lobster wonton soup and Rice Crispy

thing that can prohibit you from doing the right thing (in terms of choosing and offering product). So you have to stay focused and stand your ground. It takes a couple of people to take the lead and the clientele has to appreciate it. If they don’t, it really defeats the purpose of what we are doing.” Fishtail - 135 East 62nd Street - New York, NY - www.fishtaildb.com

Want info on what you can eat with a clear conscience? 1) The Offi ce of Sustainable Fisheries is a headquarters program offi ce of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also known as NOAA Fisheries. To fi nd a list of fi sheries that are sustainable. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/sfweb 2) Seafood Choices Alliance is mobilizing and connecting world leaders who support action for a sustainable supply of seafood and healthy oceans through responsible business, management, policy, and regulation and off er readers a list of restaurants that serve sustainable seafood. http://seafoodchoices.com

artisanship in their ﬁ eld of wild harvesting or cultivation of seafood in order to be considered for membership in the CleanFish Alliance. www.cleanfish.com 5) Blue Ocean Institute is a marine conservation organization that uses science, art, and literature to inspire a deeper connection with the sea and organize programs like Saving the Ocean and Sea Ethic to help people understand how the ocean supports life on the planet. www.blueocean.org

6) Shedd Aquarium Right Bite – Sure 3) The Monterey Bay Aquarium produces a you’re making the most sustainable seafood pocket guide for ocean friendly restaurants choices? Check in with the Shedd Right Bite on the west coast and alerts diners as to list of fi sheries that off er environmentally what seafood species’ populations are friendly seafood, fi nd out about staff compromised in what regions. training, and explore alternative seafood www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatchasp choices for your menu. rightbite@sheddaquarium.org 4) Fisheries must demonstrate and maintain the highest standards of FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY /31

M Fishing in ise En Place

By Josh Thomsen Photos courtesy of Josh Thomsen

Cabo

At the tip of Mexico’s 1,000-mile long Baja peninsula, where cool waters of the California current run down the Pacifi c coast and the warm tropical waters coming up the Mexican coast meet at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The Sea of Cortez to the northeast moves by pushing and pulling the warm and cool water, mixing the nutrients and creating large eddies that form temperature breaks that make it the ultimate place for sport fi shing in the world. Cabo has been blessed with what many describe as the perfect climate. Average year-round temperature is 78 degrees; it is a little cooler in the winter and a bit warmer in the summer. For years Cabo was the remote playground reserved solely for private yacht owners. But, they fl ock here now to be near “Marlin Alley”, as the waters around Cabo have often been described. The name is well deserved, as Cabo San Lucas is the undisputed billfi sh capital of the world.

Fishing is excellent year round for marlin fi shing and many other billfi sh species. The rockier areas along the Gulf side hold many types of groupers, sea bass & snappers. The sandy Pacifi c side produces shark, jack crevelle and the ultimate surf warrior, the mighty rooster fi sh.

Where can you go to eat some of these great creatures of the sea: Look no further than Nick San where owner/chef Angel Carbajal has fused all that is sacred in Japanese cuisine with local Mexican elements at their fi nest since opening ten years ago. The only thing fresher than a fi sh off the dock daily is fi sh that is hand-caught by the chef himself. This gives new meaning to the saying. “Location is everything.” On the docks just 1 block away from the kitchen door is the “Spicy Tuna”, the deep sea fi shing boat owned and operated every day by Chef Angel and his crew. Angel has an advantage unlike most sushi chefs worldwide as he couples French and Japanese culinary experience with fi shing mastery, controlling all aspects of quality from the waters to the table. CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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Fishing in

Cabo Warm service also contributes to the unpretentious vibe. The wine list though is deﬁ nitely not deep in selection, but focuses on a variety of specialty sake; hot, cold and unﬁ ltered. There is also a full bar.

The culinary technique is shown in unique signature sauces with the use of local spices and produce. Many dishes use heat and other traditional Mexican forms such as minced habanero chili, onion, fresh fruits and herbs. You can see the local infl uence in the “clear” lobster roll, balanced with tender local lobster, mango and avocado all wrapped in rice paper. Or try the sea scallops sashimi that are graced with lemon infused olive oil and thin slices of fried garlic. Another great dish was the Gyoza ($15) stuff ed with local shrimp drizzled with Serranito (Chile) sauce. The best tuna can be found in the tuna tostada (seared blue fi n tuna served on a rice cracker with a habanero red onion sauce, sliced avocados and toasted sesame seeds.

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Another restaurant that specializes in seafood from the water that surrounds Cabo is at the Esperanza resort which ranks as one of the top hotels in Latin America as well as the #1 spa in Mexico by Travel + Leisure. Its cocina del sol menu features “sun-fi lled” Mediterranean-infl uenced cooking, incorporating local Baja ingredients and unique regional fl avors such as the array of ceviches like blue fi n tuna with avocado and soy-nori vinaigrette or the snapper with lemon and baja olive oil. The menu is overfl owing with local product like spicy baja lobster cooking in a Indian curry-coconut broth with pea “cappuccino”, the slow cooked escolar with roasted banana-truffl e puree and the red turbot with baby spinach salad and sangria reduction.

If high end is not your thing and yo u want to “dine as the locals do” a trip to Cabo is n ot complete wit out going to the h Stop Light locate d right next to the Squid Roe.

Plastic tables and chairs are spread across the sidewalk. Inside, the room is dimly lit with chili pepper lights and rustic chandeliers. Their dishes range from traditional Mexican cuisine to fresh ﬁ sh and seafood, pasta, excellent steaks, sandwiches and salads for the light eaters. In fact some of my local friends have tried not to eat there and drive around thinking of where else to go but they still end up back at the Stop Light. Their consistent quality and fun location for viewing what’s happening in Cabo really makes it a great place to eat and hang out for the evening before enjoying the bars and discos that are all located nearby. Favorite dishes of mine are the fresh Ahi Tuna cooked rare, blackened with pepper sauce, or simply with garlic and butter. As you can see Cabo oﬀ ers a wide array of choices in great food from its own waters, just remember not to drink it from the tap!!

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Welcome to

Taste This January 2009

While the rest of the magazine is mostly dedicated to all things under the sea we’ve hooked a few new items for you to enjoy on land.

Dive in!

IT’S A SEAFOOD LOVER’S LIFE FOR ME Chef Dean James Max turned his happy childhood memories of savoring local Chesapeake regional seafood into a gorgeous cookbook, A Life by the Sea. “There’s something about the water which is magical to me,” Max muses in the introduction. “My love of food is fed from the fond memories of smells and tastes of my childhood.” The stylishly simple recipes in A Life by the Sea handily demystify seafood cooking and inspired us to explore Modern American Seafood cooking as described by Chef Max. There’s a multitude of menus here, broken down into categories of: Soft/Delicate/Sweet/Lean (wild turbot, skate, grey sole, Dover sole, halibut); Moist/Mild/Flaky/Gentle (red snapper, barramundi, cod, farm-raised striped bass, wild striped bass, black bass) ; Tender/ Buttery/Sweet/Succulent (soft shell Photo courtesy Chef Dean crab, stone crab, golden cram, mussel, James Max Nantucket scallop, sea scallop, oyster); Silky/Smooth/Flavorful/Intense (sardine, kingfish, pompano, smelt, salmon, char); Subtle/Springy/Rich/Savory (Maine lobster, Florida spiny lobster, monkfish, grouper, sturgeon, gulf shrimp, sweetwater prawn); Bold/Robust/Meaty/Firm (wahoo, tuna, swordfish, mahi mahi, opah, John dory); Strong/Unique/Earthy/ Textural (snail, conch, calamari, white water clam, octopus, razor clam) – a choice for every palate. And budget.

NO MORE SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY

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If you don’t want to be slipping and sliding all over that kitchen floor any more check out Timberland’s new PRO Black Series for service and hospitality professionals. Comfort and performance, combined with Timberland style, is what you’ll find with these new shoes that were introduced at NRA 2008. “We developed Timberland PRO® BLACK series using our footwear expertise and an in-depth understanding of the needs of the end-user,” said Jim O’Connor, director of marketing for Timberland PRO. “We’re providing a real on-the-job footwear solution for the full time professional working in the most

Photo courtesy Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa

Continued on the next page

FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 39

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demanding service environments. And for this consumer, footwear performance and aesthetics can be equally important elements.”

The shoes feature:

• SafeGripTM sole provides lightweight superior slip-resistance and shock absorbency on both wet and dry surfaces. A unique tread design allows for maximum surface contact, while well-defined leading edges and strategically positioned grooves push liquids away from the foot • Scotchgard™ protector by 3M provides extraordinary stain resistance • Premium full-grain waterproof leather creates a sleek, polished look Each pair comes with a set of PreciseFit™ inserts of varying thicknesses, which allows for size differences between left and right feet, creating a customized, comfortable fit. To learn more about Timberland PRO please visit www. timberlandpro.com.

BLACK SHEEP MAKES GOOD Mouton Noir Wines are Wonderful for Winter

This unique, distinctive garage wine portfolio was founded in 2004 by noted NYC sommelier Andre H. Mack. Mack’s first offering, Montgomery Place 2006, has a Cabernet Franc base with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and a bit of Verdot. It offers a big and juicy flavor, full of ripe California fruit – yet balanced, with lovely acidity. Had you been fortunate enough to stumble upon this wine when it released earlier this year you could have enjoyed it with burgers on the grill. Latecomers still have the joy of sipping it with heartier winter foods. The wines are available at choice retailers and restaurants in New York City Area and shipped to 33 states via the Mouton Noir Wines mailing list. For more information check out moutonnoirwines.com.

HAPPINESS IS BOURBON HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF

Woodford Reserve’s New Master’s Collection Marries History and Innovation with Limited Edition Sweet Mash Whiskey

Photo courtesy of Mouton Noir Wines

While the stock market crashed around us Woodford Reserve did something to revive our spirits by reviving a long-abandoned bourbon production practice and releasing the third whiskey in its award-winning Master’s Collection series, 1838 Sweet Mash. The rich, orange brown bourbon offers up aromatic maple syrup sweetness balanced with loads of fruit – apple, blueberry, and blackberry, and the spicy characteristics of nutmeg, cinnamon and hints of clove and delivers a clean, warm finish. “Though no one person can be credited with creating the sour mash process now used to make all American whiskies, the presentday Woodford Reserve Distillery is largely known as the site where the method was defined,” said Woodford Reserve Master Distiller and Spirits Historian Chris Morris. “The sour mash process was innovative at the time and is now common practice. The Woodford Reserve Distillery has taken that innovation ‘a step in reverse’ by bringing the old-fashioned sweet mash practice back to life.” All bourbon whiskies are traditionally crafted using a sour mash process in which ingredients – grains, yeast and water -- from a prior distillation (referred to as spent mash) are introduced Photo courtesy of Brown-Forman/ into a new mash mixture. The result is a Woodford Reserve sour mash which is fermented for several days before being distilled. Sour mash ultimately creates a more consistent product with less variation from batch to batch. Sweet mash, however, was the original production practice established to craft bourbon whiskies, and it consists of using entirely fresh ingredients – grains, yeast and water – to create a mixture which will be fermented for several days and then distilled. This process gives the mash a higher pH level and reveals a layer of aromas and flavors which aren’t commonly found in sour mash bourbons. 1838 Sweet Mash is the third in the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection that is released periodically at the master distiller’s discretion. Master’s Collection whiskies are extremely limited in quantity, bottled only once and feature a package inspired by the copper pot stills of The Woodford Reserve Distillery. 1838 Sweet Mash celebrates the founding year the present-day Woodford Reserve Distillery was constructed and commemorates the end of the sweet mash bourbon-making era. Only 1,045 cases are available and each bottle is individually hand-numbered and presented at 86.4 proof.

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www.nespresso-pro.com 800.566.0571

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Mushroom Epiphany An earthy tale of the unexpected road to true domestic truffle oil By Mort Hochstein Wine mythology says the monk Dom Perignon discovered Champagne by accident and called to his comrades, “Come, I am drinking stars in a bottle.” Then there’s the equally apocryphal story of the French shepherd boy who dropped his cheese in a cave to chase after a shepherd girl. When he returned the next day, the cheese had developed blue veins and “Voila! We’ll call it Roquefort.”

Apocryphal, romantic epiphanies. And now, in Dayton, Oregon, restaurateur and mushroom maven Jack Czarnecki lays claim to the latest one with the discovery of a new method for producing truffle oil. Czarnecki, a trained microbiologist, realized his magic moment when he opened a package of Oregon truffles he was carrying to an agricultural conference. The package also contained a steak left over from the restaurant which he’d been planning to nibble on before the meeting. When he opened the package, he says, “The steak was suffused with an overwhelmingly lovely aroma of truffles.” “The gas from the truffles totally permeated the cooked meat and all of a sudden I figured out the way to bottle clean, true truffle oil. Many truffle oils,” Czarnecki observes, “are synthetic. What is often sold as truffle oil,” he declares, “is olive oil with flavoring and truffle aroma. And much of it is dirty and tastes like cabbage, not truffles. Urbani does the real thing,” he declares, “but there are few others and certainly none produced in this country.” Two years after the magic moment, and many unfulfilling attempts later, Czarnecki says he has the real thing, based on white Oregon truffles. He now holds license number one from the Oregon Department of Agriculture for white truffle oil. “This is the project I was born for. All my experience points to this.” “Oregon truffles have gotten a bad rap,” Jack declares, “because people really did not know when

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to pick them at proper ripeness, and how to handle them.” “Long ago,” he adds, “James Beard declared that Oregon white truffles were the equal of their Italian counterparts.” Italy and France have long been recognized as the source for great truffles, but entrepreneurs have been trying to cultivate the finicky fungus in fields IstockPhoto from New Zealand to Japan. It’s estimated that there are some 300 promising truffle orchards in the United States, with the most important fields being in Tennessee. Indeed Tennessee cultivated truffles are now served at the four-star restaurant Boulud in New York and Oregon truffles have become accepted in restaurants on the west coast. Czarnecki unveiled his oil before a tough international audience of 200 truffle experts in Spoletto, Italy, in late November at Tuber 2008, a conference first held in 1968, then 1988, and for a third time 20 years later in 2008. “They were producers and food experts from all over the world and they were dubious, because there is a great sensitivity toward misrepresenting such a delicate product,” he observed recently. “They thought I had a synthetic product, but once they sampled and saw it was the real thing, I was deluged with requests for information on the process and the availability of

the truffle oil.” Czarenecki’s initial bottling of 50 cases of five-ounce bottles at $30 each is being sold largely at the restaurant and has recently been available through his website, Oregontruffleoil.com. He’s scheduled to make his second batch shortly after the New Year. A chef for more than 30 years, he is so certain that he has discovered the real thing that he is no longer active in the restaurant he and his wife Heidi, founded in the nineties. They’ve put their son Christopher and Christopher’s new bride, Mary McNealy, in charge of the Joel Palmer House in Dayton, Oregon, and are now concentrating on his truffle oil venture and other products deriving from the truffle fields of the Northwest. Recognized for nearly half a century as the godfather of mushrooms and other funghi in restaurants, Czarnecki feels the Oregon truffle has a great future and the clean truffle oil is his first major step in reaping the riches to be realized from that holy grail of the world food scene.

“They thought I had a synthetic product, but once they sampled and saw it was the real thing, I was deluged with requests for information on the process and the availability of the truffle oil.”

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SURVIVING AND THRIVING:

2009 TRENDS FOR HOTELS & RESTAURANTS A Forecast for What’s Hot in a Challenged Environment

Business Boons: Hotel & Restaurant n Dining Room Secrets Don’t tell anyone but secret surprises from off the menu signature dishes and cocktails, to inside-track incentives and exclusive invites are sneaking up in restaurant and hotels. n Mix & Match to Lift & Separate Hotel and restaurant operators are taking advantage of strategic partnerships with everyone from beverage vendors to charities to extend outreach and share costs. n Techie-Color Dreamcoat Restaurants and hotels are developing personalities on social networking sites and will be developing content for phone applications getting on the bandwidth wagon using email marketing, yelping, blogging, and other methods to spread the word.

THE TOP TRENDS FOR ‘09

Every year, my team and I develop the Trend Watch List from a combination of close industry observation, coast-to-coast travel, discussions with industry experts, meetings with hotel and restaurant clients, press contacts, conferences attended and media sources. During 2008, our team traveled 149,183 miles, ate 1,143 restaurant meals, produced 5 restaurant openings and 4 hotel launches and finally, slept for a total of 127 nights in hotels. In 2009, casualization will be a recurrent theme throughout hotels and restaurants this year. Restaurants will feature shorter menus, dressed down dishes, counter seating, the revival of classic home cooking favorites and an overall neighborhood feeling. Hotels mirror the trend with flexible lobby spaces that lend themselves to business and pleasure; dining, emailing, relaxing, cocktailing, lounging, meeting and dating. Additionally hotels and restaurants will re-

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main flexible in order to give guests exactly what they want, whether it is substituting a salad for a side of fries or offering a magazine library and someone to walk the dog. In 2009, it will be increasingly important to surprise and delight guests with secret offerings and stellar service that meet their needs before they realize them. Clear messaging is essential for effective marketing efforts this year more than ever--both hotels and restaurants will need to thoroughly examine and define their brands. From the marketing standpoint, the biggest trend will be new partnerships to expand outreach and cut costs. In the past year, we saw the growth of social networking sites, and in 2009, utilizing the most modern technology - email marketing, social media, i-phone applications - to spread the word effectively, efficiently and economically, will be increasingly important. Here are the 2009 restaurant and hospitality trends—including our hot food and drink lists. As we move into the new year, the philosophy for businesses in 2009 to survive and thrive is “yes we can.”

becomes increasingly important and service needs to be stellar. The guest can have the side dish, wine glass size and mini-bar offerings of choice.

The Un-Uniform

Uniforms are anything but as hotels and restaurant partner with designers to develop a streamlined, consistent look, elevating the culture of the brand and giving people something to talk about.

“Stay”ing Alive: Hotel

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By Andrew Freeman, President, Andrew Freeman & Co.

Photo courtesy of level III.

n The Rating Game Hotels will be fighting to keep competitive in a challenging economy, expect unique incentives, special offers and price fluctuations. n Loyal, Loyal, Toil, & Trouble Hotels are evaluating loyalty programs, developing creative packaging, and upping the ante on amenities to lure guests in an ever-increasing escalation of the loyalty wars.

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n Layer-On the Green Green is not going anywhere, and what was once a trend is now the standard. Hotels and restaurants are riding the green wave by recycling, conserving energy and sourcing sustainable foods. n Custom-Tailored Hotels and restaurants will be more and more likely to comply with guest requests as loyalty

n The Dish on Niche Hotels are examining guests’ predilections and proclivities to have specific recommendations or itineraries at the ready from gay clubs to swank shops or which wineries to visit. n Regress to De-Stress In these tough economic times guests are looking for comfort and ways to relax and unwind. Hotels hit home by offering hot chocolate bars, milk and cookies at bedtime, cozy slippers and massage jets in the bath. n The Spandex of Spaces It’s a bar, it’s a lounge, it’s a café and a work-

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space; a social meeting room, a restaurant and even an event space - it’s the new hotel lobby.

a “Starter” of ceviche, and a flat bread “To Share.”

From MySpace to the Common Space

n Neighborhood Night Restaurants will be reaching out to local neighborhoods with casualized weekly specials designed to draw regular guests with events like “Meatball Mondays” or “Family Nights” offering old school options and a casual neighborhood vibe.

Hotels are creating social networking opportunities for guests with wine hours, game nights, poolside parties and social events in the common spaces. n LEED the Way As corporate buildings have been slower to go green, hotels are the forefront of LEED certification - installing low flow toilets, automatic lights and decreasing water; saving money and precious resources by reducing consumption. n Running Strong Fitness concierges, organized exercise activities, wii yoga and customizable programs keep hotels at the top of their game. n Check In…To Check Out Hotels grab the staycation market with special day-packages featuring fitness and spa facilities, special deals on museums and exhibits, tours and culinary classes for the whole family - here in SF, it’s the “bay-cation.”

Eating It Up/Drinking It Down: Restaurant & Bar n Dress It Down New restaurants focus on a casual environment offering carafes of wine and dishes that your mother might have made in family-style settings, creating a place where guests feel at home even when they go out. n Maximize Your Assets Restaurants are opening for additional meal periods and offering limited menus during off peak hours - try adding a happy hour, or a latenight second round “cocktails and desserts” hour. n Scattered Logic Menu items fall into an array of portion sizes and across a range of categories for a scattered approach. I’ll have a “Nibble” of olives,

n Meet Your Meat From “Head to Tail” dinners, to whole roasted fish; eating the entire animal has become an event. Now you can meet your meat, and often the guy who raised it. n Counter Culture Revolution Restaurants forgo tables for counter seating overlooking the kitchen. Diners like the casual option of no reservation seating and social dining and watching the chefs at work.

Uncle Sam vs. Aunt Jemima n

Restaurants are constantly adopting their menu choices to keep in line Photo copyright Kimpton with governHotels & Restaurants/Ko ment regulations influencing cooking methods like sous vide, calorie posting, and ingredients like foie gras and trans fats. n Giving the Finger Finger foods and foods you can eat with your hands proliferate as guests look for comforting, easy, and approachable menu items. n Field-ing Inquires Chefs and farmers develop personal and profitable relations as chefs request custom grown vegetables and farmers unload a glut of produce for a profit when chefs find a creative use

for it. n Sexy Lounge-erie Flexible lounges blur the line between the dining room and the bar allowing guests a comfortable and relaxed place to drink, people watch, and order in increments as the evening progresses. n Split Personality They say it’s a wine bar, but really it’s a restaurant – a serious one. Restaurants forgo the name for more casual monikers—it’s happening here and in Europe. n Small Is Big Small space, short menu, hot concept! Tiny restaurants with only a few items on the menu are big news. n Taking it to the Street Popular restaurants take to the street, opening their own stands and redefining street food. Seoul Food anyone? n Members Only Jackets Restaurants and bars boast an exclusive club atmosphere: reservations essential and special members only areas - they’ll even let you store your stash for your next visit. n Airport Cuisine Takes Off Higher end dining establishments are opening outlets in airports. Now you can get a real meal before you leave the ground or a bento to go.

Raising the Bar

Growing methods and farming practices used to be reserved to the menu but now wine lists designate sustainable selections, adding green to the list of reds and whites. n All Shook Up Bartenders are adding egg white and shaking – hard, for frothy cocktails of yore done today. We’re flipping over these eggy delights.

Breakfast Cocktails n

They may go down smooth, but they are no smoothie – these so called hangover cures can give you a buzz if you drink too many, but brunch with these benefits brings in the biz. n

Hot List: Food

Photo courtesy of Domaine Chandon

Goat – we expect to see goat as a new favorite (the next short ribs perhaps?) and see it braised and grilled across more and more menus.

Waiter, There’s Something in my Drink

It’s Like Butta’, only Home-made or Farmhouse Produced - restaurants like étoile at Domaine Chandon (Yountville) make two varieties of flavored butter in house (ex. Blanc de Blanc shallot butter). Others like Fifth Floor (San Francisco) serve two varieties of butter to choose from a traditional and a farmstead goat milk butter.

Organic and Biodynamic Beverages

À La Mode: Signature Ice Creams – Pastry chefs are making intriguing ice creams in unique flavors. (Eg. Bong Su in San Francisco has offered a variety of ice creams designed to fit their Vietnamese menu with flavors like kabocha squash, avocado, and black sesame)

n Shaken or Sparkling Sparkling wine cocktails are light, refreshing, and flavorful and popping up on menus all around. n

From tapioca pearls to preserved hibiscus flowers, to spherical orbs of Cointreau, cocktail garniture gets creative. n

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24 oz. raspberry jam 2 tbs. baking powder 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cinnamon

Saint Nick and his reindeer didn’t have anything on holiday fliers going to and from Israel this past holiday season. Just as your grandmother wouldn’t let you go hungry, ever, El Al made sure that their customers were well fed with traditional Chanukah treats – potato latkes and sufganiot (jelly donuts). “As the airline of Israel, EL AL brings a taste of the holiday spirit to our passengers by creating a festive atmosphere,” stated Offer Gat, CEO, North & Central America, EL AL. “Delivering such a memorable experience for those traveling to Israel on the national airline during the holiday season is yet another example of why EL AL is so unique.” Executive Chef Steven Weintraub of Borenstein Caterers (a subsidiary of EL AL) estimates he made 2,640 donuts, going through approximate 400 lbs. of dough and 125 lbs. of jelly. The 2000 potato latkes enjoyed en route were made from roughly 500 lbs. of potatos, 100 lbs. of onions, and 20 dozen eggs.

In order: combine yeast, water, sugar, shortening, eggs, baking powder and flour. Roll into donut hole-size balls. Set over warm stove and allow to rise to double in size. Fry donuts in hot oil until golden brown. Remove from grease and cool partially on wire rack. Fill with raspberry jam using a spiked pastry bag. Roll donuts in cinnamonsugar. Cool at room temperature. Makes about 3 ½ dozen.

Flying potato latkes and jelly donuts make the trip to and from Israel even yummier.

Photo copyright Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

Spam Spam I Am – Spam sales are up and don’t be shocked if you find it on bar menu as a kitsch/ retro fun bar bite dressed up new ways Not Your Mamma’s Meatball – We’re seeing meatballs everywhere; braised meatballs, grilled meatballs, lamb, beef, pork and veal meatballs, stuffed meatballs, meatballs in sauce, the list goes on In-House Pickles and Preserves – Chefs are making their own preserves including housemade mostarda to go with Bollito Misto (Poggio in Sausalito, CA), and pickled vegetables or fruits to go with cured meats and pate. Lobster – falling prices mean restaurants can offer better deals on lobster Ancient Grains as “New” Ingredients – Find farro or epautre on a menu near you. Outsourced Customized Breads – Bay Bread bakes customized breads for many restaurants not available in their retail outlets, like the red wine bread for Fifth Floor (in San Francisco

Hot List: Drink Ginger – Domaine de Canton Ginger Cognac is prevalent, ginger beer, fresh ginger, in all sorts of new cocktails and born again favorites like the Dark & Stormy and the Moscow Mule Artisan Sodas, Tonics and Vinegars Oh My! – adult sodas are popular in stores and in restaurants (GUS, Fizzy Lizzy, etc.) , while mixologists 52 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY

swear by new tonics and syrups (Small hand foods) they provide good sophisticated non-alcoholic options as well as cocktail components. Absinthe, the Other “Green” Trend – newly legal and with domestic producers absinthe is resurging. Small Batch Specialty Coﬀee Roasters – It is cult coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee, Philz and Ritual Coffee in San Francisco, Intelligentsia in Chicago, Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland…

Spicy Spiked Drinks – either in chili spiced rims like the (ancho chili dusted rim of XYZ’s Refresco Organico to a habanero infused bloody mary at level lll, both in San Francisco.) A Spoonful of Agave Helps – Agave’s mellow sweetness is a great way to prevent too sweet drinks. (La Cantina and level lll in San Francisco both use it to great effect.)

Latkes:

5 raw, peeled, shredded Idaho potatoes 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1 diced small spanish onion /2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 diced red pepper 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper 1/4 cup flour 1 cup canola oil 1 egg, beaten Sauté onions and red pepper in 2 tbs. in oil. Add shredded potatoes; quickly sauté and blend. Remove from heat and add flour, egg, baking powder, salt and pepper. Blend well. Heat skillet and add remainder of oil. Drop a ¼ cup of mixture in a skillet. Form round pancakes and fry until golden brown on each side. Makes about 2 dozen.

Bitters – cocktails boast specific bitters – amaro, orange bitters, cynar, etc. A Wine of One’s Own – restaurants work directly with wineries to offer special proprietary wine labels

ews & Trends

Sufganiot:

1 cup warm water All-purpose flour as necessary 1 cup sugar to give dough a bread-roll consistency 4 oz. melted shortening (not too hot) 1 dozen whole eggs

Dude, Where’s My 401K?

Who cares?! Wine is the future. San Francisco-based winemaking facility, Crushpad, announced Bailout (www.bailoutwine.com). Continued on the next page

Andrew Freeman on streaming video about: What’s Hot In Dining: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=a4jn_qZkUjk What’s Hot in Drinks: http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=b9AHu5uSl6k&feature=related Complete 2009 Trend Watch List http://www.andrewfreemanandco.com/documents/2009_AFCo_trends.pdf FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUARY / 53

BEVERAGE FOOD& MAGAZINE

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ews & Trends

This limited edition, yet to be bottled 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet, acts as the ultimate hedge against further 401kbattering downturns.

Food

For just $39 visitors to bailoutwine. com can purchase a future in this wine crafted at Crushpad from some of Napa’s best vineyards in Oakville, Mt. Veeder and Pritchard Hill, and made by winemakers with backgrounds at Napa icons such as Opus One and Merus. Each purchase is pegged to that day’s closing value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. When the wine is bottled on August 14, 2009 Crushpad will take the closing value of the Dow, subtract the value at which the wine was purchased and cut an economic stimulus check for $2 for every IstockPhoto 100 point drop. For example, if the Dow is at 8800 at purchase time and it closes at 7300 on August 14, 2009, then the cost nets out at only $9 per bottle. If the ending Dow is greater than when they purchased the wine, the most they’ll ever pay is $39 – still a great deal for a wine that typically sells in the $75 to $125 range. Crushpad will also host a Bailout blending party inSpring 2009, inviting everyone who purchases Bailout bottles to a blending session at its 30,000 square foot winery in San Francisco to help create the final blend. The event will also be streamed live on the internet. “Lately we’ve been hearing that people are ‘drinking down’ due to market fears,” said Michael Brill, Crushpad’s founder. “So we figured we’d create our own bailout and enable people to feel good about buying and drinking great wine, no matter what happens to their nest eggs. One day we’ll all look back at this and laugh… we hope.” crushpadwine.com

Drew Draws them in on February 25th It’s that time of year again – time for the C-CAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts Program) benefit. C-CAP Benefit 2009 will feature long-time favorites, as well as the city’s hottest new star chefs as well as C-CAP alumni working in restaurants around the city. 56 / FOOD & BEVERAGE •JANUARY

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Coma

At the 11th annual benefit held at PIER SIXTY, Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit will help orchestrate a grand walk-around-tasting of culinary creations prepared by New York’s top chefs assisted by high school students to benefit C-CAP. The evening’s festivities will also include a silent auction with over 30 items including once-in-a-lifetime culinary and travel packages. “Each year our supporters gather at the sold-out event to enjoy culinary creations by New York’s top chefs. While enjoying the fabulous food, they are supporting C-CAP’s mission to provide underserved high school students with training, scholarships, and jobs in the restaurant and foodservice industry,” says Richard Grausman, Founder and President of the 18-year-old non-profit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (CCAP). “We are proud to announce that in 2008 C-CAP awarded over $3 million in scholarships.” This year’s honoree is Drew Nieporent, owner of The Myriad Group (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Next Door Nobu, Nobu 57, Nobu London, Centrico, Mai House and Crush Wine & Spirits). Nieporent has been actively involved with C-CAP providing internships, job shadows, and jobs for students, as well as participating in past C-CAP benefits. Nieporent’s many personal honors include: induction into “Who’s Who of Cooking in America” by the James Beard Foundation; the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year; Bon Appetit’s Restaurateur of the Year; Man of the Year from The Food & Beverage Association; and DiRoNA’s Humanitarian Award and Hall of Fame.

For all accounts and purposes, I shouldn’t be the fan that I am of seafood.

ven against a myriad number of reasons I find myself having no problem eating a shrimp head, or puffer fish, or any other strange thing from the sea that “extreme eater” Andrew Zimmern would eat (if I eat tuna balls do I get my own show too?). I’m a Jew, and it’s in my genetic makeup By Scott Ian to hide like a Vampire from the sun from shellfish. And, besides the religious thing, seafood can kill you. Is that reason enough to not eat it? How about the fact that if you saw something that looked like a crab or lobster skittering across your kitchen floor when you turned on the lights you’d do nothing short of napalming the monstrosity. As a kid my practicing Jewish friends would tell me horror stories about an uncle that died from a bad clam or a

neighbor who got gout from a bad piece of fish. I didn’t need my hypocritical shrimp cocktail eating at Bar Mitzvahs friends to tell me about the dangers of oysters; those stories would make national news. “On tonight’s nightly news with David Brinkley, American troops pull out of Saigon. And a man that lived next door to somebody that knows Scott Ian in Bayside, Queens died from what was apparently a tainted oyster.” We used to go to my grandfather’s house for the Passover holidays. Before my grandparents moved to Florida they lived in Queens as well and my memories of their house are of small, dark, oppressive rooms and plastic Continued on next page FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUIARY / 57

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slipcovers. My grandfather was a strict Orthodox Jew and Passover was a long dark day of standing and sitting and standing and sitting and lots of oldies speaking Hebrew and my brother and I doing everything we could to sneak a piece of matzoh without any of the Passover Nazis catching us.

There was a long weird fish alive in my grandfather’s bathtub. The eight year old me was extremely excited and I ran downstairs to ask about my grandparent’s new pet. “Grandpa, Grandpa, there’s a fish in the bathtub!” And then to my horror he said, “Of course there’s a fish in the bathtub, it’s the pike for the gefilte fish.”

“Grandpa, Grandpa, there’s a fish in the bathtub!” And then to my horror he said, “Of course there’s a fish in the bathtub, it’s the pike for the gefilte fish.”

On one of those long days we arrived at their house early so my parents could help out and my brother and I could suffer even longer than usual. We didn’t even get the payoff of the hide the matzoh game that all of our friends got. If it wasn’t in my grandfather’s seder book, it wasn’t part of Passover; so there was no money exchanging hands. On that day we got there early I was roaming around the upstairs of the house unattended, exploring the mysteries of these people from Poland and Russia, and I walked into a bathroom and I noticed that the tub was full of water. As I got closer to the full tub my curiosity piqued as to why there was an old bathtub filled with water. I could hear my grandfather saying, “Such a waste all this water, take a bath anyway!” This bath wasn’t for me though as I looked over the edge of the tub to see a fish kind of swimming around in the tub. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. To this day it’s one of the seminal moments of my life.

In the dim recesses of my brain I can remember standing there confused at this statement. Pike for the gefilte fish? In your gross tub that you bathe in upstairs? And then I thought about all the previous times I ate gefilte fish in that house and I think I swooned a bit. Guess who didn’t eat the gefilte fish that day. It was hard enough watching everyone at the table shoveling it into their mouths and talking with mouthfuls of bathtub pike. I get gaggy just thinking about it.

You, or actually I, would think that a moment like that would put me off fish forever. Tub fish, yes. Fish from the ocean, lake, stream, river, whatever; no problem. If I could eat one type of food every day (and afford it) I’d have Nobu Matsuhisa make me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cheers, Scott

BEHIND THE BAR As we head straight into the new year there’s still reason to celebrate. We’ve been promised change with the new administration, and there’s hope on the horizon. If some of the change you’ve recently experienced has put a chilling crimp in your spending why not stay in with some frosty cocktails and gather friends and family you may have missed in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Armed with this terrific seasonal cocktail recipe in your bar repertoire you’ll surely be known as the host with the most. So give the Leblon Snowflake a shake, and you’ll surely wow your guests. Even those who have forgotten the joys of making snow angels. Enjoy! 2 oz. Leblon cachaça 2 oz. coconut milk 2 oz. canned lychee syrup 1 tsp. simple syrup Coconut shavings for garnish Pour all the ingredients over ice in a shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with coconut shavings.

58 / FOOD & BEVERAGE • DECEMBER

FOOD & BEVERAGE • JANUIARY / 61