February 2012

// NEWS

MANAGEMENT

Greco Takes Reigns At LI Based Sbarro Pizza and pasta chain Sbarro Inc. named a new CEO and chairman, both veteran food industry executives, two months after emerging from bankruptcy protection.

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ames Greco is taking over for Nicholas McGrane, who was named temporary President and CEO in July 2010, before Sbarro filed for Chapter 11. Greco, 58, is the former CEO of bagel chain Bruegger’s Enterprises.

McGrane took over after Peter Beaudrault stepped down. Mr. McGrane was a managing director with MidOcean Partners, the private equity firm

capital infusion.

Sbarro also named J. David Karam as its new chairman. Karam, 53, is the former president of burger chain Wendy’s International, now part of Wendy’s Co. He takes over for interim Chairman Michael Feder, who is a managing director at management consulting firm Alix Partners.

Mr. Feder, who came on board in November, will remain with Sbarro as

Sbarro filed for bankruptcy protection in April when it was no longer able to contend with rising food costs and declining sales related to the recession. that bought Sbarro in 2007. McGrane is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

Sbarro filed for bankruptcy protection in April when it was no longer able to contend with rising food costs and declining sales related to the recession.

The Melville, N.Y., company completed its reorganization and left Chapter 11 protection in November, saying at the time that it had significantly cut its debt and received a new $35 million

an advisor. Sbarro also appointed two new board members, bringing its total board to eight directors, according to CapitalIQ. Desmond Hague is the CEO of hospitality company Centerplate, which runs convention centers and sports and entertainment complexes.

David Wiggins is an adviser to private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors who has led several food-industry companies. Sbarro has more than 1,000 restaurants in more than 40 countries.

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// NEWS

CHAIN CONCEPTS

NFL Legend Marino Sets Sites On Metro New York With Pizza Concept Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, the South Florida-based concept that uses authentic coal-burning ovens to create “well done pizza,” opened its first Connecticut restaurant earlier this month. The newest restaurant is the 12th ACFP restaurant to open in the Northeast.

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nown for its high-energy atmosphere and signature menu items, ACFP uses 800-degree anthracite coalburning ovens and the highest quality ingredients. Anthracite is known to be the “cleanest” of coals, burning smoke free with extremely high heat to create a unique taste and perfect pies. In addition to its famous pizzas, the restaurant’s simple and consistent menu features award-winning “Italian Soul Food” creations, including coal-oven-roasted chicken wings with caramelized onions, pork ribs with vinegar peppers, home-style meatballs made from founder Anthony Bruno its family recipe, and Eggplant Marino (named for ACFP partner and NFL Hall of Fame legend Dan Marino.

Asked why the athlete-restaurant connection seems so popular, Mr. Marino stopped and thought and then said, “I don’t know,” with a laugh. Perhaps consumers buy into the idea that guys who compete athletically know something about good food.

Marino, the CBS Sports analyst started out as a customer of founder Anthony Bruno’s first restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. “I’ve known Dan since the late 80’s when he used to come to my restaurant,” Bruno said.

“Over the years, we became friends, and he actually wanted to have one of our restaurants in his hometown.

So, he put up the money, and we 4 • February 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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Marino, the CBS Sports analyst started out as a customer of founder Anthony Bruno’s first restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Over the years, we became friends, and he actually wanted to have one of our restaurants in his hometown. eventually paid him back, and we’ve gone on from there.” The duo has gone on to open about 30 more coaloven pizza restaurants in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and two others ­in Edison and Clifton ­in New Jersey. And the company has no plans of slowing down.

“Really, we have expanded throughout the bad economy, and we are going to continue to expand as much as we can,” Bruno, a Long Island native, said. “We always hope for a good economy, but it’s pizza. It’s something

that people can come in and enjoy no matter what.” The restaurant’s website says it plans at least two more openings in the immediate future, including its first in Connecticut.

A crew from the original Florida restaurants comes to new locations to put local employees through a two to eight week training process. “The goal, Bruno said, is to offer a consistent menu that we are very proud of.

The food is what sets this place apart,” Marino added. “It really speaks for itself. Good food, and good people. It’s

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like our gift certificates, 10 percent of all of the gift certificates sold goes to the Dan Marino Foundation,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to bringing our brand of authentic pizza and Italian Soul Food to a region where people really know good pizza when they taste it,” Bruno said. “We’ve received tremendous response throughout the northeast and are very excited about expanding the brand into Connecticut.”

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza launched in 2002 and has grown to 32 restaurants throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York. Last year, Anthony’s successfully debuted six restaurants throughout the Northeast, including Edison, Clifton and Ramsey, N.J.; Woodbury, N.Y.; Pike Creek, Del.; and Robinson Township (Pittsburgh), Penn. Additional locations in the Northeast and Florida are planned for 2012.

Main Office: 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman Director of Social Media Sandy Klanfer Advertising Director: Michael Scinto Creative Director: Ross Moody Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2012 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburg, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy; $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836

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// NEWS

EVENTS

NYC Based Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group Set To Celebrate The 50th National Wine Week The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group (SWRG) is preparing to pour over 30,000 glasses of more than 200 different wines in celebration of the 50th National Wine Week, March 5-9.

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o commemorate the anniversary, Smith & Wollensky will debut its proprietary ‘Private Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc. National Wine Week was created when the restaurant began inviting top winemakers twice a year to share their wines with lunch crowds. “The event symbolizes our restaurants unparalleled hospitality and impeccable dining experience by offering our guests an approachable opportunity to sample and enjoy wines from some of the most exclusive winemakers in the world, all while learning about the particular varietals and regions from our knowledgeable staff,” said Michael Feighery, president of SWRG. During the week, eight iconic restaurant locations, under the guidance of Stuart Roy, national director of wine and spirits for SWRG, will offer a

variety of exceptional wines carefully selected to complement the Smith & Wollensky award-winning menu. Patrons will be able to sample 10 wines for $10 with the purchase of a lunch entrée.

This year in celebration of the 50th National Wine Week and “The Year of the Steak,” a 3 Course Prix Fixe Lunch which includes a sampling of 10 wines for $50, has been added as an enhancement during Wine Week.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the new ‘Private Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc,” said Roy. “The crisp, elegant and fresh Sauvignon Blanc, with citrus, ripe mango and melon notes was handcrafted by the Kunde Family Estate, especially for Smith & Wollensky in California’s Sonoma Valley. It has great balance with an extremely long finish and pairs nicely with fresh seafood and the Signature Shellfish Bou-

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quet.” The new Sauvignon Blanc will be available on the sampling wine list daily for all locations.

Wine partners for the March 50th event include: Cambria, Maison Joseph Drouhin, Chateau Ste. Michelle,

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines and the Kunde Family Estate.

“This year we have some amazing wine and accessory prizes from our wine partners,” said Kim Lapine, vice president of marketing for SWRG. WINE SPECTATOR magazine will be giving away an annual subscription of its magazine in each of the SWRG eight cities, which includes an online wine education seminar. Our grand prize is an incredible weekend getaway trip for two to J. Lohr’s vineyards with airfare provided by DELTA SKY Magazine. SWRG is an annual recipient of the WINE SPECTATOR Award of Excellence, a nationwide honor given each year to restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

// NEWS

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Bassoul’s Middleby Launches The iPad Application To Aid Local Operators & Dealers The Middleby Corporation, a leader in commercial cooking equipment, recently announced the launch of its iPad application. It is available from the App Store under “Middleby.”

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his free App allows users to view product details from every Middleby brand, calculate energy costs and savings and communicate with a salesperson either directly through Middleby or a representative locator.

“For the nearly 50 million iPad users they can now access everything Middleby and all of our brands through the Middleby iPad Application,” said Middleby CEO Selim A. Bassoul. “With

If you are a Chef, building your kitchen has never been easier. Browse and get information about all Middleby’s products (Green and non-Green).

“With the Middleby App we are empowering our salespeople and giving our customers the tools to make the best decisions for their commercial kitchens by providing the most information.” the Middleby App we are empowering our salespeople and giving our customers the tools to make the best decisions for their commercial kitchens by providing the most information.”

The Middleby iPad Application is easy to use and also features energy savings calculators, ENERGY STAR® rebates and how to select the oven best for a particular concept or application. All of the Middleby brands are featured.

The Middleby Corporation is a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry. The company develops, manufactures, markets and services a broad line of equipment used for commercial food cooking, preparation and processing.

The company’s leading equipment brands serving the commercial

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foodservice industry include Anets®, Blodgett®, Blodgett Combi®, Beech®, Bloomfield®, Britannia®, Carter Hoffmann®, CookTek®, CTX®, Doyon®, FriFri®, Giga®, Holman®, Houno®, ®, IMC®, Jade®, Lang®, Lincat®, MagiKitch’n®, Middleby Marshall®, Nu- Vu®, PerfectFry®, Pitco Frialator®, Southbend®, Star®, Toastmaster® TurboChef® and Wells®.

The company’s leading equipment brands serving the food processing industry include Auto- Bake®, Alkar®, Armor Inox®, Cozzini®, Danfotech®, Drake®, MP Equipment®, Maurer-Atmos® and RapidPak®. The Middleby Corporation has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the Best Small Companies every year since 2005, and most recently in October 2011.

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// NEWS

FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Gordon Food Service Inches Closer To Metro New York Entry With Perkins Acquisition Gordon Food Service announced late last month that it has acquired Perkins, a leading broadline foodservice distributor located in Taunton, Massachusetts.

“P

erkins is a great company with a strong family heritage. Their dedication to high-quality service is an ideal fit with Gordon Food Service’s culture and commitment to exceptional customer service,” said Jim Gordon, CEO of Gordon Food Service.

“Perkins has a strong reputation in our industry and a solid track record of growth and innovation. We welcome the Perkins family of employees to Gordon Food Service and look forward to working together to continue to grow the business in the Northeast,” said Tony Groll, President of Gordon Food Service US. Louis Perkins and his cousin Sam Franklin founded Perkins in 1915.

At that time, the Franklin & Perkins Co. sold twine and plain craft paper to retail merchants and remained primarily a paper products distribu-

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READY in FEB FOLDER

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// NEWS

MANAGEMENT

Manhattan’s Crumbs Bake Shop, Names Stephen Fass to Board Crumbs Bake Shop, a national neighborhood bakery and the largest U.S.-based cupcake specialty store chain, named Stephen Fass to its Board of Directors.

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is election to the Board as an independent director fills a newly created directorship resulting from an increase in the number of directors following Julian R. Geiger’s appointment as Crumbs’ President and Chief Executive Officer on November 14, 2011.

Beginning in October 2005 Stephen Fass served a consultant to, and from November 2006 as a Partner and Vice President of Ciao Imports LLC, a specialty food importer and distributor.

Mr. Fass has also served as a member of Ciao Import’s board since November 2007. From September 2003 to October 2005, Mr. Fass was a Partner and Vice President of Sales for Vela Di Natura, LLC, an importer of Serbian juices and other specialty foods from Serbia.

Beginning in February 2002, Mr. Fass served as a consultant, and from August 2003, as a Partner and Producer for At Chefs Theater Inc., a Broadway production featuring star chefs and musical entertainment, where he oversaw all phases of the food operation.

From September 1997 to February 2001, he served as Vice President and as an Executive Committee member for ABC Carpet and Home Inc. From January 1994 to June 1997, he served as President of William Greenberg Desserts and Cafes, where Mr. Fass wrote the business plan that took the com-

Ranked the largest retailer of cupcakes nationwide and one of Inc. Magazine’s 10 Breakout Companies of 2010, Crumbs currently has 50 locations. veloping such resources as Crabtree & Evelyn, Silver Palate, David’s Cookie, Coach Farm Cheese and Neuhaus and Godiva Chocolates. As Vice President of the Marketplace for the Cellar at Macy’s, he oversaw the building of food halls in 16 states and developed Macy’s

pany public and was a member of its board during the same period. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Fass served as a full time consultant to the chairman of the board of Fauchon, the renowned Parisian food emporium, and assisted with the Fauchon’s American expansion in both the retail and wholesale markets.

Between 1969 and 1992 Mr. Fass held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility in the food division of Bloomingdales and Macy’s. During his tenure at Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, Mr. Fass was integrally involved in de-

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private label business to over 45% of the total volume of his division.

Julian R. Geiger, President and Chief Executive Officer said, “Stephen’s expertise in the specialty food business, along with his prior board experience, makes him a perfect fit to join our Board of Directors. We are delighted to be welcoming him to Crumbs and look forward to benefitting from his insights and experience.”

The first Crumbs Bake Shop opened its doors in March 2003 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan by cofounders Mia and Jason Bauer. The design of Crumbs Bake Shops is inspired by old-time neighborhood bakeries, creating a warm and friendly environment with wall-to-wall treats. Ranked the largest retailer of cupcakes nationwide and one of Inc. Magazine’s 10 Breakout Companies of 2010, Crumbs currently has 50 locations, including 29 locations in the New York Metro area, four locations in Connecticut, six locations on the West Coast, five locations in Washington, D.C., one location in Virginia and five locations in Illinois.

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// NEWS

FOOD BROKERAGE

Major Brokerage Shakeup In Metro NY As Advantage And Waypoint Merge Advantage Sales & Marketing LLC (ASM) recently announced it has agreed to become an equity partner in Advantage Waypoint LLC, a newly formed sales and marketing company focused on

“With this landmark partnership, I am pleased to launch ASM into the foodservice industry,” said Sonny King, ASM chairman and chief executive officer. “Advantage Waypoint allows ASM to provide our clients with unparalleled service in the foodservice industry nationwide.”

Advantage Waypoint LLC is comprised of the eight companies that

the foodservice industry. continued on page 88

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// SCOOP HMS Host Awards Scholarships To Culinary Institute of America Students SCOOP says as part of its five-year strategic partnership, HMSHost, a world leader in travel shopping and dining, recently announced the winners of a recipe contest featuring students from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), The winning recipes will be featured over the next year in more than 100 of HMSHost’s proprietary restaurants at airports around the country. “Our students are thrilled to have the opportunity to show off their creativity and earn scholarships at the same time,” said David Kamen, project manager, CIA Consulting. “The college is grateful to HMSHost for its support in helping CIA students pursue dreams of successful careers in the diverse and vibrant foodservice and hospitality industry.” Jessica Hargrove, from Lake Jackson, TX, won the first place honor in the appetizer category with a Macaroni & Cheese Flatbread topped with Candied Bacon and Shredded Brussels sprouts. Lauren Fury, who is from Brooksville, FL, took first place in the entrée category with her recipe of Fried Chicken and Waffles with Country Gravy and Grade A maple syrup. The month-long submission period in November generated more than 35 recipe submissions from students of all levels at the CIA. The theme of the recipe contest was “All-American Comfort Food,” and students could enter a recipe in both categories of appetizer and entrée. Once the finalists were selected, four judges chose three finalists in each of the two categories.

“HMSHost’s commitment to the CIA, its students and the culinary arts overall is why we’re excited to continue this partnership with one of the world’s best culinary colleges,” said Bill Casey,

INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE vice president of HMSHost’s Restaurant Portfolio. Winners Jessica Hargrove and Lauren Fury each received $5,000 in scholarship funds, provided

Robert Bratton (right) of HMSHost and a CIA alumnus presents scholarship awards to top winners Jessica Hargrove (left) and Lauren Fury (center).

Hargrove placed first in the Appetizer category and Fury was the winner in the Entrée category.

by HMSHost. In addition, HMSHost also donated $15,000 to the CIA’s general scholarship fund, as part of its five-year strategic partnership with the culinary college.

New Garden State Designing Dealer Look out for more commercial kitchens and restaurants with the premier design expertise of DL Foodservice Design to be popping up in northern New Jersey. In order to better service the northern areas of New Jersey and New York, DL Foodservice Design is expanding operations from one office and one design showroom in Brick, New Jersey, to an additional office in East Rutherford, New Jersey. DL Foodservice Design has been completing restaurant and commercial kitchen design and build projects throughout New Jersey, but the additional office will allow DL Foodservice Design to take on additional projects in new ar-

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eas. The new East Rutherford office will provide the northern New Jersey region with the same services as the DL Foodservice Design office in Brick. DL Foodservice Design specializes in consulting services to hotel and restaurant operators in areas of the foodservice industry spanning from concept development and workflow analysis, to kitchen, restaurant, and facility design.

Garnering 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry, DL Foodservice Design has become renowned as one of New Jersey’s premier foodservice design firms, a top kitchen equipment contractor, and a full service restaurant equipment supplier.

Slice Of Brooklyn Bus Tour Gets TV Show SCOOP notes that The Travel Channel has ordered up a real “Slice of Brooklyn.” The network has greenlit a pilot for a series based on Brooklynite Tony Muia’s pizza-themed bus tour, “A Slice of Brooklyn.” The $75 lunchtime tour takes pizza fans on a ride through Brooklyn, with stops for slices

lyn Army Terminal, where Elvis Presley shipped out to Germany. Of course, no Brooklyn tour is complete without stops at movie locations from films like “Saturday Night Fever,” “GoodFellas” and “Scent of a Woman.” The proposed TV series will star Muia and his neighborhood buddies. Travel Channel also announced 2012 series including a day-in-the-life on “Miami International Airport,” hotel-fixing “Hotel Impossible” and behind-scenes- “Vegas stripped.”

Music Promoter Expands Tastes With Bronx Eatery SCOOP hears that the memory of the great Latin music impresario Ralph Mercado Jr. remains fresh in the mind of the son who shares his name. Ralph Mercado III carries on his father’s legacy of promoting Latin musical acts, and next month, he’ll also follow in his father’s footsteps again with the opening of a Latino-themed restaurant – this time, in Throgs Neck. “I want to bring back something I think the Latino community sees, and that is our sense of self,” Mercado said. “We’re proud of our heritage. I wanted to bring that proud spirit to a new restaurant. Just like his father’s former restaurant and lounge in Hell’s Kitchen, Mercado’s

Slice of Brooklyn’s Tony Muia

at famous pizzerias Grimaldi’s, no wait necessary, and L&B Spumoni Gardens, while detailing pizza’s history from its native Italian origins to its transatlantic journey to Brooklyn. Along the way, tour goers are also taken to famed sites including Brighton Beach, Bay Ridge’s “Gingerbread House” and the Brook-

Ralph Mercado III

place will be called Babalu, after the famous Desi Arnez croon. Another famil-

iar element for diners will be celebrity chef Alex Garcia. What will be different is the cuisine. While the original Babal focused on Cuban food, the new place will fuse flavors from all over Latin America, including Cuban, Dominican, Ecuadoran, Puerto Rican, and Mexican cuisines, among others. “We wanted to make this something all Latinos can enjoy,” Mercado said. Ralph Mecado Jr. who died in 2009, managed nearly every major talent in Latin music, including two of the industry’s giants, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. His son followed his lead early on. By age 16, Mercado was promoting concerts himself. “My father was my idol,” Mercao said. “If I could do a third of what he did, I’d be happy.” He chose Throgs Neck for the new venture because of the richly diverse Latino community in the Bronx, he said.

Foursquare Debuts NYC Dining APP SCOOP says Foursquare, the app that lets people share their locations with select friends, is moving beyond the check-in. Early last year, the service introduced a feature called Explore, which used algorithms to suggest nearby restaurants and other places to visit, based on the check-in history of a user and that user’s friends. Last month, the company expanded that tool further by releasing a version of its recommendation engine for the Web. “The focus until now has been about mayorships and badges,” said Dennis Crowley, one of the founders of the company. “We’re getting to the point where we can flex our data and tell you, we think you’ll like this place.” Users can filter results by places they have visited, places that they have not yet been and places that their friends have visited. The new feature puts Foursquare more squarely in competition with business recommendation sites and travel guides like Yelp, Zagat and Frommer’s.

Roebic Names Schmidt To VP-Sales Post

SCOOP heard that Dale Schmidt has joined Roebic Laboratories, as Vice President Commercial Sales, concentrating on the development of the Commercial restaurant, hospitality and plumbing wholesale markets. He was

Dale E Schmidt of Roebic

previously with, BiOWiSH Technologies Inc. as Executive Vice President, Consumer & Trade and played a key role in the Chicago-based company’s entry to North America, particularly in the hardware, home improvement, plumbing and commercial cleaning industries. Prior to BiOWiSH, Dale was Vice President, Retail Sales at Elkay Sales Inc. where he was responsible for the North American market. Concurrently, he held the position of Vice President, Global Sales for the company. He also worked at Bemis Manufacturing

for over 28 years, where his last position was Vice President, Sales & Marketing in charge of all Bemis branded products sold in the US and Canada.

Dale holds a master’s degree in business administration and currently lives with his family in St. Charles, Illinois.

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Rolex Sues B’klyn Nosh Spot Over Name SCOOP notes that Rolex has a beef with a Brooklyn deli. The maker of luxury watches apparently is afraid its customers might confuse its products, which sell for thousands of dollars, with the $5.99 pastrami sandwiches offered at Fort Greene’s Rolex Deli.

And the Swiss company has made a federal case of it, by filling a trademarkinfringement suit. Shawqu Ali, a father of seven, said he named his business Rolex Deli because “it’s a name that is associated with quality and prestige,” adding he was proud to be wearing what he described as a “Rolex” on his

wrist. The name gives the “false impression that defendants and their services and goods are in some way affiliated with Rolex,” the Manhattan federal court suit says. But any way you slice it, Ali can’t understand the giant company’s beef. “There’s nothing Rolex-related on the menu,” he pointed

out. “Apparently, Rolex doesn’t know the difference between a sandwich and a watch. Regular people know the difference.” He said the State Division of corporations approved the name before he opened four months ago. But Rolex is arguing in court papers that

the delicatessen, which is sandwiched between a pharmacy and a clothing store, would “dilute the distinctiveness of the Rolex trademark.” “If I were to restart everything, including all of the licensing and adding a new facade and redoing the menus, it would cost me at least 30 grand,” he said.

New Brooklyn Based Site Aims To Be Hub For Restaurant Hiring SCOOP notes that New York City has over 23,000 restaurants employing an estimated 300,000 people, and in an industry with high turnover, that means a lot of open jobs. “But when restaurateurs need to hire, we’ve constantly

come up with the same problem,” says Greg Fanslau, a partner at the Carroll Gardens eatery Prime Meats. “There’s one or two Web sites that the majority in New York City use to post jobs and the response is just not getting qualified candidates.” What was needed, he figured, was the same type of niche site that bankers, insurance agents and even teenagers have to advertise and secure jobs. So along with his fiancée, Laura Werts, the manager of Tribeca Treats bakery and another industry vet, he started one. Launched last month, 86 List – whose name is drawn from the term for a board where restaurant workers track the availability of menu items, aims to be the go-to site for restaurant hiring and networking, by combining job postings with the interactivity of social media. “Typical job boards are a one-way street,” says Fanslau. “This is a two-way street where members can fill out a profile, list their qualifications and tell a little

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Goldman Sachs is now serving Rickshaw Dumplings in the firm’s NYC Dining Facility

bit about themselves.” Restaurants can also create a profile, and post job listings for a small fee. And hiring managers can search the membership database for specific positions ranging from busboy to accountant. “If they’re looking for a sous chef, they can scroll the members screen and see who has sous chef experience in their profile,” says Fanslau. At least one major NYC restaurateur is enthusiastic about the site. “I think it’s a great idea,” says Eleven Madison Park owner William Guidara. “The key to success in hospitality is finding the right people, and that can be difficult. A resource like 86 List would be a great help.”

Rickshaw Dumpling Duo Tabbed At Goldman Sachs SCOOP knows that Kenny Lao has the kind of credentials, a master’s in business administration from New

York University and a former job as a Wall Street analyst, that might come in handy when pitching business to Goldman Sachs. But the only deals he had to offer Goldman were stuffed steamed and served in packs of six. Mr. Lao is the co-funder of Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, a Manhattan restaurant that has been serving up dumplings since 2005.

Last month, Rickshaw was invited to sell its dumplings inside Goldman’s cafeteria, an 11th-floor outpost inside the firm’s gleaming skyscraper in Lower Manhattan. Goldman’s dumpling connection began several years ago, when Rickshaw operated a food truck that often parked near the bank’s former headquarters on Broad Street. When the firm moved to the new building in 2010, Rickshaw found it harder to park nearby. “So Goldman people e-mailed us, telling us to come to 200 West,” Lao said. This winter, a Goldman representative asked Rickshaw to sell dumplings for a week in its cafeteria, which on most days features sushi, a carving station and upscale menu items like truffled macaroni and cheese. Mr. Lao jumped at the opportunity. “The truck business is very cyclical,” he said. For us to have the opportunity to be indoors at a company where we have fans is great.” Mr. Lao has been observing his Goldman clientele with interest. They tend to eat lunch in regular shifts, he said around 11:35 am and 12:15 and 1:30 pm. They prefer the pork and chicken-based dumplings to the

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and Shrubs

Forager Evan Strusinski supplies eateries with food picked from the forest like this Hericium coralloides (that would be a type of mushroom to you laypeople)

vegetarian option, an edamame-base dumpling with lemon sans dip. Goldman’s cafeteria, which is run by Aramark, often features guest chefs and food brought in from New York restaurants like Hill Country. At a coffee bar just outside the cafeteria, employees can buy La Colombe coffee and cookies from Bochon Bakery, the high-end establishment founded by the chef Thomas Keller.

NYC Chefs Smoking Weed…

SCOOP sees that New York restaurants are now plucking weeds straight from the woods and putting them on your plate. Matt Lightner snaps a branch off a low-lying shrub, plucks a leaf from it, crumbles it in his hand and sniffs. “Wintergreen,” he announces, tucking it into his bag. “Good for broth or ice cream.” Ahead of him, Evan Strusinski shouts, “Dude, pay dirt!” He scampers toward a dying oak, kneels over a pale orange clump of mushrooms growing from the bark and frowns. “It’s chicken of the woods, and it’s past its edible stage,” he says.

Such is the life of a forager in winter; slim pickings, lots of optimism. Lightner, 31, and Strusinski, 39, are undeterred in their search for forest food.

They’ve driven an hour north of the city, to Harriman State Park; to look for edible mushrooms and plants they can pluck from the ground for dishes at Lightner’s soon-to-open TriBeCa restaurant, Atera.

Lightner moved here last year from Portland, Ore., where he made his name cooking with foraged foods at Castagna restaurant. Strange-tasting as it sounds, he won awards for this kind of cuisine: Food and Wine magazine named him a Best New Chef of 2010, and for the past two years he’s been nominated as a Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation.

// IRFSNY PRE-SHOW IRFSNY Of New York Announces The 2012 Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum Reed Exhibitions Companies, producers of the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show, announced the education program for the 2012 Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum.

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he Forum offers over 30 sessions providing the gold-standard, industry-leading educational content that is practical and relevant for today’s foodservice professional.

15,000 industry leaders will gather at these sessions, offered at no charge, to profit from real applicable business lessons, the latest information on trends and best practices in the market.

This year’s emphasis on trends will include sessions on social media, catering, healthy/green, beverages, legal, top business management, networking, staffing and hospitality.

New to the expo this year is the Fast Track Education Program, a 4-hour session by David Scott Peters on Tuesday, March 6 from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

New to the expo this year is the Fast Track Education Program, a 4-hour session by David Scott Peters on Tuesday, March 6 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Peters will present on the principles of using systems to cut and control food and liquor costs, creating a menu that dazzles, delights and goes “ka-ching,” the insider secret that transforms “paper profits” into cold, hard cash and how to stop the fatal cycle of poor management.

Peters will present on the principles of using systems to cut and control food and liquor costs, creating a menu that dazzles, delights and goes “ka-ching,” the insider secret that transforms “paper profits” into cold, hard cash and how to stop the fatal cycle of poor management. This 4-hour intensive

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

workshop is offered at only $99, and includes an exhibit hall pass for a guest at no charge.

In addition to the Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum, Reed Exhibitions, Ferdinand Metz CMC and Kathleen Wood are pleased to present the New York 2012 Presentation and Network-

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

ing Event of The Foodservice Council for Women: “Breaking Barriers to Success - How to be Unstoppable in Life and Business,” a dynamic panel of industry leaders focused on sharing real life experiences for overcoming obstacles to success and providing practical tips and techniques for the industry.

Access to the Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum is included at no charge to visitors of the event and the program is approved by the American Culinary Federation for Continuing Education Hours.

While at the show, foodservice professionals will have the opportunity to see new products and services from 500+ exhibitors. Special events include the All New Front of House Experience and New Healthy Solutions Pavillion.

In addition, attendees have the opportunity to attend the New York Wine Expo on Sunday, March 4 with their International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York badge.

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

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// NEWS

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Flexibility Is Key To NJ Dealer’s Continual Growth Al Green will tell you without hesitation that the restaurant supply business is not a place for the faint of heart. He says the key to success lies in flexibility.

“Y

ou have to go with the flow, you have to bob and weave to make yourself better,” he says. “You have to reinvent yourself at least once or twice a year. New competition springs up; offshore manufacturers kill the traditional dealer. You need to change to survive.”

That mode of doing business has allowed E&A, a family business, to thrive for 40 years while many other similar businesses have faltered or

been acquired by lager corporations.

“We have a 100,000-square-foot facility and help open two to six restaurants a week,” Al says. “We do complete openings and are major distributors for most brands. This is a family operation with six sales people on the road and our own trucks.”

Flexibility, Al says, has as much to do with a mindset as it does with being able to physically change with the times.

“I have one of the largest showrooms in the business and forever changing it,” he says. “We add new

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Service “Circle of Excellence” in recognition of their individual accomplishments and commitments to the food service industry in the metro New York marketplace. products and have new signage on our building. We get videos and CDs so the customers can see and they have something. We have autocad running on the machines. We’re always looking for new ideas and thoughts.”

Al says he is also grateful that the next generation of Greens is making their mark in the family business.

The kids, he says, are starting to take on more responsibilities. Nephews, nieces and cousins round out the family business. Al says the next generation will face even more challenges as time moves on.

“There are less and less jobs and it’s hard to keep up,” he says. “If you don’t change, you’re not going

to make it and we do our best to change.”

Still, he says, although there is more competition than ever before, the consumer, too, is becoming increasingly savvy to the merits of quality products.

“You get a smart customer who has been in the industry longer. They know how to plan and buy merchandise rather than buy stuff that will last six months or two years,” he says. “We want to sell quality products for the long term. We deal in re-used equipment, so we can judge; a good product will last forever and junk will last a short time.”

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Booth #1244

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// NEWS

RESTAURANTS

NYC Toque White Brings Osteria Morini To Jersey Chef Michael White has brought his Soho hot spot Osteria Morini to Bernardsville, N.J.

White’s second Osteria Morini has taken over the former Due Terre spot, and will feature regional Italian dishes from Emilia-Romagna, with housemade pasta, traditional ragus, grilled meats, and roasted whole fish.

The New Jersey location is just a tad smaller than its Soho sister, with about 90 seats instead of Soho’s 98. The New Jersey outpost will have a “more open and rustic setting with more bar space.”

Although Michael White’s soulful, flavorful interpretations of Italian cuisine indicate otherwise, he is not an Italian native who absorbed generations of recipes at birth. He is, in fact, a Midwesterner who spent the majority of his childhood days in Beloit, Wisconsin playing football and swimming competitively. At the time, cooking was simply an enjoyable family pastime and an escape from the biting winter.

By whim or intuition, White decided to try his hand at culinary school, pursuing a career out of something that had been only a passing fancy. He enrolled at Kendall Culinary Institute in 1989 and just a year later, secured a

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Booth #1703

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// Q&A Anthony Leone, Owner of Energy Kitchen, NYC Anthony Leone of Energy Kitchen chatted with Total Food Service about his philosophy behind his succesful new restaurant and where he sees the franchise headed.

Anthony Leone, Owner and CEO of Energy Kitchen

What’s the philosophy behind Energy Kitchen?

The key part of our philosophy is that every item we sell is less than 500 calories. We don’t fry anything; everything we cook is either grilled, baked, or steamed. The look and feel of the stores has to be congruent with the healthy food we’re selling. We want to remove the temptation to unhealthy eating. We serve only low-calorie beverages. No regular Coke, only diet. And we do all of that without sacrificing taste.

Even places like Burger King and Taco Bell have tried to introduce healthier options lately. How do you differentiate yourself from other fast food places with healthy options?

A lot of those restaurants have introduced salads and things like that, but then they pair those salads with highcalorie dressings and sodas. So even if you go into those places with a focus on healthy eating, you’re still consuming a significant number of calories. Sure, it’s better for you than a burger and fries, but we can still do better.

ple to your healthier option?

Absolutely. Palates change over time.

I like to compare it to drinking wine: when people first start drinking wine, they’re more than happy with something like a White Zinfandel, but then their tastes mature and they start drinking more Cabernets and Merlots.

We think we can be an industry leader and change people’s tastes. That’s our mission. If you’d told people 15 years ago that you could make a lot of money selling vitamins in water, they’d say that you’re crazy. Now every 16-yearold is drinking Vitamin Water every day.

Do you see it as one of your goals to curb the obesity epidemic?

We certainly think there’s an opportunity there. Two-thirds of us are overweight, one-third obese, and I think there’s increasing awareness of the problem. Already we’ve got mandatory calorie-posting laws in New York and California, and it’s only a matter of time before that becomes a nationwide thing. So we think that’s a growth industry right now, and we want to be the pioneer and leader in the healthy fast casual segment.

As every parent knows, kids can be incredibly finicky eaters. How do you get them to eat a different kind of french fry?

We think that we can raise kids to prefer our baked french fry. I’ve got an eight year old and a five year old, and they eat at my restaurants all the time and they love the burgers and fries. We make healthy food delicious without adding calories, and that appeals to diners of all ages. We’re confident that we can change America’s eating habits for the better.

At your restaurants, you served baked fries instead of fried French fries. Do you really think you can convert peo-

It often seems that the major food vendors charge a premium for healthy products, and that the food they sell

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cheaper is the food that’s not good for you. How do you keep your prices reasonable while also making a profit on healthy food items?

Obviously, we want to make a profit, but our primary mission is to change the way America eats. The better you eat, the better you feel, and the more successful you’re going to be. That’s what we want to provide, and our vendors understand that. We only go out to bid once a year, so we have a full year to build relationships with our vendors and get the best products possible at the cheapest prices for our customers. They see that we’re successful, and that we’re expanding, and they want to build relationships with us. It allows them to stand with us in our quest to make America healthier.

You mentioned that some of your stores are company-owned and some are franchised. What are the pros and cons of each of those approaches?

I think we’d like to have a roughly even split between franchise and company stores. The good thing about corporate stores is that you control everything.

You have a manager that’s not performing effectively, you let them go. But the downside is that you grow slower, because you only have so much money in your pockets. With a franchise, you grow using other peoples’ money, so you can expand much more quickly, but you have less control. If the store is poorly run, it takes a lot more time and money to turn it around.

What’s your approach to building a management team?

Hiring people with the right attitude is crucial. I’ll hire attitude over skills all day long. But it’s also important to hire people with experience in the food industry. Food is a unique busi-

ness. There’s a lot to manage: vendors, employees, customers. So we look for people who have already been successful in other food service environments, and then we educate them and make them our own.

You’ve worked with Michael Pauley for many years. How has his vision helped you grow the company?

He’s one of a kind, a magical visionary.

I’m blessed to have him as a partner.

He comes in every week to talk strategy with my vice-president and me. Because he’s not here every day, he brings a more consumer-oriented perspective, which really helps us see the big picture.

What are the dynamics of being successful in Manhattan, and how does that differ in White Plains or in Hoboken?

New Yorkers want to eat very quickly, they have a half-hour for lunch, but they also have a lot more options that

will accommodate that half-hour lunch. The suburban customers are much more willing to wait for their lunch. We can also open larger locations in the suburbs, and our suburban locations also have much smaller delivery operations.

How does your commitment to healthy living influence other parts of your business? Do you have any sort of sustainability agenda?

We try to go green wherever we can.

We print on recycled paper, we use soy ink. Our packaging is made from sugar cane. We install LED lighting wherever we can in our stores. We’ve worked out an arrangement with ConEd to use only green energy--solar and wind. It means we spend a little more on our overhead, but it’s important to us. It’s part of our healthy-living brand.

What is your approach to advertising your business?

We’re all over social media. We’re on

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Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. We have a full-time advertising director whose primary focus is social media.

We do a small amount of print advertising, and we’ve considered doing some radio and television advertising at some point in the future, but a lot of our focus is social media publicity.

ry Chef that would allow us to do that.

What was your approach to selecting an equipment package for your locations?

We wanted the best equipment, but it was also important to us to have timesaving equipment. We needed our ticket times to be as short as possible, so we needed to be able to cook food fast. We went with a Lang Grill because it has radium heat up top, which cooks food quickly, and also seals in flavor and juices. We also use Merry Chef ovens to bake our fries. Most “baked” fries are actually pre-fried, and only finished off in an oven. We bake our fries every step of the way, so it was important to us to buy a piece of equipment like the Mer-

Do you see potential for institutional applications of the Energy Kitchen concept? Universities, airports, places like that?

Absolutely. We just opened up our first school location, at St. John’s University in Queens. There are tons of focus groups that show that students are looking for healthier meal options. So that was just a matter of the administration of St. Johns listening to their student body. I also think airports would be tremendous. It’s very difficult to find food in airports that’s both healthy and inexpensive, and I think an airport operation would be very profitable.

What’s your approach to finding locations? Do you have multiple brokers?

We use one broker in each market. We really value having one person to deal with, and being able to build a relationship with them.

Booth #1608

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// NEWS

HEALTHY MENUS

NYC Celebrity Chef Arpaia Teams With Atkins To Fight Obesity Atkins, the original and leading low-carb weight loss plan based on an extensive scientific body of research, announced a partnership last month with celebrity chef, restaurateur and new mother, Donatella Arpaia.

T

he initiative launched with a new cookbook, “The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook: 200 Simple and Delicious LowCarb Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less,” by Colette Heimowitz, M.Sc., Vice President of nutrition and education at Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. The cookbook, published by Touchstone, recently hit shelves at bookstores nationwide and will debut on The New York Times best-seller list on Sunday, January 22. It is the latest cookbook to incorporate the proven, delicious, and satisfying new Atkins Diet by explaining the essentials and offering more than 200 tasty Atkins-friendly recipes that have never before been published in print or online.

The partnership between Chef Donatella Arpaia and Atkins was officially announced at the NYC cookbook launch event last month. “As a rule, I have always tried to follow a low-carb lifestyle - especially since (like millions of other Americans) I tend to be slightly hyperglycemic. During my pregnancy, I tried to find comfort in carbs, but ended up gaining 50 pounds! I wasn’t happy with how I looked, I was fatigued and knew something had to change. Shortly thereafter, I started the Atkins Diet and dove into the plan head-first. I’ve already lost a noticeable amount of pounds and inches.” Arpaia added, “Atkins’ new cookbook fits perfectly with my busy lifestyle as a new mom - the recipes can be prepared in less than 30 minutes

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the past several decades supporting the safety and efficacy of the Atkins Diet.

Heimowitz educated attendees about the diet’s long-term, well-balanced plan that teaches individuals to find their personal carb balance. Atkins dieters say they have fast initial weight loss - up

Donatella Arpaia (R), chef, and Colette Heimowitz (L), M.Sc. Author of “The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook” read through Heimowitz’s book.

and allow me to eat delicious, satisfying meals. Of course, like any chef I always add my own signature twist to any dish I prepare!”

Chef Arpaia is most notably known as a recurring judge on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” “Next Iron Chef” and a regular contributor to the “Today” show. She was recently named both “Hostess with the Mostest” by Zagat and one of the “Most Powerful Women in Manhattan” according to the New

from vegetarian to non-dairy to proteins, providing guests with a myriad of delicious and satisfying foods to sample.

“The recipes featured in the new cookbook, including those that were served at the launch, showcase the variety of balanced, delicious foods that are at the heart of the Atkins Diet and can be easily adapted for any lifestyle. We are thrilled to join hands with Donatella and are confident this way of eating will get her to her goal weight and sustained

The partnership between Chef Donatella Arpaia and Atkins was officially announced at the NYC cookbook launch event last month.

York Post.

Chef Arpaia presented several cooking demonstrations, showcasing some of her handpicked favorites from the new Atkins cookbook. The recipes she prepared included Sauteed Onion, Black Olive and Goat Cheese Pizza, Shaved Fennel Salad with Lemon Dressing, Roasted Ginger-Tamari Salmon Steaks and Crustless Ginger Cheesecake with Lime-Sour Cream Topping. Attendees nibbled on appetizers ranging

weight maintenance,” said Heimowitz. “The Atkins Diet is designed to ‘flip the body’s metabolic switch’ from burning carbs to burning fat. Graduated carb introduction helps avoid blood sugar and insulin spikes, which cause hunger and cravings resulting in overeating and weight gain,” she added. Heimowitz, who authored the cookbook, provided guests with in-depth information regarding the more than 80 published, peer-reviewed studies conducted over

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to 15 pounds in the first two weeks. It is a time-tested and scientifically validated plan. Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. is a leader in the $2.4 billion weight control nutrition category, and offers a powerful lifetime approach to weight loss and management.

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Booth #1830 37 • February 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

// NEWS

HONORS

Garden State Chef Chambers Wins Top National Conference Center Honors

C

harles J. Chambers, Executive Sous Chef at Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center in Florham Park, NJ captured the US position in the IACC-Americas qualifying cook-off position and the right to represent the United States at the International Association of Conference Centers’ ninth annual Copper Skillet Cooking Competition. The event was held at the Summit Executive Centre in Chicago on January 6.

Seven other chefs from IACC chapters in North America, Europe, and Australia will join Chef Chambers at La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa in Montgomery, TX in March to vie for the crown of the Global Conference Center Chef of the Year. The popular Copper Skillet competition was introduced in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC-member conference centers around the world and to honor their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference center experience.

Chef Chambers graduated Cum Laude from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the Executive Sous Chef at Hamilton Park Hotel and Conference Center in Florham Park, New Jersey. CJ has worked for the

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// NEWS

ACQUISITIONS

Pattinger Led Premium Supply Company Acquires Tassone Premium Supply Company, Inc., a leading supplier of food service equipment and supplies in the Tri-State area, announced its agreement with Tassone Equipment to acquire the assets of Tassone and hire key Tassone personnel.

T

he parties anticipate closing the transaction March 1, 20l2. “Tassone Equipment has been a leader in our industry for years,” said Jay Pattinger, President of Premium Supply Company. “I am thrilled at the opportunity to incorporate this prestigious operation into the Premium Supply family.” “With our tradi-

tion of commitment, this partnership will compliment and enhance our services while providing a broader range of opportunities to our customers and employees and leave us perfectly positioned to move into the future.” As part of the transaction, owners Donald Tassone and Frank Nasta, as well as senior account executive George Nasta

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and other key sales personnel will be joining Premium Supply. “We are tremendously excited at the prospect of partnering with Premium Supply,” said Donald Tassone, President and owner of Tassone Equipment. “Most importantly, this union will provide our customers with the same outstanding service and an even broader line of

products and services such as contract, design-build, and engineering.” Frank Nasta, Vice President of Tassone added, “The coupling of these two family businesses will enable us to further capitalize on our respective history of service and proficiency – a benefit we are excited to share with our long standing customers.” Mr. Pattinger, who also serves as Vice President of the Pride Marketing and Procurement buying group, added that the acquisition will directly benefit Premium’s and Tassone’s customers, through increased market coverage as well as delivery of enhanced capabilities. Premium Supply Company continues its reputation of excellence with its current staff of experts, now enhanced with the additional Tassone workforce. Premium will continue to seek other such opportunities as it continues to pursue its growth strategy.

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// NEWS

HUSSMANN NEWS

RPI, Hussmann Agreement is a Win-Win Regal Pinnacle Integrations Industries has reached an agreement with Hussmann, making RPI the sole distributor of Hussmann display cases in the food service industry.

H

ussmann has been one of the largest manufacturers of supermarket display cases for a century, and this new initiative will allow them to expand their reach into restaurants and institu-

tional dining facilities. Says PJ Gavin of RPI, “Hussmann was a billion-dollar-plus presence in the supermarket industry, but they wanted to ehance and grow foodservice marketshare.

So when we approached them with a

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distribution deal, they were delighted. It’s great for us, too, because now we’re more vertically integrated.”

RPI was founded in 1997, and provides architectural millwork and store fixtures for the food service in-

dustry. Their product lines include, among others, Wine Furniture, for attractive display of wine in a climatecontrolled environment, and Green Screen, an environmentally-friendly line of refrigeration products. Hussmann has been around since 1906, providing climate-controlled fixtures for food markets. Their products include refrigerated display cases, takeout walk-ins, upright reach-in coolers, and freezers.

The new deal has already paid dividends for both companies. In 2010, when the Plaza Food Hall in Midtown was under development, RPI was the primary supplier of climate-controlled food storage. With the recently

announced addition to the Plaza eatery project, the newly combined RPI-Hussmann team has been contracted to build kiosks for each of the incoming tenants. “This will give us an opportunity in a very high-profile location like the Plaza to display the strengths of our new combination,” says Gavin. The Plaza will feature well-known names in the industry.

RPI has helped Hussmann handle a major challenge of growing into the food service industry: meeting the customization needs of chefs and restaurateurs. This posed a particular difficulty in the Plaza Food Hall project. “The Plaza is a high-end project, so they needed custom millwork on their display cases. We had the connections needed to make that happen.”

RPI is especially excited about bringing some of Hussmann’s newest products to the food service industry.

Hussmann has recently introduced EMS technology, which purifies the air in refrigerated cases and kills bacteria. “The technology hasn’t made it into the food-service industry yet,” says Gavin, “but we think it’s substantially better than anything else currently on the market.” RPI plans to roll it out across the country in the coming year.

The agreement has also opened up new markets for RPI products in supermarkets. As supermarkets move more and more towards providing ready-to-eat meals and in-store cafes, they need display cases specifically designed for food-service applications, which RPI can more readily provide. “Most supermarkets have trouble making a profit these days just by selling green beans and paper towels. They increasingly need food service operations to be a profit center for them,” says Gavin. RPI will be bringing their Vienna product line to FMI in Dallas this year along with their Hussmann products.

RPI and Hussmann see a bright future for this piece of the collabo-

“This will give us an opportunity in a very high-profile location like the Plaza to display the strengths of our new combination.”

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ration. Says Gavin, “We think, in five years, this will be a major piece of our business. Because we’re a smaller company than Hussmann, we provide the flexibility they need to go after this market segment. “No project is too simple for us,” concluded Gavin.

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Booth #1620

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// NEWS

EVENTS

Greenwich Hospital Set To Honor Stratta At Annual Great Chefs Event

G

reenwich Hospital has announced plans to honor chef Adraiano Stratta at the 27th annual Great Chefs fundraiser set for next month at the Greenwich Hyatt.

Great Chefs benefits Community Health at Greenwich Hospital, which offers education programs, health screenings and support groups to Connecticut and New York residents.

“It’s an honor to be part of Great Chefs and be back in Greenwich,” Stratta said. “To find ourselves after so many years striving to support Greenwich Hospital is wonderful. It’s interesting how things in life come around.”

Stratta will be recognized at the annual benefit, which features dozens of restaurants, catering companies and wineries from Fairfield and Westchester counties. This year, guests will enjoy gourmet food, wine tastings, silent and live auctions, and music by the Short Bus. Known for his appearances on television’s “Iron Chef USA” and Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” Stratta recently opened Bigoli Ristorante & Bar in Manhattan. He formerly showcased his talents at Alex, Stratta and Renoir in Las Vegas. A colon cancer survivor, Stratta is also working with the Cleveland Clinic to develop a diet focusing on brain health that could potentially help people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Frank Corvino, president and chief executive officer of Greenwich Hospital, said community health initiatives remain a priority at Greenwich Hospital despite the challenges posed by a tough economic climate.

“Last year, Community Health pro-

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Booth #1945

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Booth #1931

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// IRFSNY PRE-SHOW International Restaurant And Foodservice Show Of New York Announces Special Events For 2012

New York gathering of the Foodservice Council for Women on Monday, March 5, at 12:00pm. This year’s meeting features a dynamic panel of industry leaders sharing real life experiences and knowledge on this year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers to Success - How to be Unstoppable in Life and Business!”

Japan Pavilion

The 19th annual International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is pleased to present the 2012 lineup of special events to be held during the expo, March 4 to March 6, 2012 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

N

The Japan Pavilion returns to the show with an all-new demo theater, along with tastings, allowing attendees to discover the ingredients and tools essential to creating their own

ew and improved programming will provide dozens of exciting story ideas. Below are some highlights:

New Front of the House Experience This new showroom display area located right on the show floor is focused on helping the restaurateur and foodservice operator easily find ways to enhance their dinning rooms, bars, foyers, and special event rooms. Using sponsors’ products and designers’ concepts, five unique displays will create a vision of what attendees’ restaurants could look like to better entice diners and gain loyalty without complete redesigns and expensive construction.

This new showroom display area located

Japanese inspired cuisine.

right on the show floor is focused on helping

New York Wine Expo

the restaurateur and foodservice operator easily find ways to enhance their dinning rooms, bars, foyers, and special event rooms.

New Healthy Solutions Pavilion and Demonstration Theater Designed to assist restaurant and foodservice professionals in their quest to source and deliver healthy dining options, the platform provides education and cooking demonstrations, along with tasting aspects, sure to make it a favorite with attendees.

Located right on the show floor the theater will feature Executive Chefs from the top restaurants in New York City including Certified Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt – Master of

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Charcuterie, and Hell’s Kitchen Season 6 Executive Chef Kevin Cottle. Betsy Craig, CEO of Kitchens with Confidence, and other leading experts will gather to present the top information on healthy trends and current solutions for embracing healthy solutions in the industry.

2012 Foodservice Council for Women IRFSNY is proud to host the second

On Sunday, March 4, IFSRNY attendees are invited to attend the NY Wine Expo where they can sample over 640 wines from over 160 winemakers from around the globe in the Grand Tasting. Winemakers and winery principals will be available for questions, offer tips on serving, pricing and selecting the right vintage.

The Ultimate Barista Challenge Presented by the Ultimate Barista Challenge® USA, Professional baristi will face challengers on the exhibition floor as they prepare their signature espresso beverages for a panel of discerning judges. A showdown of three flights of espresso frappe, espresso cocktails and beautiful café latte art will lead to the crowning of “The Ultimate Barista.”

U.S. Pastry Competition Paris Gourmet presents the 23rd Annual U.S. Pastry Competition on Sunday, March 4, where 20 rising stars of the pastry world have been selected to compete for the coveted title, Pastry

Chef of the Year. Past competitors have represented restaurants like Daniel and Le Bernadin, and board members of the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique, one of the oldest and most prestigious chef associations in the world, preside over the judging procedures. This year’s showpiece theme is The Four Elements: Earth • Wind • Fire • Water

business lessons, the latest information on trends and best practices in the market, and their own opinions of what creates success. Guests will leave with concrete solutions they can apply immediately to: operate efficiently, enhance customers’ experience, profit from their menu, boost beverage earnings, and succeed in a challenging economic environment.

Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum

New Product Gallery

The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum is providing the gold-standard, industry-leading educational content that is practical and relevant for today’s foodservice professional. Industry leaders deliver real applicable

Located on the show floor the New Product Gallery gives attendees the opportunity to discover the latest products designed to enhance menus, deliver solutions and increase profits.

Attendees can vote for the “Best in

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Show” for the chance to win an Exhibit Hall Shopping Spree.

Pride of New York The Pride of New York Pavilion brings guests face-to-face with family farmers and food processors who have made New York State one of America’s leading farm-to-table suppliers of food and agricultural products.

The Show, which is the only all-encompassing event in New York exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry, is also home to more than 500 leading vendors and manufacturers showcasing their products.

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Mountain Creek Ski Area, Vernon, NJ 54 • February 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The Operator:

The Equipment & Supply Dealer:

Rob Younes, Vice President of

Michael Konzelman, Co-owner

Lodging and Hospitality

Economy Restaurant

Mountain Creek Holdings

Equipment And Supply

Vernon, NJ

Clifton, NJ

Rob Younes’ Approach I’ve been with Crystal Springs Resorts for five years. We bought the ski lodge in 2010, and it was my first experience working with that sort of facility. Everyone told me that the

to change the way ski resorts operate their foodservice operation, and our owner and our CEO supported me on that a hundred percent.

So our goal with the construction of the Red Tail Lodge was to change

We wanted a new mentality, one that would allow us to provide food for thousands of people a day without sacrificing quality.

goal was just to move people in and out as quickly as possible. I thought that something was missing in that vision. I saw myself coming in from the slopes and wanting a glass of wine and a fireplace to sit in front of.

So I thought there was a lot of room

the whole culture in ski resorts. We wanted a new mentality, one that would allow us to provide food for thousands of people a day without sacrificing quality. No longer were we going to be content with just serving chicken fingers and fries. You walk

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Mountain Creek has brought a fresh new approach to ski area foodservice

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We designed our private dining club, The Hawk’s Nest, to be a completely unique dining experience. We installed one of the largest fireplaces ever built in there.

The design build team specified Master-Bilt’s walk-ins

Mountain Creek has brought the ambiance of European skiing to the Garden State

Eloma’s Genius Combi Steamers gives Mountain Creek the versatility, consistency and the results they were after 57 • February 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

into the Red Tail Lodge in the morning, and the first part of the experience is our Kickstand Coffee place, with Starbucks beans. We wanted the quality of Starbucks while still providing a slightly different experience than our customers’ ordinary coffee place back home.

The biggest part of the food service operation at Red Tail is The Market, which is our main cafeteria. It’s dining-hall-style, and we still serve all the basics, but we wanted to commit to providing higher quality food and also healthy options. So we brought in Eloma Genius combi ovens, so we could control not only the heat, but also the humidity as well. So we can do all our fried items in there, and it’s much healthier—we brought in six chefs to do a taste test, and none of them could tell the difference between our French fries and French fries done in oil. We also decided we weren’t going to be satisfied with standard frozen burgers. So we went to Green Tree for our meat, we created our own unique blend, which comes to us fresh every day to cook in the oven.

We also wanted to provide healthier options in The Market, so we provided eight different types of sandwiches, we provide eight different kinds of soups, and both in regular bowls and bread bowls; we have a sushi bar, all kinds of different healthy snacks. We added a carving station as well: prime rib, semolina bread, and your choice of add-ins and herb mayonnaise. For our daily bread deliveries, we chose

Featherstone Foods as they provide so many bread options for our guests to choose from. For the dining hall’s display and grab n’ go options, Structural Concepts was the choice for their unprecedented elegance that their cases provide to match the dining hall’s design.

You move outside from there, we have an outdoor beer garden. We wanted to go for a German theme, so we only serve German beers there.

And the beer garden also serves pretzels, bratwurst and knockwurst from a German butcher in Alpine, New Jersey. It’s outdoors, but we built a heated kitchen in the back. You could put any top chef in there and he’d have no problem cooking—we even put heated floors in.

We designed our private dining club, The Hawk’s Nest, to be a completely unique dining experience. We

Krowne Metal’s commitment to quality is the backbone of Mountain Creek’s beverage profits

installed one of the largest fireplaces ever built in there. It seats around 65 people, and we combined American and European cuisines to create a menu that could satisfy a wide range of palates. You can order Wiener schnitzel on a pretzel croissant, but you can also order a bone-in rib eye steak. We also offer a large selection of whiskeys and bourbons and wines, and various types of leaf teas and French press coffees, all of which

“When you expect a thousand people an hour, you can’t be making pizzas or flipping burgers one at a time.”

True’s reach-in technology gives the Mountain Creek culinary team maximum flexibility

Mountain Creek offers a vast array of dining alternatives

can be taken on the Hawk’s Nest’s private deck.

Above the Hawk’s Nest is Schuss, our biggest bar. It’s 140 feet long, with 65 stools. Krowne Metal provided us

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with all the custom fabrication for the back bars and underbar equipment.

We offer shots served on skis, which we call “ski shots”, and a menu of Neapolitan pizzas and other Italianstyle entrees, like meatballs, mac and cheese, and handmade pastas. Across our various restaurants, we try to offer as many different cuisines as possible. We built a million-dollar kitchen to handle it all, and we’re proud to say that it runs like a well-oiled machine.

It’s incredibly clean and incredibly efficient, I’ve never been involved in anything like it before.

I had worked with the Konzelmans before, but never on this kind of scale.

They really wowed everyone, from the owner on down. They worked hard, seven days a week, and they’re still coming in on a regular basis to help us, whenever we need them.

Michael Konzelman’s Approach I got involved with this project in December of 2010. Rob called us and said that he was building a new ski resort, and he asked me to drop everything and come take a look. Interwest

Eloma’s T-Control guarantees menu consistency

had made the initial drawings for the previous owners of the property, before they sold back to Crystal Springs.

They hired a new architect, who was making changes to the building. I told him that I didn’t think the changes they were making would work, so Rob told me to fix it and come back in a week.

I realized that the plans they had drawn up would have prevented them from achieving their vision of a complete rethinking of ski resort cuisine. They needed a kitchen that was much more of a finishing facility. They’re not going to be making a pizza on the main level of the lodge; they’re taking a frozen pizza up there and finishing it. When you expect a thousand people an hour, you can’t be making pizzas or flipping burgers

one at a time.

So we installed Eloma Genius combi ovens, the products could be rolled in and out quickly. With those ovens, we could cook 20 pizzas in six or seven minutes, and do it consistently.

Those were our three focus areas: speed, efficiency, and consistency. We had to create a kitchen that was ready for the heaviest ski day possible.

Of course, storage is a challenge when you’re dealing with an operation that large. We put in three large walk-in units provided by Master-Bilt on the delivery level: a refrigerated unit, a frozen unit, and a third just for beer. We put three more walk-ins on

Southbend’s cooking battery is a key component for the resort’s Á la carte dining program.

Mountain Creek’s Red Tail Lodge features truly unique designs to give the new facility a vintage look

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Mountain Creek’s private dining club, The Hawks Nest combines American and European cuisines to create a menu that can satisfy a wide range of palates

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Mountain Creek’s Red Tail Lodge gives skiers another place to relax and wind down with a glass of wine or their favorite meal after a day on the slopes

the kitchen level: a frozen unit and two refrigerators. Our strategy was to just find the biggest units that would fit the space.

The Hawk’s Nest space threw a wrench into the whole process, because you need very different equipment to prepare a la carte meals than you do for cafeteria-style dining. So we built them a separate kitchen facility, which, unlike the cafeteria, has its own prep space. They also use the prep space in the main area downstairs, but they needed additional space right next to the dining room.

We gave them their own oven, an EarthStone dual-fuel oven, gas with wood assist. It’s great for producing flatbreads and pizzas.

Jeff Hendler of ICEsurance provided the beverage facilities, but we did all the engineering for that. We also

worked with Coca-Cola on placement issues, but it was up to me to figure out where the racks for the soda dispensers would go and where the beer system would go.

With so much equipment going into a building that was still under construction, installation was also certainly a challenge. The building didn’t have doorways yet, so we often had to lift equipment thirty feet into the air to put it through a hole in the side of the building. It was certainly not the type of installation I’m used to doing, and it was a fraught process at times.

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The Market at Redtail specified Structural Concepts’ Display and Grab ‘N Go cases

// NEWS

MENU TRENDS

NYC Based Restaurant Workers’ Group Releases Ethical Eating Guide A Manhattan based restaurant workers’ organization is moving beyond how food choices affect the environment or the lives of animals that end up on the menu.

The group Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United wants consumers to consider how the people making their food are being treated with the help of a 52-page manual released late last month called ROC National 2012 Diners’ Guide: A Consumer Guide on the Working Condi-

tions of American Restaurants.

The guide rates roughly 150 restaurants nationwide, including eateries where the organization has members.

The ratings are based on a variety of sources, including restaurant workers’ wages, paid sick leave, opportunities for career advancement, and

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wage theft and discrimination lawsuits.

Restaurants are divided into three categories in the guide: quick serve, casual and fine dining. “It’s just a very easy way for consumers to choose restaurants that put fairness in their menu,” said Daisy Chung, assistant

director of the ROC United New York office.

Some restaurant chains, like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, received gold prizes for giving workers paid sick days and staff promotions, as did in the West Village with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurants for paying hourly minimum wages starting at $5 with tips and $9 without tips. The Washington, D.C. institution Ben’s Chili Bowl got a silver prize for giving paid sick days to its workers.

Paid sick days are rare in the restaurant industry. The federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 and $7.25 for restaurant workers who don’t get tips.

continued on page 83

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// NEWS WeBuySafeFood.com Helps Eating Establishments Promote Safe Food Purchasing & Distribution Practices Several restaurants and eating establishments across the country have recently been designated as “WeBuySafeFood.com” eating establishments, meaning that they purchase food solely from food distributors who meet a particular set of high food distribution safety standards.

Many people are aware that there are various government agencies that regulate and keep track of the safe food preparation practices in restaurants and other public places, but they may not think about whether or not the food was delivered to the restaurant, school,

hospital, theme park, etc. C.O.D. (Contaminated on Delivery).

A new restaurant and consumer-oriented organization called WeBuySafeFood.com, Inc. (www.webuysafefood. com) is dedicated to helping restaurants promote their high food purchas-

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ing/distribution standards and making the public aware of the importance of good food distribution practices. The organization identifies distributors with the highest standards and the establishments that exclusively purchase from these high-standard, safety-vetted dis-

tributors.

WeBuySafeFood.com also promotes new members in their local markets, helping restaurants or other types of eating establishments (day care centers, schools, theme parks, nursing homes, etc.) communicate to their patrons and potential patrons, that they are not only mindful about how food is stored and prepared at the location, but also that it arrives to the location in the safest way possible.

The following are just some of the restaurants and other establishments that serve food to consumers that have already qualified as WeBuySafeFood.com members: Miller’s Ale House at 2250 East Lincoln Highway in Langhorne, PA; and Miller’s Ale House at 9495 East Roosevelt Blvd. in Philadelphia, PA; Renato’s Pizza at 36 South Maple Avenue

in Ridgewood, NJ; Sal’s Pizza at 6127 Bergenline Avenue in West New York, The Taco Truck at 309 Court Street in Hoboken, NJ: Slices and Ices Pizza at 159 Higbie Lane in West Islip, NY; Winter Club at 486 W. Main Street in Huntington, NY; Mill Neck Manor School at 40 Forest Mill Road in Mill Neck, NY: Stonybrook Childcare at South Dr. SUNY Stony Brook, NY; Learn & Play at 80 Herricks Road in Mineola, NY; Miller’s Ale House at 1800 Arches Circle in Deer Park, NY; Miller’s Ale House at 3046 Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, NY; Ye Olde Alpa at 50 Carmel Road in Wheeling, WV; Calamari’s at 1317 State Street in Erie, PA; Chovy’s at 18228 Conneaut Lake Road in Meadville, PA; and North Country Brewing at 141 South Main Street in Slippery Rock, PA Consumers can now start to look for the WeBuySafeFood.com plaque at eating establishments as an added resource in helping them decide which food establishments have raised the bar on safe food standards and practices.

If a restaurant or other establishment does not have a WeBuySafeFood.com

accreditation, they can visit the site to learn what they can do to achieve that status. These establishments can now also advertise the fact that they are WeBuySafeFood.com members and get support from the organization in spreading the word about food distribution safety.

In order for food distributors to achieve the WeBuySafeFood.com accreditation, they must adhere to all the following Good Food Safety Distribution Practices, which include: providing a HACCP Plan Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point document; having a Recall Policy; holding an independent annual inspection of their facility; having refrigerated receiving and shipping docks; holding ongoing food safety training for all employees; having separate refrigerated and frozen compartments for delivery vehicles and a FDA approved with a bioterrorism certificate number.

“We founded this organization to help consumers ensure that the food they eat has had a safe path from distribution to its final destination and consumer consumption,” says Jill Wagner, Founder of

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WeBuySafeFood.com, Inc. “Recent local news stories have shown that food can be exposed to high temperatures and cross-contamination during the trip from wholesale food stores and some distributors to restaurants or other places of preparation. And, because government health organizations have a multitude of tasks to perform during inspections of these food establishment kitchens, they cannot focus on how and where the food products were purchased.” Ms. Wagner added, “As a trained chef, a Mom, and someone who has been raised in a family that has been involved in various aspects of the food industry, I understand the problem and how serious it can be, and just how important it is to educate and protect the public in this way. In fact, according to the CDC, over 5,000 deaths and more than 70 million illnesses each year are attributed to contaminated food. We believe that WeBuySafeFood.com is the missing link on the consumer food chain, and many others must share our concern, since we’ve already gotten quite a bit of interest in our initiative

from food distributors and eating establishments throughout the country.”

The inaugural WeBuySafeFood.com distributors include: DiCarlo Distributors, Inc. (www.dicarlofood.com), in Holtsville, NY; Fox River Foods, Inc., based in Montgomery, IL, Renzi Brothers, Inc. (www.renzifoodservice.com), based in Watertown, New York and Curtze Food Service, (www.curtze.com) in Erie, PA. Restaurants and other food establishments that purchase food solely from WeBuySafeFood.com - certified distributors such as these, without exception, will also qualify to be certified as WeBuySafeFood.com locations, and the WeBuySafeFood.com certificate will be prominently displayed at each location. As other food distributors qualify and become members of WeBuySafeFood.com, they will be listed on the Web site and a notice will be sent to those interested on Facebook.

For more information on this accreditation, how to achieve it, and the marketing effort behind it, please visit www.WeBuySafeFood.com or find “webuysafefood.com” on Facebook.

// NEWS

FINANCE

Landry’s Begins Retrenching Of $116M Morton’s Investment With Brooklyn Closing Last month Landry’s closed at least eight units of Morton’s steakhouse in various markets as it completed its acquisition of the high-end steakhouse company.

T

he $116.6 million acquisition of Chicago-based Morton’s Restaurant Group Inc. was completed last

month in a tender-offer deal with affiliated companies owned by Houstonbased Landry’s chairman and chief ex-

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ecutive Tilman Fertitta.

Fertitta attended Texas Tech University and the University of Houston where

he studied business administration and hospitality management. He showed an entrepreneurial streak even in college when he started his own firm focused on marketing and sales and, after college, development and construction.

From there, Fertitta began building homes while selling Shaklee vitamins on the side. He moved full-time into foodservice in 1986 working as a real estate specialist for Landry’s. It was only a few short months before he bought the

continued on page 83

Garden State, from page 38 Anheuser Busch Company, Benchmark Hospitality, Dolce Hotels and Resorts and currently Destination Hotels & Resorts. He has competed in the 2007 and the 2011 IACC Copper Skillet USA Competition.

His approach to cooking is to use local, organic and sustainable ingredients when available. His style of cooking is fusion with strong emphasis of Latin and Asian flavors while using classical cooking techniques. Other competing chefs included Matthew L. Pinner, Executive Chef at The Chattanoogan in Chattanooga, TN; Seth Weiss, Executive Chef at The Conference Center at Niagara Falls; and Jeffrey Witte, Executive Chef at Airlie Conference Center in Warrenton, VA. Local judges evaluated the dishes based on originality of the creation, technique, presentation, textures, balance of flavor combinations and hygiene standard of the workstation. The mystery basket ingredients included Chicken Breast, King Crab Legs, New York Strip Steak, Kabocha Squash, Purple Potatoes, Cabbage, Spinach, Shitake Mushrooms, Couscous, and Turnips.

Chefs were free to use as many or as few pantry and staple ingredients as they chose. Chef Chambers’ winning creation French-cut Chicken Breast stuffed with apple and baby spinach served with Italian parsley, cous cous topped with a King Crab and Savoy Cabbage Slaw and finished with a Lemon Thyme Chardonnay reduction.

of Community Health at Greenwich Hospital said.

“We’re seeing many people lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs,” Spanier said. “Proceeds from Great Chefs help Greenwich Hospital provide important programs that can build strong communities.”

Greenwich, from page 47 vided services and seminars in English and Spanish to more than 26,460 residents from Connecticut and New York,” Corvino said.

“Demand for free and low-cost health care services has increased as more people face economic hardships,” Kathy Carley-Spanier, director

Booth #1212

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// NEWS Major Brokerage Shakeup In Metro NY As Advantage And Waypoint Merge Advantage Sales & Marketing LLC (ASM) recently announced it has agreed to become an equity partner in Advantage Waypoint LLC, a newly formed sales and marketing company focused on the foodservice industry.

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“W

ith this landmark partnership, I am pleased to launch ASM into the foodservice industry,” said Sonny King, ASM chairman and chief executive officer. “Advantage Waypoint allows ASM to provide our clients with unparalleled service in the foodservice industry nationwide.”

Advantage Waypoint LLC is comprised of the eight companies that currently form a working alliance under the name of Waypoint including Apex Foodservice Group, Benchmark Sales, Dougherty Brokerage Company, Food Sales West, FSI Southwest, Innovative Concept Group, Inter-Mark Sales, and Midwest Venture Partners.

A ninth company independent of the current Waypoint alliance, C Mascari & Associates, will also join Advantage Waypoint LLC. Advantage Waypoint LLC is headquartered in Tampa, Fla. and led by Bud Taylor, chief executive officer, former president of Innovative Concept Group.

Advantage Waypoint LLC will have its own officers and board of directors.

“By unifying nine outstanding companies and partnering with ASM, Advantage Waypoint LLC will become the first sales and marketing company to provide national coverage for food service clients,” said Taylor. “We look forward to building upon the current success of these great companies.”

Founded in 1987, Advantage Sales and Marketing (ASM) is a premier sales and marketing agency committed to building brand value for their clients and customers.

ASM’s customized sales and marketing solutions include headquarter sales, retail merchandising and marketing services, specializing in client and customer events, publications and assisted-selling services for the grocery, drugstore, club, convenience, natural/ specialty, consumer electronics, sporting goods and home center industries.

Booth #2025

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// TRENDS

NEW YORK RESTAURANTS OFFERING EXOTIC CUISINES

Morten Sohlberg CEO & Executive Chef of Smörgås Chef Restaurant Group Mr. Sohlberg is the Founder of Sessions.edu, Smörgås Chef Restaurant Group, and Blenheim Hill Farms. He has over 20 years of experience from various industries. Total Food had a chance to sit down and talk with him about his farm and restaurant business.

W

here did the idea come from?

The idea for the farm arose from the fact we were always conscious about sourcing our menu with purveyors who raised animals humanely, cultivated produce organically and in general were somewhat local. Over time, we unfortunately discovered these vendors either were mostly unregulated,

fabricated their claims or just weren’t offering the highest quality goods. We always loved the Catskills and Hudson Valley and purchasing, building and getting the farm up to speed was an amazing adventure.

Is this a “movement” or a restaurant?

Both-Smorgas Chef has been at the forefront of the “New Nordic Cuisine” style of cooking (which emphasizes

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smoking, curing, pickling etc with the larger goal of returning balance to the earth itself) for over a decade. Adhering to this vision; we always tried to purchase locally, seasonally and organically. We have been fortunate enough to merge the two trends and basically create a popular menu which has enabled us to expand rapidly.

What’s the long term vision?

We are in the process of opening a 5th finer dining restaurant with a menu almost exclusively farm to fork with some fun twists. We will use our 160 acres of woodlands for the furniture.

We will composte on site and perhaps grow herbs in the dining room. Future expansion will hopefully include the Hudson Valley and the outer boroughs.

We are actively exploring the potential of developing packaged products for retail outlets. The farm will expand exponentially to meet all these needs and we hope to be in the forefront of developing new technologies to enable the smaller farm to enter the local food chain.

The people behind the farm are as passionate as their skills are varied.

Entrepreneurs, investment bankers, chefs, educators, foodies and farmers.

How can the dining patron notice a difference from taste?

Visually it is immediate. Egg yolks are more orange-fresher looking-richer tasting. Our chickens are grass-fed; they just aren’t stuffed with soy and corn. The lettuce is much more vibrant than packaged fare. By utilizing hydroponics; we have shortened the growing

“We have been able to attract a much more dynamic talent pool because chefs get excited using cleaner, locally sourced products. We offer regular excursions to the farm for our employees and welcome input from all on menu changes.” cycle as well as eliminating pesticides and chemicals from the food chain.

Herbs are replenished weekly. Our animals are processed and immediately brought down for introduction into the menu.

Does that customer even care how the food gets to the table?

We have seen 30% growth over the last year in a stagnant economy --we attribute this growth to the farm and the public’s growing awareness of the food chain, the environment and healthier eating styles. Fast Food Nation, Jamie Oliver’s crusade, the explosion of both cable cooking shows and the proliferation of local farmer’s markets offer further proof of consumer interest.

Coldwater Shrimp Salad, Avocado, pan-roasted potatoes, dill dressing

If they don’t why should they care how it gets to the table?

Ultimately a restaurant patron decides with his taste buds and wallet. We would argue our food tastes better because of our methods.

Is this an indictment of the food service distributor and vendor community?

That is a very interesting and somewhat loaded question! Your magazine represents many aspects of the food service industry. This is an important conversation-a wake up call as well as an opportunity for the whole packaged food/wholesale supply chain. If restaurants/diners start demanding more accountability; changes can be made.

Local farmers will prosper, the environment will improve and global food needs can be met more easily.

What type of chef is looking for this type of opportunity?

We have been able to attract a much more dynamic talent pool because chefs get excited using cleaner, locally sourced products. We offer regular excursions to the farm for our employees and welcome input from all on menu changes.

How will seasonality impact the restaurant’s menus? Our greenhouse supplies 500 lbs. of produce weekly. This somewhat offsets these seasonal challenges-but if we can’t get the best product by whatever means-we just adjust our menu.

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Blenheim Hill is a spectacular 150 acre farm in the Catskills owned by the Smörgås Chef Restaurant Group. Thousands of maple trees, meadows, creeks, and a lake create the ingredients used in the restaurant.

Crystal ball…what will this look like 5 years out?

The metaphorical seeds have already been planted in minds and gardens. School’s curriculum now include courses on nutrition, farming and environmental sciences. Urban farming will evolve from a bit of a novelty fad into a viable economic model to meet

the community’s needs.

Local farmers can truly be integrated into the local food chain by fostering relationships with suppliers. Suppliers will be held accountable to different standards and will have to adapt to meet consumer demand.

Chef Morten and his wife, Min Ye (who also serves as Chief Financial Officer) sort through a pile of Yellow Foot Trumpet Chantarelles from the forests on the farm.

// NEWS

DEALERS

Roger and Sons: 60 Years of Tradition and Service The Bowery used to be the center of New York’s foodservice industry. Nowadays, many of the dealers who occupied Bowery storefronts have decamped to Queens or New Jersey, but a few holdouts remain.

F

or Joe Cirone, the owner of Roger and Sons, the decision to stay on the Bowery was an easy one. “We’ve been family-owned and operated for 60 years-that’s three generations. We believe very strongly in loyalty and tradition.”

Roger and Sons seeks to provide both the best service and the best prices to its clients. “We know all the products, and we carry all of

them in our warehouse--even the older brands,” says Cirone. “We also service everything we sell. A lot of dealers will tell you to just call the factory, but the factory isn’t going to send a repairman at 5:30 on a Friday afternoon. We’ll send a technician to you any time.”

Roger and Sons’ emphasis on tradition does not end at their storefront door.

The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show at the Javits Center is also a yearly ritual for the company.

Roger and Sons’ emphasis on tradition does not end at their storefront door. The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show at the Javits Center is also a yearly ritual for the company. Cirone says, “We went for the first time in 1995, and we just got an unbelievable response, in terms of the number of new customers and new sales we were able to find, so we make a point of going back every year.” Cirone values the

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convention for the wide variety of operators that attend: “Every kind of restaurant imaginable,” says Cirone, “from a pub in the Bronx to a whitetablecloth place in Midtown.”

Cirone’s company prides itself on building strong relationships with its clients. “We have two salespeople out in the field every day, and eight more in the store taking calls and handling walk-ins,” says Cirone. With Roger and Sons’ help, a restaurateur has no

need for a consultant. “We do all the layout work ourselves,” Cirone says, “and then we guide the owner to the best equipment for their space.”

Roger and Sons differentiates itself from the competition with their menu-driven sales. Cirone says, “Any salesman can tell a client about the various equipment out there.

But our sales staff pays close attention to what the restaurant is planning to serve. If they’re planning to serve burgers and fries, we’ll help them find a broiler and griddle that fits their needs, and help them save money on the equipment that they won’t be using as much.” That attention to the details of an operation has kept their clients coming back for generations.

If there’s one thing Roger and Sons won’t be doing anytime soon, it’s leaving the Bowery. The company is firmly committed to staying in Manhattan. “Certainly, the Bowery is an expensive place for a business, but we think it’s worth it to stick around,” says Cirone. “But you can’t replace the advantages of being at the center of the region and the center of the world.” That commitment to tradition and dedicated service to their customers has kept Roger and Sons around for sixty years, and will be their guiding principle for the next sixty and beyond.

Booth #2007

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// INSURANCE

INSURANCE WITH ROBERT LONGO

How to Reduce your Workers’ Compensation Costs With the New York State Insurance department approving a rate hike for workers’ compensation insurance in last October, for the second year in a row, employers will see their premiums increase this year, as high as 10%.

Robert Longo II, Workers Compensation Specialist 914.694.6000 Ext 221 robertl@friedlandergroup.com

W

hile the expense of workers’ compensation is unavoidable, limiting the cost isn’t just a matter of finding the cheapest

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policy. It’s also about helping your employees work safely, creating a culture of care and getting them back to work as quickly as possible.

Employers should also understand how claims increase premiums and reduce overall profitability of the organization. Here are some proven

money saving techniques employers can use to help control their costs and save money.

Establish a “Culture of Caring” This responsibility falls directly on the shoulders of top management.

A message needs to be sent from the very top of the company that permeates the entire organization that it cares about its employees.

Steps should be taken to provide a safe work environment so employees can go home the same way they came to work, healthy and safe. It goes farther than just placing a matt on a greasy floor.

It requires a commitment and involving your team. It means putting up posters on safety, make safety training mandatory. And do not tolerate employees who help make the environment unsafe for others. Employees will recognize management’s effort and appreciate it. This is the core of reducing work related accidents.

Keep your Number One Asset “Your Employees Caring.”

This reinforces your commitment to your “Culture of Caring.” That culture will maximize your productivity, efficiencies, and profits. Employers and managers must do what’s necessary to eliminate unsafe acts and conditions whenever possible from the workplace. Forming a safety committee that tracks accidents, trends and the action taken is very useful. Employers should also have a light duty plan in place so in case an employee is injured there is a way to bring them back into the workplace.

It is proven that the longer an employee stays out of work they are that much less likely to return. That cost will go beyond your worker’s compensation premium and reduce your

bottom line.

Understand your Experience Modification Factor Insurance is purchased to transfer risk, but that’s rarely achieved in workers compensation due to the “boomerang” effect of the experience modification. Workers’ compensation insurance has a back billing mechanism built into it where employers end up paying most of, if not more than the claim’s costs, retroactively. The experience mod is calculated by comparing an employer’s actual claims for the prior three years to their expected claims. If the actual claims’ cost is more than expected, based upon the payroll and type of work, an additional premium is charged. But if the cost is less than expected there’s a reduction in premium. This is how you will profit from safety and why focusing on employees safe being is so important In conclusion, employers are often surprised when they learn the true monetary impact of their experience modification. Choosing to invest in your employees and make a commitment to workplace safety is often worth thousands. Next time you’re reviewing your policy, start with the most important ingredient, your company’s culture of caring.

Robert Longo II is a workers’ compensation specialist of the Friedlander Group Inc, the Workers’ Compensation leader for Restaurants, Retailers, Wholesalers, Hotels, Oil & Fuel dealers, Home Health Care and Residential Care Facilities in New York .

He can be reached at 914-694-6000 x221 or robertl@friedlandergreoup. com

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// MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Gin Trends in Metro New York Gin is hot again, Botanical Gin that is. To recap, there are two types of Gin, Botanical and London style. London style is the dry, crisp Gin that has virtually no taste whatsoever. You can mix it, as you like.

S

ome people like to mix it up with cheap tonic water. That’s ok, they like it that way because they have never tasted it any other way. The predominate flavors of London Dry Gin is the juniper berry.

Most London style Gin is dry, aromatic and rather cold tasting. Vod-

ka drinkers have very little trouble jumping to the London style of Gin because most Vodka on the market is very cold tasting. The more expensive the styles of Vodka (like Gin) become, the less flavor they possess within. I don’t care for these styles and I’m prepared to go on record for saying that

Bontanicus Cocktail A cocktail for any of the Four Gins.

Ingredients: • 2 shots of Botanical Gin • ½ shot of Royal Rose Simple Syrup of • Lavender and Lemon • Scant bit of Carpano Antica formula • Sweet Vermouth • ½ shot Squeezed Grapefruit Juice • Good Seltzer water • Coconut water ice

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

Preparation: 1. To a cocktail shaker add ½ with regular ice 2. Add the 2 shots of Gin & a splash of Sweet Vermouth & the Grapefruit juice 3. Stir, do not shake! You don’t want to drink ice chips!

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if you want me to drink Beefeater or the like, I’d rather go thirsty. Not that they make a poor product, far from.

It’s just next to flavorless!

Try some of the new Botanical styles of Gin and place them in your glass. What you will notice on first sniff is aromas of herbs, spices and citrus. What should you mix them with? Well that’s up to you. I believe that Botanical Gins can stand up to ice and should be enjoyed without corn syrup based tonic water. Just hold on a minute. Are you telling me that I shouldn’t drink my Gin with tonic water?

No, I’m not saying that. But what I am saying is that you should try drinking Gin with GOOD tonic water. Here in the Metro area we have a plethora of fine tonic water available that is not corn syrup based. One of my favorites is made locally. It is the product from Q-Tonic. This is not an inex-

pensive bottle of tonic but it is darned good. I like a hunk of muddled lime in my Gin and Tonic if tonic is the mixer.

Sometimes I take a splash of simple syrup to take the edge off of the Gin. If it’s a hot day, more lime, if it’s a cold day, cut back a bit. Whatever you do, I want to let you know that it’s ok.

Here are some tasting notes for Four Gins that might not necessarily need tonic water for enjoyment.

4. Add to your tall glass a couple of cubes of the coconut water ice (freeze coconut water in an ice-cube tray overnight)

5. Strain the Gin mixture over the top, add a bit of freshly drawn seltzer, garnish with a chunk of Grapefruit juice and sip. Cheers!

Bulldog Gin This is a new player on most bars in the NY Metro area. There is a floral quality of Bulldog Gin that I find rather beguiling. It is strong Gin so a couple on an empty stomach will send you into a Gin soaked world of color and light very quickly. I recommend a hunk of lime and a splash of seltzer water. You may want to add a splash of simple syrup. I recommend Royal Rose from Brooklyn- specifically the

“Vodka drinkers have very little trouble jumping to the London style of Gin because most Vodka on the market is very cold tasting.”

Lavender/Lemon syrup. You can go to their website and find it. Bulldog is a muscular form of Gin. They do call it London style, but it’s anything but. This is a Gin with GUTS. You may think Bulldog is trendy, but it’s anything but. It’s seriously delicious and quite available in our market.

FEW American Gin FEW is a new brand of Gin from Illinois. It is actually more akin to White Whiskey. It is distilled from grain. The Juniper element is in the background with the foreground of Moonshine!

There are flavors of lemon peel, vanilla and the silky elegance of the many times distilled grain. This is Gin like you’ve never tasted before. I spoke to the distillery and they plan on bringing it East. I hope sooner rather than later. It’s that good! I take a shot or two of the FEW Gin and put it in a snifter with a couple of ice cubes. That’s it!

Darnley’s View Another brand new Gin in the London Style- however I don’t see anything London about it. There is real flavor here. They call it a partnership of wild elderflower and citrus with herbs and spices. I think this Gin is meant for citrus juices. It’s produced in Scotland by the Wemyss Distillery.

They are better known for their Peat laden Scotch Whisky. When have you ever heard of a Scotch distillery making Gin? Darnley’s View does make Gin and a powerful one at that. I recommend no ice in your glass. You 79 • February 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

can sprinkle a bit of grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed of course) over the top, and maybe a squeeze of lime. But that’s it. They call it a small batch Gin. I call it yum.

St. George Botanical Gin From California, this Gin is unique in the Terroir of the flavor. Uniquely Californian, the St. George tastes like no other Gin on the market and for good reason. They make it in microbatches - each bottle is handcrafted out of the best ingredients possible.

The Mt. Tam is like licking pine sap off your car windshield when you park too closely to a pine tree. What do you mix with Botanical Gin that tastes of a run through a pine forest?

I say simple things. Lime, grapefruit, blood orange juice, seltzer. Keep it very simple. St. George is packed with flavor of the juniper, yes, but it is deeper somehow. Herbs and spices are the backbone- I say mix some bitter lemon peel and a splash of good, freshly drawn seltzer. That’s it!

// NEWS

EVENTS

Giants Joined By Duo Of NYC Chefs At Superbowl’s Taste Of The NFL The Taste of the NFL, a non-profit organization dedicated to kicking hunger in America, had a complete roster of chefs and players representing each NFL city who participated in its 21st annual “Party with a Purpose” which took place on Saturday, Feb. Feb. 4th at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.

T

he strolling food and wine event paired a premier chef from each NFL market with a current or former NFL player that gave guests the opportunity to sample fine cuisine, meet nationally-recognized chefs and rub elbows with NFL all-stars. Proceeds from the evening benefited hunger relief.

“Once again, we drafted an impressive roster of chefs and NFL greats at this year’s event, including several returning players as well as a few rookies who became fan favorites,” said Wayne Kostroski, founder of Taste of the NFL. “This event could not exist without the team effort from our chef and player representatives and the countless volunteers who contributed their time and talent that made the event a success.” The New York Giants were represented by Chef Stephen Lewandowski. The talented young chef at Tribeca Grill, the landmark restaurant in downtown Manhattan. His passion and energy take the restaurant’s contemporary American cuisine to new heights. Lewandowski represented the Giants with a Menu and Wine Pairing of Berkshire Pork & Gulf Shrimp Gumbo with Pickled Okra & Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread.

Stephen’s culinary creativity is disciplined by classical technique, inspiring standout dishes such as Braised Short Rib with Foie Gras Ravioli and Poached Maine Lobster with Crispy Sweet-

Booth #1731

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breads. His elegant, innovative cuisine finds a perfect complement in Tribeca Grill’s superb wine list, winner of Wine Spectator’s coveted Grand Award.

The wine dinners he co-hosts with wine director David Gordon have drawn critical acclaim. Stephen and Myriad Restaurant Group owner Drew Nieporent speak the same culinary language; the two often collaborate on new dishes. Stephen’s interest in artisanal cheeses prompted him to develop a cheese course that has become a stellar feature of the Grill’s menu.

Stephen’s love of cooking began at age 12 when he prepared Sunday dinners with his father. He worked for a catering company throughout high school and entered the Culinary Institute of America on his 21st birthday.

After graduating, he became the sous chef at Manhattan’s Abbey restaurant.

He continued to polish his craft at Gotham Bar & Grill and then at Fantino in the Ritz Carlton. Stephen stayed with Ritz Carlton for several years, cooking in various cities across the US. In 1999 he was named executive sous chef for the Peabody Orlando, where he oversaw all five restaurants for the 1000room hotel. He joined Tribeca Grill in 2000 and was promoted to executive chef in 2003.

The New York Jets were represented

by Nobu’s Chef Shin Tsujimura whose Menu and Wine Pairing was his legendary Spicy Tuna Poke. Since 1994, he has been an integral part of the success of the restaurant that capped the year 2000 by being named Food & Wine magazine’s Best Restaurant in New York. Part of the Myriad Restaurant Group, NOBU is known for a style of cooking that mixes both Japanese and Peruvian ingredients and sensibilities.

Manhattanites have taken to it from the beginning, and many specifically ask to be seated at the sushi bar so they can have a front-row seat to Shin’s artistry. Shin’s career spans 25 years in the kitchen. He worked his way up at Hatsuhana in Tokyo. Then, he moved to Hatsuhana in New York before joining the renowned Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and adding his talents to Nobu’s

blend of the art of food and dramatically modern architecture.

Highlights of this year’s “Party with a Purpose” included live entertainment by country star Sara Evans, special

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guest appearances by National Honorary Chairperson Tony Dungy, Culinary Host Ted Allen of the Food Network’s Chopped and TLC’s Cake Boss stars Mauro Castano and Joey Faugno. There

was also a silent auction with unique sports memorabilia, exciting travel opportunities, culinary packages and more.

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Ethical, from page 62

Landry’s, from page 68

“You need to sort of take care of the people who are really taking care of your food,” said Barbara Sibley, owner of the Mexican restaurant La Palapa in the East Village, which also got a gold prize for providing sustainable wages and paid sick days to staff.

Others, like Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, got frowny face icons based on legal charges filed for worker discrimination and wage theft at the restaurant’s parent company, Darden Restaurants ROC United announced last month that it is launching a national campaign against Darden.

Judy Maeza, the general manager for La Palapa, who has worked in the restaurant industry for 25 years, said she couldn’t understand the practices of any restaurant that didn’t get a gold or silver prize in the guide.

“How could you not pay people for working?” she said. “And pay them when they’re legitimately sick or letting them take a week’s vacation? You know, all the things that any other industry takes for granted.”

Maeza added that although she was in favor of the guide, she didn’t know how many consumers would change their dining plans to eat ethical.

“They’re not that interested,” she said. “They know they want to go some place that they like for dinner. They don’t think about how the kitchen employees are treated.”

Ethical eating is not a new concept.

Five years ago, Michael Pollan began talking about how the food we eat affects the health of the environment in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” More recently, in the first episode of the IFC television series “Portlandia,” Carrie and Fred went to great lengths to make sure the chicken they planned to order lived and was harvested humanely.

chain.

After some early troubles, Fertitta expanded the chain to include nearly a dozen restaurant chains and individual entities. He is a minor partner in the Houston Texans franchise and owns Houston’s Bentley and Rolls Royce dealership.

Morton’s units were reported closed in Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, N.Y., Denver, Jacksonville, Fla., Miami Beach, Fla., Phoenix and Tyson’s Corner, Va. The company’s website lists 58 remaining U.S. Morton’s locations. At the end of 2011, the company had reported 67 domestic units.

Several of the markets, such as Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Phoenix, had at least two restaurants, and at least one remains open in each of those cities.

“Having been in business for more than 30 years, Morton’s operates domestically and internationally, with multiple locations in some cities,” said Kris Guthrie, Landry’s vice president of marketing. “Over time, demographics shift and so do the areas in which businesses thrive and it’s because of this that we must close a few Morton’s locations,” Guthrie said. Landry’s early in January also shuttered a number of McCormick & Schmick’s units after it closed on its purchase of that Portland, Ore.-based upscale seafood chain.

Morton’s operates restaurants in 26 states and Puerto Rico and has six international locations in Hong Kong, Macau, Mexico City, Shanghai, Singapore and Toronto. Privately owned Landry’s owns Rainforest Cafe, Saltgrass Steak House, Landry’s Seafood House, Claim Jumper, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and The Chart House, as well as fine-dining restaurants Vic & Anthony’s, Brenner’s Steakhouse, Grotto, LaGriglia, Willie G’s and Oceanaire.

Landry’s also owns the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada, the Kemah Boardwalk, the San Luis Resort, Inn at the Ballpark and the Downtown Aquarium in Denver and Houston.

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// CHEFCETERA

UP CLOSE WITH METRO NEW YORK CHEFS

Sasa Mahr-Batuz Co-Founder of Bartaco Sasa Mahr-Batuz, age 45, has been in the food business for 24 years working in Mediterranean restaurants in Portugal to steak houses in Argentina. Mahr-Batuz is responsible for Barcelona’s original concept, its ongoing innovation, and for the widely distinct designs that make the restaurants such magnets for the style-conscious.

Images by Amy Peck

B

arcelona Restaurant Group has had great success with its many Barcelona locations, what was the idea behind Bartaco?

The idea behind Bartaco was inspired during a vacation in Brazil. The combination of beach culture, casual street food, great drinks in a stylish environment, was something I wanted to bring to this area.

Port Chester, NY and Stamford, CT each have a Bartaco, how and why were these locations chosen?

A few years ago, my partner Andy Pforzheimer, and I were scouting Port Chester and found a location on the water. At the time, the space wasn’t available and when it did become available, we went for it. It was the perfect time and place to open Bartaco. As for Stamford, there isn’t a concept similar to Bartaco. A space became available next door to our other concept, Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar, and once again, the timing was great and we seized the opportunity.

What was the menu strategy behind Bartaco, any similarities from the Barcelona menu since they’ve been so popular?

The drinks at Bartaco are meant to be simple,

and all of our tequilas are 100% agave but we balance out the selection with fun drinks made with Mezcal, rum, cachaga, bourbon and gin; all unique to one another.

What is the dining atmosphere like at Bartaco and how did you achieve that with the design?

The dining atmosphere is supposed to be an open-air, informal space with style and sensibility. The minimalistic décor is light and breezy, with the air of a contemporary beach resort. Crisp, clean colors of blue and white are accented by wood paneling and furnishings, hanging basket-weave light fixtures and oscillating ceiling fans.

yet very well crafted. We only like to use high quality spirits, fresh squeezed to order juices, the highest quality ice, and great glassware. from street vendors in Mexico, are pork and chicken tamales and assorted gorditas. The only similarity between Bartaco and Barcelona is that we offer small plates.

Bar Taco has two locations, Port Chester and Stamford

The menu at Bartaco is simple, delicious and affordable food with great cocktails.

The menu stays true to the concept, offering land and sea taco creations, and runs the gamut from Baja fish and Thai shrimp to spicy chorizo, duck and pork belly. Herbivores can enjoy the Portobello mushroom taco and side dishes include grilled corn with lime, cayenne and cotija cheese and a variety of salads.

Going beyond tacos, and taken straight

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Does Bartaco use the same food distributor as the Barcelona restaurants?

Depending on the product, we use the same food distributor and try to use locally produced vegetables depending on what’s in season and availability.

Any specialty drinks being served up at Bartaco, what was the idea behind the drink menu?

The drinks at Bartaco are meant to be simple, yet very well crafted. We only like to use high quality spirits, fresh squeezed to order juices, the highest quality ice, and great glassware. Essentially, every ingredient in the cocktails are premium. We feature tequila heavily

Andy Pforzheimer, Co-Founder He has been a restaurant professional for 29 years. He was an Executive Chef in some of New York’s hottest restaurants in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, and then moved to Connecticut to be the original Food Editor for Martha Stewart Living.

He owned his own catering and consulting business, then opened the first Barcelona in 1995. A graduate of Harvard University, he is responsible for the company’s overall operations and execution.

// EYE Partridge NJRA at James Beard House NEW YORK, NY---EYE notes that two of the food service industry’s most influential associations combined forces last month with a much anticapated gala event at Manhattan’s James Beard House.

The Partridge Invitational Club and the New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA) teamed to raise funds to benefit the NJRA’s Educatuional Foundation and Partridge’s Scholarship fund.

The night of artisan food and drink brought many of the Garden State’s most talked about toques into one kitchen to present a true culinary adventure. The chef lineup included:

(L to R) Debragga’s Marc Sarrazin, Marc Fuchs of M. Tucker and Restaurant Associates’ Dick Cattani

Legendary Jersey Shore chef owner Marilyn Schlossbach

Anthony Bucco, of Hamilton Farms Golf Club, 90 Acres/Natirar’s David Felton, Jack Koumbis of Assembly Steakhouse, Restaurant Serenade’s James Laird, Marilyn Schlossbach of Langosta Lounge and Robert Fratticcolli of Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget.

Guests loved Bucco’s Barnegat Light Fluke Crudo, Schlossbach’s Carabinero Spanish Shrimp Paella, the 90

GCG Risk Management’s Ross Gnesin (L) worked with Partridge Club members including Maureen Cole of Minners Design to create a truly memorable event

(L to R) Chef Jack Koumbis of the Assembly Steakhouse and Restaurant Seranade’s Chef James Laird

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Acres Pork Belly prepared by Felton, Koumbis’ Sliced Jersey Bison Strip Steak with Potato Cake, the Venison Osso Bucco from Chef Bucco and the grand finale Fratticciolli’s Trio of Chocolate. The Partridge Club’s mission is to raise scholarship funds for institutions of higher learning providing training for students pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry.

Further, it is to promote mutual business interests among its members and to stimulate friendship and fellowship. The New Jersey Restaurant Educational Foundation (NJREF) is the educational arm of the New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA).

EYE kudos to Deborah Dowdell and Jeanna Drechsler from the NJRA for their tireless work in helping make the event such a success.

The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for profit organization based in New York City dedicated to celebrating, preserving and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.

Established in honor of James Beard, the late cooking teacher, journalist, and food consultant who is widely considered the father of American gastronomy. The Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, preserve and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.

(L to R) The Pro-Tek contingent was led

by Chad Daniels, Diane Rossi and Ed Daniels

Garden State healthcare food service legends Tony Almedia and Betty Perez

(L to R) Among the packed house that enjoyed the evening were WH Linen’s Bill Hermanns and Peter Fernandez of Fresh and Tasty Baking

// INSURANCE

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

Food Borne Illnesses Can Strike Anytime, Are You Prepared?

In today’s world of social media and a 24/7 news cycle, any suspicion of a food borne illness linked to your restaurant can be devastating. Not to mention, the settlement costs and legal fees required in the aftermath of a lawsuit by just one of the 48 million people in the U.S. who suffer from food borne illnesses each year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

A

s most restaurateurs agree, a restaurant’s brand drives business.

However, negative publicity resulting from an actual or alleged food borne illness outbreak is just one of several nightmares that can potentially put your restaurant out of business.

Other concerns include having the resources to deal with a public response, testing costs, loss of revenue and additional costs to incentivize customers to come back to your restaurant.

A restaurant owner’s responsibility goes way beyond simply having employees wash their hands and wear gloves. With 35 known pathogens that can cause food borne illnesses, a food related claim can affect any restaurant no matter how fresh you maintain the food in your kitchen.

Food borne illness is caused by consuming contaminated food or drink.

Some common illnesses that fall under this category include salmonella,

“A restaurant owner’s responsibility goes way beyond simply having employees wash their hands and wear gloves. With 35 known pathogens that can cause food borne illnesses, a food related claim can affect any restaurant no matter how fresh you maintain the food in your kitchen.”

Bob Fiorito, Vice President, Business Development at Hub International

e-coli, hepatitis, etc. The majority of these diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites; while other food borne diseases are essentially poisonings caused by toxins and chemicals.

Fortunately, you don’t have to handle an outbreak on your own.

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By purchasing a food borne illness insurance policy, restaurateurs can have better control over their financial risks in the event of an incident or outbreak, as well as an instantaneous expansion of their team to manage the crisis. Food borne illness coverage (also known as trade name restoration) is a unique insur-

ance product that is not available as an endorsement, but sold as a separate policy to cover an actual or alleged infectious health situation, as well as coverage for any negative press that is generated as a result of the incident.

Purchasing a food borne illness policy is inexpensive, usually run-

ning anywhere between $750 and $1500+ per location. This is a small price to pay to help ensure your restaurant not only stays in business after the damaging effects of an outbreak, but is able to recover its reputation and afford the incentives to bring customers back.

Underwriters of food borne illness coverage encourage restaurants to be as proactive as possible in containing the problem, even on the suspicion of a potential case.

They have a vested interest in containment, so they usually offer immediate upfront dollars regardless of deductible to ensure the problem stays contained.

General liability and food borne illness coverage are two separate policies and both are required to address any claims related to a food borne illness loss. Your general commercial liability policy will only cover injury costs, defense costs and judgments.

Food borne illness coverage is essentially a Contingent Business Interruption insurance policy specifically tailored for food borne illness, which covers accidental contamination, malicious contamination, public announcement, media response, dealing with the health department, set up of 1-800 hotline to help prevent infected patrons going to the media, restoration of trade name, continuity expenses and immediate access to a special 24/7 hotline set up for food borne illness related claims or potential claims, which guides the restaurant owner through anything that is needed to address the issue.

If the problem progresses, most policies will cover: loss of revenue drops, expenses to cover rent, staff and general overhead, as well as reopening expenses and in most cases, money to go toward incentives to bring people back.

Did you know that there is a legal obligation in most states to know

when an employee has vomited, has had a case of diarrhea, or has traveled outside of the country?

Therefore, having formal employee procedures for reporting illness, as

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well as implementing an awareness program is essential.

For more details on upcoming seminars on protecting your restaurant, sponsored by HUB Inter-

national and TFS, contact Robert Fiorito at 212-338-2324 or robert. fiorito@hubinternational.com or visit his website, www.hubfiorito. com

Waypoint Merge, from page 14 currently form a working alliance under the name of Waypoint including Apex Foodservice Group, Benchmark Sales, Dougherty Brokerage Company, Food Sales West, FSI Southwest, Innovative Concept Group, InterMark Sales, and Midwest Venture Partners.

A ninth company independent of the current Waypoint alliance, C Mascari & Associates, will also join Advantage Waypoint LLC. Advantage Waypoint LLC is headquartered in Tampa, Fla. and led by Bud Taylor, chief executive officer, former president of Innovative Concept Group.

Advantage Waypoint LLC will have its own officers and board of directors.

“By unifying nine outstanding companies and partnering with ASM, Advantage Waypoint LLC will become the first sales and marketing company to provide national coverage for food service clients,” said Taylor. “We look forward to building upon the current success of these great companies.”

Founded in 1987, Advantage Sales and Marketing (ASM) is a premier sales and marketing agency committed to building brand value for their clients and customers.

ASM’s customized sales and marketing solutions include headquarter sales, retail merchandising and marketing services, specializing in client and customer events, publications and assisted-selling services for the grocery, drugstore, club, convenience, natural/specialty, consumer electronics,sporting goods and home center industries.

Gordon, from page 10 tion company until 1973. Through a number of acquisitions, as well as internal product category expansion, Perkins has become a leading broadline foodservice distributor in the Northeast.

Gary and Larry Perkins are the third generation of the Perkins family to run the day-to-day business operation. They will continue to lead

their team of more than 635 employees.

“As a family owned business, it was important to us to find the right partner to help this company move into the future,” said Gary Perkins, CEO of Perkins. “We are thrilled that the values of Gordon Food Service are so closely aligned with ours; those of integrity, value, service, quality, and hard work.”

Larry Perkins, President of Perkins, mentions, “Our family believes that by being a part of Gordon Food Service, our employees will continue to enjoy the culture which Perkins has spent decades building. We are excited about what the future holds and know that as our customers understand our increased capabilities, they will be delighted.”

Family-owned since its founding in 1915, Perkins is New England’s leading independent wholesale distributor of foodservice and sanitary maintenance supplies with distribution centers in Taunton, MA and New Windsor, NY; cross-docking facilities in Springfield, MA and Westbrook ME; and three Restaurant Superstores. Servicing customers ranging from casual and fine dining to healthcare, bakeries, schools, lodging, and building maintenance companies.

Since 1897, the people of Gordon Food Service have been committed to delivering uncompromising quality, outstanding value and exceptional customer service. What began as a simple butter-and-egg delivery service is today North America’s largest family-owned and managed broadline foodservice distributor.

Gordon Food Service distributes to foodservice operators within the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions of the United States and coast-to-coast in Canada. The company also operates 148 GFS Marketplace retail stores, which are open to the public and provide the benefits of restaurant-quality products and friendly, knowledgeable service without a membership fee.

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Toque, from page 25 position prepping in Chicago¹s most famous Italian restaurant, Spiaggia. He spent a year and a half learning from Chef Paul Bartolotta and, wanting to find the origin of his mentor’s awe-inspiring recipes, he followed the Chef’s footsteps to Italy.

He trained with the venerated Italian chef Valentino Marcattilii at Ristorante San Domenico in Imola and it was there, learning to cook in the Old World-style kitchen, that he began his Italian transformation. He learned everything about the kitchen while in Imola, visiting the markets to choose the best produce, making pasta by hand, creating fragrant sauces, scaling and filleting Mediterranean fish; butchering lamb and poultry. For the next seven years, he studied the handson, ingredient-driven cooking style of the Italians, working with Marcattilii and traveling across the country for informal, but equally important, cooking lessons with friends. “I was the

American, standing over Italian shoulders asking Why?” he says of his need to understand their every move in the kitchen. It was on one of those cooking jaunts that he met his wife, a Southern Italian woman whose passion for and knowledge of Italy’s food offer constant inspiration for the chef.

In 2007, White partnered with New York’s accomplished restaurateur Chris Cannon and took the helm of the James Beard Award winning (2003) L’Impero and Alto. With White’s Northern Italian menu and the partners’ shared love for Italian dining and hospitality, Alto quickly garnered a three-star review from The New York Times and was awarded a Michelin Star for the 2009 Guide.

The opening marks the first of two announced White restaurants opening in 2012, the second being Nicoletta, a pizzeria in the East Village of New York City, scheduled to open in March.

// NEWS

MERGER

Major Brokerage Shakeup In Metro NY As Advantage And Waypoint Merge Advantage Sales & Marketing LLC (ASM) recently announced it has agreed to become an equity partner in Advantage Waypoint LLC, a newly formed sales and marketing company focused on the foodservice industry.

“W

ith this landmark partnership, I am pleased to launch ASM into the foodservice industry,” said Sonny King, ASM chairman and chief executive officer. “Advantage Waypoint allows ASM to provide our clients with unparalleled service in the foodservice industry nationwide.”

Advantage Waypoint LLC is comprised of the eight companies that currently form a working alliance under the name of Waypoint including Apex Foodservice Group, Benchmark Sales, Dougherty Brokerage Company, Food Sales West, FSI Southwest, Innovative Concept Group, Inter-Mark Sales, and Midwest Venture Partners.

A ninth company independent of the current Waypoint alliance, C Mascari & Associates, will also join Advantage Waypoint LLC. “By unifying nine outstanding companies and partnering with ASM, Advantage Waypoint LLC will become the first sales and marketing company to provide national coverage for food service clients,” said Taylor. “We look forward to building upon the current success of these great companies.”

ASM’s customized sales and marketing solutions include headquarter sales, retail merchandising and marketing services, specializing in client and customer events, publications and assisted-selling services for the grocery, drugstore, club, convenience, natural/ specialty, consumer electronics, sporting goods and home center industries.

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// REAL ESTATE Food Service Professionals Negotiate Your Commercial Lease What do half a million food service professionals and restaurant owners have in common?

They lease space for their business from a commercial landlord. Thousands of these tenants have heard me preach and teach in person at the big restaurant shows around the country including New York, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego and Chicago.

F

or many food service professionals, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced landlord or their agent can be a challenge. While a food service professional thinks of marketing, managing and menus, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized sales people. Their job

Dale Willerton - The Lease Coach is a Lease Consultant who works exclusively for tenants. Dale speaks at restaurant shows and is author of Negotiate Your Restaurant Lease or Renewal.

is to sell restaurant tenants on leasing their location or location at the highest possible rental rate.

Food service tenants may go through the leasing process once or twice in their entire lifetime – yet they have to negotiate against seasoned professionals who negotiate leases every day for a living.

Whether you are negotiating a lease renewal or leasing a new location for the first time for your food service business, these are some tips for tenants that I teach in seminars at restaurant shows: Negotiate to Win: All too frequently, food service tenants enter into lease negotiations unprepared and don`t even try winning the negotiations.

Without negotiating to win, you won`t switch from defensive to offensive.

With big commissions at stake, you can be sure the landlord`s agent, alternatively, is negotiating fiercely to win.

Be Prepared to Walk Away: Try to make objective decisions. Whoever most needs to make a lease deal will give up the most concessions. A good food service business in a poor location will become a poor business.

Ask the Right Questions: Gathering information about what other tenants

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are paying for rent or what incentives they received will position you to get a better deal. Consider that your landlord and his agent know what every other tenant in the property is paying in rent, so you must do your homework too.

Brokers … Friend or Foe? Real estate agents and brokers typically work for the landlord who is paying their commission. It is not normally the agent`s role to get the food service tenant the best deal – it is their job to get the landlord the highest rent, the biggest deposit, etc. The higher the rent you pay, often the more commission the agent earns. If you are researching multiple properties, try to deal directly with the listing agent for each property, rather than letting one agent show you around or show you another agent`s listing. Your tenancy is more desirable to the listing agent if he can avoid commission-splitting with other agents.

Ask for More Than You Want: If you want three months free rent, ask for five months. No one ever gets more than they ask for. Be prepared for the landlord to counter-offer and negotiate with you as well.

Negotiate the Deposit: Large de-

posits are not legally required in a real estate lease agreement. Deposits are negotiable and, more so than anything else, often serve to compensate the landlord for the real estate commissions paid out to the realtor. If The Lease Coach is negotiating a lease renewal for a tenant and your landlord is already holding your deposit, we negotiate for a refund of the deposit.

Measure Your Space: Food service tenants frequently pay for “phantom space”. Most food service tenants are paying their rent per square foot, but often they are not receiving as much space as the lease agreement says.

Negotiate, Negotiate: The more time you have to put the deal together and make counter-offers, the better the chance you have of getting what you really want. Too often, food service tenants mistakenly try to hammer out the deal in a two- or three-hour marathon session. Negotiate in stages over time instead.

Educate Yourself and Get Help: Unless you have money to throw away, it pays to educate yourself. Taking the time to read about the subject or listen in on a leasing webinar will make a difference. And, don`t forget to have your lease documents professionally reviewed before you sign them. With hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent at stake, personal guarantees and other risks, you can`t afford to gamble.

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// NEWS

SCHOOLS

NYC City Schools Rolls Out Farm To Table Program There are amazing things happening in the cafeteria of P.S. 11. Instead of biting into fatty chicken nuggets and snacking on greasy French fries, kids are feasting on farm fresh kale, collard greens and other veggies.

“I

like the stuff from the garden and from the farm,” excited fourth-grader, Eva, 9, said. “They’re more tastier.”

When they’re not enjoying green stuff, children at the school are eating Spanish rice and whole pieces of chicken.

Fourth-grader Jonah, for one, said he’s felt healthier since eating the school’s lunches. They’re healthy,” he said.

“They make you feel good, not bad like junk food.”

P.S. 11 at 320 W. 21st St. has managed to combine several food programs to become something of a holy grail for the local, sustainable and organic food-in-school movements. Children at the school grow their own veggies in a garden, have lunches made by a professional chef, and even run their own farmer’s market.

Most importantly, the school is the first in the city to use food grown on local farms, left over from its studentrun farmer’s market, in its cafeteria, though the school’s staff said that didn’t come without a fight. “We were getting all this great food (for the farmer’s market), but we were not allowed to do anything with it,” said Principal Bob Bender. “So we pushed the De-

P.S. 11 has managed to combine several food programs to become something of a holy grail for the local, sustainable and organic food-inschool movements. partment of Education.”

Up until last year, the school had to give away any of the farmer’s market produce it didn’t sell. When Bender and Deborah Osborne, P.S. 11’s afterschool director, asked DOE officials if they could serve it in the cafeteria, they were skeptical.

The school had to send over soil tests to the department’s central office and prepare reports. After months, they eventually got the okay. “We finally got approval,” Bender said. “Now we can serve what we have in the garden and what’s left over from the farm market.”

The school is able to use veggies from Stoneledge Farm in South Cairo, NY, along with flash-frozen local pro-

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duce from Winter Sun Farms. Because of the variety of farm-fresh ingredients the school can use, it is able to craft a unique menu for its students that differ from standard Department of Education servings.

“Our kitchen staff isn’t opening cans,” Osborne said. “They’re making flatbread pizzas with homemade tomato sauce and chili’s from scratch.”

The push for healthier food in schools has ramped up in recent years. Recently the Obama administration announced new rules for school food programs, which will add more fruits and vegetables to cafeteria menus.

The school has made numerous other changes over the past five years, which have helped it gain a reputation for

having one of the city’s top food programs.

All of the school’s food is cooked with olive oil, which parents pitched in to pay for. There’s a salad bar available in the cafeteria every day, too.

“I say I was the most hated principal in all of Christendom when I banned chocolate milk,” Bender said.

Despite the lack of sugary drinks, Bender said kids at the school love to grow their own food, or get it from a nearby farm. “I like to know how they grow our food,” said Kai, 9, who hopes to visit one of the farms. “Plus, I want to see people milking a cow.” Another student, Emma, threw some salad and a dollop of homemade dressing next to her chicken, a regular addition to her plate. “I think the salad is really good,” she said. “It’s healthy. It’s sweet.”

The Wellness in the Schools program helps the school have its own full-time professional chef, Cynthia Tomasini, who’s been whipping up meals and teaching kids to cook at the school since September. “We’re able to put together a menu that encourages a plant-based diet with an emphasis on freshness,” Tomasini said. “I love coming into the kitchen and showing the kids how to make an item they’ll see on our monthly menu.” The kids are taught to value foods that are organic, local and seasonal, and to follow their veggies from the farm, either their own or ones upstate, to the kitchen and onto their plates.

Matilda Brooker, a parent with two boys at P.S. 11, said the program has transformed the way her kids look at food. “The farmer’s market, we buy all our veggies from there,” she said. “It’s a no-brainer, really. It’s good, healthy food for the kids.”

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// NEWS

EVENTS

Mohegan Sun WineFest Brings Many of Metro NY’S Top Chefs to CT Mohegan Sun’s annual Sun WineFest, a three-day extravaganza featured celebrity chefs, gourmet food, premium wines, top shelf spirits, food demonstrations, seminars, entertainment, champagne and chocolate was held last month.

T

he annual event, which annually attracts a sold-out crowd, brought dozens of demonstrations, tastings, and seminars including the Elite Cru Wine Tasting, Bourbon Tasting, Celebrity Dine Around, Grand Tasting, the champagne and chocolate themed Bubbles & Bon-Bons and food-related contests, including the Grape Stomp and Oyster Open.

The Bourbon Tasting, presented by Beam Global Spirits & Wine, kicked off the event. A cooperative effort between Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Burger Bar and AVO Cigars, the event included a bourbon-inspired menu paired with fine bourbons, including Maker’s Mark, Booker’s, Knob Creek and Jim Beam. Beam whiskey professor Bernie Lubbers, named Global Whiskey ambassadorof the year in 2009, attended.

The highlight event was the Celebrity Chef Dine Around, presented by Moët & Chandon. Chefs Bobby Flay, Todd English, Robert Irvine and Marc Forgione were among the world-class chefs that hosted the evening of fine

Once again a highlight was the Sun WineFest Grand Tasting, featuring beer, wine, specialty spirits and foods. More than 1,000 brands of wine, beer and spirits showcased, along with signature dishes from a variety of restaurants. food. There were live cooking stations with celebrity chefs preparing some of their specialties and wine or beer pairings to complement each dish.

Chocolatier Jacques Torres, with master pastry chefs Emily Luchetti and Lynn Mansel, created elaborate dessert displays.

Other celebrity chefs that appeared during the weekend event included Govind Armstrong, Donatella Arpaia, Kim Canteenwalla, Mary Ann Esposito, Elizabeth Falkner, Ben Ford, Jason Santos, Betty Fraser and Marcela Valladolid as well as winemakers Nico-

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letta Canella, Bob Lantosca and Kate MacMurray.

Once again a highlight was the Sun WineFest Grand Tasting, featuring beer, wine, specialty spirits and foods.

More than 1,000 brands of wine, beer and spirits showcased, along with signature dishes from a variety of restaurants.

There was also the 3rd annual Mohegan Sun WineFest Grape Stomp, with 16 teams competing to get the most juice out of their grapes. The competition benefits the American Diabetes Association.

The corks were also popping with Perrier-Jouët flowing as Torres and Luchetti, along with Daisy Martinez, host of Viva Daisy on the Food Network and Mansel presented decadent desserts served with champagne and cheeses at the Bubbles & Bon Bons dessert event.

The event also hosted the 8th annual Mohegan Sun Oyster Open which hosts professional shuckers from the best restaurants, raw bars and shellfish and seafood companies, who competed for a $3,500 cash prize and the championship belt.

Booth #1535

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Booth #1638