// NEWS
ACQUISITIONS
The Sam Tell Companies Acquires the Business Assets Of Paramount Restaurant Supply Corp. Warren Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Sam Tell and Son, Inc., announced its acquisition of the business assets of Paramount Restaurant Supply Corp., with offices in Warren, Rhode Island, Phoenix, Arizona, and New York, NY.
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aramount is a leading national supplier of foodservice equipment and supplies. Paramount led by Brian Barer, its current COO, will continue to operate under the Paramount Restaurant Supply name, from its current locations and with its current staff, but they all will now have the strength and reliability of the Sam Tell Companies behind them. “We are very excited to welcome the Paramount team to our family of companies, and will look to work together to provide our new
customer base with the level of service that Sam Tell customers are accustomed to, and we are eager to add the product and service offerings currently provided by Paramount to our existing customer base. A “Win Win” for all. “Paramount is one of the oldest companies in our industry, and has long been associated with reliability in both product
Sam Tell and Son, currently one of the largest equipment and supplies distributors in the New York market, currently sees a significant volume from its national sales. knowledge and logistical innovation. We are looking forward to learning from them and with them as we grow,” said Marc Tell, President of Sam Tell. “This acquisition expands our reach in the Northeast and the West and fits perfectly within our long term goals,” he added. "We look forward to working with Sam Tell. Our customers recognize the efficiencies made possible by this change and overwhelmingly wel-
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come it. From increased inventory, to greater access to products sourced worldwide, to unparalleled warehouse and logistics management, we expect to realize operational excellence,” said Barer. Sam Tell and Son, currently one of the largest equipment and supplies distributors in the New York market, currently sees a significant volume from its national sales. With this acquisition, it will seek to fur-
ther leverage its ability to provide its chain customers a greater level of support. “Sam Tell will continue to seek partnerships and other strategic acquisitions that fit our model. Over the years, we have made seven acquisitions, and each provided our customer base with an increased level of service. We look forward to a continuation of this approach,” said Daniel Saltzman, COO of Sam Tell. The Tell acquisition marks yet another move in Mark Tell's vision to build a nationally recognized dealership. The firm has acquired a number of firms over the last decade including the assets of Pascoe Jacobs, the stock in the Bowery's Mattas, stock in the Lawrence of Riverhead , Stanton Trading stock, certain assets of Wes Design, ChefEssentials.com – a startup, an ownership position in S&D Consulting, Tell Finance – a financing arm and Tell Realty which owns properties. Sam Tell will inherit a long-term relationship between Paramount Restaurant Supply and Dunkin’ Donuts. The Canton, MA based Dunkin' Donuts is an American global doughnut company and coffeehouse chain based in Canton, Massachusetts. Since its founding, the company has grown to become one of the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world, with 15,000 restaurants in 37 different countries. The chain has grown to include over 1,000 items on their menu, including doughnuts, bagels, other baked goods, and a wide variety of hot and iced beverages. Although based in Rhode Island,
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// NEWS
LEGISLATION
Bloomberg Seeks To Solidify Legacy With NYC Styrofoam Ban One of Mayor Bloomberg’s last legacy projects — banishing Styrofoam cups and containers from city restaurants was put to the test in a hearing before the City Council late last month. He said the health of the environment was worth it.
“T
his bill prohibits use of this foam for single-service food service products that you use for 10 minutes and then sit in a landfill for 500 years,” he said. Some business owners said the plan would cost them several thousand dollars a year, since alternatives to foam are more expensive and not as effective at keeping food and drinks hot. James Moncion, owner of Nelson Paella Restaurant, in Bushwick, Brooklyn, said he’d take a hit for $840 a month. “I’m completely against this ban,” he said. “I’m well read in the environment and going green and stuff, but not at the loss of my livelihood.” Fireworks also flew over allegations by foam manufacturer Dart Container Corp., which has lobbied extensively against the ban, that city officials had coached a witness, a representative of a recycling company on his testimony at an earlier meeting. Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway said replacing foam with environmentally friendly materials would only cost businesses an extra 2 cents per item and that other cities like San Francisco have enacted bans without causing harm to thriving restaurant scenes. To the relief of the manufacturers, the bill’s sponsor, Councilman Lew Fidler (D-Brooklyn), inserted an
Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio said he supports
Staten Island. By 2015, the city plans to expand the program to 100,000 singlefamily homes and 70 high-rise buildings across the city. In April, the city began a “Food Waste Challenge,” where about 150 restaurants, including chains like Pret A Manger and Chipotle and establishments like Le Bernadin and Mario Batali’s Babbo, pledged to cut in half the amount of food waste they sent to landfills. They promised to use composting and other waste prevention strategies like donating unsellable but edible food, such as misshaped pies, to food banks rather than throwing them away.
the ban. “I think the mayor is right,” he said. “This is a petroleum-based product that really causes environmental harm, and we have better options."
amendment last month to delay the ban for a year to give the foam makers a chance to demonstrate that recycling can work. But the ban would still go into effect unless the Sanitation Department reverses course. The Council is expected to vote on the issue next month. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio said he supports the ban. “I think the mayor is right,” he said. “This is a petroleumbased product that really causes environmental harm, and we have better options." The styrofoam battle comes on the heels of the outgoing Mayor's push to expand his composting campaign by bringing it to large restaurants. The mayor said last month that prior to his departure at the end of the year that
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he would propose a bill to require restaurants that generate more than a ton of food waste a week — about 1,200 establishments to separate their food waste from the rest of their garbage so it could be sent to a composting plant. There, the food scraps would be converted to fertilizer or energy, part of the mayor’s long effort to divert more of the city’s trash from landfills. The Bloomberg administration estimates that the bill, if passed by the City Council, would result in the diversion of 30 percent of the city’s commercial food waste, or over 250,000 tons annually. The city already collects food scraps in a pilot program from roughly 31,000 homes in about a dozen neighborhoods in the Bronx, in Brooklyn and on
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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 2013 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
FOODSERVICE SHOWS
Experience the Full Spectrum of Culinary Innovation at The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York
Date & Time
For the past two decades The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York has brought together thousands of restaurant, foodservice and hospitality professionals from throughout New York State and surrounding areas.
The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York will be held Sunday, March 2 - Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Show is owned and produced by Urban Expositions, and continues to be sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association. For more information on exhibiting or attending, visit the official Show website at www. internationalrestaurantny.com.
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n 2014, Urban Expositions, new owners of the event, along with sponsorship from the New York State Restaurant Association, are excited to experience the energy and excitement of their first International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, scheduled for Sunday, March 2 - Tuesday, March 4 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The tradeshow and conference provides the opportunities for vendors to network with leading industry restaurant owners, operators, caterers, and chefs as well as bars, nightclubs, hospitals, hotels and other foodservice organizations. Attendees will find the newest products and solutions throughout the trade show floor. The 3-day admission access pass opens the doors to: The Exhibit Hall, which will feature over 550 of the leading vendors; Live culinary presentations and demonstrations at the Culinary Demo Theater; Educational sessions at the Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum; Special feature areas including: Pride of New York, Japan Pavilion and Desert & Coffee Pavilion; and Hundreds of new products at The Food Trends Experience
Location The tradeshow and conference provides the opportunities for vendors to network with leading industry restaurant owners, operators, caterers, and chefs as well as bars, nightclubs, hospitals, hotels and other foodservice organizations. The 25th Annual United States Pastry Competition - The 2014 Theme is Film Animation. The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum provides industry-leading educational content that is practical and relevant for today's foodservice professional. Industry leaders deliver real applicable business lessons, the latest information on trends and best practices in the market, and insight on what creates success. Ferdinand Metz is a Certified Master Chef and President Emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America.
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Jacob K. Javits Convention Center 655 West 34th Street, New York City, NY
Sunday March 2, 2014 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday March 3, 2014 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday March 4, 2014 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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// C-CAP TRADE TALK
WITH JOYCE APPELMAN
How Lives are Transformed Through the Culinary Arts Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is a pioneer and national nonprofit leader in providing culinary career opportunities and scholarships to at-risk high school students.
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-CAP manages the largest independent culinary scholarship program in the United States, having awarded over $40 million in scholarships since its founding in 1990 by culinary educator and cookbook author, Richard Grausman. Through industry partnerships, CCAP furnishes under-equipped and understocked culinary classrooms, with donations totaling $3.2 million in supplies and equipment. Many C-CAP alumni, now graduates of top culinary colleges, are executive chefs and managers working in leading restaurants and hotels throughout the country. C-CAP works with public schools in the five boroughs and tri-state area, as well as six other locations across the country. A message from C-CAP President Susan Robbins to TFS readers: “Help us transform lives through the culinary arts. Join us in our mission of supporting talented at-risk youth. You can be the spark that ignites a life-long flame of passion and opportunity in the food industry.” Swainson Brown has been cooking for 15 years in the kitchens of New York’s top restaurants including The Mark Hotel, Savoy, Country, The National, and Café Katja, and learning from the industry’s top chefs includ-
Joyce Appelman, Director of Communications, C-CAP New York, NY j oyc e a p p e l m a n @ g m a i l .c o m
A message from C-CAP President Susan Robbins to TFS readers: “You can be the spark that ignites a life-long flame of passion and opportunity in the food industry.”
ing Andrew Chase, Peter Hoffman, David Paulstitch, Doug Psaltis, and Geoffrey Zakarian. He is well known as the chef that captures “stars” from The New York Times for the restaurants he works in: while working for Peter
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Hoffman at Back Forty West, the restaurant was awarded two stars. When he worked for restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian at Country under the direction of Executive Chef Doug Psaltis, the restaurant was awarded a coveted
three stars. Swainson Brown enrolled in C-CAP at George W. Wingate High School in Brooklyn. He competed in a C-CAP NY Cooking Competition for Scholarships and was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to the New York Restaurant School (which became the Art Institute of New York City) where he earned an Associate’s degree. Brown’s innate skill at blending flavors and his ability to master any cuisine have earned him respect throughout the industry, and the reputation for crafting menus to please every palate, sophisticated and novice. Brown will be Executive Sous Chef at the highly anticipated The Writing Room in Manhattan, opening this month. What inspired you to pursue cooking professionally? My inspiration came from my high school teacher, Mrs. Barbara Joseph. She was the first person to explain to me that culinary arts can be a profession. She introduced me to C-CAP, which gave me the opportunity to excel in this amazing culinary world. Share with us your favorite C-CAP memory. I was named the winner of the Daniel Boulud/C-CAP 2011 Full-Tuition Scholarship to Institut Paul Bocuse for its two-week Authentic French Cuisine Course. The competition was held at Daniel in New York City. Chef Daniel Boulud and his chefs awarded me the scholarship for my signature dish—Osso Bucco Two Ways with Butter Beans, Winter Vegetables, Rice and Peas. I was able to study with Chef Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France. That memory will last a lifetime.
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// EYE
METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
BCA's 20 Anniversary th
EYE loved the emotion and elegance of last month's BCA 20th Anniversary celebration at Gustavino's. It is truly incredible to see what the vision of a pair of young CIA graduates had for what would become a major force in the Metro New York food service industry.
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hen chefs Jason Wallace and Alex Askew hugged on stage to commemorate two decades of "giving back" to the industry, it was truly a highlight of the 2013 Tri-State food service calendar. Food Network President Brooke Johnson and Lourdes Diaz, Vice President of Diversity Relations for Sodexo were among the presenters at the BCA 20th Anniversary Cultural Awareness Salute Gala in New York City. Barbara Kane, EcoLab Vice President of Industry Relations was Mistress of
Ceremonies. This year's honorees included: Sterling Smith, Corporate Executive Chef Supply Management of Sodexo; Jin Caldwell, Chocolatier and Owner of JinJu Chocolates, and Susan Stockton, Senior Vice President of Culinary Production for the Food Network. Dr. Robert Koenig, Director NYIT Global Center for Hospitality Management was this year's Keynote Speaker for the Salute Gala. BCA Global also honored student trailblazers who stand as role models in culinary education. The 20th Anniversary Cultural Awareness Salute Gala was held at Guastavino's Midtown in New York City. The Black Tie Gala event honored the achievements of diversity in the
Hospitality & Culinary industries. This year's theme of "Global Immersion" focused on providing a space for networking and dialogue on the advancement of global diversity. It also offered culinary students from around the country the opportunity to hone their skills in a real life environment. The Gala began with a cocktail reception, followed by a multi-course dinner and Viennese reception executed by chefs and students. 1st Course - George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education prepared: Roasted Spiced Pumpkin in Pastry, Baby Lettuce, Cranberry Marmalade Vinaigrette and Manchego Cheese.
2nd Course - Star Career Academy prepared: Seared Breast of Chicken, Herbed Yorkshire, Asparagus, Rutabaga, Baby Carrots and Natural Jus Lié. 3rd Course - The Culinary Institute of America prepared: Moroccan Spiced Braised Lamb Shank over Ragout of Chick Peas, Cured Olive and Preserved Lemon with Buttered Flat Beans. The Gala dinner presented a taste of what the future holds for the foodservice industry and was supported by our other educational partners and students from: Edison Job Corps, Johnson & Wales University, Culinary Programs at Brooklyn and Bronx Job Corps Academy, Foodservice Training Academy, FedCap Academy, and New York Institute of Technology. "Students from different schools and different backgrounds came together in the same kitchen and cooked in a noncompetitive environment," stated Howard Stanford, Board Chair. "Those of us who attended were honored to witness the future leaders and work together towards a more diverse industry," Alex Askew, President of BCA Global.
BCA board member Ira Kaplan was the center of attention for his timeless work on behalf of the CIA.
Young culinarians from schools including George Washington High School made BCA’s 20th a taste sensation
The gifted visionary Melba Wilson (C) shared the evening with a pair of up and coming culinarians
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The legendary Chef Jefferson Evans, the first ever graduate of color from the CIA welcomed many admirers.
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// NEWS Balter Sets Sights For Future with Goldberg Addition To COO Post Tabletop used to be just the dishes and silverware restaurants put on their tables. But today it can be part of a restaurant’s signature and Balter feels it’s in the perfect position to capitalize on that.
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n business for 80 years, the tabletop company carries a huge inventory in Manhattan. Family-owned, with a “seasoned, educated sales force,” as COO Barry Goldberg puts it, “Our showroom is one of the last surviving full-service showrooms for distributors in the city.” Goldberg says his company’s advantage is that a person opening a restaurant has two choices for seeing foodservice products in Manhattan. “They can go to 41 Madison Avenue and have to go to different showrooms to see all the different manufacturers. Or take the Number 6 train to Spring Street, and in our showroom, they could do their entire restaurant, see competitive products next to each other and see what each can do,” says Goldberg. Balter does business in three ways – through redistribution, where the company started out in glassware but has since expanded to other products; sales to restaurants and hotels, “what we call ‘street business,’ and finally, through cash and carry. “Customers come here. They need three cases of glassware. They can pay for it and walk right out with it,” says Goldberg. “Our founders, Ruby and Arnold, laid the foundation and people loved them. They had a reputation for being straight and honest and polite – no screaming, no yelling. They obviously wanted to do what’s best for their com-
pany but compared to others out there, they were extremely classy, polite people. When you called on Balter, it was a different experience than calling on other distributors. I can say that because I’ve done it.” Goldberg explains he sold to Balter for many years before joining the company. The history of distributorship has changed over the years, according to Goldberg. “When we first came in, distributorships had exclusives on certain products. Many were bought from redistributors. But as time went on, manufacturers went out more and started selling directly to customers, getting their products out more and more with their own marketing teams, not through distributors.” For a while, since it brought prices down, manufacturers just used their own people. “Yes, people were buying direct. But it was more of a hassle,” says Goldberg. Seeing the change, Balter rolled with the punches. “It was easier for us to send a truck, deliver once or twice a week, and the customers like it. They’re
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paying anywhere from a 5 to a 12% premium, which they can live with, and its inventory access without the cost of inventory,” he notes. Goldberg says Balter’s edge is its knowledge and experience. “If you want to buy Windsor flatware, you can get it from anyone, or buy off the Internet. It’s a pure commodity product.” But when you want to put some interesting products in a restaurant, or see what the trends are in the industry, “You need us,” says Goldberg. “Our ideas and expertise, thoughts and experiences. We’ll take them into the showroom, we’ll go in, listen to what they want, walk them through our different areas, see what they’re picking up on, what’s the price point, is it ethnic, is it a seafood restaurant? We do all that – we really get down to what a customer’s exact needs are and how we can fill them the best.” With a lot of focus on tabletop now as a signature, Goldberg says, “We’ve been able to negotiate arrangements with some of the premier lines where we can get fantastic pricing for the end user to get his place opened up. It’s added-value service but a highly competitive price.” Goldberg says another benefit the company offers vendors is, well, comfort. “You don’t have to sign in. Half the time you get a free lunch on us. They love talking their products with us.
We’ll put a product out on display, we get great traction. They love it. If the product has become stale, we let your people know about it. We’re their eyes and ears.” Goldberg says Balter hasn’t done what other tabletop companies have – moved out of Manhattan to build huge warehouses. “We haven’t done that here. We haven’t needed to. Down the road, maybe, but not yet. We’re looking at a new warehouse and have ordered new trucks.” Goldberg says he came to Balter because “I’ve been in the tabletop business for a gazillion years. I know it very well. Balter has a very nice reputation with manufacturers, but they were lacking manpower. That’s where I came in.” He adds that Balter will never be exactly like Edward Don or SYSCO, or any of the other big distributors moving out to New Jersey or other places. “We’ll be a hybrid. No matter what we do, we’ll have a showroom and cash and carry on the Bowery.” Goldberg admits that many people view Balter as a glass resource. “Yes, the re-di world looks upon us as a glass resource, but customers see tabletop. And we’re now expanding into equipment. We don’t have the building to do good equipment display so that’s why we’re going to a new warehouse to stage those orders. That’s an area of growth for us, expanding cash and carry, cooking equipment, the whole kitchen equipment.” As for the Internet, Goldberg says the company isn’t going there yet. “It will be a new revenue stream for us, definitely, but we will not enter that world until we’re comfortable that we can handle it. We’re maxed out in this building, but once we get our new warehouse, the role is going forward. We like to say we’ve had 80 years of mistakes. A lot of great products have been
discontinued. But we think the Internet’s a great avenue to let people know what we have, if they need to do spot buys. We’re also looking to do a pop-up store in the spring.” Goldberg says the downside to the Internet is that it levels out the playing field and “There are sites out there that crush the margins for everyone. We want to talk to our base. Everyone has the Internet but Oneida dinnerware is hard to do over the Internet.” Though future plans do include the purchasing or leasing of a warehouse, Balter might pick up 15,000 square feet and use it for a couple of years in the interim. Goldberg says a lot of interesting things are going on at the company, like creating a new logo as well as allowing a graffiti artist to use the side of their building, like what Banksy, the famous
British graffiti artist, does in New York City. “Five years from now? We don’t want to become a massive commodity business. We want to double sales with a mix of equipment and Internet, but really, we just want to be the place to come to if you’re looking at anything to do with a restaurant,” says Goldberg. “I see us having a major warehouse in the tristate area where we do all our shipping and stay here, remain a presence in the Bowery.” Goldberg says he has three immediate goals. “To make it easier for our employees to do their job. We want our customers to feel great about dealing with Balter, to make it easy for them to deal with us, and I want to make it easier for the manufacturer to deal with us. That’s what we’re driving to.”
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// Q&A
Alain Ducasse
President of Alain Ducasse Entreprise Paris, France Ducasse owns and operates 26 restaurants spanning nine countries – three of them, in Monaco, Paris, and London— have been awarded three Michelin stars each in recognition of unparalleled levels of creativity and excellence.
H
ow did the deal in Yonkers come together?
We had met Mark Advent in Monaco a number of years ago and always wanted to collaborate with him on a project. After meeting with the Rooneys, we saw this as a superb opportunity for our new consulting arm: Ducasse Studio.
What are your goals for your new consulting initiative? Ducasse Studio (DS) is the culinary consulting arm of Alain Ducasse Enterprise (ADE). Our goal for DS is to provide services to a wide range of corporations, retail entities and cultural, government and educational institutions around the world. These services include full-scale concept creation, menu and recipe development, branding, graphic identity, and staff training. Our consulting projects include the Bateaux Parisiens in Paris to a full range of tasty, healthy and nutritious meals created for the European Space Agency.
to know the mood and mind set of the city. I’m also inspired by the products and the producers in a region. To a large extent, a cook’s talent is all about showcasing the quality of the ingredients that are used in each dish. Each good product, grown with love and respect, in its distinctive land, has an incomparable flavor. In fact, it’s my favorite hobby – discovering local foods from the four corners of the world.
What was your approach to building a menu at Pinch? The first step was to find the right chef for our team. We were thrilled to bring in Fabienne Eymard as our executive chef. She had the combination of experience that we were looking for.
Fabienne had worked in Paris so she understands classical cooking. In addition, she has worked in the US. Most recently she was at Benoit in NYC. So we knew she would have a handle on our vision of single and good house made American classics with a fresh twist.
What types of dishes can customers expect from that vision? The menu, is broken down into seven main categories: Snacks & Starters, Soups & Salads, Seafood Bar, House Specialties, Sandwiches, Burgers and From The Grill. Appetizers include our signature pinch Macaroni & Cheese with Ham; Mini Beef Short Rib Tacos and Sweet & Spicy Glazed Chicken Wings. Soups like Gratineed Onion Soup with a larger shooter are offered as well as a variety of salads available to be ordered as a half or full portion. Seafood is featured with a raw bar display as well as a selection of unique ceviches such as Scallop with hot yellow pepper paste and fresh heart of palm salad, available a la carte or as a tasting of three. A selection of 8 ounce Certified Black Angus Beef burgers such as the signature pinch Burger with crispy pork belly, red onion, arugula and a beer cheese sauce (with an optional sunny side up egg) are on the menu along with over six kinds of sandwiches including a
How did you come to your love of food? My tastes were shaped by the food of my childhood. I grew up on my parents’ farm in Castelsarrasin in Southwest France. It’s a good story. My bedroom was above the kitchen and when my grandmother cooked blanquette de veau for Sunday lunch, the aromas would waft upstairs. You can say that’s where it started.
What’s your approach at Pinch to dessert? We brought in Executive Pastry Chef Tamber Weiersheuser’s dessert menu, which features contemporary interpretations of American classics. The menu will evolve throughout the seasons but will continuously include signatures like S’mores, Raspberry Sundae, Apple Tart Tatin served with crème fraiche, and Warm Chocolate Cake topped with pistachio ice from our Mix restaurant in Las Vegas.
It seems as if Pinch has decided that beer is the new wine?
Where do you get your inspiration? My main source of inspiration is the way people live. When I prepare for an opening of a new restaurant, for instance, I spend a lot of time getting
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Panini on ciabatta bread with red onions and cheddar cheese; and a Beer-Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak on a French baguette with Dijon mustard and watercress. Other entrees (“House Specialities”) include Atlantic Cod Brandade atop a potato puree with lemon, capers, croutons and brown butter and Lamb T-bone Chops with Mediterranean relish and an eggplant tart. Accompanying side dishes like Crushed Potatoes; Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushrooms can be ordered a la carte.
With more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, internationally celebrated Chef Alain Ducasse (C) artfully negotiates the balance between people and the products of nature, resulting in radiant dining pleasure at each of his restaurants.
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We saw a tremendous opportunity to build a menu that we could pair with the 100 New York beers that are on tap. We actually brought in a certified Cicerone who is overseeing our beer selection. In many cases these beers are seasonal and brewed just for Pinch.
// LEGAL
WITH MITCHELL SEGAL
Rethinking the Management and Potential Liability of Your Tipping Policy We all have been there. Your significant others’ birthday party where ten of your closest friends go out to celebrate at the latest and greatest hottest restaurant.
Mitchell Segal, Principal, Segal Law LLC Queens, NY g a l b r i @ m s n .c o m
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ou’re a little worried about the bill but thank god the customary practice is to split the check amongst the 5 couples. The check comes and an automatic tip of 20% is added since you were a party of over 6 people and the restaurant has a practice of adding an automatic tip in these circumstances. The reason most restaurants or other eating or drinking establishments do this is to protect their service staff. Normally when you have 6 or more people tipping practices differ greatly. As a consequence restaurant owners provide a mandatory tip on your check. Although you might not like it, it actually is a larger problem for the establishment owner. Due to the litigious society we live in class action suits and litigation commenced by attorneys
have achieved positive results and decisions that mandatory tipping and/ or service charges are compensation to employees which require the employer to report and withhold taxes. Consequently although the employer had great intentions in trying to help his or her service staff, the result is that the employee now has to pay taxes on the amount of the mandatory tip or charge. A recent IRS ruling not only requires restaurants, taverns, bars, hotels and other hospitality employers to withhold taxes on such mandatory tipping but also the payment of additional overtime payments to these service employees. Internal Revenue Ruling 2012-18 declares that after January 1, 2014, “automatic gratuities” are not deemed tips received by an employee under the law, but rather shall be deemed
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“service charge wages.” It is now the obligation of the employer to withhold taxes on these wages and report them to the Internal Revenue Service. The criteria for what determines if a payment or service charge is mandatory are the following: (a). Was the customer’s payment made free from compulsion?; (b). Did the customer have the undetermined right to determine the amount of the tip/service charge?; (c). The payment should have nothing to do with the employer or the employer’s policy; and (d). The customer shall determine who received the tip/service charge. Once a tip is characterized as “mandatory” it becomes wages to the employee paid by the employer. Con-
sequently these wages must now be included in the regular rate of pay which will definitely affect how an employer determines overtime pay and if not included may cause underpayments of wage pay to an employee, affecting calculations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Let’s not forget about sales tax. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in Tax Bulletin ST320 states that voluntary gratuities that a customer leaves are not taxable. However mandatory gratuities are different because they are automatically added onto the bill given to a customer. However a mandatory gratuity is not taxable for sales tax purposes if
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// CHEFCETERA
UP CLOSE WITH METRO NEW YORK'S CHEFS
Merlin Verrier
Exec Chef / Director of Operations for Graham Elliot He may only have been four when his family moved to Santa Cruz but it would affect him for a lifetime, says Merlin Verrier. “People on the East Coast may not know but Santa Cruz is a huge agricultural area. I remember going to farmer’s markets all the time.”
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ow, as director of operations for Graham Elliot, and helping to open his new Greenwich, Connecticutbased restaurant, Primary Food & Drink, Verrier puts that experience to use every day. “I remember eating artichokes and Dungeness crab every February and March because artichokes were four for a dollar, and crab was $2 a pound,” he says. Verrier says another way he was introduced to great food was going to school with the daughter of the founder of Driscoll's Headquarters, producers of some of the best berries in the world. “At an early age I was exposed to great product,” he says. Another big influence in Verrier’s life was his mother, who is Indonesian. “I grew up with her cooking a lot of her native food, and so I was exposed to another large amount of foreign ingredients that not every kid would see every single day.” Over the next few years Verrier experimented with college and culinary schools in Colorado. Verrier says it was great. “Back then you still got a lot of people who had never had any restaurant experience who wanted to
open.’ And, so, I got hired as the last line cook on the opening team at Graham Elliot.” That was in 2008 and a month later he was promoted to sous chef. “A year later I was, running the kitchen as the chef de cuisine and led us to our first Michelin star. Then we opened our sandwich concept, and I was corporate chef. And for the last couple of years I've been the director of operations and corporate chef,” he says. As for working with Graham, “We both like people thinking outside the box, a way to add something to this
“I ran into one of Graham's opening sous chefs, who looked at my resume as I was handing it over to the hostess at this restaurant. He just happened to walk by at
Merlin Verrier who is the Executive Chef & Director of Operations for Graham Elliot says he was introduced to great food while going to school with the daughter of the founder of Driscoll's Headquarters “At an early age I was exposed to great product,” he says.
be a chef. And then they go to school and try to cook and they realize that they should not be a chef." But Chicago – and a girl – took his heart and he moved to Chicago full time. “I didn't need to be a chef. I didn't need to be a sous chef. I just needed to learn at that age.“ And that’s when his luck really kicked in.
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“I ran into one of Graham's opening sous chefs, who looked at my resume as I was handing it over to the hostess at this restaurant. He just happened to walk by at that exact time,” says Verrier. They got talking “and we found out we had mutual friends. He said, ‘I think we have one more position
that exact time,” says Verrier.
dish. So it's this non-stop progression of keeping these people on their toes and not being a robot, where, ‘here's your recipe, don't ever vary from the recipe and if you do, you're fired.’ It's almost the exact opposite of that. And in that same mold, we are looking to create chefs, not cooks. We want these
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// TWO MINUTES
WITH MICHAEL KONZELMAN
Espresso Solution Brings a Gelato Solution to IHMRS 2013 The New Jersey firm expanded its specialty coffee and machinery business about 4 years ago by adding Gelato Ingredients and machinery. For many years Espresso Solution has-been the Master Distributor for WMF super automatic espresso/cappuccino machines and Italian espresso.
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hy did you build the kiosk for the IHMRS? We expanded our specialty coffee and machinery business about 4 years ago by adding Gelato Ingredients and machinery. For many years Espresso Solution has-been the Master Distributor for WMF super automatic espresso/cappuccino machines and Italian espresso. Gelato is a premium ice cream product that requires the right equipment, ingredients, and training to produce a fine finished product. Espresso Solution has an outstanding track record of training and servicing the end-users and we felt that our customers were ready to expand into gelato. Our kiosk show cases both traditional gelato and on demand or express serve gelato produced in our specially made Italian soft serve machines. In less than 400 sq.feet an operator can produce traditional gelato, sorbet, semifredo, profiteroles, cakes and gelato or sorbet on a stick. In the center of the kiosk we have (4) 2 flavor express serve gelato machines, which can produce on demand gelato, sorbet, and yogurt. The kiosk is round so the customer can walk around the kiosk and watch the product being made fresh on site not in a factory. Our corporate gelato Chef Paolo Per-
Michael Konzelman, Owner, Espresso Solution Clifton, NJ m i c h a e l @ e c o n o m ys up p l y.c o m
soneni, did an outstanding job producing fresh gelato each day at the IHMRS show last month. We have included a espresso /cappuccino bar, undercounter refrigeration, a hand sink and three compartment sinks, blast freezer and holding freezers to produce the products. We are representing the following factories; Gelmatic USA, Bravo USA, Montebianco USA, WMF USA, Danesi USA,Tekna USA and Ital Projet USA. Seems like a lot of production in a small space? A few years ago a show attendee mentioned that we should build a kiosk that can be quickly assembled for use in office buildings and hotel lobbies, casinos, cruise ships, food courts and shopping malls. What a great idea so we designed
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and built one to demonstrate what can be achieved in the smallest space possible. The entire package is hand crafted in Italy. The Italian product is finished like a fine piece of furniture. After the IHMRS we reassembled the kiosk on our show room floor for private showings. The layout and finish can be tailored to the particular operators needs. The gelato is fantastic? The gelato is a combination of the Montebianco Italian Ingredients and the superior cooling of the Bravo Trittico batch freezer. The Bravo produces a very dry gelato ready to go right into the case. When I say dry it means that the gelato is rapidly chilled to the right temperature. A wet looking gelato needs to be additionally chilled in a blast freezer then it is ready for the display case. We use the
same ingredients in the Gelmatic on demand or express serve gelato machines as the Italians refer to them. Gelato is denser and served warmer than ice cream so the machinery is critical in the production of the gelato or sorbet. The Italian equipment is designed to run in tropical climates so they don't require an air-conditioned room to function. We achieve this by using very large evaporators to remove the heat quickly and energy efficient compressors. A foodservice consultant was impressed with how cool they ran inside the kiosk and on only a single 20amp plug 208/60/1ph. Energy is a very big expense in Europe so everything is as efficient as possible. The curved gelato cases are not often seen in this country, Ital Projet produces a wide range of gelato, deli, bakery, and even hot and dry cases. All of the millwork was created together under one roof so it can be tested and fitted before it is shipped saving countless weeks in the field building out a store. These cases pass the cold air over the product from the front and the rear towards the return in the center row. A single pass case ends up with gelato either freezing or melting not an even air distribution like we have here. The gelato needs to look as good as it tastes to produce sales. Is America ready for gelato? America is definitely ready for gelato! The consumers are so knowledgeable about food and wine. You see the industry leaders in coffee are now introducing a variety of gourmet teas to America. The consumers have embraced the luxury ice cream business for years, gelato is the next step. The Italians have saved the best for last, Gelato.
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METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Kosherfest 2013 From bite sized stuffed cupcakes to Himalayan pink salt crystals, from Moldavian wines to salmon jerky, Kosherfest 2013 had it all.
K
osherfest's 25th annual trade show for kosher food, ingredients, equipment and food service took center stage last month at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus,NJ. "The show featured 200,000 products with ingredients from 99 countries," said Menachem Lubinsky of Lubicom, a co-producer of the show. “There was a big emphasis on gluten free and a lot of innovative products." While kosher staples like horseradish
and herring shared space with macaroons and bagels, there was no doubt at Kosherfest that the kosher consumer’s palate is evolving over time. Mikee Kaufman of Mikee Foods noted: “We don’t want to walk into stores anymore and see a big Hispanic department, a big Asian department and a shrinking Kosher aisle. Mikee Foods took home the Best New Pasta, Rice, Beans or Soup awarded this year for its Mikee Mac, a boxed non-dairy macaroni and cheese. Corim Industries of Brick, New Jersey took home the coveted Best Overall New Product with their single serve beverage cups, which include a line of pareve hot chocolate, chai tea, flavored cappuccino and hot apple cider. “They are designed to fit into your Keurig but are pareve so that you don’t
have to worry about putting dairy items into a pareve machine,” explained Natan Teren, president of Corim Industries. Schmerling Chocolate won the Best New Candy award for their Sugarless Rosemarie Pareve and Milk Chocolates. Other best in show winners included: Goldbaum’s Gluten Free Flatbreads, made from chic pea flour, Australian made Sippets Soup Croutons, Oxygen Pomegranate and Teriyaki Sauce, a wine bottle shaped hagada and KJ Poultry’s Breaded Chicken Fries. Prominently featured at the show was an oversized chicken nugget, created by Empire Kosher Poultry in honor of their 75th anniversary. Both Mehadrin and Norman’s had full lines of cholov yisroel Greek yogurt, with Norman’s debuting a 100 calorie
light Greek yogurt and Yogurt Poppers, which pair yogurt with crunchy toppings including Fruity Crunch, Choco Granola and Cookie Crumbs. Exhibitors fielded a wide range of gluten free items in response to current trends and while there was no shortage of sweets and candies at Kosher Fest, Setton Farms offered an array of healthy crunchy treats, including dried beet chips, vegetable chips, okra and string beans. “We are definitely noticing the trends, the obvious ones being gluten free, health and fresh new tastes,” observed Estee Kafra, of the KosherScoop.
A buyer discusses product with one of 350 exhibitors at Kosherfest 2013, which was held at the Meadowlands Convention Center
Jamie Geller of Kosher Media Network Moderates the 6th Annual Kosher Culinary Competition at Kosherfest 2013
"Taste of Israel" was among many pavilions representing kosher food offerings from all over the world at the 25th Kosherfest trade show
Pictured are the winners of the Kosherfest 2013 New Products Competition, in which five judges selected top products in 17 categories. The panel of judges was comprised of Yakov M. Yarmove, Ethnic Marketing and Specialty Foods, NAI/Jewel-Osco; Marty Stein, Kosher Foods Buyer, KEHE Distributors/Tree of Life; Yoely Schoenfeld, Manager, Evergreen Supermarket; Deborah Shapiro, Sales and Marketing Manager/Loyalty, Bi-Lo Holdings, LLC (Bi-Lo/ Winn Dixie); and Howie Klagsburn, Store Manager, Gourmet Glatt Emporium.
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Chef Casey Colaneri, the executive chef of the Sushi Metsuyan Restaurant in Monsey, NY and Teaneck, NJ, is the winner of the 2013 6th annual Kosherfest Culinary Competition at the 2013 Kosherfest. He is flanked by Jamie Geller, competition moderator, and Jesse Blonder of The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, co sponsor of the competition.
com. Jack’s Gourmet Sausages, had cookbook author Susie Fishbein doing hourly cooking demonstrations. “People have really been responding to our product line which includes authentic Italian sausages, frozen sausage patties, old world cold cuts including corned beef pastrami and Italian salami. Our Facon has become our best selling product ever.” In a unique partnership between the Amish and Brooklyn’s chasidic community, Rachel Wisenfeld of Wise Organic Pastures had a booth stocked with her free range, organically fed, hormone free organic chicken, hailing from Pennsylvania Dutch Country. “We were the first ones to ever produce an organic, free range chicken,” said Mrs. Wisenfeld who founded the company in 1992 in order to provide her own family with humanely raised, high quality poultry. There were wines and spirits aplenty at Kosherfest with Israeli winemaker Hevron Heights Wineries offering a water cooler that dispensed wine. Koval distillery of Chicago had an impressive collection of spirits including an organic millet whiskey. A line of flavored vodkas from South Carolina based Local Choice included not only intriguing flavors such as pepper tequila, strawberry kiwi and espresso but a unique opportunity to combine drinking with tzedaka. Alexander Rappaport of Masbia reached out to 36 companies who have partnered with the local soup kitchen, naming them to his “Honor Roll for Brands with Soul.” “We are looking to create a brand of our own, companies who have joined with Masbia and we are giving them placards to display that say, ‘This company cares about the needy.’” Also expressing gratitude to exhibitors was KosherTroops.com, which sends packages to Jewish troops stationed abroad. “We wanted to thank many of our generous donors who were all here together at Kosherfest so we brought representatives from the Army and the Air
Force in order to show our appreciation for all that so many of these companies do to help support our troops,” said Sara Fuerst of KosherTroops.com. Kosherfest donated any food that was left at the end of the show to City Harvest and Met Council on Jewish Poverty’s community food programs. The show bustled with caterers in search of a new dessert or pareve gelato. Many new products came in search of a distributor. The show hosts ongoing mincha services. There was an abundance of milchig (dairy) and fleishig (meat)” products to sample. “Who would have believed that sushi would become a basic staple in restaurant, pizza parlors, and at catered events, or for that matter that nearly 20% of the show would tout gluten-free products?” says Lubinsky. Each year, Kosherfest features such familiar companies as Gold’s, Osem, Kedem, Manischewitz, Empire and Dr. Praeger’s – who each year manage to introduce new products. Empire, for example, offered Buffalo style wings, while Dr. Praeger featured Asian veggie burgers, kale and Tex Mex burgers. From bite sized stuffed cupcakes to Himalayan pink salt crystals, from Moldavian wines to salmon jerky, Kosherfest 2013 had it all. Even meats and poultry offered fresh approaches, including Rachel’s Organic Kosher Poultry, Jack’s Gourmet (handcrafted deli meats and sausages) and Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket from Premier Tasty Meats, voted best new meat/seafood/poultry item in the show. Atlantic Natural Foods of Nashville, N.C. displayed “out of the can” vegetarian products with a three-year shelf life, including fishless tuna, five bean chili, vegetarian taco filling and chik’n sliders and patties – with the slogan “lean, green protein – vegetarian food for meat lovers, tree huggers and everyone else.” Another healthy product on display was Tivall (“It looks like meat, it tastes
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METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
The James Beard Foundation Celebrates Women in the Culinary Industry at the 2013 “Women in Whites” Gala The James Beard Foundation Celebrates Women in the Culinary Industry at the 2013 “Women in Whites” Gala.
T
he James Beard Foundation, the world’s foremost culinary organization, celebrated its annual gala and fundraiser at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City on Friday, November 15. This year’s “Women in Whites” theme featured a multi-course menu presented by five of
the culinary industry’s most acclaimed chefs, including Dominique Crenn, Kristen Kish, and JBF Award winners Melissa Kelly, Barbara Lynch, and Sherry Yard. More than 260 guests were in attendance to honor these talented women. The evening began with an extravagant reception and silent auction featuring Joelle & The Pinehurst Trio band, followed by a seated dinner and
(From L to R) Pastry chefs Pichet Ong, Amanda Cook, Shuna Lydon, Dominique Ansel, Heather Bertinetti, James Beard Award winner Sherry Yard and Alison Reed with several of the evening’s assisting pastry cooks. Photo by Phil Gross
Celebrity auctioneer Billy Harris leading the live auction at the 2013 James Beard Foundation Women in Whites Gala hosted at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City on November 15. Photo by Phil Gross. 30 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
a live auction hosted by celebrity auctioneer Billy Harris. Guests enjoyed a tasting that was complemented with exquisite wine pairings chosen by 2013 JBF Award winner Merry Edwards of Merry Edwards Winery, in Sebastopol, California, while mixologist Audrey Saunders, who owns New York City’s famed Pegu Club, prepared cocktails. The evening’s delectable courses were: Land and Sea: Razor Clams with Plankton, Seaweed, Bone Marrow, and Pork Belly - Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn; San Francisco; Foie Gras Terrine with Walnut, Brioche Sablé, Persimmon, and Apple - Kristen Kish, Menton; Boston; White Truffle Gnocchi with Mousseron Mushrooms and Lobster -Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park; Boston and Jamison Farm Lamb Duo: Saddle and en Croûte with Truffled Red Kuri Squash and Roasted Baby Root Vegetables - Melissa Kelly, Primo; Rockland, ME. Honorary Event Chairs included: Tyra Banks, CEO, The Tyra Banks Company; founder of the Tyra Banks TZONE
Celebrated chefs David Burke & Sang Yoon attended the event. Photo by Ken Goodman
Foundation; and creator of America’s Next Top Model; Gail Simmons, special projects director of Food & Wine and judge on Top Chef; and Martha Stewart, founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Tyra Banks offered opening remarks, sharing what the theme of the evening meant to her: “It is my honor to be here saluting the women behind the doors of some of the world’s most renowned and delicious kitchens, who play more of a role than we think in our daily routine and the greatest moments of our lives via food.” At the end of the dinner, Gail Simmons introduced all the chefs: “I am particularly excited to be an honorary event chair this year, not only to support JBF and tonight’s amazing featured chefs, but also as a board member and supporter of Hot Bread Kitchen, who provided the delicious breads we’ve been enjoying this evening. Hot Bread Kitchen is a non-profit organization that increases economic security for foreign-born and low-income women and men by providing job training and access to the specialty food industry.” Among the guests who attended: James Beard Award winning chefs David Burke and Emily Luchetti, chair of the Board of Trustees, James Beard Foundation; Belinda Chang, wine di-
continued on page 75
Participating mixologist Audrey Saunders making an Applejack Cobbler cocktail
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// SCOOP Legendary Furniture Exec Leads Firm To Prestigious Award Win Scoop says kudos to the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle Awards Dinner, which was held last month. This year celebrated the 25th edition of something Paul Weintraub started way back in 1987. This year Weintraub was acknowledged and he invited Regina Baraban who was his first editor on what was then Restaurant Design as well as M.J. Madigan who came on board as editor in 1983 and succeeded Weintraub as publisher in 1990 and stayed through 1994. Also in
Paul Weintraub
INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE
attendance was Jeffrey Berlind who had been his Publisher at Restaurant Business and whose foresight and internal dynamism founded what was then Restaurant Design and gave Weintraub the reigns. Michael Adams was the "host" which made the event very special. Weintraub has moved on to be the sales and marketing guru of American Trading Co. The PA based furniture company has carved a truly unique added value line of restaurant foodservice solutions.
Katz Family Celebrates The Arts At Lower East Side Landmark Scoop notes that every generation of restaurateur looks to put their stamp on a business. The latest celebration is a pop-up gallery of Katz’s inspired art. The curator is Jake Dell, the 26-year-old fifth generation Katz whose business card lists his job title as “top dog.” The gallery opened last month to the public with free beers and a line around the block. “It features rotations of art for the next three months,” said Mr. Dell. Highlights of the current kitchen kitsch include a
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For Alan Dell, Jake’s 66-year-old father, who began working in the deli in 1989 says, “The high point for me, was all about Soupy Sales walking in the door.” drawing of a rabbi made of tongues and a series of Katz-related etchings carved into vinyl records of say, the soundtrack to the musical “Cats” or Cat Stevens’ greatest hits. Scoop notes that in 1888, when the Statue of Liberty was still shiny and copper-colored, two German speaking immigrants on the Lower East Side, perhaps inspired by that French gift, borrowed the French word for delicateness (delicatesse) to describe their new shop of fine German fare. The result was the Iceland brothers’ delicatessen, which was bought the following year by three entrepre-
neurs by the name of Katz, Makstein and Tarowsky. It eventually became known as Katz’s, which bills itself as the national’s oldest deli and is in the throes of celebrating its 125th anniversary. For Alan Dell, Jake’s 66-year-old father, who began working in the deli in 1989 says, “The high point for me, was all about Soupy Sales walking in the door,” he said, of the longtime local children’s show host. But he added that he also loved that the contract to kill Frank Sinatra’s character in the 1977 film “Contract on Cherry Street” was made in Katz’s meat locker.
Georgette Bets On Montréal Flair For New Manhattan Eatery Scoop knows that Montreal is famous for bagels, smoked meat and that mix of French fries, gravy and cheese curds known as poutine. There are countless tourtieres, plenty of foie gras and an abundance of blueberry and maple desserts. And yet the restaurant dish Montrealers can’t seem to get enough of is rotisserie chicken. Their love of melting chicken trapped
in crisp bronzed skin, served with brown sauce and a heap of fries is so widespread that you can get it delivered even in the remotest of neighborhoods. And at the new Rotisserie Georgette, its influence is even making its way to Gotham foodiedom. The Georgette behind the Upper East Side restaurant is Daniel Boulud’s former head of communications, Georgette Farkas, who accompanied Boulud to Montreal when the chef opened his Maison Boulud at the new Ritz-Carlton hotel there in 2012. “The plans for my restaurant were already underway,” said Farkas, “and when I mentioned that I was hoping to open a rotisserie restaurant, everyone started talking about the city’s chicken scene.” Montreal’s chicken rotisseries are a long-standing tradition that ranges from family eateries, to neighborhood joints, to a restaurant helmed by a star chef. “After my Montreal tasting tour,” said Farkas, “I learned that rotisserie chicken is so simple, but you have to do it right. These restaurants gave me the confidence to do it with simplicity.
will be fading into the sunset. With just 11 tables in the dining room, the tiny restaurant managed to pack in some big personalities. It was one of the few places where titans of finance like Henry Kravitz, Lloyd Blankfein and Pete Peterson could be seen dining at separate tables on the same night. Mike Bloomberg, Bill Clinton, Nathan Lane and Susan Lucci were also regulars. Owner Eileen and Mirko Zagar, who have run the restaurant for the past 30 years, said it’s simply time to pack it in. “We want to retire while we are still young enough to enjoy it,” Eileen said. Mario Maccioni, one of Sirio “Le Cirque” Macconi’s three sons, has been in talks to take over the space, which would be a welcome addition to the East End, although nothing concrete had been signed. Other restaurateurs are also eyeing it. Douglas Elliman broker Neal Sroka, of Sroka Worldwide, represents both the Zagars and Maccioni. The Zagars said they are writing a cookbook that will include recipes and the dish on the customers.
Macconi Negotiating To Bring LeCirque Magic To Hamptons
Scoop notes some New York kids are skipping even the newest party place for their ages and opting for adult-targeted fare. Haven’s Kitchen, a farm-to-table cooking school and
Scoop hears that Mirko’s, dubbed the "billionaire boite” of the Hampton’s,
Toques For Tots In Manhattan
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
event space near the Union Square farmers’ market, attracts a real foodie crowd. But lately, kids and teens have been throwing birthday parties there. Last spring, the family of an 8-year old-boy who is an expert cook, threw a party where he taught his friends how to make fresh pesto and pasta. These days, the venue holds an event for the under-18 set once every six weeks. Prices start at $150 per guest “You have to be a little more sophis-
Scoop notes some New York kids are skipping even the newest party place for their ages and opting for adulttargeted fare. ticated to have your party at a serious cooking school,” said Alison Cayne, owner of Haven’s Kitchen, which opened in 2012. “These kids have to be able to say to their friends, ‘You may not be interested in local agriculture, but I am, and I want to share my passion with my friends.’”
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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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Fan Radio Duo Debuts Brooklyn Eatery Scoop sees that WFAN radio morning men Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton have bolted the Garden for Barclays Center. The tandem had simulcasted their “Boomer & Carton Show” on MSG Network, but the con-
WFAN radio morning men Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton have bolted the Garden for Barclays Center.
tract expired in September, word is they are shopping the show around, including to the YES Network, but MSG Network remains interested. But instead of opening a deluxe food stand at James Dolan’s transformed MSG, the radio hosts have set up digs at the Nets home arena in Brooklyn. The food stand at Barclays is called
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
Boomer & Carton Kitchen, and don’t expect to find much health food. Though their ownership is very limited, they helped design the menu items. One of the top-sellers is the Boom Doggy Dog, a Nathan’s hot dog smothered with onions, spicy cheese sauce and crisp bacon. Then there’s the Batchagaloop Burger, which includes a Brooklyn Burger, chicken tenders, Nathan’s fries, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun. The Lobster Monster is another staple, and Red Hook Lobster Pound sandwich with authentic Brooklyn hot cherry peppers and mustard. And also Carton’s Kickin’ Chicken, which includes a chicken cutlet, eggplant spread, broccoli rabe, and provolone on ciabatta bread. It’s enough to give you indigestion, which is not dissimilar to the feeling you get after listening to the naughty air brutalize New York’s sports teams.
Paris Baker Sets Sights On Metro NYC Scoop knows that it’s easy to say that things were better in the good old days. In some ways, they were. But when an improvement occurs, when
It’s reassuring to know you can get a worldclass baguette or an excellent loaf of bread any time of the day.
something new empirically enhances the quality of life of New Yorkers, we’re required to acknowledge that, too. I’m thinking of Eric Kayser’s French bakeries, the second of which opened last month just south of Columbus Circle. And also Maison Kayser’s first
stand-alone grab-and-go bakery across from Bryant Park. It’s reassuring to know you can get a world-class baguette or an excellent loaf of bread any time of the day. And I suspect it won’t be long until Mr. Kayser has as many bakeries in New York as he does abroad. “Twenty-one stores in Paris,” he said. It’s only a matter of time before his bakeries take over New York. Scoop says it won’t be long before his pistachio eclairs and espresso mousse confections will also make its way onto the menu at all 120 Maison Kayser locations world-wide, including those in Greece, Japan, Ukraine, Senegal, Singapore and the UAE.
at 5th Annual Junior Benefit, A Taste of Fall Scoop notes that over $25,000 was raised by the C-CAP Junior Committee at the 5th Annual Junior Benefit, A Taste of Fall, held in November at Ginny’s Supper Club at Marcus
Samuelsson’s Red Rooster in Harlem. Joining C-CAP President Susan Robbins and C-CAP Founder Richard Grausman for the walk-around tasting event were C-CAP Graduate Chefs including Berenice Cabrera from Dos Caminos, Cesar Gutierrez
School Lunch Goes Gourmet In NYC Scoop sees the students at the Food & Finance High School, a public school in Hell’s Kitchen where students can get food-industry experience as part of their studies, are used to cooking with exotic ingredients. An $8,000 white truffle, delivered via the mayorelect, however, was still a big deal. “It’s delicious,” said Cindy Surie, a senior at the school, after tasting truffle-adorned macaroni and cheese. “I’m feeling good things about this.” The 305-gram fungus took a circuitous route before it wound up at the Manhattan high school last month. The Langhe Roero Association of Restaurateurs and the tourism board of Alba, Italy, won it at an auction whose proceeds went to a cancer-research foundation at a hospital in Italy, then gave it to Bill de Blasio, New York City’s Italian-American mayor-elect. The charity auction and high profile gifting are an annual event in Alba, a town known for its large, white truffles. Past recipients include Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe and Penelope Cruz. Mr. de Blasio it turned out couldn’t accept such a swanky gift and re-gifted it to the school.
C-CAP Graduates Give Back
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Over $25,000 was raised by the C-CAP Junior Committee at the 5th Annual Junior Benefit, A Taste of Fall, held in November at Ginny’s Supper Club at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster in Harlem.
from Lexington Brass, Thiago Silva from The General, Matt Dunn from The Marriott Marquis, Marc Heller from Melvin’s Juice Box at The Dream Downtown, Dexter Jackson and Angel Torivio from The Meatball Shop, Stephanie Grajales from Auden at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and Sean Quinn from Chadwicks. Alums Jennifer Edwards from Sweet Euphoria and special Guest Bartender Larry Purvis also participated.
The Brooklyn based firm is also looking to create the cult like following of successful products like Ecolab, Mary Kay and Amway.
Summers Debuts Thick Dark Italian Hot Chocolate at JAVITS SCOOP is always intrigued by the hard working entrepreneur that brings their story to the show floor at Javits. At this year's show we saw a crazy hat. Flamboyant headgear for years was always the domain on the one and only Lester Reiff of Corbo Restaurant Supply. This year, we spotted a new hat, the tropical one belonging to Dolce Vite Chocolatto's Christina Summers. Keep an eye on the Manhattan based impresario as she sets her sights on putting her Christina Summers Dolce Vite Chocolatto Thick Dark Italian Hot Chocolate on menus across the Tri-State area. "Our goal is to combine superb flavor with non GMO (genetically modified organisms), said Summers. "We know that many of New York's leading restaurateurs and mixologists share a common goal of finding a non-GMO solution without sacrificing taste.” The Brooklyn based firm is also looking to create the cult like following of successful products like Ecolab, Mary Kay and Amway by creating a fantastic opportunity for young entrepreneurs studying business to learn about entrepreneurship and earn money in a way relevant to their studies with its new 'Dolce Viten' program. "Americans are demanding quality food, and Chocolatto® is the Mercedes of the hot chocolate cocoa world," Summers boasted as 39 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Keep an eye on the Manhattan based impresario as she sets her sights on putting her Christina Summers Dolce Vite Chocolatto Thick Dark Italian Hot Chocolate on menus across the TriState area.
she toured the show. The marketing maven has even created a "Chocolatto® is Back!" music video that can be found on the web on you-tube® The smooth, creamy bittersweet chocolate is made in Italy. "Widely touted as an aphrodisiac & medicinal, thick chocolate was the height of fashion in European royal courts,” Summers concluded.
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SHOW COVERAGE
Foodservice Pioneering Concepts Makes Debut at IHMRS 2013 November 10-12, 2013 / Jacob K. Javits Convention Center EYE notes that the goal of the 2013 edition of the International Hotel Motel + Restaurant Show was to bring food back to the floor of the Javits Center.
K
The 98th Annual International Hotel Motel + Restaurant Show welcomed some of the Metro New York area's most influential food distributors as Chefs Warehouse Dairy, J. Kings, DiCarlo Foods and Food Authority all either made their IHMRS show debuts or returned to the show for the first time in many years. The IHMRS Show's commitment to the food and flavor of Met-
ro New York brought a "Show-Sunday demonstration of the pastry arts by the Pastry Guild of New York. "ShowMonday was highlighted by an all-star lineup representing the BCA-Black Culinarians Alliance who dazzled the show audience with a tasting demonstration. With a goal of bringing innovative solutions across a wide breadth of operating categories, seven exhibitors received Editors’ Choice Awards during the Opening Ceremonies. The Awards recognize best new products within the categories of design, equipment &
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Espresso Solutions brought a new turnkey cafe concept to the Javits Show floor
SHOW COVERAGE
(L to R) Flash Furniture’s Barry Breibart and Jammie Stamey.
Wine Racks by Marcus’ Nancy Marcus and Sebastian Eickholt demonstrated the line’s much talked about wine inventory storage capabilities
Libbey’s Matthew Kuhlmeier and Sandra Kravetz
Goldman Design’s Jennifer Geddes
(L to R) Vertex China’s Hoi Shum, Andrew Shum, and Ira Goldberg
(L to R) Clements Stellas’ Mike Stella, Tom Clements and Tom Gallagher with NorLake’s Eastern Sales Manager, Mike Eckelberg
(L to R) American Trading’s Paul Weintraub, Nick Meletis and Amanda Blattner
Food Authority led by Franke Loverde and John Morhardt brought menu solutions to the show floor
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(L to R) Adventys President, Jean-Luc Perot with Equipex’s Irina Mirksy Zayas, Mathilde Perot of Adventys and Equipex president, Gary Licht
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SHOW COVERAGE
Top dealer salespeople including Singer’s Bruce Marino (Top R) utilized the show to work with customers
US Foods’ Alan Salzano led a large contingent of food distributor reps that shopped the show
Tri-State’s Lynne Schultz worked with customers
(L to R) Carlisle’s Keith Sisco and Mr. and Mrs. Nick Petrafesa of Stamford’s Café Silvium
supplies, food & beverage, green, operations, tabletop and technology. The 2013 Editors’ Choice Award winners included a pair of food service products. The Vollrath Company captured top honors for the Equipment & Supplies category for Mirage Induction Rethermalizer. The line represented by Westchester based Tri-State Food Marketing won for their new soup rethermalizer. The product doesn’t require water for heating, eliminating the need to fill and refill the unit with water. The induction heating technology offers fast retherm times and precise temperature
The father and son duo of Donald and Lenny Messina demonstrated French pastry technique
control. Top Food & Beverage honors went to TeaVert of Seattle, WA. The firm's single-use, fully biodegradable, birch tea infuser is assembled utilizing a natural process without harmful use of chemical adhesives or staples. EYE notes it will be interesting to watch the battle for brokerage rights to the product in Metro New York. EYE notes that nobody in the tabletop business makes a large commitment to the annual IHMRS Show than Miami's Front of the House. Their swagger full management team once again touched the right cord with show buyers as their Harmony
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The show gave students including this U-MASS trio an opportunity to learn and network
Kyle Samuels (L) led the Chefs Warehouse who were among a number of food distributors that made their show debut
Veteran food industry mavens including Bob Fortuna (L) had a busy show
Meiko’s Dave Campoli and Terry Hoelle from Lakeside Manufacturing
Bento won top Tabletop honors. The unique porcelain interpretation of the classic bento box offers a multitude of modern compartmentalized serving options in six different configurations and twenty-two mix-and-match accompanying pieces. IHMRS as it does every year once again brought the latest in technology to this year's event. Guest.com's mobile and online ordering application took top 2013 Tech honors. The product was created to serve dine-in, room service, delivery, and takeout. It is a custom branded webapplication for guests to use their own
smart device and order off an establishment's menu wherever they are. EYE notes that a trip to the IHMRS show is a must as it creates food for thought. For instance on one side of a show aisle was Touch Bistro with a full suite of eyepopping iPad based menu solution. On the other side of the aisle was Micros whose sales and R&D team insisted that an iPad is incapable of handling the rigors of food service. EYE notes the lesson is that a foodservice professional can't replicate that type of "across the aisle" shopping on the Internet, it can only be done on a show floor. Editors from
SHOW COVERAGE
The Shula’s Steakhouse team put on a much talked about demo as part of BCA Day at IHMRS
CLVMarketing's father and son duo of John and Tom O'Halloran
(L to R) Marsha Diamond of Pie Squared, Foodservice Equipment Report’s Beth Lorenzini and show boss Phil Robinson (R) congratulated Chris Tripoli on an award winning performance
E&A Restaurant Supply’s Lori Trachtenberg toured IHMRS
BSE Marketing’s Steve Doyle (L) with Mr. and Mrs. Lex Poulos of Jade Range
leading hospitality trade publications reviewed nearly 100 submissions of the latest products for the industry, and selected winners based on innovative product design, how a product answers a particular industry need, creative use of material or construction, and development or use of a new technology. EYE was thrilled to see one of our favorite "Chicago Show" (NRA in May) come to the show floor. PA based Sweet Streets brought their tasting booth to IHMRS '13. Under the direction of its chief Robin Dressner, the firm brought a wide diversity of its tasty desserts to
the show. EYE notes in a blind taste test it’s very difficult to choose what's fresh baked and what Sweet Street’s tasty cakes, brownies and cheesecakes offer. The show welcomed some 700 exhibitors and attracted 18,000 plus industry professionals. The show showed off its "sexy side" with the co-location with Boutique Design New York (BDNY), featuring 325 manufacturers, designers and representatives of furniture, lighting, wall coverings, fabric, seating, accessories, artwork, carpet and flooring, materials, bath and spa, and tabletop. IHMRS is sponsored by
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The wizardry of Chef Biagio Settepani’s cannoli packed the chef demo arena
the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA). The show's commitment to showcasing the creative design elements were highlighted at the 33rd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. A record number of entries of over 260 international projects were considered by a team of eleven prominent judges for these coveted awards, which recognize outstanding hospitality design worldwide for properties completed or reno-
The Klopper's Fresh Herbs contingent shopped the show
Industry rookie of the year, Blake Geller (3rd L) of St. Media welcomed family and friends
vated within the past 18 months. Winners of the Gold Key Awards were revealed at the gala on Show-Sunday, at The New York Palace Hotel. The Gold Key Awards were sponsored by Boutique Design and HOTELS magazines. Manhattan based Jeffrey Beers and Assoc. won the “Judges’ So Cool” category for their work at Toy a restaurant and nightclub in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The judges were taken by the level of detail the Beers team was able to achieve in a short time frame, having adapted their original pop-up concept to a permanent venue in just seven
SHOW COVERAGE
The cocktail artistry of Warren Boborow intrigued large crowds
(L to R) Produce legend George Leder and Murphy Kitchen Gun’s Gerry Murphy
SEFA Tedde (L) and Tim Reid (R) and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Dolan (C) of Monoblanc Representatives
weeks. The restaurant/food service categories saw top honors for Best Restaurant - Casual Dining going to Hong Kong's Kinney Chan & Associates for their work in designing the Chinese city's Café Bord de Mer. Capella Garcia & CORE of Washington, DC won top honors for Best Restaurant - Fine Dining with their work at the Capital City's minibar. The show's design celebration was also highlighted by NEWH, Inc., the
Nordon’s Peter Del Buorgo and Leslie Klashman of TFS
Restaurant Depot debuted their much anticipated new wine and spirits initiative at Javits
(L to R) M. Tucker’s Marc Fuchs and Geoffrey Mills of the UN Plaza Hotel
Hospitality Industry Network, presented its 9th annual Icon of Industry Award to the late Ray Anderson of Interface Flor. A $5,000 scholarship in Ray’s name was awarded to Amanda Lee Krueger, a student currently enrolled at Florida State University. In addition to highlighting the Front of the House through its Gold Key awards, IHMRS showcased the stars of kitchen design with a twist. The FCSI-Foodservice Consultants Society International offered free con-
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Rotisol’s new chief Jack Kramer (L) anchored the firm’s booth
StarChefs’ Wil Blount (C) visited the FOH booth
(L to R) Veteran Reps Stu Kresin and Bob Wellins flank M. Tucker Sales Chief Neil London
Maywood Furniture’s large contingent was led by Ken Persson (L)
Montague’s Jason Whalen visited with many guests
(L to R) RPI’s PJ Gavin and Larry Dubov of Marlo
sultations to attendees of the Show. The consulting society dedicated to serving independent foodservice design and hospitality management professionals. Its Ask the Experts service allowed IHMRS attendees international events to discuss personalized solutions for front-of-the-house, back-of-the-house and management advisory issues in a free, 45-minute consultation. “FCSI is a respected and influential organization
that we were excited to partner with,” said Phil Robinson, show director. “Its membership represents a caliber of attendees that IHMRS exhibitors and attendees will derive great benefit from in the areas of design and management consulting services.“ An outstanding restaurant may start with great food, but it provides customers with so much more, from excellent customer service to an enjoyable dining room experience and even a connection to strong cul-
SHOW COVERAGE tural ties,” said Wade Koehler, executive director, FCSI-The Americas. Among local consultants manning the Ask the Experts desk was James Davella, president of James N. Davella Consulting, New York. Binghamton's Mike Berard of Commercial Kitchen Consulting and John Turenne of Sustainable Food Systems in Wallingford, CT. New Jersey B&I food service maven Marsha Diamond of Marsha Diamond and Assoc. launched an exiting new design competition at this year's event with the launch of the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show’s Foodservice Pioneering Concept. Design firms were invited to submit their concept of creating a revenue-generating foodservice concept suited for an under-used, non-traditional location or an innovative concept for a traditional space. The prize was to have the concept built and played on the Javits show floor. Global Test Kitchen Group of Seattle, WA, was the 2013 winner and featured its “Pie Squared” design built out on the Show’s exhibit floor. “IHMRS attendees are not only looking for new products, but also for new applications that wow customers,” added Robinson. The spirit of equipment solutions and innovation found its way to the show floor as visionary equipment reps led by Pecinka Ferri recreated the show experience for dealers, consultants and end-users touring the show. The creative leadership duo of Ed Pecinka and Joe Ferri worked closely with the factories they represent to layout a booth that created an experience for visitors that simply cannot be replicated on the Internet. The reintroduction of food at the IHMRS Show was led by noted baking expert and educator Chef Robert Ellinger (Macaroons) and Guild of Baking and Pastry Arts. The Guild line-up included a Pate de fruits demo by Chef Lenny Messina of Star Academy, Deco-
rating with fondant with Lu Lu s Bakery owner Charles Tola and Cannolis with Biagio Settepani of Pasticceria Bruno. One of Ellinger’s personal endeavors that he has achieved was the founding of The Guild of Baking and Pastry Arts, which he is also the president of. The Guild is one of the most progressive pastry organizations in the country today. In 2011 Ellinger taught a course at the World Pastry Forum with his friend Chef Biagio Settepani called “Bakery Boot camp”; a crash-course on how to run a bakery. This was taught again in the summer of 2012. "We are thrilled to bring the very best of our Pastry Guild knowledge to the show floor," noted Ellinger. After deciding on a career in pastry, Ellinger continued to serve as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Metropolitan Opera, The United Nations, The Water Club and the Garden City Hotel in New York. In 1986, Ellinger opened his own business, Baked to Perfection, a retail and wholesale bakery operation in Port Washington, New York of which he is celebrating the 27th anniversary. Ellinger's passion for teaching had led to the recent opening of the Ellinger Baking Institute in Port Washington so that he can continue to share the knowledge that he has received in his 35 years in the industry. "We are committed to headlining the flavor and taste of Metro New York to the Show with our new “Javits is Cooking” programming," Show Director Phil Robinson continued. To accomplish that goal, IHM+RS and its management firm Hospitality Media Group (HMG) teamed with TFSTOTAL FOOD SERVICE to identify six key themes that enabled restaurateurs and food service operators to come away from the show with answers that they can put to work immediately to
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Chef Brian Fishman making karma cups was among the featured presenters at the Pastry Guild’s “Show Sunday” demo
Hoshizaki brought a large delegation to the Javits Show Floor
Espresso Solutions’ Michael Konzelman debuted the Jersey firm’s new booth
(L to R) Continental’s Kevin Brown, Pecinka Ferri’s Joe Louis Ferri & Joe Ferri anchored the New Jersey rep’s innovative new showcase
// EYE
METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
PBAC's 25 Anniversary Celebration th
A record crowd of some 42 consultants jammed the Cafe Carlyle to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of PBAC-Posternak Bauer Aitkenhead Cantamessa.
I
n 1988, the firm's founders left successful careers at Traulsen to launch what has become one of the nation's preeminent equipment rep firms. EYE enjoyed visiting with many of the top consultants in Metro New York including large contingents from Cini Little, Clevenger Frable
LaVallee, Romano Gatland and Jacobs Doland Beer at the East Side Manhattan event. EYE spotted a number of movers and shakers from the manufacturing side of the industry including Rio Giardineri of Imperial/Brown, Scotsman's Jeff Biel, Danielle McMiller of Structural Concepts and Gaylord’s Kevin Haas. PBAC
has also managed to build an exemplary model for succession as transition. The event at the Carlyle Hotel welcomed the next generation led by principals David Aitkenhead and Larry Cantamessa and the firm's new young turks led by Alex Grover, Josh Erdheim and Damen DeMercurio. "It seems so very fitting that we celebrate at such an
iconic landmark that represents everything that makes New York (Yawk) so very special,” Posternak told the crowd which was treated to a spectacular dinner and the eloquent sounds of legendary vocalists John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey. EYE says you can look for another big year from PBAC in '14 as they are set to team with many of the Tri-State regions' leading dealers and consultants on a number of projects including the Meadowlands, The Regency Hotel, Tavern on the Green, Rainbow Room, Buffalo Stadium, Conde Nast, Jewish Home and Hospital and NYU Medical Center.
(L to R) Danielle & Gary Bensky of Clevenger Frable LaVallee and PBAC’s Steve Bauer
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Brady of Romano Gatland
(L to R) Duke’s Jim Klimt and Damen DeMercurio
(L to R) Hobart’s Mr. and Mrs. Gary Simpson and Tom Szafranski
(L to R) Jacob Doland’s principal Bob Doland with PBAC’s Irene Reiter and Michael Posternak
(L to R) Jim Sherman of Vulcan-Hart and Next Step Design's Natalie Shea and Joshua Smith enjoyed the PBAC event at The Carlyle
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Many consulting legends including Stanley Gatland and Mr. and Mrs. Marty Friedman jetted in for the event
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// PASTRY CHEF OF THE MONTH
PRESENTED BY
Laduree Set To Bring Taste Of Paris To Midtown I’m probably showing my ignorance but when macarons became hot, I thought, hmm, they’ve misspelled macaroon.
W
rong. They are, indeed hot, but part of their appeal is the way they’re usually served – chilled. And Laduree, one of the most esteemed bakers of these little dots of delight, uses special blast chillers to maintain consistency. Laduree, which began baking its prized macarons 151 years ago in Paris, is opening a brand-new bakery in Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, and it will be the patisserie’s second and largest U.S. location, comparable to the palatial Paris flagship on the Champs-Elysées, according to the company. Along with its boutique, a 2,000-square-foot terrace and an elegant restaurant will offer pastry-accented dishes, such as foie gras with a blood-orange-and-ginger macaron, as well as lamb gigot and other French classics, to macaron-lovers. Three salons can also be reserved for private events. Created by Louis-Ernest Laduree, a miller, in 1871, the bakery’s signature double-decker, ganache-filled macarons were the brainchild of Laduree’s grandson, Pierre Desfontaines, who made the luxury bakery a household name in 1930. Some say the famous tea salons of Paris actually came out of Desfontaines’ touches at Laduree. Today the luxury bakery has shops
Laduree, which began baking its prized macarons 151 years ago in Paris, is opening its second NYC bakery on Madison Avenue.
Chef Jennifer Brennan, Pastry Chef at Flik International
Laduree's Madison Avenue Boutique
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all over the world, along with its two new locations in New York, and South Beach, Miami, both scheduled to open this fall, and there’s talk of Los Angeles and Chicago, as well. David Holder has flown in chefs from the Paris Ladurée to re-create the menu in New York -- black-truffle omelettes and pan-fried foie gras, to name two -- offered at the flagship. Interestingly, the macarons will still be flown in fresh from France every day, the company notes. The Miami store will be similar in size to the small Ladurée shop on the Upper East Side — but with a special Champagne bar. A collection of macarons in Art Deco colors will launch in time for Art Basel. And the fans? Let’s just say they’re in love. “These macarons are perfectly crisp on the exterior and chewy on the inside. They're served at the perfect temperature (just a wee bit chilled) and have a fabulous ratio of filling to cookie,” blogs one. Chilling allows the macarons to maintain their consistency, and preserves their moisture content and nutrient properties, all done through the use of blast chillers made by companies like Irinox. Fillings come in vanilla and pistachio, salted caramel and orange blossom, rose petal and blackcurrant violet, even gingerbread for the holidays. Move over, cupcakes. Macarons are here.
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// NEWS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Why Public Relations is So Important for The Food Service Industry Why do I need public relations? It’s a question people ask me all the time, and the answer is really very simple. When you think about jobs in a restaurant or food shop you have to think beyond front and back of the house.
Cindi Avila, Public Relations and Communications, ICE, New York, NY C av i l a @ i c e.e du
Y
ou also need to MAKE SURE you add public relations into the mix. Why? Because PR is more important than ever. Social media and review websites are part of the reason. Word of mouth just isn’t enough to raise a restaurant’s profile anymore. You need active social media, positive reviews on the web and PR to build your business. They are all intertwined. Yet many restaurants still don’t want to invest in a public relations firm and still believe they don’t need to be on Facebook or Twitter. Wrong! I like to say public relations starts from the minute a customer does an Internet search for a food business. If they have good PR, positive things will come up. This is essential. If you do a search and nothing comes up, a guest may be inclined to skip your establishment. If only bad reviews come up? Well that certainly won’t help. So what does PR do and why is it
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// FOOD BUSINESS
WITH NOELLE IFSHIN
The Family Owned Restaurant Family businesses are the bedrock of the U.S. economy. “Family owned businesses contribute 57% of the U.S. GDP, employ 63% of the U.S. workforce (FEUSA, 2011), and are responsible for 78% of all new U.S. job creation.
B
usiness schools have entire courses dedicated to examining the dynamics of family businesses. According to Rocki-Lee DeWitt, Professor of Management at the University of Vermont’s School of Business Administration: “When family and business are ingredients in a restaurant business, be ready for some tasty treats and momentous flops. The family must ask themselves ‘What would this business look like, and how would it run, if my family wasn't involved in the business?’” Psychologically, families tend to be driven by a deep concern for both the well-being of individual family members and the family legacy. When a family works together, normal family goals may come into conflict with the economic goals of the business. With proper planning, many of these challenges and conflicts can be avoided. Here are four “must- haves” if you are considering owning or currently running a family-owned restaurant:
Have a Written Partnership Agreement Many families assume they do not need to formalize their partnerships with family members. By the time they realize they need an agreement, due to a dispute, it is often too late. You must have a written agreement that should include: the division on
Noelle Ifshin, President & CEO, 4Q Consulting New York, NY n o e l l e @ 4 Q C o n s u l t .c o m
ownership; an outline of the amount of, and stipulations for, taking salaries; and how to handle any profits or losses. Additionally, and possibly most importantly, family partnerships must have defined job roles – who is going to do what? Just as a corporation would have specific written job descriptions and job roles for executives, so should a family-run restaurant. Do not assume how the responsibilities and work load will be divided up. If you are formally registering your company as an LLC, a Corporation or a Partnership, some of these factors will impact how you structure your business.
Have Written Standardized Procedures and Strict Internal Controls The challenge of any family owned business is how not to run it as the family unit. Standard operating procedures (SOP’s) should be followed by all employees, whether or not they are family members. Having written
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manuals outlining SOP’s for all procedures in the restaurant, ensures that all employees are held to the same standard. For example, the owners or family members should not be doing their personal grocery shopping intertwined with the restaurant’s food ordering. Furthermore, if a family member has always been great with money, you still need internal cash controls in place. Ensure that your policies and procedures are just as stringent as they would be if an outsider was doing the work, and have your cash and internal controls reviewed by your CPA.
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// NEWS
HONORS
Anyguest.Com Captures Top IHMRS Show Honors With Innovative New Suite Of Software Solutions For some time, restaurants have been able to offer their guests the ability to order chow over mobile devices. But a new software company is applying the concept to the on-site experience.
"W
ith our solution, guests can place and pay for orders from their own devices not only for take-out & delivery, but also while dining-in, ordering hotel room service, at a ball game, from a food truck, at a casino, or even on the golf-course,” says Nicolas Chaillan founder and CEO of any-
Guest.com. The NYC-based start-up offers “a Web-based mobile platform, enabling guests to use any device to order food and drinks from wherever they’re sitting, standing or leaning,” But ordering is just the first course. Chaillan notes that today’s restaurants use 5 to 6 vendors for all their digital needs – online ordering, loyalty
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programs, surveys/comment cards, email/SMS marketing, reservation & waitlist management etc. “We’ve consolidated the number of platforms an operator has to implement and manage – addressing all the same challenges and expanding the initial solution to cover the gamut of digital commerce for food service and hospitality. We offer all of these features for
a flat monthly rate starting at just $50.” One of the more unusual – and appealing – services of anyGuest.com is that it offers on-site guests the same convenient ordering experience, ubiquitous in today’s take-out & delivery space, by using their own devices to place and pay for orders. And there’s a big perk for operators, too. “As opposed to ‘tablet on the table’ solutions, we require no heavy up-front investment in hardware,” says Chaillan. Another big draw of having guests use personal devices as opposed to fixed hardware, Chaillan feels, is that it allows operators to get their hands on valuable individual data about their
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// MIXOLOGY
WITH WARREN BOBROW
Metro New York Mixology Have you ever stressed out over what to put in your bar for the holidays? Well have no fear; I’m going to make some really easy suggestions for getting your bar into shape for practically any drink.
F
irst of all I always stress a pre-set cocktail list. I never show up to a house with the “I can make anything you want to drink approach.” What usually happens is everyone wants what I don’t have on hand, making for a bad experience. I try to set a vodka drink. I like to offer an interchangeable gin drink with a bourbon drink, similar set up, and different liquors. I like to do a milk punch as well. And I always offer Fernet Branca at the end. You don’t know how many people drink a little of this and a little of that during the holidays. What they really should drink is some Fernet Branca after that big meal. But still you shouldn’t stress out. Here is my easy to follow recommendations for all that may ail ye! Good bourbon whiskey is a necessity. No, Jack Daniels is not bourbon; you can get that too, but remember it is Tennessee Sipping Whiskey. Several bottles of vodka like Tito’s or Smirnoff. Don’t laugh; Smirnoff wins taste competitions all the time and no one has to know how much you paid. Transfer your vodka to cut crystal decanters; it will dress up even the most mundane spirits. If you see a brand named Bear Force, buy it. Don’t complain. It’s better than 99% of the stuff on the market. Try it!
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
I love gin so I’ll have several different kinds. Hendricks’s makes a fine botanical gin. For dry Martini’s, I like to offer Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire. If you want something truly unique, may I recommend Barr Hill from Vermont? Their gin is a perfect example of delicious and handcrafted. They also distill vodka from Raw Honey! I also love the Tuthilltown Half Moon Gin. Distilled from apples, this is a gorgeous slurp of American ingenuity. Always buy fresh Vermouth. Dolin makes a lovely one. If you are able, try to find VerVino from Channing
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Daughter’s Winery out on the East End, or Uncouth Vermouth, or even Atsby. I also swoon over Vya Vermouth. The big guys, like Martini and Rossi do a fine job too for a crowd. Carpano Antica is my go/to for that unexplainably delicious taste of Italy, it’s classy stuff. Scotch Whisky. Leave the single malts out and find some higher end blended whiskies. Pinch is a marvelous example as are some of the expressions from Johnny Walker. Seek out some Japanese Whisky or Indian Whisky if you are able. A few bottles of Irish Whiskey or some Canadian Rye spiked with maple syrup is also fun. You may want to invest in some Craft Whiskey from the United States, Tuthilltown, Catoctin Creek, Few Spirits, St. George, Four Roses, Knob Creek, Bookers, E.H. Taylor. They are all delicious. I’m also a big fan of rye. Grab a bottle when you’re out. Tequila. Either Casa Noble or Arrogante. Rudo Tecnico is gorgeous stuff with a really funky label. Bitters. There are hundreds out there. Some of my favorites are Bittercube, Bittermens, Bitter End, Dram, FivebyFive, Bitters Old Men, and Hella Bitter. Yes Bitter. I just tasted a maple bitters from Urban Moonshine in Vermont that blew my socks off in a Manhattan. I also savored another series of bitters from my Bittered Sling in Vancouver. These bitters are a plane ticket to another planet. Syrups are especially important. Royal Rose is a must with their Rose Simple Syrup leading the pack. Wilkes and Wilson are gorgeous- their ginger syrup went on the road with me this year for book signings of Apothecary Cocktails. I also used Sumptuous Syrups of Vermont’s young ginger syrup. Their Mole syrup is ethereal. Seek it out. You are going to need cream liquor, so seek out 300 Joules. This is truly unique stuff, like liquid silk against
your tongue. The new cinnamon flavor is like drinking the Fall. The lemon is a trip to Lake Como in Italy and the ginger makes some of the other ginger liqueurs on the market pale in comparison. I always have a bottle of Campari so I can make a Negroni. No, you don’t have to finger stir it like Gary Regan does. (Inside joke) Juices must be freshly squeezed. Let me say that again. All juices MUST be freshly squeezed. Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit – you can grill the grapefruit first then juice. If time is of the essence, try Perrier Sparkling Natural Sparkling Water in Pink Grapefruit. That, with the Vodka of your choice, a splash of simple syrup and a hit of Angostura Bitters is a cocktail of mind erasing capacity. Polar makes a bartender series of fizzy water. I think they just rock the house. Did I say fresh squeezed juices? Sure I did. And great ice.. YOU MUST USE GOOD ICE… sure ice comes bagged from the grocery store but the best ice comes from an icehouse. Buy a 5 pound block and cut your own slabs, then break it down into chunks, and then finally into cubes. Your guests will think you went crazy, but they’ll never stop talking about the ice. It’s like those fruit juices. VERY important! Happy New Year!
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// EYE
METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Victory Foodservice Show Eye enjoyed the festivities at last month's Victory Foodservice Show. The independent broad liner food distributor’s 10th annual show featured a vast array of menu solutions for the food service professional.
"T
his show gives us a great opportunity to say thank you to our customers,” noted Victory's Sunder Luthra. "We know that the key to our success has been to build a team from our network of drivers, warehouse personnel, sales and customer service representatives." Victory roots date back to 1983 when two brothers Mike and Kostas began the firm, which has evolved over time to present day where the business and fleet of trucks operate
Horman’s Best Pickles’ Nick Horman
out of a modern multi temperature distribution facility in the Bronx. Today Victory Foodservice is one of Metro New York's premiere independent broad line food distributor, offering over 5,000 food and food related products to restaurants, institutions, caterers, markets, hotels, and Delis. The offerings include; fresh and frozen meats, seafood, vegetables and desserts; produce; dry and canned groceries; disposables and detergents; small wares and small equipment. The tradition of a family operated and oriented business is based on service, variety, and reliability by pro-
Kelloggs’ Greg Slater debuted a number of new menu solutions for Victory customers
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(L to R) Epic Industry’s Sam Levine welcomed many old friends including George Febbraio of Victory
viding all products with assured quality, and a prompt delivery. A proof of the quality of Victory’s services is our award as Hunts Point Market Company of the Year 2010. Some 100 plus manufacturers brought a vast array of food, beverage and packaging to the 2013 confab. EYE enjoyed visiting with top restaurateurs including Sophia Katshihitis of the Neptune 2 Deli. EYE visited with many National food manufacturers led by Domino Foods’ Bob Darnell, Clabber Girl’s Michael Fack, Kraft’s Steven Hermosura and Chris Ramirez, Demakes Enterprises’ Joe Hunt, Heinz’s Mike Henneborn, Unilever’s Gene Dell Italia, Nestle’s Nancy Sabato and Mike Benigno, Hirzel’s David Barnhart and Major’s Christopher Enright. EYE spotted leading packaging execs including: Dart’s John Tramaglia and Jose Hernandez, Metro Paper Industries’ Steven Cormier and Guest Check’s Dan Olk.
United Sales Concepts’ chief Stan Shapiro hosted many show guests
The Kontos Foods duo of Jayson Woyke and George Kriaras
(L to R) Among the vast throng of local restaurateurs were Ohana Steakhouse’s Isreal Reyes and Juan Ramirez
Victory’s award winning sales team was on hand to meet and greet the overflow turnout
(L to R) John Brunhard and John Forgione of Forgione Food Brokers 69 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
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Liberty Prime Steakhouse 111 Montgomery Street, Jersey City NJ
George Makrogiannis had several goals when he opened his new restaurant in Jersey City. He wanted it to feel comfortable for women.
H
e wanted to have reasonable prices. And he wanted to make it a sleek, sexy steakhouse, the first of its kind in the Jersey suburbs. The customers seem to feel he’s succeeded at all three. “We wanted to create a menu and atmosphere that
is female-friendly, without losing the traditional steakhouse experience,” explains owner George Makrogiannis of his new venture, Liberty Prime Steakhouse. "We want to cater to women with specialized menu items, and anyone else who enjoys a good steak.” Alluding to the change in popula-
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tion, of more young professionals moving to Jersey City, Makrogiannis said he wanted to put together a restaurant that would appeal to this younger, hipper crowd, yet also welcome families. “There is a nice, younger crowd, moving to Jersey City, more of a New York crowd, so we wanted to give them
an opportunity to have a restaurant that's more close to home,” says Makrogiannis, who adds that he wants the restaurant to feel “almost like it's STK or Del Frisco's,” places this type of customer would gravitate towards. The menu’s not just steak, but also includes duck, chicken and seafood. “Our appetizers consist mainly of seafood,” says Makrogiannis. Salads, sandwiches and hamburgers fill out the menu. “We try to accommodate everybody.” Kitchen equipment was very important in the creation of the restaurant. “We decided to get a cast iron plate to sear our steaks instead of the original broilers that can burn the meat. We use a charbroiler and we built a cast iron plate that goes over it, so this way it burns at higher temperatures, and it sears the steak, and then we finish it off in a convection oven.” Makrogiannis says he ordered everything new because the existing equipment in the restaurant was outdated. “We have two new Vulcan fryers, a small slat top grill also made by Vulcan, a Vulcan range. But the charbroiler is a MagiKitch'n.” Makrogiannis worked with BFA Food Service to design a new bar, gutting the two existing ones and running new keg lines, “from nuts to bolts,” as he puts it. To give the restaurant its sleek, sexy look, Makrogiannis decided to call attention to the high ceiling, modern and elegant. “We didn't want to get too overwhelming. My whole concept is less is more. When diners come in, they should concentrate more on the person that they're with and the food, than the actual decor of the place. They should feel comfortable coming in, be able to sit down and focus
continued on pag 74
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Blueprint, from page 72 on their dinner partner, not looking at everything else that's on the walls and that's hanging from the ceiling.” Black diamond-back banquettes line the perimeter of the restaurant. Makrogiannis said he wants to keep his prices reasonable so he could have customers keep coming back. “We didn't go too crazy with our prices, so people could feel more comfortable coming in once or twice a week,” not just once a month,” he says. Steaks cost anywhere from $30 to $40 but Makrogiannis points out, “They’re prime meat. Most steak houses don't make that much profit off their steaks, it’s more on the wine and the sides. So we kept it as reasonable as possible. Customers are getting a real value, reasonable price and prime meat.”
included the booths and comfortable seating,” says Nasarow. The interior is very open and spacious, Nasarow notes, “so the owners made use of mirrors and in some areas made them look like loft windows.” The owner did not want the two new bars to be placed in the same position because they did not follow the back
Alex Nasarow, BFA Food Service “From the beginning, one of the client’s goals was to open his restaurant on time and on budget, with as few headaches as possible,” says Alex Nasarow, sales/design, BFA Food Service. “They also emphasized that whoever took control of this project had to be able to think outside the box and be a team leader.” Nasarow said Makrogiannis also wanted someone willing to work closely with the other trades, since this project had many changes that required involving these trades. “Their goal was to re-establish an existing, failing restaurant in a great neighborhood of Jersey City with a new restaurant having a unique interior décor along with a menu that follows the seasons, with pleasing all discerning palettes. BFA Food Service went to work enhancing the main floor lounge/bar and dining room, as well as the upper level lounge/bar and dining room, since these are the first areas to be noticed by customers. “This meant that rich wood tones for the bars had to carry on with the rest of the décor, that 74 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
walls-it looked odd, “so we built the bars positioned parallel to the interior walls,” says Nasarow. “We stayed with Perlick bar equipment because of the selection they offered. It made designing the bars easier. Also, the Perlick beer system is state-of-the-art refrigerated towers and we used them at both of the bars.
Nasarow notes that the job could only be done with the teamwork of many, including the owners, whose concept ideas, menu, time table and budget were the blueprint BFA had to follow; Keltic Wood Work; Tabletop by Cardinal; Rollhaus Seating for the booths, and Bob Kabana of Plymold for the chairs and bar stools.
Women in White, from page 30 rector, Culinary Concepts; West Coast based chef/owner of Father’s Office and Lukshon, Sang Yoon; restaurateurs Tony May and Drew Nieporent; Fred Seegal, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, James Beard Foundation; Event Chairs Kimberly Grillo Bernstein and Henni and John Kessler; Host Committee Chairs Zachary and Lori Pomerantz; and JBF scholarship recipients Dynia Mariano, Wendy Velasquez and Pam Yung. An extraordinary silent and live auction of once-in-a-lifetime packages raised over $400,000 to support the James Beard Foundation’s mission and programs. The live auction included a plethora of unique packages including an extravagant multi-course private dinner for up to 40 people prepared by JBF Outstanding Chef award winner David Bouley and a private dinner for 30 at the historic James Beard House by Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, chef and partners, Torrisi Italian Specialties, Carbone, and other New York City hot spots. The auction, which also included “Women in Wine,” a wine country getaway for three couples with a threenight stay at Merry Edward’s Orchard House at her eponymous Russian River
Valley winery, ended with a surprise pledge. For this last auction opportunity, pastry chef Dominique Ansel baked 25 specially flavored in theme with the gala, all-white Mont Blanc with Chestnut Cream Cronuts™. More than $20,000 was raised from this final moment, the proceeds of which will go towards the Foundation's Women in Culinary Leadership program. Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation's mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor America's diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. In September of 2012, the Foundation launched the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Protocol and helped create the American Chef Corps as a way to champion American chefs abroad, promote American food products and foster an interest in American culinary culture and history through international programs and initiatives.
(From L to R) James Beard Award winners Merry Edwards, Sherry Yard, Melissa Kelly and Barbara Lynch with James Beard Foundation president Susan Ungaro and participating chefs Kristen Kish, Dominique Crenn and mixologist Audrey Saunders. Photo by Ken Goodman. 75 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
// SEASONAL HOLIDAY MENU STRATEGIES
WITH CHEF ERIC CROWLEY
New York Holiday Menu Items There’s a winter chill in the air and, for some, snowflakes are beginning to fall, indicating that time of year where you begin to wonder about, and decide, what to serve your guests this holiday season. Chef Eric Jacques Crowley, a professional chef who owns his very own Culinary Classroom in West Los Angeles, has recipes fit for your Holiday dinner and New Year’s Day brunch. You’re sure to delight your guests with these delicious dishes.
Rosemary and OreganoSpiced Lamb Loin Chops with Herb-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
packages. Transfer the packages to a baking sheet. 3. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is medium rare. 4. Carefully open the packages and serve with juices over fresh pasta.
Marjolaine Almond Cake with Espresso Cream Filling
Ingredients • Lamb Loin Chops or Rib Chops 8 each • Vegetable Oil - 2 Tablespoons • Cherry tomatoes, halved - 16 each • Garlic Cloves, crushed - 3-4 cloves • Juniper Berries, crushed - 4 each • Oregano, chopped - 2 teaspoons • Rosemary, chopped - 2 teaspoons • Salt and Pepper • Aluminum foil Method 1. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees. While the oven is getting hot,
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Espresso Cream Frosting Ingredients Cream, very cold - 1 pint Cocoa, Dutch process - 3 Tablespoons Instant espresso - 1 Tablespoon Vanilla - 1 teaspoon Superfine sugar - 1/4 cup
Chef Eric Jacques Crowley is an experienced, professional chef and the founder, owner, and chief instructor at Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom in West Los Angeles.
heat the oil in a skillet until very hot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Brown the chops on both sides. 2. Remove the lamb and place two chops each on a large piece of aluminum foil. Add the tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil to make four tightly sealed
comes dry and an almond aroma becomes apparent. Remove the almond flour from the heat and let cool. Add to the cake flour and mix to combine. Set aside. 2. In a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl, whip 4 whole eggs and 6 yolks until they start to thicken. Gradually add 6 ounces of sugar and continue to whip until the mixture triples in volume. Fold in the flour mixture and refrigerate. 3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. In a clean bowl, whip four egg whites with the remaining 2 ounces of sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the cake batter. 4. Spread the batter on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake the cake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Ingredients • Cake flour - 12 Tablespoons • Almond flour - /3 cup • Eggs, whole - 4 each • Eggs, separated - 4 each • Egg yolks - 2 each • Sugar - 8 ounces Method 1. Place the almond flour in a sauté pan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until the flour be-
Method 1. Refrigerate a whip and bowl for at least 15 minutes. 2. Add the cream to the bowl, along with the other ingredients and whip together until it reaches a spreadable consistency. 3. Frost and refrigerate the Marjolaine Cake. Get the full menu with more in-depth recipes at www.totalfood.com
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// INSURANCE
FIORITO ON INSURANCE
Company Holiday Parties Can Present Liability Risks As the holidays approach, many restaurants will host parties for their employees to celebrate the season and the year's accomplishments. While a party should promote camaraderie and be a fun reward for your employees, restaurant owners and managers need to know that they can be held liable for property damage, accidents and injuries caused by employees who overindulge with alcohol at the party.
Bob Fiorito, Vice President of Business Development at Hub International Robert.Fiorito@ hubinternational.com
R
As the holidays approach, many restaurants will host parties for their employees to celebrate the season and the year's accomplishments. While a party should promote camaraderie and be a fun reward for your employees, restaurant owners and managers need to know that they can be held liable for property damage, accidents and injuries caused by employees who overindulge with alcohol at the party. Before hosting a party, it's a good idea to talk with your broker about your employment liability insurance coverage and any limitations you might have, such as if your policy covers third-party liquor liability. Planning ahead for potential issues can save your company both headaches and dollars. The most common problems an employer can be held liable for at a com-
pany-sponsored party are often related to intoxication and harassment:
Over Serving An increasing number of states require employers to exercise caution to prevent injuries caused by intoxicated employees leaving holiday parties. To avoid many of these liability issues, an employer should make an effort to lessen the role that alcohol will play during the festivities: •
The risk obligation is put on the provider of the liquor. If hosting on-site, you may want to consider a special event policy to address the added risk. • Hire professional bartenders and instruct them not to serve anyone who appears intoxicated. • Do not serve alcohol to any employees under the age of 21. • Ask management to be on the lookout for people who have had too much to drink and are unable to drive or need assistance getting home. • Actively manage the amount of alcohol being served. Examples include: 1. Distribute drink tickets to lim-
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2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
7.
it the number of free drinks. Offer non-alcoholic options such as coffee, hot chocolate, juice, soda, tea, sports drinks and water. Serve food throughout the party to keep guests full and help reduce their alcohol intake. Close the bar and stop serving drinks 90 minutes before the end of the party. Have the party in the afternoon, instead of the evening. Make sure employees have alternative transportation options available, such as a designated driver, shuttles or other forms of public transportation. Remind employees via email about your company's code of conduct and substance abuse policy prior to the party. You may also opt to host a group outing or a volunteer activity rather than a party so the focus will be on an activity other than drinking.
Reinforce Appropriate Behavior A festive atmosphere, socializing and alcohol can combine to create an environment that can lead to sexual
harassment claims. Harassment suits can result from voluntary events held outside of the office and outside of normal working hours. • Remind and reinforce the company's harassment policies prior to the party. Emphasize the company has a zero tolerance policy for any sort of harassment, including both physical and verbal forms. • Inform employees that they should report any harassment they experience or witness. • Create an environment in which employees are comfortable coming forward with such information. • Do not hang mistletoe. • Make sure your employees understand that a holiday party is still a work-related activity and appropriate work behavior is still required. With all the goodwill and celebration of the holiday season, it can be easy to forget to take the necessary precautions to protect both your employees and your business. The goal of a company holiday party should be to keep the celebrations safe and fun. It is also important to make sure the party is voluntary. If employees do not want to attend, don't mandate it. Following these tips will keep employees out of harm's way, limit employer liability and make sure everyone has a good time. Robert Fiorito, serves as Vice President, Hub International Northeast., where he specializes in providing insurance brokerage services to the restaurant industry. As a 20-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth" dining establishments. For more information, please visit www.hubfiorito.com
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// NEWS
NEW PRODUCTS
Award Winning IHMRS Performance Spurs Growth For TeaVert Growing up in shkent - an ancient city on the Great Silk Road from China to Europe – Larissa Simontov remembers that her life revolved around her family and tea.
“I
saw the world through a glass window, not the one that looked out at the tea house across the street, but the one that looked out on my dreams,” she says. The founder and CEO of TeaVert gourmet tea recalls that, across the street, was the social center of her neighborhood. But it wasn’t a coffee shop or a Starbucks, but a teahouse called Chaikhana. “For us it was similar to what Starbucks tried to become in the late ‘90’s when they developed the ‘third place’ between-work-andhome concept for their locations across the U.S.,” she says. “At every gathering we had, tea was on the table or waiting on the stove to be served. My father, who occasionally used an old tin box of instant coffee from friendly Cuba, was the subject of jokes and disapproval. Tea was the drink of our everyday lives, and the best teas were always reserved for guests and special occasions.” TeaVert won the IHMRS Shows Editor's Choice honors for Food & Beverage. The Seattle, WA based firm's single-use, fully bio-degradable, birch tea infuser won the voting for the prestigious award at last month’s annual show at the Javits Center in NYC. Each infuser is assembled utilizing a natural process without harmful use of chem-
Co-Founders Larissa & Slava Simontov are discovering new, premium-quality teas, while promoting and maintaining ecofriendly cultivation practices with TeaVert.
ical adhesives or staples. As she entered her mid 20’s, she followed her fiancé to America and got her first exposure to tea as we know it in this land. “I really liked the novelty of the different ways to enjoy my tea, but the taste… well, it wasn’t important at that moment,” she notes. Adjusting to her new life, and the people and cultural differences, took precedence. She was also surprised by the place coffee had in American lives, and the relative lack of desire for, and knowledge about, tea – its taste, its healing properties, its benefits for a healthy, relaxing life. “I started working and spent 18 years with a company I really liked, one of the best in the U.S., and in the world. By then I was married and had children, and tea naturally became part of our family lifestyle,” Simontov says. “I developed a certain palate and taste for teas. Quite often I would buy exotic teas online or in specialty stores and as a family we gathered to have a tea-testing. Looking back, I am still that girl, serving tea with the
TeaVert won the IHMRS Shows Editor's Choice honors for Food & Beverage. The Seattle, WA based firm's single-use, fully bio-degradable, birch tea infuser won the voting for the prestigious award at last month’s annual show at the Javits Center in NYC.
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same excitement to my friends and family. I love having an unforgettable tea-tasting experience by offering a mélange of unusual and aromatic teas discovered through my extensive travels. I am inspired by the search for new teas, and I love the challenge and the discovery.” So wouldn’t it make perfect sense to go into this kind of business for a living? “My life experiences and my love of this drink has definitely shaped my taste for teas, and influenced how I see my tea selection. I only offer teas I would love to drink myself,” she says. Simontov says she’d like to spend the next 20 years inspiring others to enjoy the different aromas and textures of loose leaf teas and teaching about the beneficial qualities of tea. (Some say teas like green tea can actually prevent cancer, improve bone density and help with insomnia.) Simontov says she didn’t have an easy time introducing her new world to the wonders of tea. “In this country, it was all about coffee or Lipton in the bags. It was nothing in between. Where I grew up in Europe, the tea was a big thing. I mean, we truly understood how to experience tea. It's not in a paper cup; it's a really experiential thing. You have to sit down, socialize. Even coffee was like that in Europe, though the experience of coffee here is a lot faster. You need coffee to wake you up, to get going, and to just go. It’s a whole different thing.” Simontov says it’s time for this country to really understand the good qualities of tea, and that it's not all about convenience. “I thought, how can we add quality and luxury so people truly perceive the value of tea. My focus was to challenge the 1,000 years of history of how tea was consumed and find healthy ways we can really enjoy it.”
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Sam Tell, from page 2 Paramount has maintained an office in Metro New York for a number of years. In its role as a Dunkin’ Donuts Independent Franchisee Owner (DDIFO) sponsor Paramount Restaurant Supply has long been a force in building a new store or doing a remodel. For the past 72 years Paramount grew from a New England-based operation serving small restaurants and soda fountains to a worldwide leader in restaurant design consultation, foodservice equipment, millwork and installation services. Tell inherits a relationship in
which Paramount has been involved with Dunkin’ Donuts for more than 60 years. The company helped Bill Rosenberg build Open Kettle, the coffee and donut shop in Quincy, Massachusetts that soon after became the very first Dunkin’ Donuts. Since then Paramount has worked on more than 5,000 Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins shops throughout the country. Ed Wolak is the founder and CEO of The Wolak Group, an independent franchisee network that owns and operates more than 70 Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Maine, New Hamp-
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shire and New York. He has a long history working with Paramount and has nothing but positive things to say. “I have purchased my new and remodeled equipment packages from Paramount for over 35 years. Their millwork is always top notch, and I don’t recall them ever missing a deadline. We compare their quotes to the competition and have always found them competitive. Plus, I like the fact that I can purchase all of my equipment and millwork in one place. Quality merchandise with great service at a competitive price, all from one source. What more
could I ask for?” Tell will maintain the firm's Warren, Rhode Island headquarters. Paramount’s services are available nationwide with delivery and installation accomplished through inhouse and third party distribution sites. The company has also successfully completed projects in Canada, South America, Europe, China and many other countries. "This acquisition truly enables us to continue our vision of building a nationwide company," Marc Tell noted.
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// FOOD SAFETY
WITH WYMAN PHILBROOK
Constructing an Effective Training & Development Program Invest your time and dollars wisely.
T
ake a moment to reflect on the best and worst experiences in your career. Your best memories are more than likely a job & environment that you enjoyed, contributed to and gained knowledge and experience from. Your worst experiences were probably 180 degrees from that. A poor career choice is normally because we didn’t do our homework on the employer or we were misled during the interview. Even with the employment situation of the last few years most people want something more than a paycheck and you as an employer have the opportunity to develop the employee that accomplishes several goals. • A well-trained and knowledgeable employee • An employee who wants to stay and grow with your company • A pool of candidates to draw from when there is an opening • A better experience for your customer The opportunity to be a proactive manager instead of a reactive one There are several stages to having a model training and development program in your company or operation and in an ideal situation it should progress like this:
Wyman Philbrook
Owner of Philbrook Food & Beverage Consulting And Training philbrook_fandb@comcast.net
Foundation Building You will need to have your policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and job descriptions documented and very detailed. Walkthrough the documentation in the work environment to insure it makes sense and that there are not gaps between what you expect and what is written. Have individuals who are not involved in writing the documents follow the documents so you can determine if you are assuming a certain knowledge or skill level that is not present. On-Boarding & Orientation Determine what is the minimum a new employee needs to know to be successful in the position and what are the critical polices that they should be aware of. Develop a transitional learning curve from the minimum to the ideal knowledge and skill
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Determine what is the minimum a new employee needs to know to be successful in the position and what are the critical polices that they should be aware of.
level that is to be expected and develop a timeline/action plan with realistic targets and a system to test the results. Observation, demonstration and written or verbal quizzes will reinforce the subject matter and pro-
vide a way to measure the employee’s progress. Fine-tuning While observing an employee or evaluating their responses to your questions you want to be giving positive feedback on how they are doing. One mistake that many managers make is being “too busy” to talk with an employee even when they are doing something incorrectly. Use opportunities to create a positive training moment that will not embarrass an employee but insures that they understand how to do a procedure correctly. Also recognize when an employee uses initiative to make a procedure more efficient than what was outlined. Remember you have a new set of eyes in your operation that has not settled into a routine and their perspective is valuable. Think about the number of times you walk by something or you are doing something because that’s the way you were trained. We can continually improve or repeat an inefficient procedure because the majority of individuals are brought up & trained by repetition and are resistant to change when they become comfortable with that repetitive action. A new employee is not restrained by this when they first start a position and will question something that doesn’t seem efficient or make sense to complete a task. Cross-training & Work Challenges As an employer, you should always be looking for opportunities to develop your employees. When a member of your staff is just getting comfortable and doing their tasks proficient-
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Segal, from page 25 all of the following conditions are met: (a) the charge is shown separately on the bill; (b) the charge is identified as a gratuity; and (c) the business gives the entire gratuity which is separately stated to its employees. If any of these conditions are not met, the mandatory gratuity is taxable, along with the rest of the bill. As you can see the N.Y.S. Department of Taxation and Finance takes a different view than the Internal Revenue Service. Another problem is that the mandatory tip will prevent the employer from taking a general business credit towards a portion of social security and Medicare taxes paid by the employer with respect to an employee’s cash tip earnings. All of this affects a variety of issues concerning the federal minimum
wage and overtime laws. To make your head spin more lets consider the payment of the bill by credit card. If you reduce what your employees are tipped on a credit card by the administrative fee charged by a credit card company, you would have to withhold N.Y.S. Sales Tax based on the Department of Finances Revenue Ruling because the entire gratuity was not given to the employee. Moreover the Department of Labor is targeting the hospitality industry with compliance investigations, which can subject owners to scrutiny, audits, fines and penalties. My recommendations amidst this confusion is to halt placing mandatory tips on checks and replace them with suggested percentage tips which are not automatically added to the bill. As a restaurant attorney with knowledge in this area I am available to discuss these topics at any time with you
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as well as conducting seminars in your establishments for proper compliance or for any other legal matters relating to your establishment. Kindly feel free to contact me through my website www.restaurantesq.com or call me directly at 516-415-0100 or 212-388 9444.
// TECHNOLOGY
Ovention Precision Impingement ™
Joseph Cash, Ovention Territory Sales Manager, Phil McKee has a special reputation for inventing and developing new cooking platforms. What has he learned over the years that he brought with him to create Ovention?
Why should a consultant specify impingement and Ovention? Oh, for all the reasons I’ve already mentioned, I think.
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hil’s a mathematician and a physicist by training, and that gives him a unique way of looking at cooking equipment and the process of cooking. He’s been awarded a number of patents over the years. During his time at TurboChef, he spent a lot of time listening to operators and studying their needs, even when the operators might not be able to put them into words. He developed new ways of cooking quickly, and he also saw the menu limitations of microwaves. Now, at Ovention he has focused on accelerated cooking speeds WITHOUT microwaves. Which led him to develop Precision Impingement, which is an advanced, highly efficient form of impingement convection. It’s very fast, very precise with separately controlled blower speeds. And without microwaves, it’s able to produce an amazing array of menu items with excellent quality. Give us some history of impingement cooking? The term “impingement cooking” goes back to the 1980s. In its basic form, impingement is a type of convection that focuses and concentrates hot-air flow through nozzles, or jets. The temperature and speed of
that it was employed in conveyor ovens. And the conveyors don’t lend themselves to menu versatility. You set a temperature, and then if you want to change it, there’s quite a lag time. Also you have a belt speed which in effect determines your cook time, and if you want to change menu items, changing belt speeds is a hassle. And then what? You go back to pizzas and change the settings again?
What’s the message for the dealer sales person? Again, all the same reasons, I think. Great operating advantages, menu Co-Owners Joe Cash, Phil McKee & Steve Everett of Ovention
the airflow displace the ambient air around the food product and transfer heat effectively and efficiently to the item being cooked. The methods have been tweaked and refined over the years. What advantage does Oventions’ technology give the food service operator? Well, Ovention ovens combine several technologies into packages the market can’t get anywhere else. The list of advantages is long. First is the Precision Impingement, with its great speed and unmatched menu flexibility. Second is the footprint. It’s compact and takes little space on a countertop. Third, we use catalysts to clean the exhaust air, so we’re truly ventless and UL-certified ventless. That means two things—you don’t need a hood, and that means you can put the Ovention just about anywhere. Fourth is the closed-chamber design
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and high level of insulation. The oven is cool, it’s quiet, it offers excellent temperature control, and it doesn’t blow heat and energy into the workspace like a conveyor does. Another big thing: With the closed chamber and the two cook surfaces that slide matchbox-style in and out of the chamber, you have self-loading and unloading. The food comes out automatically at the end of the cook cycle. You can’t overcook. Plus the touchpad controls are extremely intuitive and give you 1,000 different program settings. The list is longer, but those are some of the advantages.
Well, Ovention ovens combine several technologies into packages the market can’t get anywhere else. The list of advantages is long.
flexibility, ventless operation. For a longtime impingement cooking was looked at as pizza alternative, clearly it’s evolved into so much more, how and why? You know, that’s an interesting question. Impingement—the method of heat transfer—never really was the limiting factor. The limitation was
Your shuttle model merged two different technologies. Talk about where the idea came from for the shuttle and what does it bring to our reader?
continued on page 98
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Wyman, from page 86 ly you should add additional duties or have them start to learn the skills and knowledge of another position. This accomplishes two major goals. You are continuously challenging & motivating your staff and you are growing a cross-functional team that can easily slide into another role if circumstances dictate the need. Vacations, illnesses or departures are all challenges for a manager to continue to operate their business. The more versatile your team is the easier it becomes to handle all of these opportunities. Documenting From the moment an employee is interviewed through the moment they depart, a manager should document all training and assessments of their progress. It becomes a history of their skills and knowledge that assists the manager in effective scheduling, internal promotion and timely reinforcement of policies and procedures. All retraining should be conducted at a minimum of at least once every year. Any updates or changes to a policy or procedure can be incorporated and at the same time you are demonstrating the importance
of this each year. At a minimum you want to document the subject matter, the instructor, the time and date and the attendees, which can be verified with their name & signature. The records demonstrate your commitment to that policy and procedure and also provide documentation of the employee’s knowledge level if it is ever needed. Developing Replacements (including yours) Your goal and responsibility as the manager of the operation is to grow the skills and expand the knowledge of your staff. When an opening occurs in your organization you should be able to fill it internally unless it is entry-level or there has not been sufficient time to develop a candidate. Many successful companies pride themselves on being able to tout their internal promotion system. A good question to ask when going on a job interview is “What examples of internal promotion can you provide me?” The answer will provide a good indication of the company’s training & development priorities and commitment. As stated earlier, this is the ideal
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methodology of putting a workable plan in place. It applies to everything within your facility and is a perfect way to implement all parts of your
food safety program and have the positive results you want and your customers deserve.
IHMRS from page 46 make their operation more profitable. "At the top of that list is baking," Robinson continued. "We found in talking to our attendees that there is a debate
Financial industry professionals Dina Hochhauser and Ruby Klashman sampled the pastry demo fare
on whether a restaurant or food service operator should dedicate the space and manpower to producing their own made from scratch product or to
A large contingent of faculty and students from Johnson and Wales were led by Steve Shipley
Empire Bakery made their show debut with a vast array of baking solutions
Branding Shorts’ Micki Pagano-Parente chronicled the 2013 event
The award winning “Cake Boss” Valastro (R) was a highlight of the PBAC 25th celebration
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Schlossberg of Continuum Health
The always animated Ira Kaplan of Irinox demonstrated the firm’s latest
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buy from one of the many sources of high quality product that are in a market the size of the Tri-State area." The show's celebration of baking and food and flavor continued with a once in a lifetime appearance by the Legendary "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro. The legendary New Jersey TV star highlighted long term IHMRS exhibitors Posternak Bauer Aitkenhead and Cantamessa (PBAC’s) 25th anniversary and equipment maker Traulsen’s 75th anniversary who are represented in Metro NYC by the Eastchester based rep. The burly dark-haired celebrity pastry chef featured on The Discovery Channel thrilled show-goers by posing for photos and by bringing a full size replica of a Traulsen reach in to the Javits. Valastro began running his bakery, Carlo’s Bakery, after the death of his father, but it wasn’t until April 2009 when he became a household word. That’s when The
Discovery Channel picked up the reality television show, “Cake Boss,” which follows the operation of Valastro’s business. Founded in 1988 by Michael R. Posternak and Steve Bauer. PBAC serves the food service, bakery, supermarket and convenience store industries in the New York/New Jersey and Fairfield County (CT) areas. The 2013 IHMRS Show featured a celebration of the BCA Global organization. On the Friday prior to the show, the Alex Askew/Howard Stanford led organization that celebrates diversity in the kitchen gathered for a Midtown 20th Anniversary Cultural Awareness Salute Gala. That celebration spilled over onto the show's demo kitchen as Chef Baz Brown of Shulas' at the Westin New York Times Square Hotel, Bourbon Street Bar and Grill's Chef Kavon William Langley, Chef Karlton and Jonathan Harris of Cornbread and Caviar Caterers, Bourbon Street Bar and Grill's Chefs Sierra Tarver and Austin Crespo, Chef Paul Simeon of Bunny Chow and Crowne Plaza Hotel Times Square's Chef Christopher C. Smith put their stamp on the annual IHMRS event. EYE notes that while in conversation with many operators throughout the year, their signature lies in the reinvention of a cocktail menu. So as part of the show's Javits is Cooking initiative one of the beverage industry's up and coming stars Warren Bobrow anchored a memorable event. Bobrow is the Food and Drink Editor of Wild Table on Wild River Review located in Princeton, New Jersey. In addition to a thriving consulting practice, Bobrow has evolved into one of the nation's hottest names in reading the trends of Metro New York marketplace. He has published over three hundred articles in fewer than three years since his reinvention from executive assistant in a private bank to world published author. EYE notes that Mixologists have be-
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// THE WINE COACH
WITH LAURIE FORSTER
5 Reasons Your Wine List Might Not Reach High Standards When I’m handed the wine list there are two ways I look at it—as a wine professional and as a wine drinker.
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s a wine professional I look at the list with curiosity to assess several things about it such as: how it’s organized, the focus of the selections and the markup. As a wine drinker I’m looking for a variety of wines I enjoy for a price that I can afford. A wine list that doesn’t satisfy your customers’ needs will most likely ensure they won’t return to your restaurant. Bringing my experience together as a long time wine lover turned wine educator, I believe there are 5 main reasons why some wine lists don’t make the cut.
minority, they will outspend the casual wine drinker exponentially so this is a group of customers you want to capture. If you don’t have an in-house wine expert, consider hiring one to review your wine list to ensure it’s correct and then be sure to keep it up to date.
Your list doesn’t have the right price points.
Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, is a
Your list is too long.
certified sommelier, award-winning
Let’s face it, size matters but not in the way you think. Bigger is not better when it comes to wine lists. Wine lists that are the size of a New York City phone book might have been the model for fine dining in the nineties but today’s diners demand a concise, well thought out wine list. Ordering wine can be daunting from the outset and asking customers to digest such a large offering becomes a chore even for a seasoned wine enthusiast. Consider keeping your wine list between 2-10 organized and easily understood pages. If you can afford it, technology can definitely make this process more fun and interactive with the use of iPads or Kindles that can also be tied to your inventory.
is the host of her radio show The Sip-
author and media personality. Forster ping Point and her mobile application “The Wine Coach” was listed as one of the Top 8 Wine Apps in Wine Enthusiast. To find out more visit: www.TheWineCoachSpeaks.com | @thewinecoach | facebook.com/winecoach
Your list is full of mistakes. Nobody’s perfect but I am shocked at how many lists I encounter where there are spelling mistakes, geography inaccuracies or other mistakes. While the general customer may never discover these wine faux pas, the wine savvy customer will and once they do they will distrust the entire wine program. While the wine geek customer is in the
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Make sure you have a nice spread of price points for each category in your wine list. Most customers are looking for solid choices at a fair price ($35-80 per bottle) and when they find this, it is a reason for them to return. Everyone has a smart phone in their pocket and can easily find out the retail value of most any wine so make sure your mark-ups are fair. One fine dining restaurant I visited had a section on their list for great wines priced at $35 per bottle along with other legendary wine selections that were hundreds of dollars. This ensures you capture the customer at all ends of the spectrum and even give them a reason to order a second bottle.
You don’t have enough options by the glass. Customers like to order wine by the glass even if it is more expensive than buying a bottle. Why? Today’s consumers like variety and, also, the option to select wines that pair with their food choices. If you only offer a few whites and a few reds by the glass, you are go-
ing to need to up your game or customers will go elsewhere. You must have some of the standard varieties but don’t ignore having by-the-glass selections of more unique wines like Argentine Malbec and Spanish Albarino or Tempranillo. Consumers young and old want to taste a variety of wines during a meal. According to the Wine Market Council’s President John Gillespie, the majority of core wine drinkers order wine by the glass when they dine at any type of restaurant. Respondents were also asked to rate a series of factors on their importance when considering purchasing wine at a restaurant and one of the most important factors was availability of wine by the glass. Seventy percent of people had this as one of the top 3 factors. These stats are self-reported results compiled from the 2012 Wine Market Council U.S. Wine Market 2012 Consumer Trends & Analysis Tracking Report.
Your staff doesn’t know your wine list. You can have a well-constructed wine list, with the right variety of wine and price points, but if your staff doesn’t know your list it will be a failure. If you don’t have a consistent training schedule that ensures your staff knows the wine on your list, you are throwing money out the window. If a customer asks a general question about a wine on the list and gets a blank stare from the server that tells them you don’t care about your wine program. According to the Wine Market Council study referenced above, approximately half of the core wine drinkers consider recommendations from the sommelier highly important. Whether you have an onsite sommelier or not wine training for the entire front of the house is essential to your bottom line.
// NEWS
MENU CONCEPTS
Metro New York City Chefs Embrace Australian Lamb As Centerpiece For Signature Dishes With advancements in modern technology the highest quality foods can now be served fresh to restaurant patrons from virtually anywhere in the world. Nowhere is that more true than with succulent Australian Lamb.
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he very best from “Down Under” travels to the US in style. Its quality is preserved by Australian Lamb that chills and preserves the meat so it’s as fresh as if you just bought it at the market today. Says Elissa Garling, North America business development manager – foodservice, meat and livestock Australia North America, “In Australia it’s actually the law - no hormones or additives or anything artificial used in the production of lamb. There are also minimum requirements around how cuts are butchered and packed, and Australian Lamb sells those cuts to specification. The country also achieves a 90-day chill shelf life for its lamb. But what does this mean to the person eating the meat? The chill – or the wet aging -- process actually makes for a very tender cut of meat with a really robust lamb flavor.” The meat goes into a shipping container and depending on whether it’s going to the East or West coast, stays on the ship for up to 30 days. But Garling is quick to point out that the chilling – or wet aging process – keeps it tasty, and safe. Restaurants like to buy from Australian Lamb because the meat is high yielding. “So there's not much shrinkage, if you're buying specific cuts,” says Garling. “You've got that
Australian Lamb is currently running a contest open to NYC metropolitan area chefs to showcase their lamb “chops” for a chance to win a ten-day trip to Australia.
shelf life. So you actually do have time, you don't have to turn over your inventory or worry about your shrinkage, or product loss. And then from a flavor standpoint, the posture rate quality gives it that really robust lamb flavor.” Garling says the company has worked with many chefs in New York City, including Jeff McInnis, chef at Yardbird in south Miami, who’s been on Bravo TV’s reality series, Top Chef, and who’s also famous for his fried chicken, but who now “actually likes working with lamb.”
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Australian Lamb is currently running a contest open to NYC metropolitan area chefs to showcase their lamb “chops” for a chance to win a ten-day trip to Australia. In the past, the contest was open only to the Rising Star chefs from StarChefs.com. “But this time we really wanted to open it up to the New York foodservice community. We call it ‘Winter Wonderlamb,’” says Garling. “We encourage chefs to add an original Australian lamb recipe to their menu for the holiday season and call it out as Australian lamb. And then in December our judges will go
around, secretly sample the lamb dishes and then narrow it down to 10 finalists. We take the dishes and collectively decide who wins the trip to Australia.” The contest deadline this year has been extended to December 15. And on Sunday, December 8, chef and owner Harold Dieterle will host a four-course dinner at his new restaurant in the Village, The Marrow, as part of Winter Wonderlamb. The dinner will start at 7:30. An early challenge was helping foodservice operators understand the product, and the niche, and also, how to help restaurants learn to cook and serve it. “We help them with the lamb cut utilization, the cuts off the lamb leg, the lamb shank, and its increase in popularity, that kind of thing,” says Garling. The winning chef last year was John Fraser, for Dovetail. “He did a roasted lamb saddle going in. He presented it to the table as a whole piece. They cut it up. And it was a lamb for two. It was wonderful!” says Garling. The Winter Wonderlamb chef competition is one of a series of events and in-store promotions sponsored by Australian Lamb in New York this holiday season.
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PR, from page 56
Brown, from page 12
worth the expense? Public relations can raise a restaurant’s profile. Traditional ads often don’t work for restaurants, people are more passionate about food than ever. Everyone wants to read more about the food offered, see recipes and watch TV hosts trying the food. On top of that, in foodiecentric cities like New York City, you are competing against thousands of other restaurants, from casual spots to world-class restaurants. You need to make a good impression, and quickly, if you’re going to succeed. PR can help you do that. Another key aspect to PR is that it helps a business actively track, engage in and manage their social media imprint. This is ESSENTIAL, because making improper inroads onto Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook can cause long-term damage to your brand. How can you find a PR firm that is right for your restaurant? First, you need to figure out your budget range, obviously. Second, you should determine whether you want to go to a big PR firm or a smaller boutique firm. Once you figure that out, research different firms and find out if anyone specializes in your type of food business or has similar clients. It really helps to use someone who is passionate about what you do, and believes in your product. If they are passionate about your specialty they will also probably already be knowledgeable in that area. This means they can get up to speed quickly on your account and start getting your name out to the media! Why do you need PR? Because you can’t afford not to have it. Cindi Avila is owner of Green Goddess Public Relations in NYC. She specializes in healthy, organic, vegetarian and vegan food businesses, as well as the family, health and education arenas. Her clients include Blossom Du Jour restaurants and the Institute of Culinary Education.
What’s the most valuable bit of advice you’ve ever received from a friend or mentor? The one piece of advice that has always stuck with me came from Chef Ned Elliot, my sous chef at Country. I was overlooked for a promotion, and I was very upset. He told me that I should never be afraid to fail; through failure you work harder to become successful. What’s your favorite piece of kitchen equipment? My favorite piece of equipment right now is the smoker. I have been working on more dishes that will utilize the smoker than I ever have in the past. What’s the one ingredient you couldn’t live without? Lemon. It’s such a versatile fruit, adding pronounced flavor in different dishes. It also adds life and balance to many ingredients. Is there an ingredient that you feel is particularly underappreciated or underutilized? I don't see celeriac (celery root) on a lot of menus. This is the season for it. How has mentorship played a role in your success? Every young chef needs advice. It helps to have a mentor you can call upon. I have been lucky to have CCAP Founder and Chairman Richard Grausman’s continual mentoring and C-CAP’s unflagging support over the years. I have become a mentor now, too, training C-CAP students in my restaurants and being active in the CCAP alumni community. Learn more about C-CAP and support our work by visiting www.ccapinc.org or emailing info@ccapinc.org.
SHOW COVERAGE IHMRS from page 92 come the new food celebrity, joining chefs as the “rock stars” on food TV. While the mixologists are enjoying all the status, restaurant owners and operators are reaping the increased margins that come through custom cocktail programs. The IHMRS Mix & Mock pavilion highlighted the business-to-consumer opportunities and introduced the budding trend of mixology and the allure of mocktails to the business-tobusiness sector. Bobrow spoke at the Mix And Mock Program at the IHMRS show at the Javits Show. His program included: "Classic Punches”,” Hot Toddys", "Reinventing Bourbon", "Pink Gin", "Using Honey to Distill" and "Easy Scotch Cocktails." EYE enjoyed the comments of one of the City's true visionaries. Jonathan Tisch, co-chairman of the board and a member of the office of the president, Loews Corporation and chairman, Loews Hotels & Resorts delivered a keynote presentation, "Leadership, Lodging, and the Active Citizen." Tisch who advocates for New York with such passion will be among those who welcome the football world in February when he and fellow New York Giants owners host the Super Bowl in New Jersey. His talk focused on the importance of building a corporate culture that places a high value on partnerships that empowers employees, satisfies customers, contributes to communities, and improves the bottom line. His goal was to help participants learn how to use the power of partnerships and grassroots participation to solve seemingly intractable problems. Kudos to David Turner, Founder and Publisher of Tabletop Journal who brought a new feature to the 2013 show. Tuner teamed with the show to launch Hospitality Tabletop that presented uniquely creative, designdriven tabletop product for hospitality including dinnerware - both permanent and disposable, glassware, flatware,
serve and buffet ware, table linens, table lighting and table accessories for chefs, hotel food and beverage directors, restaurant and club managers, and dealers and distributors. Hospitality Tabletop enriched the engagement of exhibitors and attendees with on floor features such as: The Table-
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top Matter Awards presented to companies in recognition of outstanding new product, Hospitality Tabletop Theater, on floor education, covering such timely topics as: the future of tabletop design, the beverage only experience, and the greening of tabletop and the creation of Hospitality Tabletop Concept Lobby Bar,
a specially designed “pop-up” space on the exhibit floor highlighting trend direction and facilitating exhibitors and attendees networking. looks forward to yet another celebration of the best and the brightest at the 2014 IHMRS Show slated for the Jacob Javits Center next November 9th-11th.
Merlin, from page 26 guys to get involved in the menu develop process, and then also, work on ordering so they know, if you're working the sea station, you know exactly what fish is available, what's coming up, and then you can design menus that way. “ So why did Elliot decide to locate his new restaurant in Greenwich, CT? “We've always enjoyed the culture of the mid-level towns of America, if you will. There's a lot more opportunity in places like Denver, and Austin, that kind of mid-level arena.” Since Elliot got his start as an executive chef at the Jackson House in Vermont. Verrier says, “He’s very comfortable with the East Coast.” A standout on Primary Food & Drink’s menu is beef stroganoff. “Instead of the classic noodle, we make spaetzle, which is an instant dumpling of southern German origin and we make that with a little bit of black pepper, truffled mushroom puree, a little creme fraiche, some shallot marmalade, a fresh sauté of whatever kind of wild mushroom is in at the time, and a little beef jus,” says Verrier. “It can vary between black trumpets or chanterelles. In the summer we'll do something grilled, and winter time we'll do something a little bit more like a beef tenderloin. And that's our take on beef stroganoff.” In a town like Greenwich with wealthy residents who are used to fine dining, where does Primary Food & Drink fit in? “It's definitely not a destination restaurant,” he says. “We're just throwing a dinner party every single night. That's what we do and, and that's what we want. We want teenagers to be able to come in and have a good time. And we want 70, 80-year old people to come in and have a good time. And everybody in between. That's, the key, to have a good time. It's not pretentiousness, it's not anything else. It's this really good food but most of all ‘the servers were themselves, the
music was great. And we had a good time.’” Verrier says it’s the same mentality in the kitchen. “You're empowering these employees to be themselves. You're not making them be robotic and have to do A, B, and C. You can be yourself as long as you go from A to C, and get there no matter how you want to get there, but just get there. And that's the thing. It’s a lot of understanding what our customer base needs. And what individual customers need and making notes on that. And being keen to the service part of it. If Mr. and Mrs. Smith like to come in every Tuesday night and they always drink white wine, when they order that, we're going to make notes on that. And we're going to be prepared for those customers, those repeat customers, what they liked and what they didn't like. And making notes and every time they come in it's going to be a better, better, and better experience for them.” And as for the servers and kitchen staff? “The whole yelling, and demeaning, and disrespecting people in restaurants has been done and gone. We believe in encouraging and empowering our people. I think the French can keep that if they want to.” Verrier is proud to be part of a culinary world where chefs are revered, unlike 25 years ago, “when cooks were essentially criminals and people that just got out of prison and, didn't have much of an option.” Social media is the way the restaurant will get out the word. “Graham has almost 90,000 Twitter followers. When you have that kind of presence, that’s maybe all you need.”
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Ovention from page 88 The Matchbox has really been very well received. The approval from operators, the award from the National Restaurant Association’s Kitchen Innovations Award program, a lot of recognition has been terrific. And then we started thinking: What about the operator who wants the menu flexibility and cooking quality of the Matchbox 90% of the time, but maybe for a few hours here and there needs to crank out large volumes of a particular product? What if you have a three-hour pizza rush once a week during football season? For that, you might want a conveyor. So basically, the Shuttle is a Matchbox with two settings. On one setting it works like the Matchbox. On the other setting,
the food product enters on one side, exits on the other, like a conveyor, and you keep it cranking, repeat, repeat, repeat. So the Shuttle is like two ovens—a Matchbox AND a conveyor. But with an enclosed cooking chamber and all the advantages that go with that. Talk about some of the success stories you’ve built in Metro NYC and across the country? The big New York story recently was that our Matchbox model was the oven for a foodservice concept that won a design competition at the IHMRS, the big lodging and foodservice show at Javits Center in November. The name of the concept was Pie
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Squared, a small-footprint artisan pizza operation developed by the Global Test Kitchen team, which is part of DynamikSpace Inc. What attracted Hatco to the company? From day one, Ovention and Hatco had a relationship. Ovention had the expertise for engineering and design and wanted to stay focused on those core expertises. So Ovention wanted to contract out the manufacturing. And who better than Hatco? Hatco has an amazing reputation for quality, and our two product lines were complementary, and partnering up was a no-brainer. This past July, Hatco purchased Ovention. We tied the knot, so to speak. Ovention now is an independently operated division of Hatco.
Service is always an issue when it comes to technology. Help us make our readers comfortable with the support system you have built? Well, for service, it’s the Hatco answer again. They are so well respected, with such great service representation in the field. It only made sense to do Ovention service through Hatcoauthorized service agencies. It’s been terrific. Crystal ball. What can our readers expect to see going forward? Ha ha! You’d like me to say, wouldn’t you? There ARE some very interesting new things already in the pipeline. But we’re not tipping our hand just yet!
Kosherfest, from page 29 like meat, but it’s healthier and it’s pareve”), distributed by Bagel Bites. Their booth offered an abundance of samples of veggie schnitzel, corn bites, grilled filet, empanadas, felafel balls, and hot dogs. The lesson of Kosherfest is that not only can certifying a product as kosher can be a smart marketing move, attracting more than just the kosher consumer. “It is kind of like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,” explained Evan Berman of Frava.
says. “When the customer asks for the check, that’s three trips to the POS terminal, taking away from personal attention. If you streamline the process, it not only makes for a satisfied customer but also allows staff to focus their time where it matters mostmaking people happy. And isn’t that what it’s all about?”
Anyguest.com, from page 64 customers and engage them before, during and after an on-site visit. “We focus on customer retention, as opposed to third party online ordering networks that are great for acquiring customers, but at a hefty premium and by promoting their own brand instead of that of the establishment.” The back-end management system -- where all data and content is available to managers – lets operators to “drill down and identify their best customers; lifetime spend, favorite orders, order frequency etc., then use that info for personalized direct marketing such as an automated SMS on your birthday offering you a coupon for your favorite dish.” says Chaillan. The platform integrates nicely into existing websites and mobile apps for easy access. Guests can scan a QR code or enter their table number, view rich menus in multiple languages, and save credit card info for one-touch ordering, all from their own device. Orders get sent directly to the POS system as if the server inputted them manually. Chaillan stresses that the platform is not a labor-saving tool. “We’re not looking to replace the human element, rather, enhance the guest experience by offering more convenience to guests while freeing up staff,” he 99 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Call Vic Rose: 732-864-2220
// INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
WITH FRED SAMPSON
The Date of May 8, 1980 The date of May 8, 1980, carries no significant importance—unless your name is Candy Lightner, for that is the day a repeat drunk driver killed Cari Lightner, Candy’s daughter. Candy’s reaction to this tragedy was to become the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
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his nonprofit organization forever changed America’s view on drunk driving, drinking under the influence, and, ultimately, teenage drinking as we knew it. While the above were the most visible issues, many more have and are still impacting the beverage alcohol industry in general. For retailers including hotels, restaurants, taverns, and package and convenience stores, the burden of enforcement has been a top priority. However, it has not always been successful, and failure to enforce has been extremely costly in life and property. You will read later on in this commentary, an unfortunate example of what can happen when the law is not enforced. By 1983, MADD had become the focal point of a nationwide movement to curb irresponsible consumption of alcohol. Candy Lightner, its leader, appeared on every type of TV program, from morning shows to Face the Nation, Meet the Press, and (I believe) 60 Minutes. She had testified before congressional committees, and branches of MADD were popping up throughout the United States. State legislatures were being inundated with proposals which would change the hours of sales, lower the blood alcohol content (BAC) levels, return the legal purchasing age from 18 to 21, and dramatically increase the penalties for those found guilty of drunk driving as well as those driving while under the influence.
Fred G. Sampson,
President of Sampson Consulting, Inc. fredgsampson@juno.com
By 1983, MADD had become the focal point of a nationwide movement to curb irresponsible consumption of alcohol. Until this time, the legal profession had not been active in cases involving consumption and driving; that too was about to change. Most states had on the books liquor liability laws, a.k.a. “dram shop laws,” which were rarely applied. Again in 1983, most licensees were being informed by their insurance agents that their dram shop coverage was being increased due to the increase in liquor liability lawsuits
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across the country. Trial lawyers had discovered a rich vein in this field of jurisprudence. If I may interject myself at this point, you should know that at this time I was the president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, and it was obvious that not only were insurance rates going up, but there was a real possibility that dram shop insurance may not be available. This would
have been chaotic and could possibly leave operators without coverage; in other words, they would be operating “bare” in the event of an occurrence. We at the NYSRA, its officers, and board members embarked on an ambitious project. We would, with the New York State Department of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, develop a server training program and tour the state, inviting owners, managers, waitstaff, and bartenders to attend. It was not only important to have the waitstaff and bartenders present due to their interaction with guests, but they too could be liable in any lawsuit involving drinking and driving. They normally were not, due to the fact that the attorneys were looking for “deeper pockets.” This was the first such program of its kind in the country, and it was soon followed by many states as well as the National Restaurant Association. It was not too much longer until the insurance industry responded, by not only continuing to insure operators but eventually by giving discounts to those who could offer evidence that their employees had in fact attended a server training program. These programs are still available today. For the record, the seminar was titled “Driving While Intoxicated vs. Dining and Wining Intelligently.” It might sound corny today, but it was right on the money in 1983! One of the recent examples of serving patrons who are actually or apparently intoxicated is the case involving a Metro area establishment. For the record, this is not some run-down saloon, but rather, an attractive dinner house. The charges, according to the Alcohol Beverage Commission and not contested by the owners, were “that three customers who were visibly intoxicated were allowed to keep drinking and then got into serious or fatal accidents.”
The result of the three accidents was two deaths and one severely injured person. The establishment has been ordered by its state Alcohol Beverage Commission to sell its liquor license by July 2015 and pay a fine of $250,000. I have no information as to whether there have been any lawsuits filed in conjunction with these incidents. This tragedy should have and could have been avoided had these servers been more vigilant; and management, after being cited on one occasion, should have demanded that the service staff give this problem top priority. One of the major complaints from servers who attended our 15 seminars was that management rarely supports or backs up servers when informed that he or she has a guest who should be “cut off.” First, let’s assume it’s a par-
ty of four or six, the check has reached $350, the server has invested 90 to 100 minutes serving them, the tip will probably be $45 to $50 or more. Now he or she has to become a cop? This, in my mind, is a task for someone from management. Remember, one more drink could put your operation out of play. The holidays are upon us, with most guests in a positive mood. They may inadvertently consume more alcohol than average. I realize that most of you are aware of that fact, but I do think it would be helpful to take the time to remind each shift of servers and bartenders that their jobs and the establishment are at risk if they do not keep a sharp eye out for the consumer who is “actually or apparently intoxicated.” I’m sure the management of the res-
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taurant in question would like to have taken that action. Look at the odds. Failure to act puts an establishment, dozens of jobs, and the future at risk, all for the opportunity of selling “one more for the road.”
P.S. For the record: To those in NYC where fewer patrons use cars and the incidence of DWI is limited, the law deals with all patrons who are “actually or apparently intoxicated,” not only those who might be driving.
102 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
103 • December 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com