// NEWS
RESTAURANTS
NYC’s Carmellini Expands Empire with New South Beach Outpost Andrew Carmellini, the sizzling New York Chef who began making his name as he climbed through the ranks at Le Cirque and Café Boulud, last month opened a South Beach outpost of his celebrated, American-loving The Dutch.
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Andrew Carmellini 2 • December 2011 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
he menu at The Dutch in the W Hotel on Collins Avenue reads very much like the one at the SoHo original - sophisticated but unpretentious food that doesn’t venerate our past so much as pay tribute to our melting-pot present. Like other out-of-town Chefs who have come here to flex their star power, Carmellini, 40, promises to infuse some Miami flavors into his Miami cooking. The difference between him and those other guys? He can just about claim homeboy status. Carmellini knows his Miami flavors. His father, who was raised in Miami’s Little River neighborhood, moved to Ohio at 17 to work with uncles who were in the terrazzo business. And that’s where Andrew (A.C. to most) was later born. But the elder Carmellini wasn’t about to stay put in the Midwest through the worst of the gray and cold. So he’d regularly load up the car, secure Andrew and his brother in the back seat, and drive toward sunshine. Mom wasn’t such a fan of the road, so she’d fly down to meet them. “My grandmother and my aunts were here. We’d come down all the time. But especially for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter. I couldn’t wait to
come back to Miami,” says Carmellini, who recently appeared at the Miami Book Fair International to talk about his new cookbook, American Flavor, an ode to road-tripping and the nation’s regional flavors. “My grandmother’s house was on two big lots and there were mango trees, sour oranges, grapefruits, papaya. Among the things I crave most when I come down here is the Florida avocado salad with Valencia oranges that my mom and aunt made,” Carmellini said. “My grandmother made sour orange meringue pie. There were also Cuban banana trees in the yard and they would take a little bit of sugar and rum and bake them and serve them with vanilla ice cream. Those are my food memories of Miami.” Compared to the exotic South Florida food his Italian-American family prepared along with killer pasta, and the stone crabs and shrimp they’d go out for, Ohio made for dreary eating. Especially for a boy who was so clear about his destiny that by age eight he had gobbled up his mom’s copy of the Betty Crocker cookbook and moved on to Jacques Pepin’s. “We’d go to Clifford’s on Route 1, which was real ‘70s Miami fabulous. I had stone crab for the first time at another fancy high-‘70s restaurant in the
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// NEWS
RESTAURANTS
Times Names Duo to Restaurant Critic and Dining Editor Posts The late Craig Claiborne established a regular dining review column for the New York Times in 1963 that has long been considered the standard bearer for restaurant reviews.
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ate last month, the Times named Pete Wells, its Dining editor for the last five years and a veteran of Food & Wine and Details magazines, as its new chief restaurant critic. Replacing Mr. Wells will be Susan Edgerley, the former metropolitan editor who was most recently the paper’s top editor for career development. There has been a vacancy in the restaurant critic’s chair since September when Sam Sifton was named national editor. “We knew we were on the right track when more than one of the dozens of applicants around the country opened their queries by saying Pete should be
Pete Wells is set to take over as chief restaurant critic.
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“No one could be better prepared or respected for his superb writing, intimate knowledge of food and restaurants and deep commitment to our dining franchise. ” the critic, but I’m available if you don’t pick him,” commented the Times Jill Abramson. Mr. Wells will officially take over after a short transition period. “Pete, who is having himself outfitted with a variety of seasonal, local and organic wigs, will take over the critic’s chair in January,” Abramson continued. “No one could be better prepared or respected for his superb writing, intimate knowledge of food and res-
taurants and deep commitment to our dining franchise. He has stepped in as acting critic himself writing a half-dozen well-received columns in the interim between the great Bruni and Sifton eras.” Wells was an accomplished food writer long before he came to The Times. He wrote a column, ‘Always Hungry,’ for Food & Wine, and was a top editor at Details. He has received five James Beard Foundation Awards
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for writing about eating and drinking. Susan has done it all since she joined The Times in 1989 as a copy editor on Metro: A.M.E. for career development, training and print-Web integration. Pete Wells himself has made it official as well, tweeting various sources reporting, “I have a new job. This one looks official.” He then points to the announcement above. He has also changed his Twitter photo from a picture of him to a shot of oysters. In an already-lost effort to pursue some semblance of anonymity for Wells, the Times’ dining editor since 2006, the paper has already scrubbed his photo from its site. The paper’s previous restaurant critic, Sam Sifton, recently left the position after two years to become the Times’ National Editor.
Main Office: 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director: Michael Scinto Creative Director: Ross Moody Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com
Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2011 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburg, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy; $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836
6 • December 2011 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
// NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
Connecticut Chef Takes Competitors to School with TV Win A New Haven school cafeteria Chef won top honors last month in a nationwide television cooking competition, which is part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness about children’s nutrition.
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heryl Barbara, head cook at New Haven’s High School in the Community, defeated three other Chefs in an episode of “Chopped,” that aired last month on the Food Network. Chopped is a cooking competition show that’s all about skill, speed and ingenuity where four up-and-coming Chefs compete before a panel of three expert judges. The show pits Chefs against each other with a basket of unusual and seemingly incompatible ingredients, from which they must make extraordinary three-course meal dishes to impress the judges. The judges included some of Metro New York’s top toques including: Aarón Sanchez, Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Freitag, Chris Santos, Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan, Marc Murphy, Marcus Samuelsson and Scott Conant. Course by course, the Chefs were “chopped” from the competition until only one winner remained. The challenge? They had seconds to plan and 30 minutes to cook an amazing course with the basket of mystery ingredients given to them moments before the clock starts ticking! And the pressure doesn’t stop there. Once they’ve completed their dish, they had to survive the Chopping Block where three judges are waiting to be wowed and not shy about
voicing their culinary criticisms. The show’s host Ted Allen, led this high energy, high-pressure show which had viewers rooting for a winner and cheering for the losers. The Emmy Award-winner Allen is host of the hit prime-time competition series Chopped on Food Network, and a frequent contributor to The Best Thing I Ever Ate. He was a judge on the first four seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Iron Chef America, and was the food and wine specialist on the groundbreaking Bravo series Queer Eye. Barbara was one of four school cafeteria Chefs who competed to raise awareness about the importance of good meals for kids. With White House Chef Sam Kass as a guest judge, the ladies made a big impression with their first dishes, made with dill pickles and canned tuna. Then in the entrée round, quinoa was a new ingredient for two out
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of the three Chefs. The two finalists then poured their hearts into making fantastic desserts that included grapes and cream cheese with Barbara prevailing. Barbara defeated a fellow New Haven school cook and one from the Waterford schools, along with another competitor from Islip, N.Y. Her prizes included $10,000 and classes at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.
// NEWS
RESTAURANTS
Restaurant Week Takes Long Island By Storm Many North Fork eateries have participated in Fall Long Island Restaurant Week since its inception in 2006, but whether the weeklong event is a boom for business may depend on the type of establishment you run and the extent to which you embrace the event, local restaurateurs say.
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ttore Pennacchia said that during the first few years of Restaurant Week he saw an uptick in customers at his Touch of Venice, a mainstay of Mattituck until he moved it to Cutchogue earlier this year. About a dozen North Fork restaurants participated in the event at the beginning, according to Tara Berkoski of the Wordhampton public relations firm, which is organizing the sixth annual Fall Long Island Restaurant Week this year. That number has almost doubled in recent years, and Mr. Pennacchia said he’s seen a stymied flow of customers at Touch of Venice. “Six years ago I did fabulously,” Pennacchia said. “But every year more restaurants are doing it so people have more choices and it’s cut down on the volume.” To participate, restaurant owners had to pay a $395 fee and create a three-course prix fixe menu costing $24.95 that allows diners to choose from among three appetizers, three entrées and three desserts. The special price does not include beverages, but it must be available all night during Restaurant Week, except on Saturday, when restaurants can offer the deal only until 7 p.m. Restaurant owners created menus with entrées like pecan-crusted, hon-
About 230 restaurants across Long Island signed up for Restaurant Week held last month and five were chosen by Wordhampton to host charity “tweetups.” ey-glazed baked salmon with cranberry rice pilaf and roasted root vegetables, a dish offered at Claudio’s in Greenport and desserts like flourless chocolate cake with espresso gelato, which Mr. Pennacchia made at Touch of Venice. About 230 restaurants across Long Island signed up for Restaurant Week held last month and five were chosen by Wordhampton to host charity “tweetups.” The tweetups face-to-face gatherings of people who follow each other on Twitter were accompanied by a food drive to benefit Island Harvest, a hunger relief organization. The nearest restaurant to host a charity tweetup was Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton. Though some North Fork restaurants did not generate as much extra revenue as they once did, Ms. Berkoski said the timing of
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the Island-wide event on the heels of harvest season, when the number of North Fork tourists takes a dip benefits local businesses. “People from across Long Island, New York City and elsewhere came and tried restaurants out at a discount,” said Ms. Berkoski. “Because they’re getting a discount on their restaurant,” she asserted, they’re more apt to spend more money on wine and other things while they’re there.” Local restaurateurs say the bottom line during restaurant week depends in part on the type of eating establishment. Restaurants that see steeper dinner bills usually fill up the fastest with customers looking to take advantage of the $24.95 price point. Chef Noah Schwartz of Noah’s in Greenport said the average check at his restaurant is similar to Restaurant
Week’s special so he doesn’t get an influx of customers looking for a bargain. “We get some new customers who come in and want to try it, but we don’t all of a sudden get a tremendous amount of more business than we normally do this time of year, unfortunately,” he said. “It’s not our best promotion of the year, but it’s a good way to appeal to a new audience and build a new clientele.” Ed Tuccio, on the other hand, always sees more customers than usual at his eatery, Tweeds Restaurant and Buffalo Bar in downtown Riverhead. “We did such an unusual menu,” said Mr. Tuccio, who offered restaurant week specials like bison and elk hanger steak, prime ‘prime’ rib which he said is made with higher quality meat than most prime rib dishes and Shinnecock striped bass. “Most of those specials you would never get for that price,” he said.
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// NEWS
CHARITY
NJ Celebrity Chef Dinner Fights Childhood Obesity New Jersey Top Chef Ariane Duarte who appeared on TV’s Top Chef and husband/partner Michael Duarte teamed up with Chef Amanda Freitag from Food Networks’s CHOPPED, and Carla Hall from ABC’s The Chew, for an evening of food, wine, friends, and charity last month at the Duarte’s CulinAriane in Montclair.
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he dream of Chef Ariane (part of the restaurant’s namesake) and partner/husband/ pastry Chef Michael Duarte took shape 18 years ago, when the two graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. It has since blossomed into a superbly received dinner spot beloved by neighborhood gourmands and critics alike. From the cornmeal crusted oysters to the warm blueberry cobbler, only the freshest, top quality and often rare ingredients are masterfully combined.
“This benefit dinner is right up their alley and an excellent way to welcome us to the New York and New Jersey areas. We strive to get kids into kitchens and learn to cook healthy, affordable food.” Louie’s Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting childhood obesity, is introducing a new athletic mentoring initiative, Run Buddies, to the NJ/NY area. Founder of Louie’s Kids, Louis Yuhasz, explains, “We are the folks who find the fix that fits any kid who needs us.” Ariane and Carla met Louis at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. “It was simple for us,” says Duarte, “because you can’t be a Chef, mom or American for that matter and not understand this critical health problem that affects millions of children today.” According to Yuhasz, “When Ariane and the ladies found out we’d be launching a new athletic mentoring program
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Top Chef Arian Duarte
called Run Buddies in New York City in the spring of 2012, they wanted to help. This benefit dinner is right up their alley and an excellent way to welcome us to the New York and New Jersey areas. We strive to get kids into kitchens and learn to cook healthy, affordable food.” The event was hosted at CulinAriane, and featured a wine paired dinner and charity auction. The evening began with
a champagne toast and was highlighted by Ariane Duarte and Chef Freitag who collaborated on the menu. Pastry maven Michael Duarte then prepared the dessert course. Among the many luxury items for auction was an extraordinary weekend for two in Charleston, South Carolina, including airfare from Southwest Airlines, hotel accommodations donated by The Charleston Place Hotel, dinners at award winning restaurants, Fig and HUSK, and a Charleston harbor tour, and a carriage ride.
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// NEWS
PIZZA
Brooklyn Pizza Landmark Grimaldi’s Battles Over Pizza Oven With City The City’s pizza wars were about to heat up. In one corner was the defending champion Patsy Grimialdi. Poised to battle for the City’s Pizza market is Frank Ciolli.
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he 80-year-old pizza legend Grimaldi was set to come out of retirement to take over his old coal-fired cooker and the rest of the soon-to-be vacant Grimaldi’s space. The space became vacant when Frank Ciolli who bought the tourist hotspot from Grimaldi in 1998 was tossed by his landlord. But the plot has thickened as NYC’s Buildings Department refused to approve plans by the world-famous pizzeria to move into the larger space next door after learning that its operators quietly installed a coal-fired brick oven
But the plot has thickened as NYC’s Buildings Department refused to approve plans by the world-famous pizzeria to move into the larger space next door after learning that its operators quietly installed a coal-fired brick oven at the new site without approval. at the new site without approval. Grimaldi’s wants to keep up with a new pizza restaurant heading to its
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current space at 19 Old Fulton Street in DUMBO, which will be run by pizza king Patsy Grimaldi. The door was left open after landlord Mark Waxman opted to boot once Ciolli’s lease expires at month’s end over a bitter rent dispute. But while Ciolli is taking the Grimaldi name down the block, he must leave behind the oven that is his pizza’s claim to fame. Grimaldi, meanwhile, is naming his new place Juliana’s, after his late mother, and opening in March. Ciolli said the Buildings Department’s “stop-work order” has seriously jeopardized his anticipated re- opening at the former bank space at the corner of Old Fulton and Front streets. He blamed the problem on Robert Scarano, a controversial architect banned from doing city business following a long history of falsifying documents to avoid zoning regulations in construction projects.
Ciolli said he was “unaware of Scarano’s history” when he hired an architect with Scarano’s firm to apply for a city construction permit at the new storefront. The application approved in October for installing a “pizza oven,” but never mentioned a coal-fired brick oven. The city rarely issues new permits for coal-fired brick ovens because of environmental concerns. Existing ones like the one now at Grimaldi’s are grandfathered in making them virtual gold mines. They can be approved on a case-by-case basis but it is very rare. City officials said they have recommended Ciolli install a gas-powered oven that uses coal for flavor enhancement. However, pizza aficionados say the taste of pizzas made that way pales in comparison to those made with true coal-fired brick ovens. Buildings Department spokeswoman Jennifer Gilbert said the order would remain in effect until Ciolli satisfies agency’s concerns. Ciolli said he wasn’t giving up on trying to operate a
coal oven at the new site. Both Grimaldi and Ciolli say they don’t expect a pizza war, adding there is more than enough business for the two pizzerias to prosper. “I have no animosity towards Patsy and his family. He gave me a wonderful opportunity selling me the place in 1998, and I wish him the best,” Ciolli said.
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// NEWS
TECHNOLOGY
European On-Line Reservation System Makes NYC Debut Livebookings, Europe’s leading online restaurant reservation service provider, recently announced the US launch of Freebookings, a free online restaurant reservation service.
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ith Freebookings, the company offers restaurants the first completely free and web-based reservation service to enable online reservation capabilities on their website and Facebook page. Freebookings requires no contract; charges no fees and no additional equipment or hardware purchases are necessary to use the service.
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// SCOOP
INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE
Smooth Departure At Laguardia SCOOP notes that while Pan Am is bringing back retro to television, Delta is bringing a “21st century” LaGuardia look. Delta’s Terminal D at LaGuardia is in the midst of a all-over makeover, which is expected to take another 12 months,” says Lionel Ohayon, head of ICRAVE, which is designing the terminal in stages for OTG Management. The latest stage completion launched
Digital Rendering of Bar Brace in LaGuardia Airport
two new foodie havens for terminalweary travelers: Bar Brace and Crust. Bar Brace, which features homemade Panini’s and bruschetta, is the brainchild of Jason Denton of Inoteca and Bar Milano. “All of the partners are New York Chefs and restaurateurs who have real attachment to the city,” Ohayon said. OTG’s foodie consultants for the project include Jim Lahey, Denton, Michael Lomonaco of Porter House and the terminal’s Prime Tavern and consulting Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson of Balthazar, who will be doing Bisoux Restaurant, which will open next year.
Get Your Astor And Cicchetti Fix SCOOP says every New York museum and gallery needs its own celebrity Chef/restaurateur eatery these days. When the New York Historical Society
Chef Jim Burke
reopened on the West Side last month after an 18-month redo, it jumped on the celebrity Chef/restaurateur bandwagon, boasting a Stephen Starr restaurant. Starr, whose restaurant empire began in Philadelphia, and includes Morimoto and Buddakan in New York, opened Caffe Storico. Starr is also the exclusive caterer for the Rudin Museum of Art in Chelsea. The restaurant, features Chef Jim Burke, and specializes in cicchetti, small plates from the Veneto region of Italy, and artisanal pasta.
Queens Steak King Food Net’s New Ramsay SCOOP sees that hard-charging Queens restaurateur William Degel has a TV career on his menu. Degel, the owner of New York’s Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse franchise – he was once dubbed “America’s toughest Boss,” has been shooting a new Food Network series in which he visits restaurants around the country and whips them into shape. It’s not Degel’s first foray into reality TV; TruTV teamed with Degel last year, describing him as “an obsessive perfectionist and self-made millionaire” who “spies on employees, concocts elaborate ways to test them isn’t afraid to fire someone on the spot.” But the project went no further. “We just didn’t see eye to eye on the show,” says Degel, 44, who’s busy working on his newest restaurant, Jack’s Shack, located in Glen Head, Long Island. He
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also owns three Uncle Jack’s locations, one in Bayside, two in Manhattan. Degel says the still-untitled Food Network series gives a more accurate portrayal of his role in the business. “It’s more about what I do,” he says. “In the show I go to restaurants all over the US and basically analyze every aspect of them and try to take them to the next level. While the new series sounds similar to Fox’s “Kitchen Nightmares,” hosted by foul-mouthed Chef Gordon Ramsay, Degel says that’s not the case. “It’s much different than Gordon’s show, which is a Chef-driven show,” he says. “I’m an entrepreneur. I’m not going in and transforming these restaurants, we’re actually working with places that are successful already, but most Chefs don’t know how to operate or own a restaurant.”
New Competition For Open Table in NYC SCOOP hears that the new Tapl.io will give diners, with just one search, all of the information you need about each restaurant they’re considering. Once you install the free browser extension, when you look for a restau-
rant on one of Tapl.io’s 12 supported Web sites – including Yelp, Citysearch, OpenTable, MenuPages and Google Maps – you get results from all of the other supported sites, which appear in separate tabs. So you can easily see reviews, available reservation times and the menus of eateries you’re considering, and if you like those results, you can make
a reservation and plan a route to get there. Developed by two New York transplants from San Diego, Tapl.io was designed to make it easier to navigate the city’s dining scene, but you can also use it to find a place to eat or to take others out for dinner on a business trip.
Manhattan Chef Dishes Out Lessons On Healthy Eating
Chef Rocco DiSpirito
SCOOP hears that Chef Rocco DiSpirito pulled up in a giant truck bearing his image and the slogan, “Now Eat This!” at the Winston Preparatory School last month, with hundreds of lunch-packs onboard, all containing low-calorie chicken-noodle soup bowls and a brownie made with black beans. The image of the K-12 school made Mr. DiSpirito slightly nostalgic for his upbringing in Jamaica, Queens. The Chef was at Winston to talk about health-conscious cooking and eating, a discussion he’s been holding at schools around New York City for three weeks. The demo was timed around Thanksgiving, a relatively gluttonous holiday for many though Mr. DiSpirito will continue the school talks weekly, indefinitely. The demos come in conjunction with the launch of Mr. DiSpirito’s own food truck, which parks itself on War-
ren Street, Hudson Street and lower Fifth Avenue four days a week, selling meals from the Chef’s popular cookbook. The funds from the “Now Eat This!” truck are intended to pay for the free meals the Chef hands out at schools around the city, “but so far it’s been philanthropically funded,” he said. Mr. DiSpirito said his mission is to change the thinking of “at least five kids in the room,” and while he might not have transformed many more than that at Winston, the children were admittedly pleased to get out of class for free noodle soup.
Otherwise, the Securities and Exchange Commission would require the restaurateurs to register and file their stock ownership plan, raising the legal costs significantly, according to Kester. “He estimates it will cost $900,000 to open the restaurant. If the model is successful others in similar neighborhoods will be launched as well,” he added. The Elevens is set to open this May. It’s an exciting new area, where SoHo, TriBeCa and Chinatown all meet. Chef Daniel Patterson, of Coi in San Francisco, is also part of the project.
Creative Seed Money For Downtown Eatery
New Jersey Hot Dog Giant Dies
SCOOP sees that two newcomers have come up with a novel and democratic way to raise money for their NYC eatery that sidesteps banks and regulators. Scott Kester and David Lefkowitz are selling “seats” for $500 a pop for The Elevens, an urban foodie version of a rural barn raising. So far, they’ve sold
SCOOP is sad to report that Gregory Papalexis, whose Sabrett hot dogs have become a part of the New York City experience, has died. He was 86. Papalexis was president, CEO and chairman of Englewood-based Marathon Enterprises, a supplier of hot dogs, buns, onion sauce and other products, and the owner of the Sabrett trademark. He died last month in Rockleigh, NJ. Sabrett hot dogs are sold nationwide. On the streets of New York, they are sold from stainless-steel pushcarts with instantly recognizable blue-and-yellow umbrellas. Marathon also supplies franks to Papaya King and Gray’s papaya restaurants, and sells more than 35 million pounds of hot dogs a year. His son-inlaw, Mark Rosen, Marathon Enterpris-
Scott Kester
about 135 seats. What “seat holders” get is 25 percent off every meal, no mater how many people are in their party as opposed to a designated seat at the table. Set owners will also get a standing reservation once a week, which they can trade with fellow seat holders. The eatery will have 65 physical seats, including 18 at the bar when it opens in spring ‘12. “We are building our regulars ahead of time,” Kester said. Kester said it gives seat holders the benefits associated with ownership but without the hassle and expense.
Gregory Papalexis
es’ vice president of sales noted that Papalexis was the “single biggest hot dog lover in the world.” And Papalexis
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practiced what he preached: He ate Sabrett hot dogs four or five days a week. Franks and beans casserole was part of the Papalexis family’s Christmas table each year.
Gotham Hotel Room Count Booking SCOOP notes that worldwide liquidity and continued global tourism to the “capital of the world” has increased the interest in owning New York City hotels. “I am getting calls literally every day,” says Daniel Lesser, president and CEO of LW Hospitality Advisors. “Investors are flush with a lot of money and looking to deploy it.” Additionally, Lesser notes, many companies bill themselves as a “global” hotel company. “But if you don’t have a presence in New York, you are not a global worldwide company.” City hotels also recovered faster from the recession than other US gateways. “We are more or less under-hoteled in New York,” says Thomas McConnell, senior managing director of the Hotel Transactions Group, part of Cushman & Wakefield. “Even in the depths of the market, we were over 80 percent occupied. The rates fell tremendously but there were lots of people who wanted to be here.” New hotel developments continue to break new ground or reconfigure old office buildings. Mark Gordon, a partner in Tribeca Associates, which owns the Smyth Hotel, is currently creating one hotel downtown as well as developing a luxury hotel on 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue that will have residential above. “We are seeing a lot of competition for hotels in New York, says Gordon. At the same time, he says the financing market is improving although real estate investment trusts have slowed down their purchases as the capital markets and their stock prices have fallen.
ABC Launches Next Food Based Daytime Show In NYC SCOOP sees that Gordon Elliott is trying to start a fire. He is directing celebrity Chefs Mario Batali and Michael
Symon, who are attempting and failing to ignite hot oil in a frying pan. “I love when we blow stuff up,” says Elliott, who created and runs “The Chew,” ABC’s new daytime talk show about food. The segment intended to demonstrate what to do in case of a kitchen fire was part of an episode capping the third week of “The Chew,” which last month replaced the long-running soap opera “All My Children” on the network’s daytime lineup. Elliott, 55, an Australian who hosted his own talk show, “The Gordon Elliott Show,” in the 1990s and who has moved behind the camera as a producer, his company produced Paula Deen’s Food Network
Michael Symon & Mario Batali
shows, said ABC approached him more than a year ago. “I had the idea for a long time,” Elliott says. “Most great Chefs want to please you, which makes them perfect entertainers, because they do what they do for fun.” Elliott said he interviewed about 180 top Chefs and culinary stars and watched them work with each other in groups of five before settling on the hosts: Symon; Batali; Daphne Oz, daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz and the show’s health-conscious conscience; Carla Hall, a caterer and veteran of Bravo’s “Top Chef”; and Clinton Kelly, a home entertainment guru .
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INNOVATIONS
Total Food Service Re-Branding Takes Crucial Step With New Website Launch For the past 21 years, TFS-Total Food Service has delivered a monthly package of news and information encompassing the fast paced restaurant and food service industries. “It never ceases to amaze me how much is going on in our industry,” commented TFS co-publisher Leslie Klashman.
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rom a change in food service contractors at a New Jersey hospital to a pastry Chef moving to the Meatpacking District’s hottest new eatery or a major food brokerage line change, Total Food Service has forged a reputation as the source for the latest b2b industry news. Earlier this year with the addition of Ross Moody to the TFS creative team, the firm’s Creative and Advertising Director Michael Scinto completed a full rebranding of Total Food Service’s printed and digital publication. “Our goal was to create something that was an easier read with a better flow,” Scinto said. “Our new design features great new articles and a whole new look in general that has really received great positive feedback from our clients and readers,” Moody noted.
The next step in the rebranding process was the rebuilding of the Total Food Service’s web site. The firm has engaged nationally known Philip
Zaengle to create the new site. The Southwest Florida web developer/designer is no stranger to food in his role as an inconsistent vegetarian. “My job is also my
TFS is set to launch its new website TotalFood.com later this month
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hobby, it’s not just something I do from 8 to 5 on weekdays,” Zaengle noted. “I take pride in providing the best possible solutions to every day web solutions.” The result is an all-new Total Food Service website loaded with news, information, photos, videos, events and resources at a Regional and National level. The new website, www.totalfood.com will go live later this month. Whether you’re a Chef, end-user, student, broker, rep, distributor, public relations for food service, or buyer, there will be something for everyone on www. totalfood.com. “We have created a more navigable website with additional resources, better tools, and a new visual design,” Scinto added. With the completely redesigned site, visitors are now able to search existing materials more easily with many other useful and interesting features. With Moody’s guidance, the site will feature comprehensive photo coverage of industry events throughout the Tri-State marketplace as well as National industry coverage. “Total Food Service, your trusted foodservice trade publication is now your Total Food Source for all foodservice news online,” Scinto concluded.
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EVENTS
New York City’s Top Pastry Chefs Display Their Wildest Gingerbread Creations! Gingerbread is in the house! Bakeries and restaurants from around the city will showcase fantastic, overthe-top gingerbread houses in the atrium of Le Parker Meridien from December 1st through January 6th, as part of the third annual Gingerbread Extravaganza to benefit City Harvest!
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nspired by their wildest dreams, pastry chefs from restaurants such as Casa Nonna, Gramercy Tavern and Norma’s have crafted incredible confectionary creations that they built with the finest gum drops, marshmallows, candy canes and of course, that ubiquitous holiday treat, gingerbread. Beginning on December 1st the houses will be on display in the hotel’s 56th Street atrium. Viewing the display is free, but you can make a $1 donation to City Harvest at the hotel’s concierge desk to vote for your favorite gingerbread creation. The proceeds from the vot-
Beginning on December 1st the gingerbread houses will be on display in the hotel’s 56th Street atrium. ing will help City Harvest in its quest to end hunger in New York City. Purchasing the ballot also enters you in a raffle for the chance to win a trip for two to the Parker Palm Springs. The Gingerbread Extravaganza is truly a
CONNECTICUT NEW YORK
NEW JERSEY
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181 Marsh Hill Road 91 Brainard Road 566 Hamilton Avenue 15-06 132nd Street 1966 Broadhollow Road 720 Stewart Avenue 43-40 57th Avenue 1335 Lakeland Avenue 650 S. Columbus Avenue 305 S. Regent St. 777 Secaucus Road 45 East Wesley Street 140 South Avenue 1135 Springfield Road
must stop on any holiday tour around New York City! Now serving New York City for more than 25 years, City Harvest (www. CityHarvest.org) is the world’s first food rescue organization, dedicated
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Orange, CT 06477 Hartford, CT 06114 Brooklyn, NY 11232 College Point, NY 11356 Farmingdale, NY 11735 Garden City, NY 11530 Maspeth, NY 11378 Bohemia, NY 11716 Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 Port Chester, NY 10573 Secaucus, NJ 07094 S. Hackensack, NJ 07606 S. Plainfield, NJ 07080 Union, NJ 07083
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to feeding the city’s hungry men, women, and children. This year, City Harvest will collect 30 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to nearly 600 community food programs throughout New York City using a fleet of trucks and bikes as well as volunteers on foot. Each week, City Harvest helps over 300,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal. City Harvest also addresses conditions that surround hunger in New York City by supporting affordable access to nutritious food in low-income communities, educating individuals, families, and communities in the prevention of diet-related diseases, channeling a greater amount of fresh produce into high-need areas, and enhancing the ability of agency partners to feed hungry men, women, and children.
203-795-9900 860-549-4000 718-768-0555 718-762-1000 631-752-3900 516-794-9200 718-707-9330 631-218-1818 914-665-6868 914-935-0220 201-601-4755 201-996-1991 908-791-2740 908-964-5544
// NEWS
ASSOCIATIONS
Connecticut Honors Top Restaurateurs At Annual Mohegan Sun Award Event The Connecticut Restaurant Association honored the Nutmeg State’s top Chefs, owners and longtime institutions at its annual “Salute to Excellence” dinner last month at Mohegan Sun.
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cott Miller of Max’s Oyster Bar took top honors as Chef of the Year, a new category that also included James Martin of 85 Main in Putnam, and Kevin Long of Shrine Asian Kitchen at Foxwoods. “I was completely shocked,” Miller said. “I was just content being nominated but it’s nice to have people know who you are.” Miller was named the Chef of the Year from more than 100 nominations. The other finalists for Chef of the Year were James Martin from 85 Main in Putnam and Kevin Long from Shrine at
Foxwoods Resort Casino. This marked the first time the association gave the award. Miller considers his forte to be fresh and furious, meaning Max’s brings in food daily for creative dishes. Miller’s menu changes with the season and doesn’t highlight one particular dish. “I reinvent myself every season,” Miller said. “What we try to do is serve the freshest, best food possible.” Restaurateur of the Year kudos went to Gary Gello, Nick Romano and Anthony Sullo, the three owners of Joey’s Restaurant Group (Joey Garlic’s and Joey’s Pizza Pie in Farmington and West Hartford. “We offer New Haven-style brick oven pizza, which has a crust simi-
lar to rustic peasant bread in texture and is cooked to a darker color which allows the toppings to blend together,” Gello noted. Other nominees included Steve Abrams of Max Downtown, Sarah Maggi-Morin of Buffalo Wild Wings; Bill daSilva, Mark daSilva and Dave Rutigli-
Tim Adams and John Huwe from J. Timothy’s Taverne in Plainville were inducted into the CRA Hospitality Hall of Fame.
ano of SBC Restaurant Group and Linda Sample of A Thyme To Cook. For the first time in awards history, the Chef and Restaurateur of the Year honors were determined by public vote.
Rep. Sean Williams, CRA Friend of the Industry and CRA Board Member Carmen Vacalebre
Bob McMakin was recognized as a Friend of the Industry for his dedication and support given to the CRA during his years at Sysco CT.
Joe and Ann Howard from Apricots Restaurant & Pub in Farmington were inducted into the CRA Hospitality Hall of Fame.
CRA Chef of the Year Scott Miller from Max’s Oyster Bar and Chef of the Year Nominee James Martin from 85 Main
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Gary Gello, CRA Board Member Anthony Sullo and Nick Romano from Joey Garlic’s, CRA Restaurateur of the Year.
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// NEWS
SERVICES
Brooklyn Baker Teams With Con Edison Green Team For Award Winning Performance Since 1928, Brooklyn’s Mrs. Maxwell’s Bakery has been looking out for both the borough’s sweet tooth and now the community’s environment.
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hen a member of the Con Edison Green Team came calling, the bakery took the opportunity to solidify its commitment to be a good neighbor and at the same time, control energy costs so that it continues to be in the forefront of Brooklyn’s baking scene. “On a recent Saturday, somebody from the Green Team came and said that they would like to do an energy survey in the store,” Mrs. Maxwell’s General Manager Sam Naraiswar explained. “It was free, so I figured we had nothing to lose. He told us that he would get back to us within the week with a plan and cost to change all the light fixtures in the store,” Naraiswar added. “Sure enough he came back with a very simple and easy-to-understand plan of how much this would cost,” he continued.
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// NEWS
ACQUISITIONS
Long Island City’s White Coffee Acquires Bencheley Tea White Coffee Corporation announced late last month the acquisition of Bencheley Teas from First Colony Coffee & Tea Company located in Norfolk, VA.
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hite Coffee Corporation will obtain exclusive rights to market Bencheley® branded teas to wholesalers, retailers and consumers nationwide. White Coffee acquired the exclusive rights to First Colony’s coffee brands in August 2011. Bencheley® is renowned for its high quality teas with varieties that range from exotic, including Bencheley® French Vanilla and Cherry Almond to more traditional blends like Bencheley® English Breakfast and Earl Grey teas. Bencheley® Teas are known by the distinctive coat of arms featuring a B on the label and are currently offered as loose teas as well as individual tea bags sold in tins at outlets on-line and in supermarkets, club stores, mass merchandisers, department stores and specialty stores across the country. “Bencheley has a loyal following and an excellent reputation in the specialty tea industry,” says Jonathan White.
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// Q&A Daniel Humm & Will Guidara,
than any one or two people, and we intend to take great care of. And, if all goes well, we hope to pass it down to one or two of our protégés some day, so that they can carry on its legacy.
Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park in New York City, caught up with Total Food Service to discuss their beginnings in foodservice and the vision they have for the future of their restaurant.
What impact had Danny had on your careers? Significant, he is a mentor, a friend, a father figure. We love him. He taught us about many things, but most importantly about the importance of culture, and finding language to define it. In our business, providing a great experience requires so many people- as he says, it is a team sport, and the key to success lies in effectively leading your team to greatness, not just be great yourself. As a part of his company, he always gave his people language to define where we were collectively going, and it made it so much easier to get there. Union Square Hospitality Group’s culture is amazing, and it inspired us to create a miniature version here at the restaurant, one that we hope to perpetuate in the years to come.
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ow did you guys meet? We met briefly at the Union Square Hospitality Group GM/Chef meetings that were held monthly, though we didn’t really spend too much time together until we were discussing the idea of working together at EMP. Daniel was already the Chef, and when it came time to look for a new GM, he asked about me. We had a great dinner at Crispo on West 14th street, talked about our mutual aspirations and decided to give it a go.
Will, you studied at Cornell, what impact did that have on your career? It was an incredible experience; I wanted to attend the university since I was a little kid, having grown up in a restaurant family. My father, Frank Guidara, is a life long restaurateur and my biggest mentor. What I learned most was how to learn - while I don’t remember exactly what I learned, the education I received has made me much more capable in learning new things in the years since. I also developed a bunch of incredible relationships, personal and professional, that I still benefit from today.
How did the opportunity come along for you guys to buy the restaurant from Danny Meyer? We were talking for a long time about what our future would hold. We wanted to be entrepreneurs, but did not want to leave EMP behind as we had invested so much of ourselves in it over the last six years. What makes Danny so incredible is that he always puts the restaurants first, and at a certain point, after months of conversation, we all realized that what was best for the restaurant and its employees was for us to buy it. It’s an amazing place, bigger
How does your vision for the restaurant differ from Danny’s? I think we are very aligned philosophically. The City seems to be busier than ever? Why? Well, the holidays are upon us that always help, beyond that we struggle to totally understand it. We just try to focus on the world within our walls, to make it the kind of place where you can celebrate something fantastic that is happening in your life, or forget about your struggles for a few hours. The world is a crazy place; we try to make EMP into an oasis. How do you build your menu? Our menu is definitely dictated by the
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We take a big picture approach as opposed to micromanaging every dish, so the more expensive dishes balance out with the ones that are less so. seasons and by the availability at the greenmarket. I stay in touch with local farmers to know what’s coming up, and I’m always trying to think ahead. I’m constantly looking forward to the seasons within each season that can be very short and that features one great ingredient for just a few weeks. The beauty of our menu is that the format allows us to adapt from one day to the next. If we find a small amount of an amazing product, we can feature it on a dish for just a few days. Your desserts have received much notoriety, what makes them special? We approach our desserts with the same sensibilities as our savory food. I’ve been working with Angela Pinkerton for the last six years to find the style
that complements the rest of the meal. In a multicourse menu, it’s important that the dessert is not overwhelming and that there is always a balance between sweetness, acidity, and saltiness. As with our savory dishes, we’re constantly playing with flavors that people are familiar with and that we know work well together. What’s your approach to the wine and spirit segments of your business? We care about it in its entirety. Many restaurants of our caliber focus only on wine, whereas we try to focus on all beverage categories, and have very skilled and knowledgeable people in charge of each. Our wine program is run by one of the youngest Master Sommeliers, Dustin Wilson, and we just received the Wine Spectator Grand Award for it. Our cocktail program is run by Leo Robitschek, who just won the award for the best restaurant bar in the world. Our beer program is one of the best, and is headed up by the incredibly talented Kirk Kelewae, who has collaborated with many of the great American breweries in the last four years. Even coffee and tea are very important to us; we are passionate about all these things. What is your approach to building a team? First and foremost, to find good people that you want to spend time with. We are here a lot, and we need to like the people we are surrounded by. There are also four things that are nonnegotiable in our minds. We want peo-
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ple who are genuinely hospitable, who have a drive towards excellence, who are always looking to learn, and who are inherently passionate. With such dependence on quality are you able to assure consistency and yet still negotiate the right price points with your distributors? Do you go out to bid every week on every item? I think it’s about balancing the very expensive ingredients with the less expensive ones. We take a big picture approach as opposed to micromanaging every dish, so the more expensive dishes balance out with the ones that are less so. Because we’re more concerned with quality than with price, we’re constantly looking to source the absolute best ingredients regardless of how much they cost. We’ve been working with some farmers for years now and we have a wonderful personal relationship with them. That assures us that we’re getting the best price on the best ingredients. Any vision for new technology like menus or wine lists on Ipads? Not here, doesn’t feel right. Chef, what’s your approach to the equipment in your kitchen? Do you use a dealer and/or consultant? We always work with the companies directly instead of using a dealer or consultant.
What about the front of the house? No, we take it case by case. Any kind of green or sustainability agenda? We don’t look at it as an agenda, but with everything we do; we try to do it with sustainability in mind. We source as much as possible locally, filter our water rather than using bottled water, etc. We use sustainability consultants to review our engineering systems, etc. The hotel we are working on building right now is LEED certified. We take it seriously, in spite of that fact that we don’t brand ourselves as such. What is your goal for the book? TV show on the horizon? We want to make sure as many people as possible see and read the book. It is an important thing for us, the one vessel through which we have been able to memorialize the last five years at the restaurant. See, restaurants too often exist only in people’s memories, this enables us to truly capture in a tangible way this moment in time at EMP. Crystal ball...’Vegas?..Atlantic City?.. South Beach? No, no, no. At least not any time soon. EMP will always be a significant focus, and with NoMad opening early next year, we have enough on our plates for now. We will keep you posted.
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// NEWS
CHAINS
Brio Continues To Grow Footprint In Metro New York With Danbury Eatery Danbury Fair has made shopping more appetizing this winter with the addition of popular restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory® and BRIO Tuscan Grille.
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hese great new dining options bring affordable upscale dining to Danbury Fair and will provide the perfect rest stop during the upcoming holiday shopping frenzy. The Cheesecake Factory’s award winning family friendly menu with over 40 decadent desserts promises something tasty for everyone while BRIO brings authentic, Northern Italian cuisine to
Danbury CT. “People today are seeking a multifaceted experience when they visit a shopping center,” noted Guy Mercurio, vice president of Macerich’s National Restaurant Leasing Group. “They want inviting and engaging venues that offer great shopping, dining and entertainment responding to their needs and those of their families. The Cheesecake Factory and BRIO are a perfect fit and at the top of most shoppers’ lists when it comes to dining.” In truth, the dessert menu alone at The Cheesecake Factory is reason enough for a Danbury Fair shopping excursion. 34 • December 2011 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
We take a big picture approach as opposed to micromanaging every dish, so the more expensive dishes balance out with the ones that are less so. Beginning with a family recipe, The Cheesecake Factory opened its original location in Beverly Hills, CA. in 1978 and has grown to become a household name with locations across the country. Guests can choose from more than 200 menu selections prepared fresh from scratch, and more than 40 delicious desserts, including their famous cheesecakes. The Cheesecake Factory will occupy approximately 8,000 square feet and will have an exterior entrance next to Brio. If you can pull your children past this entrance without exhaustive begging it will be a minor miracle. BRIO brings the pleasures of the Tuscan country villa to Danbury, CT. The subtitle, “Tuscan Grille” is descriptive in the menu that features wood-grilled steaks, chops and seafood, pasta and house made specialties similar to what one would find in an authentic ristorante in Tuscany. BRIO will occupy approximately 9,000 square feet and have an exterior entrance. Bravo Brio Restaurant Group (BBRG) owns and operates more than 80 upscale casual-dining locations throughout the Midwest and Southeast under the names BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille. The company flagship BRAVO! chain offers pasta, pizza, and other affordable Italian-inspired cuisine at about 45 restaurants in 20 states. The group’s BRIO concept, meanwhile, specializes in Tuscan-style ambiance and entrees at about 35 eateries. The company went public in 2010. “Danbury Fair is excited to bring Fairfield County the only The Cheesecake Factory and BRIO restaurants,” said Maura Ruby, senior property man-
ager for Danbury Fair. “We are thrilled to add better dining options to our eclectic line-up of fashion offerings.” We look forward to both shopping and
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eating our way through Danbury Fair this holiday season. Also, don’t miss their Farmers Market open all Winter. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated created the upscale casual dining segment in 1978 with the introduction of its namesake concept. The Company operates 164 full-service, casual dining restaurants throughout the U.S.
Danbury Fair is a 1.3-million-squarefoot regional shopping center with four anchor stores and more than 200 specialty shops located at Exit 3 off I-84 in Danbury, Conn., near New York City in an affluent Fairfield County suburb. Danbury Fair serves as one of New England’s largest shopping centers.
// NEWS
EVENTS
International Restaurant & Foodservice Show Set Special Events Scheduled The 19th annual International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is pleased to present the 2012 lineup of special events to be held during the expo, March 4 to March 6, 2012 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.
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he show is set to launch a NEW Front of the House Experience This new showroom display area located right on the show floor is focused on helping the restaurateur and foodservice operator easily find ways to enhance their dinning rooms, bars, foyers, and special
event rooms. Using sponsors products and designers concepts, five unique displays will create a vision of what attendees’ restaurants could look like to better entice diners and gain loyalty without complete redesigns and expensive construction. A NEW Healthy Solutions Pavilion and
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Demonstration Theater will debut at the March event. It is designed to assist restaurant and foodservice professionals in their quest to source and deliver healthy dining options, the platform provides education and cooking demonstrations, along with tasting aspects, sure to make it a favorite with attendees.
Located right on the show floor the theater will feature Executive Chefs from the top restaurants in New York City including Certified Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt Master of Charcuterie, and Hell’s Kitchen Season six Executive Chef Kevin Cottle. Betsy Craig, CEO of Kitchens with Confidence, and other leading
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// NEWS
DEALS
Stop & Shop Expands In NYC With King Kullen Staten Island Deal The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC has entered in a definitive agreement with King Kullen to acquire three supermarket locations on Staten Island, New York.
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top & Shop currently operates two stores on Staten Island and will open two more immediately after the sale is completed, which is subject to the customary conditions. “Stop & Shop is looking forward to expanding our presence on Staten Island,” said Don Sussman, Division President of Stop & Shop’s NY Metro Division. “These new locations will offer more island customers the best combination of quality, convenience and value they have come to expect from Stop & Shop.” Over 300 associates are currently employed in these locations. Stop & Shop and King Kullen will continue to work cooperatively together to ensure a smooth transition for customers and associates. “Selling our three Staten Island stores to Stop & Shop enables us to concentrate resources elsewhere within the company,” stated Thomas Cullen, Vice President, King Kullen. “We deeply appreciate the courtesy shown to us by Staten Island and look forward to working closely with Stop & Shop during the transition process.” The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs nearly 62,000 associates and operates nearly 400 stores throughout Massachu-
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// EYE
BCA GLOBAL FOOD AND WINE EXPERIENCE
BCA 8th Annual Food and Wine Event Guastavino’s in New York City
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YE enjoyed one of the TriState’s premier multi-cultural Food and Wine events last month. The BCA (formally Black Culinarian Alliance) celebrated its 8th Annual Global Food and Wine Experience at Gustavino’s. Over 50 Chefs, wine and spirit mer-
chants, and hundreds of food connoisseurs joined together to create a platform for extraordinary culinary exploration. As part of the event’s unique experience, more than 50 culinary students worked side by side with New York’s premier industry professionals as they prepared some of the latest trends in food and wine. The event included a culinary sampling from select restaurants paired with winemakers, distributors and outlets from around the world. From BBQ Shrimp Gumbo to Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese & Pistachio Parfait and Spanish Paella the room teemed with delectable fare. Now in its 19th year, the BCA’s Cultural Awareness Salute honors the achieve-
(L to R) Dr. Robert J. Kocnig, Stephanie Langdon, Howard Stanford
The Marriott hotel’s 525 Lexington Ace Restaurant sampled their newest menu addtiions
NYC’s Melba Restaurant was among the hot NYC Restaurants at BCA
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(L to R) Alex Askew, Everett Hinds, Katie Moore, David Gonzalez, & Garrett McGuiness
Hobart’s Gary Simpson and Liz Weiss of H.Weiss Dick Cattani of Restaurant Associates (L) and Irinox’s Ira Caplin
ments of people of color in the hospitality and culinary business, provides a space for industry networking and dialogue about the advancement of diversity, and gives culinary students from around the country the opportunity to cook alongside nationally renowned Chefs. The gala event gave a taste of the future of the industry with four courses and wine pairings prepared by students from Johnson & Wales University, South Bronx Job Corps Academy, Prince George Community College, Cordon Bleu Dallas, the Culinary Program at Brooklyn Job Corps Academy, Monroe College, Hudson County Community College, Foodservice Training Academy, Career Academy of NY, Culinary Training Institute, Newark Vocational High School, the Academy of Vocational Careers, the University of Northern Texas, and the Culinary Institute of America. “Students from different schools and different backgrounds come together in the same kitchen and cook in a non-competitive environment,” says Alex Askew, President of BCA. “Those of us who attend are honored to witness the promise of future leaders and work together towards a more diverse industry.”
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(L to R) Shanise Babb-Atwell, Anjanie Narain, Shanna Murray, Joseph Passarella, & Stephanie Langdon
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// EYE Elliot and TFS Host Inaugural Conference
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YE enjoyed the launch of the inaugural ElliotConnect. TFS teamed with the Elliot Group to launch a highly anticipated new event. With the backdrop of the Gansevoort Hotel in Manhattan, ElliotConnect brought together many of the foodservice and retail industries most creative minds. The focus was on how to build a business with a purpose bigger than a firm’s product. The evening’s keynoter was BeCause’s Mats Lederhauser.
Tom Dillon, President, Patina Restaurant Group; Alice Elliot, CEO, The Elliot Group; Stacy Reichert, Senior Vice President Sales & Chief Customer Officer , PepsiCo.
Randy Talbott, Vice President Operations, Havana Central; John Pelletier, Founder, Margarita’s Management Group; Jeremy Merrin, Managing Partner, Havana Central
The former senior exec at McDonald’s brought his truly unique perspective to what makes a brand successful in challenging times. EYE enjoyed Lederhauser’s boardroom experience with Chiplote as they carved one of the true success stories at RedBox. The Chicago
based exec was followed by a panel that was headlined by some of the leading social consciousness innovators. The star studded panel included Jon Schlegal, Founder & CEO, Snooze and AM Eatery, Karen Kelly, President, Dry Bar and Burton Heis, CEO, Nandos PeriPeri. Habit Restaurants Russ Bendel moderated the session and peppered the panel with a number of challenging questions. “Our goal was to bring “Best of Class” thinking, execution, creativity, drive and passion for success,” noted the Elliot Group’s Alice Elliot. Elliot and her team have built a reputation as the nation’s leading executive search firm
in the restaurant, hospitality and retail industries. EYE says special thanks to sponsors Pepsico, St. Michelle Wine Estates, Bevintel and Ecolab. The program concluded with one of the media’s true visionaries: Geoffrey Colvin. The Fortune editor who has become a daily icon on CBS radio gave a four point view on current business conditions and applauded the food service industry for its on-going commitment to innovation. EYE notes that nobody breaks bread and throws a party like the Elliot Group as the evening was capped with a spectacular networking party.
Vincent Ginatta, President, Paciugo Gelato & Caffe; Geoffrey Colvin, Senior Editor at Large, FORTUNE Magazine; Ugo Ginatta, Founder & CEO, Paciugo Gelato & Caffe
John Stage, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Dinosaur Barbeque; Andrew Moger, Chief Executive Officer, Branded Concept Developments; Alice Elliot, Chief Executive Officer, The Elliot Group, Rob Flohr, COO, Dinosaur Barbeque
Jeffrey Bank, CEO, The Alicart Restaurant Group; Laurence Kretchmer, Partner, Bold Food; Tony Shure, Founder & President, Chop’t CreativeSalad Company; Nick Marsh, Chief Executive Officer, Chop’t Creative Salad Company; Colin McCabe, Founder & President, Chop’t Creative Salad Company
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Mats Lederhauser, Founder & President, BeCause and YOU! and TFS’ Fred Klashman
Alex Gaudelet, COO, B.R. Guest; Laurent Xatart, CFO, B.R. Guest
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// EYE
RESTAURANT DEPOT OPENING
Restaurant Depot Opening Port Chester, NY PORT CHESTER, NY- EYE was on hand to watch Port Chester’s deputy mayor join business leaders and local leaders last month for a ribbon-cutting marking the opening of Restaurant Depot in Port Chester. The wholesaler occupies a 78,000-square foot warehouse at 305 S. Regent St. in Port Chester, bringing business back to a property that had long been vacant. Deputy Mayor Joseph Kenner joined Restaurant Depot CEO Stanley Fleishman for a ribbon cutting ceremony as a group of local representatives looked on. “The Restaurant Depot furthers many important Village goals: revitalizing older industrial buildings, creating jobs for Port Chester residents, stabilizing taxes and strengthening our well deserved reputation as the restaurant capital of Westchester,” Kenner said. “It is especially encouraging that thirty-nine of the fifty-five jobs created by the project were filled by Port Chester residents.” EYE notes
Restaurant Depot’s Larry Cohen [R] made heartfelt comments as he dedicated the firm’s 88th store.
having attended multiple Restaurant Depot openings that the community doesn’t wait for the ceremony, they were waiting in the parking lot for the store to open. Among first day customers was Greenwich Corporate dining guru John Ressa who told EYE: “I don’t shop at Depot, I buy at Depot, I know what I need and I fill my u-boat and get on with my day.” In earlier meetings about the project, planners said local traffic impact would be minimal and restricted to commercial vehicles making deliveries and picking up supplies. EYE loved the specialty fish boutique housed inside the new store. Restaurant Depot was founded by Jerry Cohen in 1990 in Elmhurst. EYE is always fascinated by Depot’s ability to mix the “food” and “equipment and supply communities.” Once again it was fascinating to visit with the staff of the new RD which included a former Chefs and CIA graduate.
Port Chester community officials joined Restaurant Depot’s Stanley Fleishman in cutting the ribbon to open the new store.
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TFS publisher Fred Klashman (R] found the crew from Stamford’s Café Silvium in the ‘Depot Seafood Department.
The newest Restaurant Depot in Port Chester brings aisles and aisles of food and equipment and supply values to the Westchester and Lower Fairfield County food service professional.
Local restaurateurs couldn’t wait to take advantage of the new Restaurant Depot’s savings.
The food brokerage community led by Invision’s Rob Munro (L) celebrated the debut of the new store.
Lehr McKeown’s Rob McKeown, Matt Lobman of AdCraft, Restaurant Depot’s Larry Rosenthal and Michael Posternak
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// NEWS
EVENTS
Stamford’s Cenerplate Hospitality Set To Host 46 K At Miami Art Event
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enterplate, the leading hospitality partner to North America’s premier sports stadiums, entertainment venues and convention centers, is proud to play hospitality host at the Miami Beach Convention Center for the 10th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the nation’s most prestigious art exhibition. More than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa will take part, showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibiting galleries are among the world’s most respected art dealers, offering exceptional pieces by both renowned artists and cutting-edge newcomers. Centerplate has bolstered its Miami Beach team with more than 25 culinary and service professionals to help facilitate all facets of its hospitality delivery for the art world’s elite. Centerplate’s team features the company’s leading Chefs who worked closely with Art Basel to create menus both in keeping with the event’s flair for creative execution and Miami Beach’s own culinary persona. Additionally during this event, Centerplate will provide an economic boom to the Miami and Miami Beach communities, nearly
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// EYE
PBAC CONSULTING DINNER
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n what has become a show week tradition, PBAC hosted its annual Consultants Dinner. “There simply isn’t a venue that represents what New York is all about more than the Carlyle,” noted the evening cohost Michael Posternak of PBAC. The Eastchester based rep treated many of Metro New York’s and the nation’s leading consultants to an evening of dining and smooth jazz.
H. Mak’s Russ Pizzuto, Kent Bain and Ruth Bain of Wood Bain
(L to R) PBAC’s Larry Cantamessa, Dinex’s Edwin Reid and Carlisle’s Keith Sisco
Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Smith of Next Step Design, Eric McConnell of NSO and Dave Chislett of Ricca Newmark
Post Grossbard’s Cody Hicks (L) and Brian Hicks (R) with PBAC’s David Aitkenhead
Foster Frable, Victoria Humphrey and Vulcan’s Christian Youngbluth
CFL’s Leif Billings, Lynne Billings, Lana Reily and Corey Reilly of CFL
Mr & Mrs Ira Beer with Dave Chislett of Ricca-Newmark and Bill Eaton of Cini-Little
Chris Brady of Romano Gatland flanked by Eva-Marie Fox & Ken Gallagher of T&S Brass
Performers John Pizzarelli and wife, Jessica Molaske
Michael Posternak welcoming guests to the Cafe Carlyle
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// NEWS
MERGERS
Manhattan Equity Group Adds Planet Smoothie To Tasti D-Lite Portfolio Frozen dessert chain Tasti D-Lite last month purchased Planet Smoothie LLC, the 110-unit smoothie and snack chain, from Petrus Brands in Atlanta.
P
etrus also operates Shane’s Rib Shack, a fast-casual barbecue concept with about 70 units. The 60-unit Tasti D-Lite, which is owned by New York-based private equity firm Snow Phipps Group LLC, said its acquisition of Planet Smoothie is expected to broaden the menu offerings of both brands, increase sales and step up unit growth through dual-branding initiatives and nontraditional expansion. Jim Amos, chief executive of Franklin, Tenn.-based Tasti D-Lite, said that both chains target similar health-conscious consumers, so combining the two complementary brands will provide both brands an opportunity to increase the scale of the combined store network as well as sales at the store level. Amos, who also is an operating partner with Snow Phipps, Nation’s added that the two brands offer each other operational efficiencies and some strong synergies. “We have been scanning the landscape for the past two or three years for a strategic acquisition that would be complementary and not competitive,” Amos said. “We wanted the ability to cross-pollinate the brands.” He said that over the next several months Planet Smoothie items
continued on page 73 53 • December 2011 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
International Hotel, Motel And Restaurant Show November 12-15, 2011 / Jacob K. Javits Convention Center With Manhattan’s restaurant scene bursting at the seams it came as no surprise that the excitement from the City’s kitchen’s came to the floor of the Javits Center for the annual IHMRS Show. The great optimism of the industry’s upswing was evident through orders written, leads generated, increased international attendance and enhanced participation by the equipment dealer community.
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SHOW COVERAGE
I
ndustry suppliers recognized the need to stay in front of decision-makers for the business opportunities it will afford as the industry continues to rebound, while buyers were compelled to attend for the latest products, services and education geared towards the economic times. The importance of walking key shows really came to light this year. Last year, the Show may have had three IPAD applications for the food service operator. Some 12 months later, the show’s technology section was overflowing with IPAD apps for everything from wine lists to loyalty programs. Attendees could snatch a glimpse of what the Javits could look like when major renovations are completed in October 2013. The $463 million project will transform the complex into a light-filled, energy efficient structure while adding 110,000-sq.-ft. of exhibit and support space. New York is the greatest city in the world and our industry and community deserves a building to go with that. That preview came with a walk through the new Javits North building that hosted the Boutique Design New York (BDNY). The co-located event featured more than 200 interior product manufacturers of high-end, unique and innovative design products for hospitality. The Show celebrated the coronation of John Fitzpatrick, who served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2011 International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS). Fitzpatrick, the CEO North America of the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, brought more than 20 years of industry experience spanning the globe to the 96th annual Show.
The Hotel F&B Zone featured manufacturers and distributors of bar equipment; beer, wine and spirits; software and technology; buffet ware and catering accessories; and specialty food and beverages. Fitzpatrick began his impressive career in Ireland, where the Fitzpatrick name is synonymous with hospitality. He led his family hotel group to great heights by achieving notable recognition in the United States over the past 15 years.
Also serving on the 2011 IHMRS Board of Directors are Joseph Spinnato, president, Hotel Association of New York City; Jan Chesterton, president, New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association; Joe McInerney, president and
The Shows’ seminar program highlighted the latest trends in menu innovation
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CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association; Vijay Dandapani, president, Apple Core Hotels; Michael Hoffman, president, Turf Hotels; Pedro Mandoki, president, Mandoki Hospitality Group; Tony Mangano, vice president, Syramada Hotel Corporation; and John Russell, CEO, Advaya Hospitality. With last month’s opening of the City’s first casino: Resorts World in Queens, it seemed fitting that IHMRS debuted The Hotel F&B Zone. An edited exhibit division of statementmaking products for hotel, resort and casino food and beverage operations debuted at the Show. The Hotel F&B Zone featured manufacturers and distributors of bar equipment; beer, wine and spirits; software and technology;
SHOW COVERAGE
Cliff Nordquist of Just Bagels led his troops to The Javits Show
Chip Little and Jim Vorhees of CLVMarketing flank M. Tucker’s Jeff Enda
Yotel’s Geoff Mills
O’Neill Marketing’s Dave Smith and Walter Davis
TFS Publisher Leslie Klashman & the JC Sales duo of Marc Celli and Jaimie Lebovic Senova’s Robert Sudock
Alison Nobel and Will Blunt of StarChefs
BFA’s Meryl and Bob Finkelstein
Abaceo’s Ghislain de Noue was in demand at the show
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Joe Lojko of New Jersey’s Fast Bags demonstated the firm’s new technology
Paul Fetscher of Great American Brokerage
SHOW COVERAGE
buffet ware and catering accessories; and specialty food and beverages. “The Hotel F&B Zone was created to accommodate the sourcing needs of food and beverage executives from across the country who attend the IHMRS annually, offering them a defined, exclusive area in which to shop for products,” said Lynn White, show manager. “This included executives from casinos, hotels, military lodging, and resorts.” Educational programming specific to the evolving hotel food and beverage industry complemented the Hotel F&B Zone, included the Hospitality Leadership Forum Keynote Luncheon on Saturday, November 12.
Educational programming specific to the evolving hotel food and beverage industry complemented the Hotel F&B Zone, included the Hospitality Leadership Forum Keynote Luncheon on Saturday, November 12. “Thought for Food: How Celebrity Chefs Cook up Business” featured Chefs Daniel Boulud of Dinex Group, Floyd Cardoz of the North End Grill and Dan Kluger of ABC Kitchen. The
Noted Chef Daniel Boulud of Dinex Group outlined his thoughts on successful hotel food service
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top toques addressed how smart hoteliers are turning poorly performing food operations into culinary hotspots at hotels and resorts around the world. On Sunday and Monday, related
seminars discussed “Upgrading After the Downturn: Maximizing Hotel F&B Renovations,” and “Missed Opportunities in Hotel Food and Beverage Operations.” Both seminars have been developed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Food & Beverage Committee. It appears Metro New York has become the center of the hospitality design universe. Once again the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) announced winners of the 31st annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design at a breakfast ceremony during the Show. Honorees were selected by a panel
Tri-State Marketing’s Maria Quito (C) visited with show-goers
(L to R) Steve Desimone & Ron Podolsky from Hoshizaki Northeastern
Bruce Martel and Kim Ross huddled with author Jonathan Dixon
(L to R) Corbo’s Lester Corbo and GLM’s Phil Robinson
SHOW COVERAGE
of industry experts from a field of more than 150 projects representing 24 countries. The Awards were sponsored by Interior Design and Hotels magazines. Topping the list of the 31st annual Gold Key Award winners were: New York City’s Rockwell Group who won top Lounge/Bar honors for the Chandelier at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The Restaurants-Casual Dining award went to One Plus Partnership Limited for their design of the Kubrick Bookshop and Café in Beijing, China.
Elliott+Associates Architects won the Restaurants- Fine Dining award for the Café 501 project in Oklahoma City, OK. Countries and territories represented among the 150 submissions were Australia, Bahamas, Canada, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Namibia, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States. Judges for the 2011 Gold Key Awards were Carl D’Aquino, D’Aquino Monaco; Stephanie Goto,
and Gerard Greene, Yotel. Finalists were selected based on aesthetic appeal, practicality and functionality of design. Highlighting the breakfast ceremony, Gold Key sponsors Interior Design and Hotels magazines presented the 2011 Designer of the Year distinction to San Francisco-based BAMO, a firm with an international reputation for exceptional design of luxury hospitality properties, including The Carlyle in New York, the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, The Taj Mahal Hotel & Towers in Mumbai,
India, and many more. Also during the ceremony, NEWH, Inc., the Hospitality Industry Network, presented its sixth Icon of Industry Award to Harvey Nudelman of Fabricut. A $5,000 scholarship in Harvey’s name was awarded to Santiago Arcila, a student currently enrolled at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. TFS always enjoys a toast at IHMRS with the large “Big Red” contingent from Cornell University. On “ShowMonday” the Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration gath-
Master Fire’s father and son team of Peter and Justin Martinez
Kitchen Arts and Letters Matt Sartwell (L) and Book signing organizer Fred Klashman (R) of TFS welcomed The Meatball Shop duo of Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow
Culinary Depot’s sales team was well represented at the show
TFS’s Lori Castinetti toured the Boutique event
Arnold and Company chief Jim Shea
Autoquotes Michael Greenwald (R) visited with old NY area friends
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Noted author Ina Lipkowitz and Kitchen Arts and Letter’s chief Matt Sartwell
SHOW COVERAGE
Highlighting the breakfast ceremony, Gold Key sponsors, Interior Design and Hotels magazine presented the 2011 Designer of the Year distinction to San Francisco-based BAMO; a firm with an international reputation for exceptional design of luxury hospitality properties. ered at Bryant Park Grill, New York for their annual industry reception. Founded in 1922, was the first collegiate program in hospitality management. Today it is regarded as a world leader in its field. The school’s highly talented and motivated students learn from 60 fulltime faculty members - all experts in their chosen disciplines, and all dedicated to teaching, research and service. Learning takes place in state-of-the-art
Culinart’s Victoria Vega and Phil Robinson of GLM
Momofuku pastry Chef Christina Tosi signed her latest book
Retired sales exec Sheldon Myers and Forbes Michael Friedman
Noted Chef/author and restaurateur Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune greeted showgoers and signed her latest book
Fish Eddy’s Peter Kranes and Kaitrin Wilcox
Lehr McKeown’s Toni Lehr (L) worked the show with many of her customers
classrooms, in the on-campus Statler hotel, and in varied industry settings around the world. The result: a supremely accomplished alumni groupcorporate executives and entrepreneurs who advance the industry and share their wisdom and experience with their students and faculty. In addition to producing many of the industry’s most iconic Tri-State leaders including Myriad Restaurants Drew and Tracy Nieporent. Dennis Sweeney, SHA
Floyd Cardoz of the North End Grill outlined his strategies
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SHOW COVERAGE
Montague’s Garry Rupp (R) led his charges to the show
Rotisol president Terry Flamant made his New York City debut Phil Eaton of WoodStone and Tri-State Marketing’s Lynn Schultz
Glissen Chemical’s Bobbi Lehr and TFS co-publisher Leslie Klashman
‘64, was partner in some of the world’s most famous restaurants, including Windows on the World, the Four Seasons and the Rainbow Room. Katie Grieco, SHA Master of Management in Hospitality ‘97, is vice president of operations for Craft Holdings owned by “Top Chef” judge and star Chef Tom Colicchio and Will Guidara, SHA ‘01, was general manager of Eleven Madison Park restaurant, and has recently teamed to purchase the eatery’s lease from Danny Meyer. A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality
ABCO’s Andy Kelly and Terry Toth of Scotsman
industry. Under the lead of the center’s 77 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Besides planning a wide variety of events throughout the year, the CHS New York Chapter maintains close communication with area alumni, Cornell University and the Hotel School. The annual event also toasted Administration to The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. The foundation recently committed a $3 million gift to name
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Coca Cola’s Jim Stone
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Getman
the Marriott Student Learning Center. The new center will reconfigure the school’s current Nestlé Library and George B. Mallory ‘54 Student Lounge into a facility designed to enhance student learning in the digital age. “The Marriott family has had an active relationship with the school since the 1950s, and we are grateful to have their incredible gift as we create a student center for the twenty-first century,” said Michael D. Johnson, dean and E. M. Statler Professor at SHA. “We are honored that this new space will be the Marriott Student Learning Center. “Fine dining doesn’t need to be stuffy,” he said. “We’ve added personality to
Healthcare notables including St. Luke’s Sharon Makara (R) enjoyed the show
service, to give people a sense of comfort.” Guidara said he’s seen too many fine dining restaurants close because of the economy. “You don’t have to be high class to be first class,” added Sweeney, borrowing a quote from world-famous restaurateur Joe Baum ‘43. Happy retirement wishes to New Jersey Restaurant Association Vice President of Events & Allied Relations Judy Richards who will retire at year’s end. “We were again pleased to partner with the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show for the 13th year,” said Richards, “NJRA members attend this Show for their purchasing needs, in addition to
SHOW COVERAGE
Pat Fava (2nd-R) led his Air Comfort service team to IHMRS ‘11
Tri-State Marketing’s Bart Gobioff and Paul Pachuta of Summit Repairs
Noted consultant James Davella and Pecinka Ferri’s Ed Pecinka
AVI Foodsystems’ team enjoyed the hospitality of the annual event
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seeing what is new and exciting in the marketplace. Through this partnership, we are able to offer our members VIP access to the Show where the industry’s top decision-makers convene for three days.” Anchoring the NJRA area was the spectacular E&A Restaurant Supply booth anchored by Al Green. The NJRA Foodservice Arena is one of the most popular features of the Show, attracting thousands of restaurateurs from the tri-state region and around the world. Product categories featured within this space included beverages, credit card and payroll systems, cutlery, equipment, furniture, oil
these partnerships that unique destinations are created on the Show floor, generating buzz and excitement. The NJRA produces a fantastic Foodservice Arena each year that serves as a central location for the Show’s foodservice professionals, and this year was no exception.” Established in 1942, the NJRA has become an essential ingredient for successful and professional restaurants in New Jersey through its representation and education of the Garden State’s 23,000 eating and drinking establishments generating $13 billion in annual sales and employing over 300,000 people. Eating and drinking
The NJRA produces a fantastic Foodservice Arena each year that serves as a central location for the Show’s foodservice professionals, and this year was no exception. and grease systems, packaging, and table linens, as well as services such as architecture, design, construction and culinary schools. The Arena was enhanced this year with the addition of specialty pavilions, including International Flavors, Green Solutions, Business Solutions and Pizza Solutions. Additionally, the NJRA Education Center, inaugurated in 2010 with a series of peer-to-peer seminars about current industry subjects will continue. “The success of the IHMRS depends greatly on strategic relationships such as this,” said Lynn White. “It’s through
establishments, vendors, non-profits, schools and students are eligible for membership. TFS once again teamed with the show’s management team at GLM and M. Tucker a division of Singer, NY LLC. to sponsor the return of The New York Marketplace. Exhibiting companies included Cardinal International, Libbey, Southbend, Oneida, Captive Aire, Turbo Air, Day & Night, Scandia Seafood, Manhattan Beer, and Cafe Sacco. The latest in foodservice equipment, design, supply trends, and food and beverage took center stage. The show within the Show, the 2011 Marketplace
SHOW COVERAGE
Sea Breeze’s Steve Sanders and Jeff Appleblatt of Airkem
Marlo’s Larry Dubov worked with many customers to design custom fab solutions
Gary Sample Jr. (L) of Delivery Concepts displayed the firm’s latest
Economy’s Michael Konzelman (L) and Kevin Konzelman (R) hosted many customers
MAFSI leaders Tom Clements (L) and Mike Stella (R) flanked Lehr McKeown’s Rob McKeown
Nordon’s Jason Whalen and Dave Rourke (R) anchored the Montague booth
Tim Thaler (3rd-L) of Blodgett explained the firm’s new frying technology to show-goers
LoLo sales and marketing chief Clay Thames
Kenny Frain of Frain Bovasso welcomed the Reckitt Benckiser team
Jack Kramer (L) from UNOX welcomed guests
offered cooking demonstrations, food samplings, wine and beverage tastings, and more. “We are thrilled to work with our partners to bring some of the industry’s top movers and shakers to the show floor,” noted TFS co-publisher Leslie Klashman. The Marketplace also served as a backdrop for TFS creative duo of Mike Scinto and Ross Moody to debut the 21-year-old publication’s dynamic new look. In addition, the Kitchen Arts and Letters bookstore returned to the Marketplace with signings by today’s hottest authors. Ron Suhanosky signed his new: The Italian Table and broke news of his new one table restaurant that will open later this month. Award winning photographer Alan Battman spoke about his Sandwiches of the World book. The Book program featured a muchanticipated visit from NYC Chef/restaurateur Gabrielle Hamilton Blood.
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The 2011 Editors’ Choice Award winner for Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show”: Corkcicle Christina Tosi’s discussion of how her Momofuku Milk Bar menu includes milk poured over cereal and then used to bake was a huge hit. The Meatball Shop duo of Micheal Chernow and Danile Holzman brought show-goers inside the phenomenon that has exploded into a mini-empire. Ina Lipkowitz came from Boston to sign and discuss her new Words to Eat By. The Institute of Culinary Education instructor Kathryn Gordon signed her new Les Petits Macarons. Maxime Billet unveiled the secrets of the Modernist Cuisine and its 2500 pages. Chef
Jonathan Dixon discussed his matriculation at the CIA and legendary Chef Anita Lo signed her Cooking Without Borders. The TFS seminar program for the 2011 edition of the New York Marketplace was highlighted by NY Food Truck Association chief David Weber who brought a step-by-step game plan for aspiring food truck entrepreneurs. The Schechter Report’s Mitchell Shecter outlined What’s Hot What’s Cold What’s New In Foodservice Equipment. Mark Kelnhofer delivered his views on Return on Ingredients. The CIA’s John Canner discussed
SHOW COVERAGE
Bally’s Bill Stompf Once again the show’s Culinary Salon was a major attraction
Con Edison’s Rebecca Reich brought energy saving solutions to IHMRS
The WunderBar booth featured new pour control technology
TD Marketing’s Frankie Doyle, Peter DelBuorgo and Michael Klatman
Tacos, Tapas, Tips & Trends. Constant Contact’s Wendi Caplan-Carroll held a session on Social Media Marketing Made Simple. Two of Metro NY’s most influential kitchen design consultants Bob Doland and James Feustel of Jacobs Doland Beer teamed with Wood Bain’s Kent Bain to present An Architect’s Guide to Commercial Kitchens. ConEd’s Rebecca Reich discussed How To Make “Cents” Of Energy Efficiency. Metro New York’s healthcare food service community brought a pair of dynamic Sessions to the Marketplace. Marcia Diamond discussed: What
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The SUNY Delhi culinary team brought great energy to the show’s aisles
the Restaurateur Can Learn From the New Healthcare Food Service Operator. Tony Almedia of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Hubert Co’s Teri Kopp teamed to host A Look Inside The Success Of The New Healthcare Food Service Operator. Many notable operators including Robert Valenti of Fairleigh Dickinson, AVI Foodsystems’ Steve Dawson, Jack Yuppa of Culinary Ventures Vending, Fairview Country Club’s Timothy Clinton, Sharon Makara of St. Luke’s Roosevelt and Onieals’ Chris Onieal. For the past 20 years,TFS has always looked forward to partici-
Connecticut furniture Rep Carol Bruno held court in the American Trading booth
pating in the judging at the Editors’ Choice Awards at IHMRS. The Awards recognize best new products within the categories of design, equipment & supplies, guest amenities, tabletop, and technology, as well as an eco-friendly equivalent to each of these categories. From the 10 winners, the Kenneth F. Hine’s Best of Show Award also was selected. The 2011 Editors’ Choice Award winners were: Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show” Corkcicle (Orlando, FL) for the Corkcicle Wine Chiller, an innovative product that keeps white wine cold
SHOW COVERAGE
NJ legend Kurt Knowles (R) led The Manor culinary & management team on their annual show tour
and brings room temperature red wine down to cellar temperature, eliminating the need for messy ice buckets. TFS saw a number of innovative solutions for the Metro New York food service professional. Topping that list were CookTek’s OmeletBuster, a double burner induction cooktop that has revolutionized breakfast egg stations with enough power in each burner to cook a three-egg omelet in 90 seconds, which won the Green Equipment & Supplies award. The judging process previewed that the 2011 Show would be the year of Bamboo. Bugambilia’s new Bamboo Leaf Plate won for its platter in the shape of a leaf, made from all natural bamboo fiber and free of any plastic, formaldehyde or melamine. The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society used the Show as a backdrop to honor Randell A. Smith, the chairman and co-founder of STR, was named 2011 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the school at the 50th Hospitality Executive of the Year Award Dinner and inducted into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame. CIA Alums gathered at a reception on the Monday night of the Show at the Heartland Brewery at the Empire State Building. TFS enjoyed the annual
Minners Design’s Maureen Cole displayed the firm’s latest tabletop solutions
Naples 45 Networking Event. The TriState’s leading corporate foodservice and healthcare professionals, dealers, consultants and manufacturer’s representatives came to compare Show notes after a day on the Javits’ floor. The Show marked the debut of new GLM chief Charlie McCurdy. The veteran Show exec is leading a new holding company financed by Providence Private Equity that recently completed a purchase of the White Plains based firm. With the excitement of a very busy New York Metro restaurant scene and additional resources for Show management, the ever-improving facility at Javits and a new subway stop on the horizon, TFS notes you need to pencil in next year’s Show dates of November 11th thru 13th, 2012.
Find the complete library of images, links, and information from the 2011 IHMRS Show by visiting www.totalfood.com or flickr.com/totalfoodservice
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Oneida’ s Jim San Fillipo, Bill Meile, Michael Friedman of Forbes and M.Tucker’s Neil London compared show notes
Attendees making the rounds inside the Marketplace
SHOW COVERAGE
The Culinary salon displayed the work of some of the Metro area’s top boutiques
Autoquote’s David Greene (L) & Michael Greenwald (R) visited with old NY area friends
The New York Marketplace attracted large crowds to the 2011 event
The Marketplace once again featured a very popular wine tasting program
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Lanny, Ellen and Stephen Tucker of M. Tucker
O’Nieal Restaurant’s Chris Onieal
BSE’s Steve Doyle (L) worked with customers
// EYE
EVENTS
Industry Networking Reception Tri-State’s leading corporate foodservice and healthcare professionals, dealers, consultants and manufacturer’s representatives gathered at Naples 45 Restaurant in NY.
E
YE notes that the annual Industry Networking Reception once again brought hundreds of food service professionals to Midtown to celebrate. With the backdrop of the spectacular Naples 45 restaurant and plenty of great food and drink, the industry’s movers and shakers had the opportunity to relax after a busy day on the IHMRS show floor. EYE noted much optimism as we visited with many of Metro New York and the nation’s top movers and shakers. The event is co sponsored by the top associations in the food service industry. Among the co-sponsors, was The Society for Foodservice Management. The pre-eminent national association serving the needs and interests of ex-
Bill Adams of JP Morgan and Party Rental’s Sandy Smith
ecutives in the on-site foodservice industry was led at the event by its president Barbara Kane. With members
Among a large contingent at the party was the Jack Yuppa led Culinary Ventures executive team
from coast to coast and overseas, the Society represents major corporate liaison personnel and independent operators as well as national and regional foodservice contract management companies. Consultants and companies providing products and
Romano Gatland’s Chris Brady and James Feustel with Continuum Health’s Barry Schlossberg
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services to the onsite market are also SFM members. Additionally, the association includes faculty and students at HRI programs. Also co-sponsoring was The Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF). The group is the only professional society dedicated to professionals and suppliers in the self-operated healthcare foodservice industry – those facilities who choose to keep their foodservice departments on staff, instead of outsourcing them to third-party contractors. EYE notes if you saw Tony Almedia’s of Robert Wood Johnson’s presentation at the show, it is easy to understand why self-operated foodservice professionals manage some of the most successful and creative departments in healthcare. Also FEDA, the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association (FEDA) is the nationally recognized association for foodservice equipment and supplies dealers sponsored the Manhattan bash. FEDA members sell the equipment and supplies that food service operators use to prepare and sell food in a restaurant, or institution such as a hospital, nursing home, prison, military, or business in-house feeding. Nearly 300 firms are members from across the United States. They represent a majority of the giants in the industry as well as many small and medium-size dealerships. A large contingent from CFESA The
Roland Eichler of Compass and Capital One’s Sarah Krassner
Commercial Food Equipment Service Association, celebrated the association involvement. The trade association of professional service and parts distributors has over 450 members and 3,000 Certified Technicians, representing all of North America. The event also welcomed the membership of The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM). It is a trade association of nearly 550 foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers providing products for food preparation, cooking, storage and table service. The FCSI
Chase’s Jose Villana and Sharon Makara of St. Luke’s Roosevelt
Red Bull’s Sean Lynch welcomed Peet’s Coffees’ Melanie Markham
AVI Foodsystems’ team enjoyed the hospitality of the annual event
foodservice Consultants Society International was well represented. These consultants with many of the most powerful located in Metro New York offering design and management consulting services, specialized in the foodservice and hospitality industry, across the world. EYE notes that among the larger contingents was MAFSI. The Manufacturers’ Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry ( MAFSI is a North American trade association of more than 2,000 sales and marketing professionals in the foodservice equipment, tabletop, supplies, and furnishings industry. EYE is convinced that the Naples 45 pizza may very well be among the most underrated pie in NYC. An authentic Neapolitan pizzeria and Italian restaurant situated in the landmark MetLife Building at E.45th Street, Naples 45 offered Networking guests al fresco tantalizing regional Southern Italian specialties with friendly take-out service and gourmet brick-oven slices pizza. It was awarded the coveted certification of “La Vera Pizza Napoletana,” in recognition of serving authentic Neapolitan pizza made with traditional ingredients, methods, and wood-burning ovens one of only two such awards in New York City. EYE notes a positive vibe coming out of the event as a portend of a great 2012.
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Con Ed, from page 22 Mrs. Maxwell’s made a total investment of $9,854. The Green team covered $7,030, so the net cost to Mrs. Maxwell’s was $2,824. The estimated annual energy cost savings will be $7,075. The projected payback period is five months and represented energy savings of 47K kilowatt hours. “We’ve saved 20% month to month. We’ve already recovered all of our costs,” said Naraiswar. Con Edison’s Small Business Energy Efficiency program was created for businesses with an average peak monthly demand of 100 kW or less. Mrs. Maxwell’s was able to tap into an extensive line-up of easy-to-implement energy upgrades. “Our Green Team performs a free energy efficiency survey of your business that can show you how to spend less on the energy used for lighting, heating, and cooling,” noted program manager Esteban Vasquez. The audit typically takes 30 to 90 minutes to complete. Con Edison provided 71 florescent lamps, replaced dozens of other fixtures and lamps and installed 14 LED lamps which created big savings for the Brooklyn bakery. “What I like about the program is that it covered the cost of all of the ballasts and fixtures,” Naraiswar added. “Comparing what we have today, we were in total darkness. The new LED lights in the freezer have made a huge difference with lighting that is 40% brighter than before.” There are energy saving upgrades for refrigeration that the Green Team checks during the audit. “In many cases, it’s as simple as installing occupancy sensors so that the lights in a walk-in box automatically turn off or the installation of the proper evaporator fan controls,” Vasquez added. The partnership between the
Stop & Shop, from page 38 bakery and Con Edison did not go unnoticed in the community. Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz presented a proclamation to Mr. Naraiswar of Mrs. Maxwell’s Bakery to celebrate a recent day as “Mrs. Maxwell’s Bakery ‘Go Green’ Celebration Day.”
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setts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer, and promote general health and wellness with an emphasis on children’s educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member
of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA’s Smart Way program; has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for 50 of its existing stores; and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company.
IRFSNY, from page 36 experts will gather to present the top information on healthy trends and current solutions for embracing healthy solutions in the industry. IRFSNY is proud to host the second New York gathering of the Foodservice Council for Women on Monday, March 5, at 12:00pm. This year’s meeting features a dynamic panel of industry leaders sharing real life experiences and knowledge on this year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers to Success - How to be Unstoppable in Life and Business!” The Japan Pavilion returns to the show with an all-new demo theater, along with tastings, allowing attendees to discover the ingredients and tools essential to creating their own Japanese
inspired cuisine. On Sunday, March 4, IFSRNY attendees are invited to attend the NY Wine Expo where they can sample over 640 wines from over 160 winemakers from around the globe in the Grand Tasting. Winemakers and winery principals will be available for questions, offer tips on serving, pricing and selecting the right vintage. The Ultimate Barista Challenge will once again take center stage at the show. Presented by the Ultimate Barista Challenge® USA, Professional baristi will face challengers on the exhibition floor as they prepare their signature espresso beverages for a panel of discerning judges. A showdown of three flights of espresso frappe, espresso cocktails and beautiful café latte art will lead to the
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crowning of “The Ultimate Barista.” Paris Gourmet will present the 23rd Annual U.S. Pastry Competition on Sunday, March 4, where 20 rising stars of the pastry world have been selected to compete for the coveted title, Pastry Chef of the Year. This year’s showpiece theme is The Four Elements: Earth / Wind / Fire / Water. The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum will provide the gold standard, industry-leading educational content that is practical and relevant for today’s foodservice professional. Industry leaders deliver real applicable business lessons, the latest information on trends and best practices in the market, and their own opinions of what creates success. Guests will leave with concrete solutions they can apply immediately
to: operate efficiently, enhance customers’ experience, profit from their menu, boost beverage earnings, and succeed in a challenging economic environment. All Forum sessions are included with registration. The Pride of New York Pavilion will put guests face-to-face with family farmers and food processors who have made New York State one of America’s leading suppliers of food and agricultural products. The Show, which is an all-encompassing event that exclusively serves the restaurant and foodservice industry, is also home to more than 500 leading vendors and manufacturers showcasing their products.
Pastry & Baking Arts Classes Call For Upcoming Class Schedule
888-531-Chef
www.iceculinary.com
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Call Vic Rose: 732-864-2220
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Centerplate, from page 51 quadrupling its workforce from its typical staffing levels. Centerplate is planning on serving over 75,000 meals to the exhibition’s 46,000 guests, with service ranging from catering VIP events to managing a number of upscale restaurants throughout the fiveday event. This year Centerplate is proud to also have been selected by Art Basel to cater all events occurring in the newly renovated Miami Beach Botanical Garden. “We are dedicated to the Miami and Miami Beach communities and are proud to have supported the local economy with hundreds of new jobs for the 10th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach,” said Nick Tierno, Centerplate’s General Manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center. “Our inspired culinary offerings are a perfect fit for Art Basel’s arbiters of taste.” Centerplate crafts and delivers ‘Craveable Experiences. Raveable Results.’ in over 250 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America annually serving over 100 million guests. Centerplate has provided event hospitality services to 15 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 12 Super Bowls, 20 World Series, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration.
The purchase marks Tasti D-Lite’s latest effort to accelerate growth. Earlier this year the chain debuted its first drive-thru location in Columbia, Mo., and opened its first on-campus store at Duke University. It also introduced a self-service option to its full-service model. In addition, Amos said, the acquisition of Planet Smoothie presents zero geographical conflicts. Tasti
Tasti, from page 53 would be made available to Tasti DLite stores, while the yogurt chain’s core frozen dessert items would be marketed in Planet Smoothie outlets through self-service machines. “By adding a product line that enhances Planet Smoothie’s menu, we are adding a new component that broadens the offering to the consumer,” he said.
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D-Lite is primarily located in the Northeast while Planet Smoothie is mostly in the Southwest - in Georgia and Florida. He noted that Tasti D-Lite is “robust in international markets.” “Combining these brands will add value for our franchisees, which in turn will allow us to accelerate the growth of our store network,” Amos said.
Amos said Tasti D-Lite has current commitments to open more than 500 locations in the United States and in international markets. “In five to 10 years we could have anywhere from 800 to 1,000 units,” he said.
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Livebookings.com, from page 14 Restaurants can access Freebookings’ reservation platform via www. freebookings.com, which gives them access to an online control panel that enables viewing and management of online reservations, 24 hours a day without the major expense of equipment or staffing. This web-based system can be accessed through a computer, smartphone or tablet computer, enabling restaurants to receive the most up-to-date booking information, view their customer database, and control reservation availability in real time. “In today’s competitive restaurant market, it is becoming increasingly important for independent restaurateurs to respond to customer demand for reserving a table online or via a mobile device,” says Persson. “As we enter the busy holiday season, Freebookings provides restaurants with a nextgeneration platform to improve their customers’ reservation experience and increase sales by turning website visitors into diners.” Positive feedback for Freebookings has been almost immediate with restaurants that participated in initial beta testing of the program.
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Carmellini, from page 2 city, and it blew my mind,” he writes in American Flavor. “For me, Miami was the astronomic Promised Land, the epicenter of culinary cool.” Carmellini, who trained in Italy and France under some of the most respected names and lures as much of a crowd to his hit Italian restaurant in TriBeCa, Locanda Verde, as he does The Dutch, says he’ll definitely put the family’s Florida avocado salad on the South Beach menu. Likely the sour orange meringue pie, too. But he’s not into hitting people over the head with gimmicky dishes. “I’ve been hitting the South Florida farms pretty hard and I think we have a good line on some local shrimp. Recently we made some Jamaican oxtail curry, which came out pretty tasty. But the thing is not to be too fusiony about it because that’s not good for anyone.” Among the top requested dishes at The Dutch in New York is the fried chicken, on the lunch menu here, too. “Everyone’s idea of fried chicken is different, depending on what you grew up with. We probably took six months to develop it,” Carmellini says. “We tried different size birds. Pan versus frying. We struggled over the right seasoning mix. Buttermilk or no buttermilk? Dou-
ble-dipped, dipped? Crazy, obsessive stuff.” For all of the acclaim he’s received over the years, Carmellini is as low-key as a big-name Chef can be. He’s not the kind of guy who’s going to do the same song-and-dance about farm-to-table that every other Chef rehearses these days. Though, yes, he’s just as obsessed as some of the others about finding the freshest, most flavorful ingredients. “I think the farm-to table thing has arced. If you’re trying to be a good Chef in America, you have known for a long time that you can’t put corn on the menu in New York in January. Of course in the springtime the snap beans should be local. All of a sudden farm-to-table is a concept. And I hate the c-word. Concepts are something that focus groups of people in suits try to come up with,” says Carmellini, who also dislikes menu descriptions that bog down diners with too many details. “In some instances, we’re cooking sous-vide. But you’ll never really know it as a customer. We don’t fetishize techniques; we just want to make sure everything you eat is delicious.” When you think of American cuisine as the cuisine of so many immigrants arriving from so many different places and not only hanging on to their culi-
nary roots but sharing them with others even as they venture into assimilation, then the possibilities for American Flavor can be pretty inspiring. Among the dishes in Carmellini’s new cookbook: barbecued meatloaf stuffed with mac and cheese, coconut-curry butternut squash soup with lemongrass and cilantro yogurt, tofu stew with miso and shiitakes, crab on toast with garlic cream, Asian ribs, rigatoni with Sunday night ragu, Mexican baked apples with ancho caramel.
“I like telling some of the great French Chefs that Mexican food can be more complex than French food,” he says. “The balance sometime is harder to achieve in Mexican cooking.” “Mole sauce for example - there is no sauce-making in French cooking where you have to hit so many notes without letting any overpower the other. The look of horror on the French Chefs’ faces.”
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// NEWS
COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY
Fresh And Healthy Focus At Lebanon Valley College’s New Mund Dining Hall Lebanon Valley College’s (LVC) collaboration with Metz Culinary Management (Metz) to completely renovate its 500-seat Mund Dining Hall has resulted in an increase in both meals served and student participation. According to Metz, this growth is attributed to fresher and healthier food stations.
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any of the meals are prepared right in front of dining guests and all selections include nutritional information as part of Metz’s “Health Checks” program. “Well-prepared and healthy food options are essential for our students’ culinary experience and quality of life,” said Bill Allman, General Manager at Metz Culinary Management. “The new and healthier entrees at Mund Dining Hall, combined with the inherent freshness of our Chefs preparing meals out in the open and in front of the students, has elevated satisfaction in the food options at LVC. The numbers have backed that up so far.” In the month following the September 6, 2011 opening, meal counts at Mund Dining Hall hovered around 14,000 per week – an increase of 115 meals per day or about six percent from the previous year. Student participation also topped 70 percent, an all-time high for Metz at LVC. LVC’s $13.3 million renovation project encompassed its entire Mund Student Center, which consists of Mund Dining Hall and the bookstore. Mund Dining Hall was gutted and the kitchen and seating areas were rebuilt. Metz transformed the dining hall from a typical college dining hall to a state-of-the-art facility where Metz Chefs and team members are visible and able to interact with guests, adding a personal touch to the dining experience. The design of the server was handled by Orlando Espinosa + Associates. The highly skilled, customer-focused consulting team brought more than 100 years collectively developing its skills, expanding our customer knowledge, and enjoying the “art and science” of identifying client needs and designing the right plan, strategy, program, brand, or facility to
“The new and healthier entrees at Mund Dining Hall, combined with the inherent freshness of our Chefs preparing meals out in the open and in front of the students, has elevated satisfaction in the food options at LVC.” serve that need. Much of that experience was acquired at ARAMARK, a giant in the foodservice industry. Over the span of his career, Orlando has been responsible for a wide variety of complex foodservice design assignments, includ-
ing chain and themed restaurants, Disney foodservice operations, and winter and summer Olympics worldwide. Equipment and supplies for the
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project were handled by Everson, PA based Singer Equipment. The 90 year old concern is the largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer in the mid-Atlantic region one of the top ten largest in the United States. Singer’s Bob Kline worked closely to coordinate installation with the LVC and Espinosa teams. Eight unique dining stations are available at LVC’s new dining hall and each offers healthy and gluten-free food selections. Specialty
dining areas within Mund Dining Hall include: Signature Entrees Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Signature Entrees offers a wide selection of food selections, including classic favorites prepared with flair, trendy gourmet selections, specialty sandwiches and low-fat, low-calorie selections from the “ Metz Health Checks” line. Bravo At Bravo, custom meals are cooked to order right in front of the students. Popular cook to order items include
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quesadillas, Asian noodle bowls, chopped salad cuisine and pastas. Cuisine “Cuisine” is designed to offer a variety of gourmet items from vegetarian-based protein selections, a carving station featuring lean proteins, complex carbohydrate choices and culinary creations from around the world. Dutchmen Grill At the Dutchmen Grill, food is prepared right in front of students on the charbroiler and griddle. Here students will find
freshly prepared grilled items including patted ground beef hamburgers and daily sandwich features. LVC Deli The Deli offers a mix of fresh toppings, select meats and cheeses, tuna, egg and chicken salad and an assortment of freshly baked breads, rolls and wraps. Everything is made to order and heated in a panini press or Turbo Chef Oven. Salad Bar The Metz staff prepares homemade soups to complement the salad bar. Soup choices include hearty, healthy and vegetarian delights. Brick Oven Pizza and Pasta The Espinoza/ Singer design build team specified a WoodStone oven to handle a menu of extensive made-to-order Italian specialties. These include hand-prepared stromboli and calzones, fresh pasta dishes and fresh dough pizzas cooked to perfection in a brick oven. Baked Impressions Everything at Baked Impressions is made fresh daily. Featured items include assorted cookies, cakes, pies, brownies and cereal bars. These specialty dining options act like a food court where guests are able to “shop” for their favorite foods as if the each option was its own restaurant. A system of separate lines for each dining area and self-service stations permit faster and easier flowing traffic through the dining hall, further enhancing guest satisfaction. Metz Culinary Management currently provides foodservice management services for clients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, public and private schools, colleges, longterm care facilities, corporate offices and manufacturing facilities. Metz is a family-driven company that collaborates with its clients to deliver restaurant-inspired hospitality to each and every guest. In 2011, Food Management Magazine named Metz one of the Top 20 Management Companies in the U.S. and one of the Top 5 Firms to Watch.
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// MIXOLOGY
Metro New York’s Monthly Mixes
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Warren Bobrow Food and Drink Editor of the 501c3 non profit Wild Table on Wild River Review located in Princeton, New Jersey. His research on Biodynamic and Organic Wine and Food will appear in the 2012 Oxford Encyclopedia of Food/Drink in America, Ed., 2. // artintheage.com
ay the word holidays and the usual gin and tonic, vodka tonic or scotch on the rocks come immediately into focus. How boring! Why not perk up your holiday punch bowl with a series of interesting and rather exciting hot toddies to warm your insides and give an extra bit of holiday cheer to your guests? I’m excited to share with you my thoughts on the art of the toddy. But first, what is a toddy? It is a warm or better yet hot drink that warms your insides and stimulates not only your taste buds, but also your soul, deep inside the recesses of your heart. Traditionally a hot toddy is your choice of liquor, hot water and lemon. In Scotland, where it’s cold and damp most of the year, a hot toddy will warm you
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deeply. One of the friendly PR agencies sent me a bottle of the Black Grouse the other day. I struggled with a glass of it- pure smoke, peat and fire. Not being a Scotch drinker (for the record I prefer Rye Whiskey or Bourbon) it was difficult on the palate than my usual go/to. But served woven into a hot toddy with wildflower honey, lemon and the blended Scotch, it is especially beguiling.
The Peat Forest Toddy This cocktail serves at least 20 persons @ 4 oz. per person Supplies • 1 Bottle of the Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whiskey • Juice of six lemons • Boiling Hot water (about a quart or two depending on the power of the cocktail desired) • Wildflower Honey to taste Preparation: 1. Boil water and keep HOT! (pre-heat the mugs) 2. Add the Scotch (off the heat, no holiday fireworks, please) 3. Add lemon juice 4. Adjust sweetness with the honey 5. Mix together 6. Serve to your appreciative guests
// EYE
NJRA GALA
Richards Feted At NJRA Trenton Gala EYE thoroughly enjoyed The New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA) Annual Gala by celebrating the State’s $13 billion restaurant and hospitality industry. The event took place at one of the Garden State’s true culinary gems the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange. The 2011 Restaurateur of the Year was awarded to Mark Pascal and Francis Schott of Catherine Lombardi and Stage Left in New Brunswick, NJ. The Restaurateur of the Year is the highest award bestowed by the NJRA. The 2011 Gold Plate Award went to Chef James & Nancy Laird of Restaurant Serenade in Chatham, NJ as well as Jeanne Cretella of Liberty House in Jersey City and Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, NJ. The Gold Plate Award recognizes current outstanding service and achievement in the food
The 2011 Gold Plate Award went to Chef James & Nancy Laird of Restaurant Serenade in Chatham, NJ
service industry. EYE congrats to the always gracious Judy Richards. She was awarded the 2011 NJRA Staff Legacy Award for her work as the association’s Vice President of Events & Allied Relations Association. Richards will be retiring at the end of this month. The restaurant and hospitality industry in New Jersey is comprised of 25,000 small businesses providing over 311,000 private sector jobs generating $14 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1942, the New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA) is dedicated to fostering a vibrant industry that nourishes communities, tourists, the economy and shares the bounty of the Garden State. Restaurants are uniquely important from farm to table, hosting lifetime celebrations, adding sizzle to New Jersey cities and anchoring main streets.
Judy Richards was awarded the 2011 NJRA Staff Legacy Award for her work as the association’s Vice President of Events & Allied Relations Association
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Mark Pascal and Francis Schott of Catherine Lombardi and Stage Left in New Brunswick, NJ
NJRA honored the States’ top Foodservice operators
Jeanne & Frank Cretella from Liberty House and Stone House Restaurants
The event took place at one of the Garden State’s true culinary gems the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange
The NJRA Staff gathered for a picture inside the Pleasantdale Chateau
// NEWS
CHARITY
NY Chefs Team With HSBC To Raise Money For City Harvest For its 13th year, New York Taste featured a distinctly international flavor last month at Manhattan’s Skylight SoHo. The city’s premier culinary event celebrates the many global influences found within the most creative restaurants of the five boroughs. New York magazine culinary editor Gillian Duffy invited more than 40 of the top local Chefs, restaurateurs, and mixologists to showcase their talents at Skylight Soho to experience an extraordinary journey of global cuisine for one night only. Among the featured Chefs was Michael White, executive Chef of New York’s Marea and Ai Fiori. “While he gets “a good feeling” from doing charity work, he also likes how it keeps him in touch with his peers.” White’s star power has helped many nonprofits. For City Harvest, two guests bid $35,000 each for dinners cooked by White. “That $70,000 will pay for the fuel for the 14 City Harvest trucks for one whole year,” White said. When he returned to Spiaggia, he helped the restaurant earn a fourstar review from the Chicago Tribune. He came to New York in 2002 and made his mark as executive Chef of New York’s Fiamma Osteria, and then at L’Impero, Alto and Convivio before opening Marea and Ai Fiori, which have earned Michelin stars. “If you want to focus and do your doctorate in Italian food, you have to spend time in the birthplace of it,” White said. “That gave me a well-rounded education about the way Italians think about food.”
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