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// NEWS
LEGISLATION
New York State Restaurant Association Passes On Bloomberg Soda Ban Litigation The New York State Restaurant Association has declined to participate in a lawsuit filed by the National Restaurant Association and other trade groups to overturn New York City’s newly passed restrictions on the sale of large, sugary beverages in the restaurants and other businesses.
T
he lawsuit, which was filed on Oct. 12 in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeks to block New York officials from implementing the ban on large sodas and sugary drinks passed by the city’s Board of Health in September. The ban, which was designed to address the nation’s health and obesity problems, is slated to take effect in March 2013. The suit claims that the Board of Health overstepped its authority by passing the ban, contending that it should have been taken up by the New York City Council. “The lawsuit is about ensuring that the Board of Health respects
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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 2012 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
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// NEWS
CELEBRITY CHEFS
Metro NY Steakhouse Owner Brings New Program To Top Food Network "Restaurant Stakeout" is the undercover new program on Food Network hosted by Willie Degel, owner of several successful steakhouses in New York City.
H
e plants hidden cameras in failing restaurants and discovers the reasons they experience low sales, unhealthy happenings in the kitchen, and poor service. His claim to fame is that he does the same thing in his own restaurants, which are well run and thriving. Willie Degel opened his first restaurant, Hollywood and Main in June 1990 in Flushing, Queens. Six years later, he created Uncle Jack's Steakhouse. Today, he owns three locations in New York City. As of March 12, 2012, Willie stars in his own show entitled Restaurant Stakeout. For the series, he goes behind the scenes of different restaurants across the country with hidden cameras to examine their service problems. He is also the author of “Inside the Mind of a Serial Entrepreneur," published by HarperCollins in May, 2012. On this episode, titled "That's Money Out the Door," he heard from Anna Maria Santorelli, the owner of Anna Maria's Italian Restaurant in Larchmont, New York. Recently her restaurant has struggled, and the online reviews give bad service as the main reason. So in comes Willie Degel with his hidden cameras and microphones to get to the bottom of the problem,
once and for all. The restaurant was her mother's legacy, and she died four years ago. Anna Maria wants to keep her mother's memory through her recipes and for everything she learned from her. The food is excellent, but without service, customers get disillusioned. As Anna Maria and Willie watch, they see a waiter who does not know the menu, a manager with no people skills. Customers wait for menus and finally leave without being served.
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Another customer sends back a plate and is charged for both that and the replacement dish. The customer asks for the manager and gets no satisfaction as Anna Maria and Willie watch in horror as they nickel and dime the place right out of business. A waiter has no clue what wines would go with entrees. So in go the decoys from Willie. An older and younger woman come in and ask for a sampling of the gluten-free pasta, and the kitchen staff is not happy. Willie keeps reminding Anna Maria that there is another restaurant down the block. The place has no systems and no protocols. Anna Maria has to either retrain the staff or find new people. When a lover's quarrel breaks out in the restaurant, the manager does nothing to quell the argument, then finally when she goes over, she is apologetic and not firm. The woman finally throws a drink in the guy's face and hits another customer. When the manager goes to see the customer that got hit with the drink, she offers him an after-dinner drink. The next couple come in and ask to substitute spinach for broccoli rabe and are told that there will be a $2 extra charge. So the customers get up and leave.
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// NEWS
DISTRIBUTION
Reuben Led Eastern Bag & Paper is Now EBP Supply Solutions The Eastern Bag and Paper Group, a leading distributor of cleaning and foodservice supplies and services in the eastern United States, announced late last month that they have rebranded and evolved the company name; they will now operate as EBP Supply Solutions.
T
he rebranding – which includes the renaming, a new logo and an all-new website, EBPsupply.com – was more than a year in the making. “We evolved our name to better
convey the broader scope of our product base and to underscore our dedication to provide a range of unique solutions that help businesses thrive,” said Meredith Reuben, CEO of EBP. “While our business is expanding, we
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remain committed to the personalized service our customers expect.” The new brand platform reinforces the customer-centric approach that EBP focuses on making supplies work harder, so customers can work smart-
er. The company not only offers supplies, but delivery, consulting, training, and equipment repair services as well. “EBP becomes a trusted partner by providing the right product for the job, ensuring the proper training and service, and focusing on cost benefits – all key wins for our customers so that in the end they can shine,” said Michael Kaplan, Vice President of Marketing for the company. Established in 1918, EBP Supply Solutions is a leading distribution partner that provides a broad range of cleaning and foodservice supplies and services for businesses that rely on best-in-class insight, products & tools,
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// NEWS
RESTAURANTS
Manhattan Based Food Network Set To Roll Out Airport Restaurant Concept The Food Network is getting into the restaurant business in a location not always associated with good food: An airport. The channel has opened its first Food Network Kitchen at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in South Florida in the JetBlue terminal.
"T
he dynamic of food and travel has changed," said Sergei Kuharsky, general manager of Food Network's new business enterprises. "You used to never go in and think about eating
at an airport." Now, with passengers arriving early to get through security and limited options for in-flight food, there's a market for airport dining. "We are responding to that opportunity," Kuharsky said.
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The Food Network Kitchen is the only eatery serving hot food at the JetBlue concourse, but the network's brand is a big attention-getter. "I walked by and I said `Oh wow, look
at that. Food Network restaurant.' So I came in," said Richard Wierzbicki of Austin, Texas. "And I would look for it again because I thought the sandwich was really good." Since opening Nov. 8, the Food Network Kitchen has averaged 1,500 customers a day. "Airport locations are very busy, but this one especially," said Jean-Pierre Turgot, general manager for Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, which partnered with the Food Network to provide chef-inspired meals at the airport and is also a partner in Food Network-branded food sold at concession stands and stadiums. "It's the highest revenue producer at
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// CHEFCETERA Gabriel Thompson Executive Chef & Co-Owner at L'Artusi
W
hat inspired you to become a chef, where did you study? I loved food and cooking. I have always wanted the work I do to define me and cooking just seemed like a great fit. I studied mostly in Austin and NYC.
On the equipment side, do you have piece of equipment that you like to use that make’s your job easier preparing dishes? Anything you look for in a piece of cooking equipment before you make a purchase? We are pretty analog at our restaurants. Nothing really fancy going on. As for what I look for in equipment— something that won't break.
What are your proudest accomplishments in your career to date? Before becoming a father, which trumped just about everything my proudest moment was opening a restaurant in NYC. Joe Campanale is your co-partner with Dell’Anima, L’Artusi, Anfora, and your newest restaurant, L’Apicio. How did you meet Joe and how did you two collaborate on ideas for your restaurants? We met though my wife Katherine. She knew Joe from way back. When Joe and August were looking for a chef for dell’anima they first asked Katherine if she wanted to be the chef. She did not want to be the chef but she introduced me to them and it all worked out. On the collaboration front everyone involved works on everything. We all have so much at stake and so much invested that we collaborate on everything. Do you change your menu seasonally? What’s the process in developing new menu entrées? We have dishes that are purposefully not seasonal and we have seasonal
Born in Vermont and raised in both California and Texas, Gabriel Thompson grew up around good food and regional specialty dishes. Thompson's food has been written about in publications like Food & Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times. At L'Artusi, Thompson hopes that his new and expanded menu will help create the same loyal following at L'Artusi that he developed during his time at dell'anima.
stuff. It’s about a 50/50 split. We are just inspired by the ingredients of the season. Sometimes we bring back old favorites but most of the time we just think about the food that’s available and dishes start swirling around in our heads. Then we just make them and taste them and then see how they work and adjust as necessary. Sometimes we have to go back to the drawing board completely.
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The restaurant industry has a very broad range of foods…what’s your buying approach? Do you go out to bid on a regular basis or do you look for loyalty from vendors? I am super loyal to my vendors. This might be to a fault, but when the chips are down and you forgot to order something they will always have your back. I like the little phone relationships I have with my vendors. We always look to be as sustainable as possible. As you look at expanding your restaurants, what’s your formula for real estate leases? Is it a destination restaurant or will people find you based on location? What’s the deal from the landlord and where is it located is what we looked at most. Do we have a concept that the community needs and can we manage it with everything else that we have on our plate? That is of course the 10,000foot glance at what we look for. When deciding on restaurant space
and capacity, what’s the goal for how many people you’d like to seat at any given time and how many times do you try to turn each table? It all depends. Dell’Anima is super small but does the most turns (some times 4 when we were open till 2) I have heard friends tell me their places turn 5 times! For the most part 3 turns is fair to the guest. And that is what I would like to see at L’artusi and L’apicio. When deciding on a space we do projections on seating and potential sales and figure out if the space makes sense. If not we will walk away from the space if it works we explore the idea further. What advice would you give to young chefs just getting started but who would also like to own and operate their own restaurant? Work, work, work. Never stop working. Too many people get into the business because they think it looks fun. Or they like food TV. Opening a restaurant is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Most of the time you are so stressed overworked and exhausted that you want to die. You have to have absolute passion and dedication to open a restaurant, and you have to be willing to sacrifice everything to do it. Looking into your crystal ball… Where will we find you in five years? Luke will be 6 and a half and hopefully he will have a little sister or brother. Five years ago I would have never been able to guess where we are now with the restaurants. I am a dreamer though so who knows. I still want to do more. Katherine and I have 5 to 6 solid ideas we want to execute. Maybe we will be able to make one or two come to fruition.
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// NEWS
PROMOTIONS
Per Se Chef Breeden Tabbed To Take Over Kitchen At French Laundry Chef de cuisine Timothy Hollingsworth who has been at Thomas Keller’s Yountville destination for over a decade, and in his current role for over three years will leave the restaurant in spring 2013.
H
e will be replaced by David Breeden, who is currently the executive sous chef at the sister restaurant Per Se in New York. With eight years under his belt at the time, Hollingsworth took over the French Laundry chef de cuisine position in 2009, when his predecessor Corey Lee left to open Benu, which now holds four stars of its own in San Francisco. During his time running the kitchen, Hollingsworth
Timothy Hollingsworth will be replaced by David Breeden (above), who is currently the executive sous chef at the sister restaurant Per Se in New York.
earned plenty of personal accolades, including being named James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star (2010) and one of the Chronicle Rising Stars (2010); he also upheld the French Laundry’s perfect star ratings from The Chronicle and Michelin Guide. From now until spring, Hollingsworth will work with Breeden to ensure a
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// Q&A networking, and legislative initiatives. You know we need to make sure that they're happy with their affiliation with the New Jersey Restaurant Association. Because without members you're not an association.
Marilou Halvorsen, President of NJRA
Based on that, what are the priorities of your agenda at NJRA? First and foremost is membership. Looking at who our existing members are and what do they need to have their businesses prosper especially after hurricane Sandy. Looking at opportunities where we can expand our membership base where we're lacking on members in different segments of the market. And why are they not joining and education. The new mandate in 2014 is going to be big with the ServSafe. And we're working closely with the NRA to expand that program to educate and really become a premier educational outlet for New Jersey. And a resource for people to come to be educated with the ServSafe and the alcohol program.
S
o what attracted you to the opportunity at NJRA? I had been a member actually through my previous employer with the restaurant association and had worked closely with Deborah Dowdell on a state tourism committee. So for 10 years we served on the New Jersey Travel Industry Association together. I knew Deborah, I knew the organization. I'd been involved and attended some of the events. So, you know it was not new to me. I was very aware of the excellent reputation that it has in the state of New Jersey. It was unfortunately the sadness of Deborah's passing because she was the Restaurant Association. It's a wonderful opportunity. I'm excited to be here but at the same time, every day I walk in this office I do think of her. So how did you get in the industry? Where are you from? Walk us through a bit of your background. Well, my first job actually out of school was working at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. I was the assistant to the vice president of events. From there I went to work for a special event company traveling all over doing events and marketing those events all over the country including Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Did you go to school for special events? No, actually I went to school for two
Marilou Halvorsen who has been entrusted to guide the New Jersey Restaurant Association addressed attendees at the Awards Gala last month
years to Arizona State University, then my Mom started working at Monmouth University, so I transferred there so I would be able to go to school for free, and I graduated, with a degree in Communication and Journalism. And then I got a job as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Amusement Association representing all the amusement parks in New Jersey - Six Flags, Morey's Pier, Great Adventure, etc. I was there for about five years. And then I was recruited by the Storino family to head up their marketing department at Jenkinson's. I was there for 14 years. Then they also bought the casino pier and the water park in Seaside Heights, so I then be-
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came the marketing director there as well. I handled both properties. And then the role expanded to get involved in government relations, community relations and human resource issues. The position grew it wasn't just strictly marketing anymore. As you look back at that experience what do you take away from Jenkinson's? What are some of the things that you learned there that you will bring to NJRA? An association is just like a business. My members are my customers. I have to make sure that their experience with the restaurant association is a good one. Whether it's for member benefit,
Is liquor a liability front and center in this education process? I think it's the entire ServSafe program that they offer whether it's food or alcohol. But I think we really need to look at our membership. That's a core of what we need to do going forward and the benefits that we're offering our members. As you perceive the membership benefits, how do you break those down? Do you look at insurance as one piece and then ancillary things? Do you see people in shipping and office supplies, et cetera? And then do you see the lobbying that you do as another piece? I think you look into the ones that are going to give your members real cost saving benefits. We have a grant with
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// NEWS
CHARITY
Huntington Restaurants Team To Feed LI Hurricane Victims Restaurants in the Huntington, Long Island area are doing their part to help out victims of Hurricane Sandy by providing food to some of the hardest-hit areas.
T
he new thin-crust pizza had been part of a highly publicized test at 10 Sbarro locations that also explored a variety of new menu items, plus a new service style and updated décor. Mark Zecher, managing partner at Honu Kitchen & Cocktail Restaurant,
thought it was a great idea when he was approached by one of his waiters, suggesting that the restaurant help deliver food to areas of Long Island hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. "I was approached by one of my waiters, Michael Kondratiev and a friend of his, Dana Finkelstein, who were involved in an effort to get food
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to some of the hardest hit communities," Zecher said. "I got the ball rolling and had one of our chefs cook all of the food." Zecher said he originally targeted the Long Beach area because he knew that it was one of the communities that sustained the most damage from the storm. But Long Beach
was overcrowded with organizations trying to help out and it was hard to get a foot in the door. "Dana suggested we try going down to the Rockaways because that was another area in desperate need of help. We noticed that there were not too many organizations so we got a very good reception from people in the community." Among the restaurants participating in the effort are Albertson's, Vincent's Restaurant & Pizzeria, Da-Angelo PIzzeria & Ristorante, Da Vinci Gourmet Market, Mitch and Toni's Bistro. Williston Park's restaurant community was led by Angelina's Pizzeria & Restaurant, and Yummy Gyro. Porto Vivo and Meehan's Restaurant
in Huntington as well as many Roslyn Heights restaurants including Pearl East, Manhasset Mim's, Pirandello Ristorante & Pizzeria, 388 Restaurant and Lounge and MP Taverna supported the worthy cause. The team headed down to the Rockaways the day after the big nor'easter hit with catering equipment and 10 trays of food and set up shop. On the trays were dishes like
eggplant parmigiana, sausage and peppers and baked ziti. Over 200 people were fed that day. Dana Finkelstein, who is a Roslyn resident and restaurant veteran, can be credited with organizing the food delivery from Honu and many other Long Island restaurants to the hard hit Rockaways. She has worked tirelessly to help get the community back on its feet.
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// MIXOLOGY
WARREN BOBROW
Garden State Spirits Rebirth A new chapter in the Ryland Inn has begun with Anthony Bucco at the stoves led by his highly talented/smiling chef d’cuisine Craig Polignano.
T
he bar program is especially beguiling in the rolling hills of the hunt country with inventive- Christopher James as the head bartender. Over the past months I’ve been work-
has led a storied life though thousands of famous and sometimes infamous diners who have supped within these walls. I do a bit of bartending at the Ryland Inn, honing my mixology skills behind the stick. It’s a most exciting time in my life since I last worked in the restaurant business almost twenty-five years ago. Chris has invented a delicious recipe served at the Ryland named:
The Rusty Apple ing as a bartender/mixologist at the Ryland Inn a few days a week. This venerable former stagecoach stop, located in Whitehouse, NJ was just awarded four stars by New Jersey Monthly Magazine. The Ryland Inn
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• • •
1.0 oz Chivas Regal 12yo scotch 1.5 oz Berentzens Apfelkorn 1.0 oz freshly juiced honey crisp
Warren Bobrow Warren Bobrow is the cocktail writer for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista, Voda Magazine and the 501c3 not for profit Wild River Review/Wild Table, where he also serves as an editor. www.cocktailwhisperer.com
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SHOW COVERAGE
Foodservice Pioneering Concepts Makes Debut at IHMRS 2012 November 10-12, 2012 / Jacob K. Javits Convention Center With the backdrop of Hurricane Sandy not yet removed from the industry's collective rear view mirror, the 97th annual International Hotel Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) took center stage at the Jacob Javits Center.
K
udos to the visionary guidance of Phil Robinson and Lynne White of George Little Management who despite widespread regional destruction and devastation due to Hurricane Sandy made certain that the show opened with all of its bells and whis-
tles. The Robinson/White duo worked diligently with the show’s key exhibitors to turn the show into an early response and resource center for those in need. “To encourage attendance among foodservice operators adversely impacted by the storm, the IHMRS show floor featured special resource centers to help address their specific needs,” Robinson said. These resource centers will help restaurant operators
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impacted by the storm identify what they need, ranging from filing claims to sourcing specific items they need to replace to securing temporary items to keep their business going. IHMRS is working to secure participation from the state agencies representing New York and New Jersey and other relevant government agencies. "These resource centers, as companies get back on their feet, can really help move them along,"
he added. The show teamed with the New York City Hospitality Alliance, The New Jersey Restaurant Association and the City of New York to host a Hurricane Sandy Recovery Sources’ center. The City's Robinson Hernandez and Michael Kim came to the show on their day off to outline steps for restaurants to get re-opened. The takeaway was that city government can work with the City cutting much red tape with impor-
Mobile Food News’ Gary Koppelman (2nd L) anchored a high-energy panel on the Food Truck scene
Legendary NYC Chef Roberto Santibanez (R) discussed his latest book at the show’s Book Fair with TFS' Fred Klashman
(R) Legendary NYC Restaurateur Sirio Maccioni signed his new book and welcomed show guest, (L) Day & Nite's Ken Sher
Long Island Restaurateurs including Freeport's Andrew Drosinos of the Woodcleft Crab Shack utilized the show's Sandy Resource Center
(L to R) Ron Mays of M. Tucker and Jerry Hoffman of Premium Supply
Alto-Shaam’s Todd Griffiths, Jay Silverstein of CSFB and Romano Gatland’s Chris Brady
Pecinka Ferri’s Ed Pecinka and Barry Schlossberg of Continuum Health
(L to R) The Equipex team of Tom McHale, Casey Parks, Gary Licht, & Irina Mirsky-Zayas
(L to R) Network party goers included SD’s Doug Hummel, Clements Stella Gallagher’s Tom Gallagher, Sandy Smith of SD and Mike Scinto of TFS
(L to R) Culinary Depot’s Michael Lichter and Eli Goldring
(L to R) Friendly rivals Ken Stahn of Acme and Pro-Tek’s Ed Daniels
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H. Weiss’ Jimmy Weiss (L) toured the show with customers
SHOW COVERAGE
tant steps including water and electrical inspections. Despite the fact that the Javits Center weathered the storm relatively well, show organizers faced a number of challenges in getting the event ready to open on time. "A lot of our challenges are for our company, with people in storm impacted areas and shipping," Robinson said. "We've spent time with people trying to find their goods and making sure they got
here on time. " Our entire constituency, visitors and exhibitors, reached out to us and the greatest concern was the facility available and can we get there," Robinson said. "We had a lot of exciting things in the foodservice area happening before the excitement of the storm as it kicked in," Robinson noted. "We have a new relationship with FCSI in the form of its Ask the Experts pavilion. Among the
show's new goals were to offer thousands of industry professionals inspiration to take back to their foodservice establishments. Inspired and created by Marsha Diamond, MA, RD, M. Diamond, LLC; Robert Doland, FCSI, Jacobs, Doland and Beer; and Joe Ferri, Jr., Pecinka-Ferri Associates, the space encouraged owners and operators to step outside the box when planning or renovating a facility.
The 144th Annual Salon of Culinary Art, organized by the Société Culinaire Philanthropique brought many of Metro New York's top pastry artists to the Javits show floor
Foodservice Pioneering Concepts demonstrated a footprint that offers energy, space and labor savings, while also enhancing the aesthetics of a foodservice retail venue for a more positive customer experience. The 800-square foot, full-size model concept space featured state-of-the-art equipment from such companies as ACP Menumaster, Culinarts’ Victoria Vega (R) Refrigerator, visited with Blendtec, Continental old friends Federal, Franke, Gasser, and Multiteria.
Jade Range's Alexander Poulus with wife Kathleen
(L to R) Clements-Stella-Gallagher's own Tom Clements, Laura LaMariana, Tom Gallagher, and Mike Stella with Nor-Lake's Mike Eckelberg
New SFM chief, Mark Freeman (R) welcomed many guests
Dynamic displayed their new MiniPro and accessories to this year's show
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JC Furniture's Marissa Stern, Marc-Anthony Celli, Nina Barba, and Jaime Colyer
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Bally's Bill Stompf with Pecink-Ferri's Joe Ferri displayed innovative walk-in strategies to Ihmrs
(L to R) Continental Refrigeration's Kevin Brown and Robyn Williams with Joe Ferri Jr. of Pecinka-Ferri
(L to R) Nordon's Peter Del Bourgo and Dave Rourke brought refrigerated solutions to this years' show
(L to R) Bill Schiffman and Joe Biondello brought new flavors to Sea Breeze's booth this year
Server Products brought an array of new products to the show
(L to R) Aerowerks Aman Singh with James Piliero of Traulsen and Hobart's Gary Simpson
(L to R) NJRA's Manager of Events & Allied Relations Stacey Barone with NJRA's Pres. Marilou Halvorsen with Micros Retail Systems' own Jim Jamieson & Tom Zerrenner
Culinary Software Operation Manager, Catherine Buresh brought innovative restaurant software to IHMRS
Blendtec's Frank Houser showed off the new Stealth Blender at IHMRS
The PBAC team hosted a number of influential guests at the 2012 event
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SHOW COVERAGE “Whether you are a full service hotel, short stay hotel, corporate, healthcare or college/university foodservice operation, Foodservice Pioneering Concepts is a must-see,” said Diamond, foodservice business development consultant and strategic public speaker. “This space is full of great inspirations to showcase your food creativity with innovative design ideas that will generate revenue and impress your customers.” "The IHMRS is all about discovering new products, with attendees seeking insight about apply-
ing new products or design concepts to their existing operations,” said Lynn White, IHMRS show manager. “Foodservice Pioneering Concepts does just that by combining the latest technologies and resources of select IHMRS exhibitors to create a retail venue in alternate locations/spaces that ‘wowed’ customers, capture profits and service opportunities and gave operators an edge in today’s competitive environment." Among the show's highlights was the announcement of the Grand Prize Winners of the 32nd
annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. Nearly 200 projects in 23 countries were considered for these coveted awards, which celebrate the design firms behind the most innovative hospitality properties completed or renovated within the past 18 months. Winners were revealed at a breakfast ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental New York. The Gold Key Awards were sponsored by Hospitality Style and HOTELS magazines. A who's who of Metro New York City area designers topped the list of
(L to R) Economy Paper & Restaurant Supplies' Michael and Kevin Konzelman
2012 winners revealed at a breakfast ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental New York. Top Lounge/Bar honors went to Manhattan's Rockwell Group for the W Lounge at W Paris - Opera in Paris. The Casual Dining award went to NYC's Studio Arthur Casa for their work in Sao Paulo. Brazil at the Alma Maria. Legendary Long Island based Bentel & Bentel Architects received the Fine Dining category for their upgrade at Le Bernardin in Manhattan. The breakfast
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Founder of Taste-Envy.com, Jason Brown
The latest trends in catering took center stage with Great Performances’ Carl Hedlin (L) and Mike Warren of Abigail Kirsch (R) with TFS' Fred Klashman (C)
Sparq Home's Steven Chavez displayed new whiskey and wine stones at this year's show
Rockland Bakery displayed their finest baked goods to this year's attendees
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(L to R) Day & Nite's Dan McCaffrey, Greg Weiss, Chris Matheson, Irwin Sher, Matt Sher, and E.J. Jalil
(L to R) CLVMarketing's Jim Voorhees and Tom O'Halloran
Kaufmann & Associates' June Collum welcomed Vertex China's Eugene Tseng to this year's event
(L to R) Hoshizaki's Jack Pacino, Bill Crider, Eric Lefranc, Jeff Basolis, and Bob Haim with Automatic Ice's Jordan Singer
Tri-State's Ed Yuter with Vollrath's Liza Hannon
(L to R) Vollrath's Eric Christiano and Greg Stak with Tri-State's Bart Gobioff and David Bergen
E&A's Al and Joel Green toured the annual event and celebrated the firm's 2012 NJ Dealer of the Year Award
New York City College of Techonologies' Deannie Joseph, Amit Mehrotra, and Marcia Wolfe
RPI's P.J Gavin and Sheree Moore
(L to R) PBAC's Michael Posternak with Baxter's Michael Mathis
(L to R) Waring's Executive Chef, Fabrizio Bottera with CLVMarketing's Tom O'Halloran and Waring Regional Sales Manager Giuliana Montenegro
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(L to R) Montague's President Tom Whalen with corporate chef, Craig Smith
Unox's Marketing Chef Justin Hoehn explains all the features that distinguish UNOX products
Clifford Nordquist of Bronx based Just Bagels
Total Food's Michael Scinto and Carlisle's Keith Sisco
(L to R) Eloma's Regional Sales Manager Leon Trevino with Corporate Chef Michael Nicholson and Eloma Certified Executive Chef, Ralph Guzman
Eurodib's Shaun McDonald and Alex Dumaine brought new innovative products to this year's IHMRS
Two of Metro NY's leading Restaurant Group Publicists, Steve Haweeli of Metro-Word Hampton PR and Max Exposure's Linda Kavanagh hosted a fast-paced seminar
Big Ass Fan's Debi DeKrey, Deborah Anderson, and Barret Clayton
NYU Langone Medical Center's Betty Perez outlined her new approach to action stations
American Trading Co's Amanda Blattner and Paul Weintraub brought new seating solutions to IHMRS
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Gotham City's Erik Weiss, Arianna Staiano and Jennie Tannura unveiled new tabletop items from Cardinal
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// SCOOP Sylvia’s Big Block Of Soul Set For Harlem Expansion Scoop notes that Sylvia’s, the legendary soul food restaurant in Harlem, is celebrating its 50th year by expanding over an entire city block. Syliva Woods,
known as the “Queen of Soul Food,” died in August at age 86. Her family is honoring her legacy by expanding the business. The family owns an entire block of Harlem between 126th and 127th streets on Lenox Avenue. The family will build more Sylvia’s space in what is now an empty double lot, along with a large events space to hold several hundred people. “The new facility will be beautiful. It will maintain Sylvia’s Southern charm but with a modern, sleek twist. You will still feel the comfort, Southern soul food vibe,” said Tren’ness Woods-Black, Woods’ granddaughter. Sylvia’s started with 35 seats when her mom mortgaged
INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE her farm in South Carolina to fund her daughter’s dream in 1962. The restaurant now seats 450 and also has a catering arm and lounge. The addition will hold 175 to 200 more diners.
Her family is honoring her legacy by expanding the business. The family owns an entire block of Harlem between 126th and 127th streets on Lenox Avenue. Diners have included President Clinton, Prince Albert of Monaco and Tony Bennett.
NYC’s Old Homestead Discovers New Topping Scoop says move over mayo and ketchup, Nick Loeb is banking on getting Americans addicted to a new con-
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diment: Onion Crunch. Loeb has just teamed up with the Old Homestead Steakhouse to create a new hamburger adorned with the condiment that created quite a stir with the recent New York City Wine & food Festival’s Blue Moon burger Bash hamburger contest. “We are very excited to have been a part of the completion,” said Loeb, the son of banker John Loeb, who was formerly President Reagan’s ambassador to Denmark. The junior Loeb claims Onion Crunch, which he discovered during his childhood in Scandinavia, to be the first new condiment introduced in America since salsa. His fiancée, “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara, is also a fan of the product. “She loves putting it in tomato basil soup,” he said. Loeb has invested $5 million in the Netherlandsbased company that produces the topping. It was launched 18 months ago and is now available in stores, including Safeway and Walmart and, locally, Fairway and D’Agostino. To prepare for the burger bash, the owners of the Old Homestead, Greg and Marc Sherry, turned to Romeo DiBona, the executive chef at Atlantic City’s Old Homestead Borgata, to create something new with Onion Crunch. They
went through 90-to-100 creations over two months, testing a dozen different rolls, 48 toppings and eight different cheeses. The favorite: a prime beef/ brisket mix with sweet onion marmalade, gooey bubbly cheese, pepper slab bacon, and Onion Crunch on a roll.
His fiancée, “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara, is also a fan of the product. “She loves putting it in tomato basil soup."
Jean-Georges Spells Out His Plan For ABC Scoop hears that award-winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is in talks to take over the former Conran Shop in ABC Carpet & Home’s flagship store in the Flatiron District. The 8,500 squarefoot space in the basement has been vacant since The Conran Shop closed
in July. The space would be in addition to Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen, at 35 East 18th St., awarded best new restaurant of 2011 by the James Beard Foundation. The famous chef said the former Conran’s would be transformed into a local, green and artisanal market, with lots of local breads, cheeses and fun food, like donuts. “Harrods’s started the concept, and look at the success of Eataly,” Vongerichten said. “It’s just an idea now. But food is a part of life. People are foodies and love to shop for food. We will keep it very local and very American. There may not be good olive oil in New York, for example, so we will bring it in from California. A second Vongerichten Flatiron-area spot, Pipa, now known as ABC Cucina, will close after the holidays and re-open in mid-February as a tapas/small dish-style restaurant with Spanish and South American influences,” Vongerichten added.
Manhattan’s Chang Set To Star In TV Series Scoop notes that the well-mannered world of PBS food shows received a big jolt last month with the national premiere of “the Mind of a Chef.” The Manhattan 16-episode series focuses on the culinary inspirations and obsessions of David Chang, the young (35) and unfiltered chef and impresario of the Momofuku restaurants. “He’s a genuine guy,” said Anthony
Bourdain, an executive producer of the show and its narrator. “He can’t help himself. He shows you the way he feels.” PBS might seem like an un-
The Manhattan 16-episode series focuses on the culinary inspirations and obsessions of David Chang, the young (35) and unfiltered chef and impresario of the Momofuku restaurants.
likely place for a show created by two food-world figures with the combined star power and unruly personas of Mr. Chang and Mr. Bourdain. But Mr. Chang, said it was a fitting home for a project whose goals were “one, to be educational, and two, to shed light in a positive way on the restaurants and what we’re working on.” Oh, and there was one other thing: “We got turned down by everybody,” Mr. Chang said. He estimated that at least a dozen networks passed on “The Mind of a Chef” before PBS said yes. “This is not your usual stand-and-stir show,” said
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
Bourdain, nor is it a travelogue like Mr. Bourdain’s “No Reservations,” though it has elements of that, with Mr. Chang trekking around the world to compare notes with famous chefs like Rene Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen and Yoshiriro Murata, the master of Japanese kaiseki. Mr. Bourdain hopes, is a new type of cooking show, a kind of intellectual biography. “We’re exploring the creative process, the anatomy of a style of cooking,” he said. “Not just what inspired this dish, but where did it come from, what are they thinking about, what’s intriguing to them. How did we get here? The end result is often the end of a long story, and from early on we’ve been looking at David Chang’s food as part of a long and very interesting story.”
City Tech Team Takes Grand Prize In International Competition With Tribute To Big Apple In Aftermath Of Hurricane Sandy Scoop sees the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was on the minds of the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) team when they were about to compete in an international culinary competition. So much so, that they reworked their entries to pay tribute to the resiliency of the city in the wake of the storm. Their creations were good enough to garner top honors in the Salon of Culinary Art competition, organized by
continued on page 57
The City Tech team takes grand prize in International Competition.
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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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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 continued on next page
// RECOVERY
HURRICANE SANDY
Metro NYC Restaurants Set Post Hurricane Sandy Agendas In the days since Hurricane Sandy shut off the lights and flooded restaurants across New York City, the reaction has been rapid and often heroic: kitchens drained, supply lines improvised, staffs reassembled, doors reopened and beleaguered diners fed. Restaurants including Klein's Fish Market in Belmar have begun the process of rebuilding now that power has returned.
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ut for many of the city’s 24,000 restaurants, the work has just begun: a long-term overhaul that could change much about the way restaurants operate, even those untouched by the storm. Owners are re-examining their buildings’ infrastructure and architecture. They are questioning their industry’s tradition of placing kitchens and refrigerators in basements. For the first time, many are realizing a need to set up backup power, communication systems and transportation networks. The road to recovery in New Jersey has taken a legislative approach. To help ease monetary losses created by Super storm Sandy and speed the economic recovery of the restaurant industry in New Jersey, Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D-Middlesex) announced plans to introduce legislation that would create a month-long, one-time sales tax collection exemption on meal purchases made in New Jersey restaurants. "The state's restaurant and dining industry took a massive hit during the storm with many operators unable to open since it made landfall. Unlike other industries, loss of time equals loss of revenue that is unrecoverable, unless special circumstances are created to
boost sales," said Diegnan. “There is no business as usual, going forward,” veteran New York City restaurateur Drew Nieporent said. The restaurant has been a Greenwich Street landmark for 22 years, and Mr. Nieporent described his shock when its subbasement boiler room suddenly took on five feet of water and the basement prep kitchen filled with six inches of slosh. “There are many lessons learned,” he said, estimating that he had lost $600,000 in revenues at three closed restaurants, and $30,000 worth of spoiled food. “We all want to be smart about this
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going forward. It’s a time of stocktaking, after reopening.” In a different part of the city and its dining spectrum, the 120-seat Bogota Latin Bistro in Park Slope, Brooklyn, suffered minimal damage. But an owner, Farid Lancheros, predicted that restaurateurs would begin reinforcing walls, installing sump pumps and making other tangible changes to deal with more-frequent and devastating storms. “Hurricane Sandy was a very ugly package presented to us with a gift inside,” Mr. Lancheros said. “Maybe now restaurants will be wiser.”
David Rockwell, who has designed more than 50 restaurants in New York, said owners would now consider building or retrofitting with waterproof materials, and providing quick ways to drain and pump out water. “Everyone is thinking not only about backup power and emergency lighting,” he said, “but also the whole idea of what, exactly, is an acceptable ground level.” Some seating might have to be shifted downstairs, and kitchens and refrigeration moved upstairs. Danny Meyer said his Union Square Hospitality Group, which owns 16 restaurants in New York City, was creating a disaster-plan task force, “expecting that this will happen again, and looking for backup solutions,” he said, including the purchase of generators and “a lot of infrastructure changes.” Mr. Meyer is renowned for his tireless efforts to communicate with customers, but the storm nearly put him out of touch with his own organization. When the power failed at his apartment in the Flatiron district, his office at Union Square and his downtown restaurants,
continued on page 56
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// NEWS
CHEFS
Greenwich Chef Gerin Set To Trade Kitchen For Classroom After nearly 30 years whipping up French delicacies for his small dining room on Lewis Street, Jean-Louis Gerin is packing up his knives.
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o, that doesn't mean he's leaving Greenwich to compete in another reality TV cooking show. The James Beard Award-winning chef who earlier this year won an episode of the Food Network show "Chopped” is closing up his restaurant and becoming vice president of culinary operations and executive chef at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT. "The owner of the school came to me asking if I knew anybody who would be interested in that position," said Gerin, who was named the top French master chef in North America just a few years ago. "I said, `Yes, absolutely. Me.' " It was a tough decision, but Gerin says that just as he jumped at the chance, in 1985, to take over mentor Guy Savoy's Greenwich outpost, he decided the opportunity to help run a prestigious culinary school was too good to pass up. "When an opportunity like this happens, you just grab it," Gerin says. Gerin said he has helped teach many of the chefs who have passed through his tiny kitchen, and the new position was a natural fit only now, he will oversee 30 chef instructors and 500 students. "A chef at my level is basically an educator because we train so many aspiring chefs," Gerin said. "Teaching is
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Sandy Relief, from page 48 he said, he established himself in a makeshift office in the bathroom of the Madison Square Club gym on Fifth Avenue at 26th Street. “For some reason they had power,” he said, adding, “there was one outlet and I plugged in, and fortunately there was a chair to sit on rather than just the toilet.” A top priority now, he said, is creating a storm proof communications system “because in the future you can’t have me running the company from the bathroom of a gym on one cell phone, relying on a cell tower.” “He and other restaurateurs would also benefit from a keener awareness of their own infrastructure,” Meyer said. His North End Grill, Blue Smoke and Shake Shack in Battery Park City never lost power, he said, because “they were on the Brooklyn electrical grid, and who knew?” “Even small design changes could make a big difference,” he said. North End Grill was “the first of our restaurants to install electrical outlets underneath the lip of the bar, and suddenly, all our customers were coming in to recharge their equipment - something we never envisioned.” Restaurants with employees who are scattered over the region are brainstorming new ways to reach them in a crisis, and investigating vanpooling and other transportation, including bicycling. Juan Inga, a floor captain at Nobu, couldn’t find gasoline for his car, so he cycled an hour from his home in Jackson Heights, Queens, to the TriBeCa restaurant. “It’s windy and pretty cold across the 59th Street Bridge,” he said, “but the bike got me in.” Restaurateurs have also realized they must be more sensitive to the trauma of employees after they return to work. Sam Del Toro, the assistant manager of the Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen outlet on West 23rd Street, had two feet of water in his house in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn. He organized a cleanup, then contrived to return to work on Wednesday, only to find a powerless, gas-less
restaurant with 280 pounds of spoiled meat. “I know what our people are going through,” he said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this.” Anxiously, too, the industry is casting an eye on the viability of individual businesses in the post-storm economy. “There has been a devastating financial impact,” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, a trade group of more than 300 restaurants and bars. “Long term, it’s very challenging.” His organization has become a clearinghouse for relief and recovery information.
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The storm could impact whether future entrepreneurs might avoid or be able to negotiate favorable leases to open restaurants in flood-prone neighborhoods like Battery Park City, and Red Hook and Dumbo in Brooklyn. “If there is expensive residential property there, as in Battery Park and Dumbo, well, you have to eat,” said Clark Wolf, a restaurant consultant based in New York. “Operators could find it worth the risk.” Red Hook, which is less affluent, might be more affected, he added. “Rising insurance costs could also hurt some areas,” he said. “Premi-
ums don’t have a tendency to go down.” Despite all the talk of looking ahead, many restaurateurs will shrug off the storm as an isolated event, saying, “These things are out of our control,” said Paul Seres, an owner of the DL lounge and the new Dinner on Ludlow restaurant, on the Lower East Side. The two businesses lost about $100,000 in revenues for five shuttered days. Mr. Nieporent said that calamity was nothing new to New York restaurateurs, mentioning the 9/11 attacks, the recent recession, Tropical Storm Irene and last year’s Halloween snowstorm.
Scoop, from page 47 the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, at the 2012 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show held at Javits Center, November 11-13. For the seventh year out of the past ten, the City Tech team took the Grand Prize of the Salon, the Marc L. Sarrazin Trophy for the best overall entry at the show. Using “Cityscapes” as their theme, the College’s hospitality management students, faculty and staff competed under the category of Complete Buffet, which included work from both the confectionery and savory kitchens. Among their creations in the confectionery category were “Sugar Construction,” a piece featuring a crane and construction worker; “Coco-motion,” a chocolate sculpture with a train; and “Gusty Winds,” a pastillage entry. (Pastillage is a sugarbased dough used for decorating and creating decorations for pastry, showpiece work and decorative molded forms). City Tech’s winning table also
included a large bull sculpture made of tallow that was carved by students in the Garde Manger category and five platters of meat, game and fish preparations they created. Rounding out the confectionery entries were “Urban Geometry,” a sugar sculpture, and “Big Apple Farm,” a cake representing a futuristic urban garden. Hospitality Management Professor Louise Hoffman competed in the Wedding Cake category and took a Gold Medal of the Salon, while alumnus and adjunct faculty member Anthony Smith (’96) took the Silver Medal of the French Government in pastry. He is pastry chef at the Cosmopolitan Club.
E & A Restaurant Supply Receives 2012 Best of Plainfield Award Scoop notes that for the fourth consecutive year, E & A Restaurant Supply has been selected for the 2012 Best of Plainfield Award in the Restaurant
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Equipment & Supplies category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have
achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Nationwide, only 1 in 250 (less than half of 1%) 2012 Award recipients qualified as Four-Time Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered
and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2012 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties. U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising. The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.
// NEWS
EVENTS
Indoor Food Service Marketplace Set To Debut In Norwalk As the host and co-creator of "The Kitchen Job," hailed by critics as New Zealand's answer to Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares," John Palino helped turn struggling restaurants into success stories.
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ow the chef has his sights set on spicing up a section of South Norwalk on the edge of Wilson Cove with the opening of a versatile retail space that, if all goes as scheduled, will become the Disney World of indoor/outdoor urban markets. SoNo Marketplace is scheduled to open this month and will comprise food merchants and craft vendors, culinary demonstrations and cooking classes with guest chefs, arts and crafts workshops, live music, occasional pop-up restaurants, seasonal holiday promotions, special events and family activities that may include paddle boats on the nearby waterway. "I'd love to have a resident blacksmith and a potter," said Palino, an Italian-American restaurateur and one of the principals of the project, who divides his time between New Zealand and Norwalk. Palino said SoNo Marketplace will have a country style atmosphere with a unifying motif throughout. “The idea is to create a comfortable atmosphere where people can shop or not shop,” Palino said. They can shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, artisan breads, cheeses, meats, seafood or for home wares and gifts, or just come by to hang out. "You don't have to come shopping,"
Now the chef has his sights set on spicing up a section of South Norwalk on the edge of Wilson Cove with the opening of a versatile retail space that, if all goes as scheduled, will become the Disney World of indoor/outdoor urban markets.
Palino said. "Come and catch up with friends, experience the people, enjoy the music." The administrative staff of SoNo Marketplace will produce special events and Palino mentioned a jazz festival as an example. Some events will be tied to various seasons or holidays. "I want to keep it active," Palino said. "We have the versatility and we're building it in a way where we can continuously do different things and bring new people in, really make it a place where there is always something going on daytime and hopefully nighttime," he said. Joseph Grasso, a local developer and owner of the property, had planned something entirely different for the space. "The original vision was to have an indoor flea market," he said. "We
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changed the concept once I met with John. John showed me a lot of ideas he had done before. The SoNo Marketplace concept really fit much better into the area." The idea came about after a mutual friend introduced Palino and Grasso via Skype last summer. Palino traveled to Norwalk for a visit to the site and really saw the possibilities. "We've been working hard together on designing this for almost a year and now it's finally coming to fruition," Grasso said. City officials liked the concept and neighbors are grateful, he said, because there is no market in their area. "SoNo Marketplace is a unique idea for Norwalk, and one that has great merit," said Brian Griffin, vice president of the Greater Norwalk Chamber
of Commerce. "The blend of country market with cosmopolitan sophistication should prove to be a winning formula, and be yet another reason for people to visit, shop and eat in Norwalk." Grasso said SoNo Marketplace will bring in 70 to 80 vendors and will create jobs. "In this tough economy, it's very difficult for a small vendor to lease a space in our surrounding areas," Grasso said. "This is the Gold Coast. This will be a much more affordable area for the entrepreneur that wants to get started or has an existing store and wants to showcase and sell their products." Several vendors are already on board, although Palino was not prepared to reveal who has committed to the project. He did say, however, that "everyone who looked at it said `Where do I sign?' " Palino's Flat White Coffee Company will be one of the vendors, and coffee beans will be roasted on site. With an extensive background in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Palino said he also plans to host themed group meal events. As an example, he mentioned a Moroccan Tajine night or Italian feast, where patrons would pay one price for a meal from that particular country. They would sit family style; perhaps sharing a table with people they don't know. "I used to do that at my restaurant in New Zealand and it was always packed," Palino said. Grasso would like to see a trolley or bus take visitors through SoNo to the Marketplace and the Maritime Aquarium nearby. "That's an idea we'd like to pitch to the mayor," he said. "We have Long Island Sound in our backyard, which is going to really be beautiful in the next two years. We really feel this is going to take off."
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French Laundry, from page 23 smooth transition at the iconic restaurant. Breeden, though a Tennessee native, isn’t a stranger to the French Laundry. It’s where Keller first hired him, back in 2005 as chef de partie, and Breeden has been in the TKRG farm system since - he even worked alongside Hollingsworth back in the day. In 2007, Breeden slid over to Per Se in New York. The French Laundry is a French restaurant located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. The chef and owner of the French Laundry is Thomas Keller. The restaurant building dates from 1900, and is in the National Register of Historic Places. The French Laundry is a perennial awardee in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World (having been named "Best Restaurant in the World" in 2003 and 2004), and since 2006, it has been awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide to San Francisco. Bredeen is headed for a building with a storied past. The building was built as a saloon in the 1900s by a Scottish stones-
man for Pierre Guillaume. When a law was passed in 1906 prohibiting sale of alcohol within a mile of a veteran's home, Guillaume sold the building. In the 1920s, the building was owned by John Lande who used it as a French steam laundry, which is the origin of the restaurant's name. In 1978, the mayor of Yountville renovated the building into a restaurant. Don and Sally Schmitt owned the French Laundry for much of the 1980s, and the early 1990s. In 1994, Thomas Keller bought the restaurant. Keller who is also involved in the restaurants French Laundry and Ad Hoc in Napa Valley, Bouchon in Napa Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada and Los Angeles, and Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley, and the Time Warner Center and Rockefeller Center in New York. Per Se opened in February 2004. Keller chose restaurant/hotel designer Adam Tihany to draw together subtle references to The French Laundry and elements from both his and Keller's pasts; for example, the decorative blue door to the right of the main entrance is modeled after the blue door at The French Laundry.
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Bobrow, from page 33
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apple juice 0.5 lemon juice 0.5 agave nectar 2 oz DRAMBUIE 1 oz berentzens apfelkorn .5 oz lemon juice 4 egg whites
Add all ingredients to an ISI charger and use a single charge. Dispense enough DRAMBUIE foam to fill a chilled coupe glass 1/3 of the way. Shake the ingredients for the cocktail and strain into the chilled coupe through one part of the foam to avoid ruining the separation effect. As you strain the liquid watch the foam spread across the surface of the drink. Finish off with some freshly handgrated cinnamon on the surface of the foam. This cocktail is intended to be a twisted mash-up of a market fresh apple martini and a rusty nail. I cannot think of a better winter cocktail! This year I’ve discovered digestives and sometimes even the mysterious drink known as mezcal as the perfect way to end a lovely meal. Here is a short list with some tasting notes of what I’m drinking after a large meal during the coming winter months. Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth: Layers of vanilla soaked melted dark stone fruits and salted/sweet caramel custard give way to freshly dried Virginia tobacco leaf dusted in bittersweet chocolate. Revealing itself immediately is the flavor of Spanish leather. Drink either on the rocks or in a snifter, Carpano is elegant and bold. You can even serve it as a corrective for a cup of tea. Atsby “Armadillo Cake” New York Vermouth: I’m turning into a Vermouthhead. One of my newest discoveries has turned out in New York using aromatic herbs, spices and secret potions. It is most beguiling after a rich meal to settle the nerves. This darkly colored Vermouth from New York is carrot cake, sweet molasses and white flow-
ers rolled into a perfect little chocolate tinged truffle, and then eaten quickly before it melts in your hand. Catoctin Creek Peach Brandy: Sexy doesn’t even begin to describe the flavors unleashed from deep inside each sip of this Virginia produced peach elixir. This is not your typical sticky sweet, kid’s stuff- but it is seriously amusing from start to finish. It drinks more like an eau de vie or moonshine with a warm from the orchard, juicypeach mashed into it. I recommend
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washing a glass with this brandy and then adding one large hand-cut ice cube to the glass. Pour a large measure of Bourbon like Four Roses Small Batch over the top and sip. Delirio Reposato Mezcal: Mezcal for dessert? Why not? The heavily honeyed finish of this marvelous slurp is perfect with honey gelato or perhaps added directly to a cup of spicy hot Mexican Cocoa. Will you remember your evening after drinking a few dozen ceramic cups of the Reposato?
That’s completely up to you. Reposato means aged for at least two months or less than a year. Often times used Bourbon oak casks are utilized. The sweet vanilla flavors seep into your memory and follow you home at night. There is a lovely smoky finish and deep caramel corn nose. This isn’t a worm in the bottle mezcal. It is a mezcal built for slow and careful sipping in front of the fire, with your trusty hunting dog resting by your leg.
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// NEWS
INNOVATION
MEIKO USA’s Kube Brings Innovative Dishwashing Solution To Metro NYC MEIKO USA Inc. recently announced the launch of the kube\CS 70; a chemical sanitizing, doortype dishmachine. The first of its kind in MEIKO’s history; the machine is the culmination of years of industry research and feedback from chemical agents, end users and service providers.
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or over 80 years, MEIKO has earned a reputation as a major player in the high-temp warewashing arena. The intuitive design, ease-of-use and industry-leading efficiency synonymous with the MEIKO brand endure with the launch of kube\ CS 70. • Built with a single-piece of 304 stainless steel, door construction is the kube’s namesake. A durable, wraparound, cube-like door eliminates the multi-piece door guides of other models. • The digital control panel and dosing pumps are mounted underneath the machine for time-saving operation, maintenance and chemical agent access. • The machine is completely modular and easily disassembled for quick refurbishing. An experienced service agent can have the entire machine completely disassembled in 15 minutes and the motor removed in less than three. • The kube\CS 70 features interchangeable stainless steel wash/ rinse arms easily accessed, removed and replaced without the need for tools. • The machine is Energy Star and
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•
NSF rated with a maximum throughput of 40* racks per hour. Using a mere 1.18 gallons of water in a 90 second cycle, the kube\CS 70 is one of the most efficient machines on the market. Using a user-selected 72 second cycle, kube\CS 70 has a maximum throughput of 50 racks per hour.
“At 50 percent of the commercial warewashing market, low-temp is a huge growth opportunity for us; and it’s also a huge bet,” said David Ciampoli, VP of Sales and Marketing. “The kube\ CS 70 was developed by MEIKO engineers across the globe and our folks are famous for setting the bar pretty high. We’ll figure out fast if the market accepts a higher standard in low-temp, or stays with the status quo.” The kube\CS 70 has several industryfirsts for a low-temp warewasher. In its class, the machine offers the first digital function display, automatic fill and drain cycles, automatic chemical prime and temperature drain, and ergonomic, bottom-mounted controls. The machine’s strong tubular frame and lack of door guide strips add additional industry firsts for low temps. Learn more about MEIKO by visiting www.meiko.us or by calling (800) 55–MEIKO. The MEIKO Line is Represented by Tri-State Marketing in Ossining, NY. They can be reached at 914-941-1717 or on the web at www. tri-statemarketing.com
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Food Network, from page 16
the airport." There are no waiters, so customers sit at tables after ordering at the counter or they can get takeout food, either made to order or readymade items like sandwiches and salads. The menu promises organic and sustainable ingredients and offers dishes with connections to local ingredients and regional culture, such as a Florida shrimp po'boy ($13) and a salmon burger with Key lime mayo ($14). South Florida's Latin culture is reflected in items such as the Cuban breakfast burrito ($8) and a black beans and rice burger with "mojo mayo" ($12). Also on the menu: fried pickles with Key lime mayo ($6); sweet potato fries with
busy, so it's best to arrive early if you plan to sit down, as Liz Lamoureux did before flying back home to San Antonio, Texas. "On our way here, I was saying we wanted to get here early to sit down for a drink," she said as she nibbled on edamame and sipped on the house pinot grigio. Beverages range from espresso to entwine, the Food Network's wine brand, to locally inspired cocktails like Lansky's Run, named for the Prohibition-era gangster Meyer Lansky. The design of the restaurant resembles the cable network's test kitchen: a butcher block bar counter, subway tiling, stainless steel surfaces and pots and pans hanging
The design of the restaurant resembles the cable network's test kitchen: a butcher block bar counter, subway tiling, stainless steel surfaces and pots and pans hanging in a row - only here, they hang behind a cash register.
Key lime tartar sauce ($5); and a Cuban sandwich ($12) with cafe con leche mayo pressed on a ciabatta roll. Wait times can back up when flights arrive and the airport gets
in a row - only here, they hang behind a cash register. The network's logo is plastered on everything from to-go boxes to brown paper bags filled with jellybeans and chocolate-covered
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pretzels. Most of the TVs are tuned to the Food Network, though some show sports or news. There are also some fun facts on
display: A poster near the cash register details local ingredients used in the meals, while paper placemats explain how to filet a fish and describe different cuts of beef. "We really wanted to bring our culinary expertise to the forefront and bring the brand to life," Food Network's Kuharsky said. "I think people are going to be drawn to the brand, but it also comes down to taste." But while the network has already put its name on consumer products like frying pans and candles, along with its concession stand and stadium food, serving quality food at an airport restaurant presents different challenges. "Branding on the front lines has the most exposure and is different than putting your name on a logo," said Chris Tripoli, president of A'la Carte Foodservice Consulting Group, who has worked on food concepts in airports across the country. "Now that you have exposed yourself to the end user, your reputation, that Food Network brand, is going to be judged on the temperature of
the green beans that day or by every bite of the sandwich." Tripoli added that Food Network staffers on the restaurant's front lines "know their brand is only going to be as good as their last meal." The Food Network and Delaware North Companies plan to open more outlets in the spring at the busy JetBlue terminal. Another Food Network Kitchen is scheduled to open at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by the end of 2013.
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SHOW COVERAGE
Show Story, from page 41 served as a backdrop for NEWH, Inc., the Hospitality Industry Network, to present its 8th annual Icon of Industry Award to Kohler Company President and Chairman Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. A $5,000 scholarship in Herbert’s name was awarded to Stacey Sefcik, a student currently enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The annual tradition of the Editors’ Choice Awards once again highlighted and honored the show’s best new products within the categories of design, equipment & supplies, guest amenities, tabletop, eco-friendly and technology. Each of the 10 winners then vie for the Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show”
Award. Among the food service industry winners were: BKI, a Standex Company (Dallas, TX) who won top honors for Equipment & Supplies for CombiKing™, a combination oven offering the flexibility of moist heat, dry heat or any combination of, for optimal cooking of all foods. The Tabletop award went to Ready Check Glo (Lynbrook, NY) for the World’s 1st Illuminating Guest Check Presenter & Cocktail Menu, an innovation that improves guest service and staff efficiency by alerting staff when a check is ready for payment. The Green Equipment & Supplies prize went to T&S Brass & Bronze Works, (Travelers Rest, SC) for Low-Flow Spray Valve, providing water and energy savings without compromising intense power rising. Your Green 2 Go won the
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Green Tabletop – for Your Green 2 Go, a line of 100 percent natural plant fiber Grab n’ Go containers made from corn. With a storm of the horror and magnitude of Sandy, there becomes a true appreciation of those going above and beyond to help others so kudos to FCSI-The Americas, the only consulting society dedicated to serving independent foodservice design and hospitality management professionals, who offered free consultations to show attendees. The show also served as a backdrop to inaugurate Michael Hoffman, president of Albany, NY-based Turf Hotels, to the chairmanship of the IHMRS Board of Directors. “We welcome Michael’s vast industry experience to IHMRS 2012,” said Lynn White. “As an
owner and operator of hotels, he understands what industry professionals are looking for from the Show. He has served on the IHMRS Board of Directors for the past two years. Outside the office, Hoffman volunteers his time to several industry organizations, serving as past Chairman of the Board of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), as well as the IHG Owner’s Association. The visionary Robinson teamed with M. Tuckers' Marc Fuchs and Fred Klashman of Total Food Service to bring the 4th annual New York Marketplace experience to the IHMRS show floor. “The New York Marketplace serves as a central hub for
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Soda Ban, from page 4 the legislative process,” said Caroline Starke, a spokeswoman for the plaintiffs. “Despite strong and growing opposition from New Yorkers, the proposal was passed by sidestepping the city’s elected legislators.” And while the NYSRA opposes the city ban, executives of the 5,000-member association have chosen not to take part in the lawsuit. “We’re concerned with further restrictions on what our customers can and cannot order,” said Rick Sampson, president and chief executive of the NYSRA. “And we don’t believe it addresses the problem of obesity.” However, he continued, “the association chose not to join the coalition because this issue only impacts a very small percent of our New York City members, and we feel that we need to pick our battles.” “We’re also very concerned that there may be blowback from the city that could affect our association and members,” Sampson said. “We want to make it as clear as possible that we’re not involved.” The initiative, which has the support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, establishes a 16-ounce size limit on sodas and other sugary drinks served at restaurants, sports venues, movie theaters, street carts and delis. The city said earlier it will begin fining sellers by as much as $200 for violating the ban once it has taken effect in mid-June. Retail food and convenience stores, which fall under the jurisdiction of the state of New York, are not regulated under the city ban. Earlier the NRA had said the ban “unfairly targets restaurants, and is a misguided tactic to impact the obesity problem.” In addition to the NRA, the lawsuit coalition includes Teamsters Local 812, Korean-American Grocers Association of New York, National Association of Theatre Owners of New
Steakhouse, from page 8 York State, New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and the American Beverage Association. The coalition has requested that the court reach a decision by Dec. 15 so that businesses do not have to spend any money complying with the regulation.
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Finally Willie and Anna Maria go in to talk to the staff. He reprimands the manager for her penny-wise/ pound-foolish. Willie met with each staff member to give them the info about what they needed to do. Jennifer, the manager explained her theory of why she was the way she was and explained that the front of the house is different from the back of the house.
Six weeks later, Willie returned to find a busy restaurant with happy knowledgeable staff and an owner with a smile on her face who knows that the front of the restaurant is running efficiently thanks to Willie Degel and "Restaurant Stakeout."
Reuben, from page 14 and demand custom, transparent relationships. The company services organizations in the eastern United States across buildings, institutions (including government and education), healthcare, recreation, and food service markets. Headquartered in Milford, CT, it operates out of three distribution centers (Milford CT, Tewksbury, MA, and Cranbury, NJ) and achieves national distribution in partnership with Network® Distribution Services. Each day EBP helps over 12,000 organizations go-forward by providing the three essentials for success: •Expert Thinking – practical guidance and insight from a team of category ex-
Gerin, from page 51 perts to help solve any problem; • Top Brands – a broad range & depth of product choices to service any function or budget; • Service & Training – support from factory-trained maintenance and repair technicians and on-going education from product specialists to drive efficiency. EBP utilizes Lean Six Sigma, an internationally recognized business model used to continuously improve operational efficiencies. They have also pioneered the Building a Sustainable Future program, which provides businesses with expert insight and recommendations on how to improve their overall impact on the environment.
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part of what I do, and teaching is part of what the master chefs of France are doing." Carol Crapple held a party for her husband George's 60th birthday at the restaurant, and said she enjoyed planning the event with Gerin, who didn't bat an eye when Crapple decided to have a mariachi band play at the event. Former Greenwich Selectman Lin Lavery, who marked her 40th birthday with a fete at Gerin's restaurant, said Gerin is particularly adept at bringing out the flavors of fish. She recalls the lotte Gerin prepared for her birthday celebration, and the trout in a red wine reduction, served over polenta,
that Lavery enjoyed recently. Gerin has also long worked with the Alliance Française of Greenwich, opening his restaurant to events and catering their annual picnic. On Dec. 1, Restaurant Jean-Louis hosted a talk by Corinne Narassiguin, a member of the National Assembly of France. Customers will have plenty of time to bid Gerin au revoir. Throughout December, Restaurant Jean-Louis will celebrate nearly 30 years in Greenwich with a seven-course "best of" tasting menu, including some of his most successful dishes.
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SHOW COVERAGE
Show Story, from page 70 all things foodservice at the IHMRS,” said Lynn White. “It’s where every foodservice professional dedicates much of their time during the show, considering the diversity of products, food & beverage and activities happening within this space. Once again a highlight of the New York Marketplace was Total Food Service teaming with Barnes and Noble to bring an all-star cast of industry authors to the Show floor of the Javits. The 2012 event featured signings by Nick Lander (“The Art of the Restaurateur”), Sirio Maccioni (“A Table at Le Cirque: Stories and Recipes from New York's Most Legendary Restaurant”),
Arno Schmidt (“Peeking Behind the Wallpaper”), Chef Francisco Migoya (“The Elements of Dessert”), Maricel Presilla (“Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America”), and Roberto Santibanez (“Tacos, Tortas and Tamales”). In addition, The New York Marketplace offered complimentary foodservice seminars, addressing such topics as action stations transforming healthcare foodservice, creating a food truck strategy, becoming a successful hotel restaurant, getting better results from PR, navigating the restaurant design process. The Marketplace seminar on food trucks was truly a signature event. Mobile Food News chief Gary
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Koppelman, brought an all-star cast including Matt Geller (LA Food Truck Assoc.) and James VanOsdol of PartsTown who outlined how your “Bricks and Mortar” foodservice operation can get your share of the growing mobile dining marketplace. From design and build through the licensing process the session gave guests a plan of attack. Among the other seminar highlights were a focus on Brooklyn with City Tech professor Doug Duchamp. He spoke about dining trends in the Borough that many are calling the “Left Bank” of New York City. Two of Metro New York's legendary publicists helped show goers make sense of how to garner publicity for their restau-
rants. Steve Haweeli and Linda Kavanaugh enabled restaurateurs to get a true sense of how to get the editor to wade through the hundreds of emails they receive daily to read your pitch. The takeaway included a very basic approach to the subject line of the email that a chef/restaurateur sends. A pair of the industry's bright young stars delved into: Why Are NYC’s Hottest Restaurants in Hotels? The Dream Downtown's Hunter Janoff and Morgan Tucker of M. Tucker outlined the new world of "hip" hotel dining. Noted consultant Steve Kamali and JC Sales'
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// INSURANCE
FIORITO ON INSURANCE
Cyber Liability Insurance: Don't Run A Business Without It Almost every restaurant or food service business has some kind of network, database, or online presence that puts it at risk for litigation. If you have website content, your company can be targeted for violating copyright or intellectual property laws.
Bob Fiorito, Vice President of Business Dev. at Hub International Robert.Fiorito@ hubinternational.com
A
company laptop that is stolen or forgotten in a taxi can launch a long and costly nightmare involving theft or extortion. An employee posting on a blog, social media page, or discussion forum can make your company liable for slander or defamation. Personal and financial information of customers sits on your servers or at a data storage house that isn't under your control. Yet many businesses do not have insurance that covers these risks. According to the 2009 FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, 71% of American companies endanger their financial stability by not having insurance that will cover internet liability. More than ever, it is vital to make sure your company is
protected. There is a solution: Cyber Liability Insurance. Verizon reports that 50% of cyber attacks were on companies with fewer than 1,000 employees. Companies with 11 to 100 employees sustained 26% of all attacks. Nobody likes these odds. Most standard business insurance policies include general liability,
cords or allows a data breach, traditional insurance policies rarely offer adequate protection. Stories about lawsuits involving breaches of security are in the news daily. A recent example that will hit close to home involved The Briar Group LLC, which runs Ned Devine's, the Green Briar, The Lenox, and other popular restaurants in New
Better news: The insurance is affordable. A typical $100,000 policy for a small business costs between $1,000 and $1,500 annually.
which protects the policyholder in case of a suit resulting from injury or property damage. If you sell your product to a company whose employee becomes injured as a result, you are covered. However, if you sell that company software or forward an e-mail with a virus that damages re-
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England, who recently agreed to pay $110,000 to resolve allegations that they failed to take reasonable steps to protect diners' personal information and put at risk the information on tens of thousands of credit and
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Fiorito, from page 76 debit cards. Good news: Cyber liability insurance is easily tailored to the needs of your business. Whether you are more concerned with networking security, privacy issues, crisis management, technology errors and omissions, or media and intellectual property issues, you can work with an underwriter to find a plan that best covers your greatest risks. Better news: The insurance is affordable. A typical $100,000 policy for a small business costs between $1,000 and $1,500 annually. That is a small price to pay, especially compared to what a successful suit could cost, not only in damages, but also in time, stress, lost business, and tarnished reputation. As your company grows and succeeds, savvy business people understand that a higher profile equals
higher risk. Look at your old insurance and make sure it is growing with you. Chances are you have left yourself too vulnerable for comfort in today's cyber business world. The internet with all its risks and rewards is here to stay, and success brings with it the responsibility to navigate new terrain safely. To identify and better understand the risks your business may face as well as address specific questions you may have regarding your current coverage, contact Robert Fiorito at 212-338-2324 or robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com or visit www. hubfiorito.com
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SHOW COVERAGE
Show Story, from page 75 Marc Celli anchored a seminar that took attendees behind the scenes from sketch to completion of some of Metro NYC’s hottest restaurant design trends. Trends in Catering took center stage with Carl Hedlin of Great Performances and Abigail Kirsch's Mike Warren. The audience buzzed when they both spoke of the impact of the food truck craze on
high end catering events. In creating this year's seminar program TFS wanted a non-partisan analysis of creating "Jobs" so the New York Marketplace brought a duo of experts to the show floor. The Elliot Group's Brian Swartz and Rick Smilow of the Institute of Culinary Education outlined trend and opportunities in the food service industry. Swartz spoke about the importance of reaching out to the millennial target. The 'Market-
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place also brought Cardinal Glass chief Bryan O'Rourke, respected rep Michael Posternak of PBAC and Channel Manufacturing chief Jordan Klein. The session dealt with a changing marketplace that includes increased freight costs that have re-energized the opportunity to once again manufacture high quality priced competitive goods in the US. Klein outlined a visionary plan for creating hybrid plants in which foreign made parts are assembled in US factories. The show also served as the backdrop for a number of social events that remind us why the Internet will never replace the Face-time and networking opportunities that
will always be a key to success in the food service and hospitality industry. For many alums, the show offered the chance for graduates from Cornell University, The Culinary Institute of America and Michigan State University to re-live the glory days on campus. Cornell's School of Hospitality gathered at the Westin/ Times Square. The event honored Antoinette F. Knorr MPS '77, as the 2012 winner of the Cornell MMH Outstanding Alumna of the Year Award. Knorr is general manager of The St. Regis San Francisco, a seasoned hotelier with ties to the Bay Area since 1992. She has been with Starwood Ho-
Pastry & Baking Arts Classes
tels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., since 2005. Noted New York City chef Waldy Malouf hosted and toasted CIA grads at his midtown Beacon eatery. Malouf and friends toasted the CIA and its faculty that earned seven first prize awards and two Best of Show honors at the 144th Salon of Culinary Art at the show. The CIA earned Best of Show awards for Best Sugar Display by Joseph Utera and Best Bread Display by Hans Welker. It was the second consecutive year that both chefs earned Best of Show awards at the event at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. There's great days ahead for the show. With the completion of the upgrade of the Javits Center and a new subway stop on the horizon, long time President and CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City, Joe Spinnato noted, "Don't forget to pencil in the dates for the 2013 event: November 9th through November 12th."
Call For Upcoming Class Schedule
888-531-Chef
www.iceculinary.com
Call Vic Rose: 732-864-2220
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// NEWS
INSTALLATIONS
Day And Nite Puts Finishing Touches On Phase II Of MSG "The World's Most Famous Arena," Madison Square Garden home spent its second consecutive summer undergoing the most comprehensive renovation in its 42-year history.
T
he Garden and its teams, basketball’s New York Knicks and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League have always been committed to providing their fan bases with the very best both on and off the playing surface. So it comes as no surprise that when it came to the installation and finetuning of the food service operation renovation, that the Garden once again turned to Long Island based Day and Nite Refrigeration. Day and Nite brings a long history of service to many of Metro New York's leading sports venues. 32 years ago Day and Nite Refrigeration began servicing Yankee Stadium and their relationship with arenas and stadiums amplified from there. "We performed the installation for Royal Crown Cola at Yankee Stadium which led to us doing the installation for Pepsi at Shea Stadium. From there we began to service Belmont Racetrack and Aqueduct Racetrack," noted Day and Nite's Matt Sher. In 2012, Day and Nite installed over 42 miles of temperature controlled beer lines all connected to two centralized keg stations, one on the fifth floor and one on the seventh floor. "These lines sent beer from 1,000 kegs to over 550 taps at the 45 beer stands in the arena," noted the firm's Sher. "We were brought in to Citi Field
The Day and Nite team is looking forward to again teaming with Turner Construction, Stafford Smith and BSE/ Perlick to complete the final phase next summer. by Perlick’s representative Jeff Hessel of BSE to perform the beer system installation," Sher continued. "Perlick was so pleased with our work that we were given the last right of refusal for the beer installation at Madison Square Garden. Coca-Cola wanted us for the soda installation and Stafford-Smith then brought us in to perform the refrigeration systems installation of all the walk-in boxes and ice machines." Phase II of the three-year, nearly $1-billion project to transform Madison Square Garden focused mostly on the suites that ring the middle level, and on the upper seating bowl, which has been rebuilt from scratch. Net result: Seats that are about 10 feet closer to the playing surface and 17 degrees steeper than they used to be, an upgrade after decades of complaints
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about sight lines. Also, the concourse that used to ring the arena on the inside is gone, meaning no more obstructions for fans seated toward the front of the upper bowl. "It’s dramatic and major," Hank Ratner, president and CEO of MSG Co., said. Soon after the Rangers were eliminated by the Devils May 25, workers rotating on a 24-hour, seven-day schedule dismantled the old upper bowl, a sight Ratner described as "not for the faint of heart." In summer of 2011, the lower bowl was the focus of the construction. The new concession stands include offerings from a number of notable Manhattan restaurants including brats from Andrew Carmellini, burgers from Drew Nieporent and Jean-Georges Vongerichten's chicken.
The 2012 agenda includes 58 new suites, with their own concourse. Above that is a new eighth-floor concourse that, like the one that opened last year on the sixth floor, will be much wider than its predecessor and have far more food options. Phase III in 2013 will include the two distinctive "bridges" that will span the arena and provide a unique seating view, a new scoreboard and a rebuilt lobby/entryway. There also will be an improved concourse on the 10th floor, at the top of the upper seating area. Another feature of this phase is the return of about 1,000 blue seats the exact hue of the famed upper-level seats from before the early 1990s Garden renovation that have particular emotional resonance for Rangers fans. The challenge for Day and Nite was to install two more centralized keg stations that were added along with over 500 more taps. "This year, we installed Perlick designed portable beer dispensers. We ran beer lines to locations in the walls of the arena. Over 40 walk-in boxes and ice machines were installed last year with more installed this year. There is a stainless steel cover that takes a key to unlock and personnel can set up a cash register and dispense the beer from the “wall,” Sher said. Utilizing our trained technicians for the installation gave us the ability to adapt well to the environment. The Day and Nite team is looking forward to again teaming with Turner Construction, Stafford Smith and BSE/ Perlick to complete the final phase next summer. Hopefully there will be the added pressure of both the Knicks and Rangers going deep into their respective road to championships.
QA, from page 28 the Department of Labor so that we're able to offer education either free or with a huge discount. Legislation is the next segment because that's also cost savings, making sure to keep track of things like minimum wage and any other hospitality related legislation that could possibly damage our industry. And then the others are networking or ancillary types of things are certainly important but maybe not in the forefront as the others. I think cost savings and legislation are at the top. The first thing that pops into my head is it would seem to me that whatever the cost of membership is for somebody new, it would pay for itself in very short order. You certainly got a unique snapshot of the industry with your first day on the job being the day that the hurricane hit. You've got a group that was severely impacted, what is it that you can do to help these folks rebuild and reopen? The first thing was to communicate with our members and unfortunately that wasn't too easy. With the power being out and limited access with email and voice mail. But just making sure that everyone was aware of what is available as far as resources. I'm working on putting together an information session with the SBA, disaster assistant people, and FEMA who does deal with small businesses and hosting them here at the headquarters at Hospitality House. And inviting our members to come in, listen to the presentation, and then question, answer period with them; get some one on one time with these representatives to answer specific questions not just what's on a web site. They can actually sit down and talk with people and get direct information. What role does the Gala play? Especially now, I think it comes at a perfect time to get peoples’ minds off the storm. But you know I think it's a good time to remember and celebrate
"We're the biggest private sector employer in the state of New Jersey. You cannot just keep looking to hurt us financially. " the excellence that this industry offers. Hospitality means that they're in their communities and they themselves have damage but are doing for their neighbors and the people in the towns where they have their businesses by feeding them and whether it's Thanksgiving dinner or just, first responders. And I think it's really just to take a moment and acknowledge that amongst one another; how the hospitality industry works and to celebrate that by these various awards. And then also remembering Deborah, we're giving the Lifetime Achievement Award to Betsy Alger in Deborah's honor and again you know Deborah is a true example of excellence and such a hospitable person. You know even when I came to be with her, how gracious she always was. As you look out the window at the state capitol, what are the key legislative and lobbying priorities that you see for the association right now? Well I think anything that affects small businesses. You're looking directly, first off at minimum wage. Add that on top of Obamacare, you know all these issues and I think it's important for the legislature to know that this small business industry is just a never ending well that you could just keep tapping into. There's a reason why we're called small business and the profit margin on small businesses is, it's small and they need to understand that. We're the biggest private sector employer in the state of New Jersey. You
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cannot just keep looking to hurt us financially. We're employing kids, who are the people that are in your neighborhood. Those are who we employ. We donate to the PTA's, and to the Pop Warner's, and to the dance troupes. And you know, our industry is always willing to give out gift certificates and donate and host those dinners and donate to the pasta dinners. It's really those things they've got to look at. We are an essential part of New Jersey. Economically and politically. I suspect too that you know the industry is not looking to just keep the people at minimum wage forever. I mean, I think the idea is that we create opportunities and this is an opportunity to grow and to get promoted and move along the chain into greater opportunity. The burden should be shared. We're going to be a force to be reckoned with, and the other thing I think is really important is you know a lot of these guys and gals live in fish bowls and never get out of running, you know, in their own little world and I think it becomes really important in a world of Facebook and Linkedin dominated, it’s really time to get back out and start talking to people again, saying and hearing from people that are in the same situation that you are in and thinking about it. I think we have lost that. I think the association creates that kind of opportunity again to talk to people. You know because with 22,000 restaurants in New Jersey, I am not the only one that has good ideas. The board of directors are not the only ones that
have good ideas or thoughts. You know everybody who owns a restaurant will bring something new, a different point of view, and a different way to go about it. That needs to be heard because the more input we get, the more successful we will be in our lobby and efforts in the government front. And it is also, an incredibly active vendor community. That believe it or not, it’s actually equally interested in not only selling your product, but in giving you information and helping you share what you know, what else is out there in terms of ideas. To be more productive, or new menu ideas, or whatever it is. We’ve been very, very fortunate with our partners. Our super allied partners. They've been here for years. A lot of them have taken the time to reach out to me, to welcome me, meet me at the show. I had lunch with one of them and you know they're really a solid foundation to who this organization and what they offer us. It really has a nice group. So crystal ball what, what do you want the association to look like in five years from now, what do you see 10 years down the road, what's this going to look like? With your imprint on it and with the help of your team. You know I wish I could answer that question pretty specifically. And unfortunately there are a lot of other factors like the economy. I mean, there are so many different elements to that. But, you know I talked to a lot of the people on the board. They went through the long search process so there are some things that haven't happened yet. So next year is going to be a rebuilding year. Looking at things, analyzing what needs to change, what doesn't, where do we need to grow and making some real substantial changes. Building a strong and vital association, probably by two years. Five years you know it's my hope to increase our membership by at least 50 percent, maybe 60 percent.
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