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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 3
// NEWS
LEGISLATION
NY Board Upholds $15 Minimum Wage For Fast-Food Workers
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state oversight board last month upheld the decision by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to gradually raise the hourly minimum wage for many fast-food workers to $15. The New York Industrial Board of Appeals rejected the National Restaurant Association’s arguments that the wage order was unconstitutional, arbitrary, unsupported by the evidence and focused improperly on fast-food chains with more than 30 locations. The industrial board, whose members
are appointed by the governor, said it’s authorized only to determine whether the administration’s actions were lawful under New York’s labor statutes. A wage board heard testimony earlier this year and recommended the wage increases, which were approved by the
state labor commissioner in July. “We find nothing in the statute to prohibit the labor commissioner from issuing a minimum wage order that classifies employees based on the number of locations their employers are affiliated with,” the industrial board ruled.
“We find nothing in the statute to prohibit the labor commissioner from issuing a minimum wage order that classifies employees based on the number of locations their employers are affiliated with,” the industrial board ruled.
4 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
The commissioner has authority under the law to investigate the adequacy of wages in any occupation, which can be done “for a subset of a segment of an industry” and requires a record establishing “a factual basis for doing so.” The wage board and commissioner concluded current wages were insufficient to meet workers’ cost of living. They also concluded that fast-food chains with 30 or more restaurants nationally are “better equipped to absorb a wage increase due to greater operational and financial resources and brand recognition.”
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 5
// NEWS
RESTAURANT OPENINGS
Celebrity Chef Symon Sets Sites On Northeast Expansion With New Atlantic City Eatery Celebrity chef Michael Symon, co-host of ABC’s “The Chew” TV show, will open an Italian restaurant at Atlantic City’s Borgata casino next fall.
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ymon joins fellow Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Geoffrey Zakarian and legendary chef Wolfgang Puck among the celebrity chefs with eateries at the casino. “We’re excited to bring our Italian cooking to Atlantic City,” said Symon, who has award-winning restaurants in Cleveland, Detroit and elsewhere. “This is the food I grew up eating; my Sicilian grandmother would be proud! Authentic Italian is very simple. It’s all about great ingredients. It’s what I cooked in my early career, and still what I like to make at home.” Symon made his TV debut on the Food Network in 1998 with appearances on “Sara’s Secrets” with Sara Moulton; “Ready, Set, Cook,” and “Food Nation with Bobby Flay,” before hosting over 100 episodes of “The Melting Pot.” In January 2012, his show “Symon’s Suppers,” premiered on the Cooking Channel, and in September 2011 he joined the cast of “The Chew” as one of the show’s five hosts. “Having the opportunity to partner with such a celebrated chef to join our renowned culinary lineup, and whose personality and spirit embody Borgata was something we could not pass up, and look forward to next fall,” said Joe Lupo, the casino’s senior vice president. The name of the restaurant has
not yet been determined. Michael D. Symon is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is seen regularly on Food Network on shows such as Iron Chef America, Food Feuds, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, as well as Cook Like an Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel and The Chew on ABC. He has also made numerous contributions to periodicals such as Bon Appétit, Esquire, Food Arts, Gourmet, Saveur
and O, The Oprah Magazine. Symon is credited with helping to “save” the restaurant scene in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio. He is the chef and owner of a number of restaurants in the Greater Cleveland area, including his flagship Lola, Lolita, and The B Spot. Additionally, he owns Michael Symon’s Roast (also known as Roast) in Detroit, Michigan. Symon describes his cooking as “meat-centric.”
“We’re excited to bring our Italian cooking to Atlantic City,” said Symon, who has awardwinning restaurants in Cleveland, Detroit and elsewhere.
Main Office: 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director: Michael Scinto Art Director: Mark Sahm Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Laurie Forster Morgan Tucker Fred Sampson Staff Writer Deborah Hirsch Intern Alexis Robinson
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 2016 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 Pittsburgh, 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
Celebrity chef Michael Symon, co-host of ABC’s “The Chew” TV show
6 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 7
// NEWS
POS TECHNOLOGY
5 Things To Avoid When Purchasing a POS In Barry Schwartz’s TED talk, “The Paradox of Choice”, he speaks about how we, as consumers in the digital age, assume that more choice makes us freer.
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hoice is good, right?
Wrong. Just go down the mustard aisle at the grocery store and feel the power of choice to overwhelm. Whole grain, or dijon? Horseradish or chili infused? Heinz or President’s Choice? Whatever happened to just plain ol’ yellow? Complicating this matter, Schwartz concludes that more choice doesn’t make us freer, nor does decision making become easier. It actually makes us more boxed in, more anxious. Why? Because we become paralyzed by the sheer amount of options. Schwartz says that when we finally overcome this paralysis and look at all our options, this thing called, “opportunity cost” occurs. This is when you “imagine the attractive features of alternatives that you reject.” In turn, you become less satisfied with your choice. So even if you’ve researched the thing to death, you’ll always be plagued by a nagging anxiety that you could have gotten a better deal or a more robust solution. This is the viscous treadmill on which the modern day restaurateur runs. The problem is, unlike mustard,
your POS choice profoundly affects the way your business runs, so choosing a POS is a delicate task. To make things easier for you when you’re on the hunt for the perfect POS, we’ve complied a list of notto-dos, so you can worry less and feel more confident about your POS choice. 1. DON’T Get Locked In
8 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
Long-term contracts and hardware: two big red, inflexible, flags. Years ago, proprietary POS hardware was the way to go. POS companies would install computer modules throughout a restaurant. These old archaic systems were slow, often caused line-ups, delays and, of course, frustrations amongst staff. Beyond the operational problems of traditional POS hardware, once in-
stalled, you were locked in to your provider. It’s much harder to change systems when you’ve invested a lot of money in hardware that can’t be repurposed. Then there’s the ol’ haul long contract, where software POS suppliers will try to rope you into their product for years on end. Also not a desirable option. Here’s what you should DO: look at software apps that can be installed on tablets and purchased on a month-to-month basis. Tablets, like an iPad, can always be repurposed in the future if you scale down, and more tablets can be easily acquired if you scale up. Speaking of scaling… 2. DON’T get a solution that doesn’t scale A new condo development just opened up next door. Maybe you were chosen to be featured on the Food Network. There are some factors that can cause spur-of-the-moment growth so no matter what POS system you choose, make sure your investment can account for variable
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Proud of the company we keep www.heartland.us/TotalFood
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 9
// NEWS
HOTEL EXPANSION
Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Set To Host Top Toques At New Hotel The second hotel now under construction at Mohegan Sun’s flagship casino will offer a restaurant, pool and fitness center and the latest in tech wired rooms.
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he Earth Hotel will feature a first for the nearly 20-year-old casino that has traded on a deep connection to nature: an outdoor space for guests. “An outdoor space is the one thing this campus doesn’t have,” Vivian Huang, a senior associate principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the project’s architect, said during a tour showcasing the construction on the $130 million hotel. “It will be a seating area off the lobby. There will be fire pits. People will be able to sit outside by the fire, relax with a cup of coffee.” A recent tour for state and local elected officials showed off progress on the 13-story, 400-room hotel, with steel up and concrete poured all with the aim of opening by October. But the tour also was intended to under-
line something else: Mohegan leaders said the hotel is evidence that the casino remains committed to its southeastern Connecticut home base, despite plenty of talk about a third casino in Greater Hartford, a joint venture with rival Foxwoods and a massive casino and entertainment resort it hopes to develop in Seoul, South Korea. Kevin Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, said the casino remains in its flagship and the location where the tribe “makes an awful lot of money.” Mohegan faces intensifying competition, most notably from a $950 million gambling and entertainment complex under construction by MGM Resorts International in Springfield and the impetus for the joint venture with Foxwoods to keep as much casino revenue in Connecticut as possi-
Artist rendering of how the updated Mohegan Sun campus will look upon completion. 10 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
ble. Mohegan and Foxwoods also face growing pressure from Rhode Island and New York. The state of Connecticut reaps 25 percent of slot machine revenues at both Mohegan and Foxwoods. Brown dismissed the notion that another competitor, Hard Rock International, is laying the groundwork for a bid to bring gaming to Connecticut. Last month, Hard Rock said it wants to build a 170-room hotel with a Hard Rock Cafe in Hartford’s Downtown North, which would open by 2018. “I see that the same as a Marriott hotel being built,” Brown said. “It’s a hotel with a restaurant.” In 2013, Hard Rock International sought to build an $800 million casino, hotel and live-entertainment venue in West Springfield, Mass., in a bid to win a casino license for Western Massachusetts. Voters in West
Springfield rejected the plan. At Mohegan Sun, the Earth Hotel put on hold in 2008 because of a weak economy broke ground in March, and will add to the 1,200 rooms at the existing Sky Hotel. Without the second hotel, Mohegan says it is losing bookings for nearly 500,000 room-nights a year. Room-nights are calculated by multiplying rooms by the number of nights they are booked. Brown said the hotel is expected to tap heavily into midweek convention group business. In 2014, Mohegan Sun had its strongest profit margin in eight years, but it came with slashing expenses, including cutting its workforce by 400. Mohegan now employs about 6,900 employees. The hotel project is estimated to create 1,000 construction and permanent jobs.
Mohegan faces intensifying competition, most notably from a $950 million gambling and entertainment complex under construction by MGM Resorts International in Springfield.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 11
// NEWS
SHOWS
Experience Industry Leading Culinary Innovation At The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show Of New York — March 6-8, 2016 Opportunities are Still Available to Exhibit, Present in the Culinary Demo Theater, Be a Part of Special Feature Areas and More
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or the past two decades, The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York has brought together tens of thousands of restaurant, foodservice and hospitality professionals from throughout New York State and surrounding areas. This all-encompassing tradeshow and conference provides the opportunities for leading industry restaurant owners, operators, caterers, and chefs as well as foodservice professionals from bars, nightclubs, hospitals, hotels and other organi-
zations to network with each other as well as vendors. Attendees will find the newest products, access to the latest trends, and solutions for foodservice professionals throughout the trade show floor. The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is scheduled for Sunday, March 6 – Tuesday, March 8 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. “This premier once-a-year event offers everything industry professionals need to master emerging trends, power up their profits, and
12 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
engage their customers in unique and memorable ways,” said Ron Mathews, Industry Vice President for Urban Expositions Foodservice Events, producers of the event. “We are the only show in the New York region exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice professional and invite everyone in the industry to join us and 16,000+ of their peers.” The 3-day admission access pass will open the doors for attendees to the Show’s exhibit hall, which will feature over 550 of the leading
vendors. Attendees will view live culinary demonstrations at the Culinary Demo Theater, experience hundreds of new products through The Food Trends Experience and brand new APPstore, and attend educational sessions at the Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience special features at the show, including the Taste NY & Craft Beverage Showcase, Sabor Latino Pavilion and the 27th annual United
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 13
// LITTLE M. TUCKER
WITH MORGAN TUCKER
“Find Something You Are Passionate About And Keep Tremendously Interested In It.” ~ Julia Child
Morgan Tucker is a Senior Account Executive and Director of Exclusive Collections at M. Tucker, a division of Singer Equipment Company. Her sales and marketing team, “Little M Tucker” provides equipment and supply solutions for a wide diversity of acclaimed restaurateurs, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders. Ms. Tucker is based in NYC and can be reached at
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welve months ago I took to this column to profess my 2015 New Year’s Resolutions. They were: • KNOW MY FARMER • MADE IN THE USA • LIVE OUTSIDE THE BOX • BE A PARTNER I had the pleasure of visiting The Chef’s Garden on two separate occasions this year. Farmer Lee Jones epitomizes working within the constraints of nature, and is an eloquent and committed voice for his brethren. As a guest of Steelite’s at the Roots Conference, I sat alongside farmers, chefs, academics, scientists, and journalists and absorbed tangible solutions about how to begin to heal our planet. The Culinary Vegetable Institute is plowing the way for revolutionary change by bringing together voices committed to repairing our food system. In December, the Jones’ welcomed my sales team into their kitchen for Christmas Dinner. Listening to Farmer Lee’s inspired stories alongside my closest friends and employees were some of my highlights of 2015. I now invite you to KNOW MY FARMER at www. chefs-garden.com. In 2016, my team and I will partner with The Culinary Vegetable institute alongside even
mptucker@mtucker.com.
more of our chefs. If you want in, let me know! mptucker@mtucker.com Three companies that invigorated my support of products MADE IN THE USA are Homer Laughlin, Libbey, and Vollrath. Whether “dumpster diving” at Fish’s Eddy for vintage accessories or perusing archives to rebirth timeless patterns, Homer is all the fad these days. Libbey introduced Master’s Reserve in 2015, made entirely in America. The four pattern collections offer a wide variety of style and an unparalleled warranty of lifetime rim and foot chipping. My single largest vendor in 2015 was Vollrath, a quiet giant and a true partner. With intrepid integrity and commitment to our country, Vollrath is a pillar of
14 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
American manufacturing. Follow me this spring on my journey across the US to visit American manufacturing at its finest @littlemtucker on Instagram and Twitter. This year I set out to build a swat team of hospitality consultants with youthful elegance who will bring something unique to the table at every opportunity. In 2015 we partnered with more unique, new companies than ever before. To learn about Match Pewter, or Figgjo Norway, and so many others, please visit my website www.littlemtucker.com. In order to continue to enhance our hospitality story, we are continuing our commitment to finding new partners and new channels in 2016, often alongside our
oldest allies. As 2016 begins, I am honored to take the reins of The American Institute of Wine & Foods’ New York City Chapter and build on the incredible accomplishments of Anthony Milano and his team. Established in 1981 by Julia Child, Robert Mondavi, and Richard Graff, AIWF was founded on the premise that gastronomy is essential to the quality of human existence. This year we are transitioning into a 501©(3) organization and eager to deliver modern and relevant educational and social content to each of our members. If you live in this hospitality ecosystem, I invite any food and wine enthusiasts or professionals to join us as we make exciting changes by emailing Aaron Smyle at aaron@smyleandassociates. com. Follow us on our culinary adventures @eat.drink.aiwf and check out our membership chair @menwhodine @gennaro.pecchia if you want some real #foodporn. Whatever your New Year’s Resolutions are, TAKE ACTION!
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 15
// NEWS
RESTAURANT OPENINGS
Beard Award Winner Inks Pact For NYC Outpost Sam Fox has signed the lease for a New York City space to house his True Food Kitchen restaurant.
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ox, a winner of the Richard Melman Award, is a twotime James Beard semifinalist, co-author of The New York Times best-selling cookbook “True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure”, and has been ranked one of the most powerful people in the industry by Nation’s Restaurant News. Fox’s first-ever New York City restaurant, True Food Kitchen, is one of the last remaining restaurants to join the highly anticipated restaurant row of Brookfield Place in the Battery Park neighborhood of Manhattan. The 7,566-square-foot space will spread over two stories as well as feature an outdoor, covered patio on the ground floor of the complex, neighboring the northeast
retail entrance and adjacent to chef Jose Garces’ restaurant Amada. The Brookfield Place True Food Kitchen is projected to open in early fall 2016. True Food Kitchen, one of the most popular brands in Fox’s impressive 15-concept portfolio, is the pioneer of restaurants leading the wave for healthy dining. Fox worked with the revered health and lifestyle guru Dr. Andrew Weil to create the menu, which is inspired by Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet, and features clean, nutritious items including gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. “The focus on delicious food that happens to be incredibly healthy is the reason True Food Kitchen has become a local favorite everywhere it has opened,”
shared Fox, founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts. “This New York City location is important to us because it’s in a neighborhood filled with active, health-minded people. The deal has been in the works for awhile, and we’re thrilled to announce we’ll be joining Brookfield Place’s restaurant row.” “True Food Kitchen is the real thing. They are the pioneers of the local seasonal menu brought to the masses,” explained Michael Goldban, Senior Vice President of Retail Leasing at Brookfield Property Partners. He added, “It has become a veritable institution in Santa Monica and in Scottsdale and we feel that New Yorkers will embrace them with gusto!”
Sam Fox, founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts
“This New York City location is important to us because it’s in a neighborhood filled with active, healthminded people.” 16 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
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// RESTAURANT RENAISSANCE
WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO
Fabulous Food Hall Round Up
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ix food halls have opened in the past five years in Manhattan, from Gotham West Market to Eataly near Madison Square Park, Plaza Food Hall at Fifth Avenue, Gansevoort Market in the Meatpacking District, Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City, and City Kitchen in Times Square. Food Halls are a low-cost option with a big reward considering the high number of pedestrians. What sets NYC food halls apart is the quality and diversity of the cuisine offered. Gotham West Market 600 Eleventh Avenue New York, NY 10036 (212) 582-7940 gothamwestmarket.com Opened in 2013, and has become a favorite of our City’s foodies. Some of the city’s star chefs do their thing at this food hall offering both counter and communal table seating. Here is a tiny tour of the treasures you will find… Uma Temakeria; Chef Chris Jaeckle (all’onda) serves made-to-order sushi hand rolls, featuring temaki and NYC’s first sushi burrito.Indie Fresh; chef prepared healthy foods. Ample Hills Creamery; Brooklyn-based Zagat’s #1 rated ice cream shop in New York City. Blue Bottle Coffee; best coffee ever. The Cannibal; market-driven charcuterie, small plates, beer and cocktails.El Colmado; Chef Seamus Mullen
Faith Hope Consolo is the Chairman
of Tertulia.Genuine Roadside; AvroKO, the design and hospitality firm creates burgers, shakes, tacos, cocktails and more. Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop by Ivan Orkin, the world-renowned ramen expert.Choza Taqueria; authentic Mexican food.NYC Velo has its second bike shop. Evelyn’s Kitchen; owner and executive chef Ayala Donchin serves her signature Pudgies (soft, doughy, ‘more-than-a-cookie’ cookies!) in flavors such as Banana Pudding, Coconut Cream Pie and Devil Dog. Eataly 200 5th Ave, NY, NY 10010 (212) 229-2560 www.eataly.com Oscar Farinetti is the founder and creator joined by Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich bringing the best Italian products made by regional farmers, bakers, and pasta makers. Eataly is the largest Italian marketplace in the world, offering a variety of restaurants, food and beverage counters, bakery, retail items, and a cooking school. Here is a glimpse of what restaurants are on the menu at Eataly as described by the founders…. Baita; “Italian Alps pop-up restaurant on the 14th floor, open from December to March. Enclosed by a retractable rooftop and dotted with heaters, the cozy year-round space offers a wintry view of New York City with a hearty taste of northern Italy, from
18 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
mulled wine to melted cheese.”Pranzo; “lunch-time restaurant where eating and education are served on the same plate. Set aside from the bustling marketplace, Pranzo’s open kitchen serves regional Italian dishes paired with recipes, so you can create your new favorite dish in your own kitchen.” La Pizza & La Pasta; “features two of the best-loved Italian dishes: Napoli-style pizza and al dente pasta. Enjoy a seasonal selection just steps away from our expert pasta chefs and doughslinging pizzaioli (pizza makers).”Le Verdure: “vegetable-centric restaurant that honors seasonal local ingredients with preparation that focuses on flavor. Every day, Eataly’s chefs create delicious and satisfying dishes that are inspired by our local farms’ harvest.” Il Pesce; “features fresh seafood that we responsibly source and sell around the corner at our seafood counter. Every day, we offer a fresh selection of oysters, in addition to the catch of the day served crudo, panseared, roasted, and more.”Manzo; “elegant fine-dining restaurant. Showcasing only the highest quality Italian and American ingredients, Manzo offers the complete dining experience: antipasti, primi piatti, secondi piatti, and dolci. Explore our extensive lunch, bar, dinner, dessert, and tasting menus.”La Piazza; “modeled after a jovial Italian city square, where friends and families gather every day for wine and antipasti. Each corner of La Piazza
of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group. Ms. Consolo is responsible for the most successful commercial division of New York City’s largest residential real estate brokerage firm. Email her at fconsolo@elliman.com
serves different specialties and dishes coming directly from the surrounding counters or corners.”
The Plaza Food Hall at The Plaza Hotel 1 West 59th Street NY, NY 10019 (212) 759-3000 www.theplazany.com/dining/foodhall Located in the most famous and elegant hotel in the City, the 32,000-square-foot space is a haven for locals, tourists, and hotel guests to meet, dine, and shop in a space much like European food halls. Dive into divine fare by Billy’s Bakery, Chi Noodle Bar, Epicerie Boulud, FP Patisserie, Kusmi Tea, Lady M, La Maison du Chocolat, Luke’s Lobster, No. 7 Sub, Olma Caviar Boutique & Bar, Ora di Pasta, Pain D’Avignon, Piada, Pizza Rollio, Sabi Sushi, Tartinery, Todd English Food Hall, Vin Sur Vingt, Vive la Crepe, William Greenberg Desserts, YoArt Frozen Yogurt Boutique; all in one divine space scattered with table
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 19
// NEWS
OBITUARY
Legendary Manhattan Pastry Chef DePalma Succumbs To Cancer
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ina DePalma, a pastry chef whose artfully simple Italian desserts helped make Babbo in Greenwich Village one of Manhattan’s most beloved and admired restaurants, died last month in a hospice in the Bronx. She was 49. Yet she found her calling in dreaming up delicious desserts, and joined fellow confectionist Claudia Fleming at Gramercy Tavern in 1994, before Batali tapped her as Babbo’s opening pastry chef in 1998. Ms. DePalma credited her mother and grandmother, Italian immigrants from Calabria, for teaching her not only how to cook but also how to think about food. “Use what is local, use what is available, and use ingredients to their fullest potential,” she wrote
Gina DePalma
Batali shared the passing of “the finest pastry chef I’ve ever known,” in a somber tweet. in the preface to “Dolce Italiano: Desserts From the Babbo Kitchen,” published in 2007. Her sweet ideal was panna cotta, a study in minimalism. Her reverence for simplicity kept her on the margins of the pastry scene, despite stints at some of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, until she met Mario Batali, who was then the chef and owner of Po. While she was making desserts at the Cub Room, he paid her a visit and presented his idea for a new restaurant, which he envisioned as a shrine to rustic Italian cooking. “It was a concept of dessert that was entirely familiar to me,” she wrote in her cookbook. Mr. Batali said, “I hired her an hour after meeting her.” When Babbo opened in 1998, she was the pastry chef, turning out chocolate polenta tarts, strawberries in Chianti with black pepper and ricotta cream, and the dessert that became her signature, saffron panna cotta with poached peaches. “It is like the restaurant itself: an unusual combination of ingredients that seem destined to be together,” Ruth Reichl wrote in her review of Babbo for The New York Times in 1998. Mr. Batali
20 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
said, “She was the mother soul of the entire kitchen.” Ms. DePalma prized flavor above eye appeal and took a dim view of extravagance. “It is always my goal to create desserts that just make sense,” she wrote in her cookbook. “I feel very strongly and quite personally that desserts should not be an object of whimsy or nonsense.” At the same time, many of her most successful desserts included an inventive spin, often on American ideas, like Thanksgiving cranberry tart in a polenta crust, or slices of white peach suspended in a golden prosecco aspic, her fusion of Jell-O and a Bellini. In 2008, Bon Appétit magazine named her best pastry chef of the year. A year later, the James Beard Foundation presented her with its award for outstanding pastry chef. “You might look at one of my plates and think, ‘Wow, she really just slaps it on there,’” she told Nation’s Restaurant News in 2003. “But when there isn’t all that busyness to distract the eye, the beauty of the actual food itself has to shine through.” Gina DePalma was born on Sept.
16, 1966, in Mineola, N.Y., and grew up in Fairfax, VA. She began cooking with her mother, she wrote on her website, “as soon as I could stand on a stool.” After graduating from the College of New Rochelle with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Ms. DePalma worked as a cook and caterer to earn money for law school, but after five years, the kitchen won out. She enrolled in Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now the Institute of Culinary Education) and found a job as a private chef for the actor Michael Douglas. While serving a pastry apprenticeship at Chanterelle, the pioneering French restaurant in TriBeCa, she “drifted to the sweet side of the kitchen,” she wrote in “Dolce Italiano.” She joined the pastry team at Gramercy Tavern under Claudia Fleming, one of the leading lights in a new generation of chefs elevating the status of dessert from afterthought to stardom. “I have a very different philosophy for dessert than many pastry chefs, because I never received that spunsugar, highly crafted technique of pastry - I was trained as a chef.” “The best way I can describe my desserts is that they’re very food-oriented.” She often worked savory ingredients like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, semolina and cheese into her desserts.
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 21
// FOOD SAFETY
WITH NOELLE IFSHIN
Restaurant Industry Changes To Face In 2016
A
s we ring in 2016, there are some big changes facing the restaurant industry. Restaurants must prepare to face these changes in the year ahead to mitigate disruption to business operations, reduce costs and maximize customer satisfaction. There is good news on the horizon, as industry analysts point to a strong outlook for restaurants relative to the US economy for 2016. The bad news is the restaurant business isn’t getting any easier. Restaurants, which already operate on razor-thin margins, now face rising wages and commodity costs, increasing government regulations, and additional security and safety concerns. Operators should focus on the following four items to move their business forward in 2016: The Pressure of Rising Wages, High Employee Turnover and the Reduction in the Labor Force will
The right technology can enable you to change menus sooner to combat rising costs, launch and track promotions, and ensure that your reservation interface is in-line with what your customers want.
Noelle Ifshin has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. She has been instrumental in growing several companies, utilizing many different concepts, and was a successful revenue management leader with a na-
require operators to think strategically about their HR in relation to their overall operation. The economic shift from the customer to the employer to cover a living wage – increasing minimum wages and a move away from a tipping model – compels operators to reduce employee turnover and hold on to their best employees. We have discussed the cost of turnover before, but now more than ever restaurants cannot be a revolving door of hourly staff.
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The cost to onboard a new employee is too high and constant turnover can make it hard to maintain your desired level of product and service quality. Additionally, as the economy continues to recover, there are, and will continue to be, fewer qualified, skilled candidates to fill critical positions. Technology can and should be leveraged in all aspects of your restaurant from enhancing the customer experience, to managing products and staff, and even monitoring food and beverage storage and usage. The right investment in technology can help you be more flexible and nimble, which in turn allows you to manage what impacts your bottom line in a timely fashion. The right technology can enable you to change menus sooner to combat rising costs, launch and track promotions, and ensure that your reservation interface is in-line with what your customers want. Operationally, new technologies can improve scheduling to reduce labor
tional harbor cruise company, which operates in several markets across the Eastern US. Prior to founding 4Q Consulting, LLC, Noelle has functioned in an array of roles for various organizations ranging from front and back of house, single unit management, and multi-unit director, as well as company-wide profit management duties. Her diverse experience includes Executive Chef Positions, Food and Beverage management, catering, large event management, renovations, and new build outs. Email her at noelle@4qconsult.com.
costs, and increase table turnover to increase sales. Administratively, new technologies can help small businesses with their bookkeeping, payroll and sales tax processing. Lastly, you must stay compliant in all Federal, State and local technology regulations that keep your customers’ personal and payment information safe from data breaches – which can be a costly mistake.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 23
// EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Partridge Holiday Luncheon
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YE joined fellow Partridge Club members in welcoming the holiday season at the club’s annual holiday shindig at the New York Athletic Club. Dennis Sweeney brought his touch of humor to the festivities, as the event once again marked a highlight of Christmas in New York. EYE toasted the holidays with educators including: Liz Schaible of NYC College of Technology, and Steve Shipley of Johnson & Wales. EYE spotted such notables as Winged Foot’s Colin Burns and Randy Ruder of Beach Point Club. EYE enjoyed the camaraderie of such food and beverage leaders as Fresh and Tasty’s Peter Fernandez and Dennis Murphy of Opici. Top operators at the Holiday event included: Dick Cattani and Ed Sirhal of Restaurant Associates. The Partridge Club was formed in 1935 at the Victoria Hotel in New York City. The membership was made up of leading purveyors to the hotel, club and restaurant trade. The Holiday luncheon brought the mission of
the Partridge Foundation to raise scholarship funds for institutions of higher learning and to provide training for students pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry. Among the industry’s top equipment and supply professionals who celebrated were: Hobart’s Dick Hynes, Keith Fitzgerald of PBAC, Morgan Tucker of M.Tucker. EYE can’t say enough about the Partridge Club’s scholarship initiatives, which are led by Marc Sarrazin of DeBragga and Spitler. Once again with the meat maven’s lead Partridge grants went to such noted institutions as the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales, Cornell University, Paul Smith College and the New Jersey Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation. Under the guidance of the club’s President Marc Fuchs and a visionary Board, the club continues to fulfill its mission of making a culinary or hospitality education a reality for many students with its scholarship programs.
(L to R) Fred Klashman of TFS, Fresh and Tasty’s Peter Fernandez, PBAC’s Michael Posternak and Owen Moore of NYU.
(L to R) Dan Mizrahi of Contagio and M. Tucker’s Tess Rex.
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(L to R) Johnson and Wales’ Steve Shipley, longtime B&I exec Kent Bain and FBAA chief Steve Gatullo.
(L to R) The HX Show duo of Phil Robinson and Lynn White.
Longtime Partridge member George Hannau presented a scholarship check to City Tech’s Liz Schaible.
(L to R) The Pro-Tek duo of Suzanne Albers and Chad Daniels with Slava Petatsky of Tek Express.
(L to R) Deepdale Golf Club’s Scott Heaney, Barry Chandler of Nisseqouge Club and Opici’s Dennis Murphy.
(L to R) Sodexo’s Myles Foley and Bill Powers toasted the holidays with Keith Fitzgerald of PBAC.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 25
// INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
WITH FRED SAMPSON
The Growing Popularity Of Wine And The Enlightened Consumer
W
alk into any package store and you’ll probably find yourself surrounded by dozens of wine bottles with labels almost as exotic as the wine they contain. Wine lists in many restaurants receive almost as much attention as the menu, and some sommeliers enjoy as much attention as their culinary cousins. Wine sales in food establishments and retail stores are growing, and almost every state has developed grapegrowing regions. Despite the myths that have surrounded it for centuries, the grape is coming of age in the United States. For years, wine sales have struggled. Why? Because most people, especially those dining out, were convinced that (a) you had to order red wine with meat and white with fowl or seafood, or (b) you had to know something about vintages and regions in order to not embarrass yourself with the wine steward or the server. Today many of these so-called stumbling blocks have disappeared as a result of the casual lifestyle which is evident almost everywhere, including at fine dining establishments. It’s not because the myths have completely disappeared, but rather, knowledge of the grape is not important anymore. Many consumers have accepted a more realistic approach when ordering wine, and that is to order what they like and not what protocol would normally dictate. Several years ago I wrote a column
on dealing with wine regions and urged those folks having a need to expand their knowledge of the grape, to visit the regions. T.J. Foderaro, a knowledgeable wine columnist, had this to say about wine education: “Wine educators will tell you that the best way to learn about it is to try lots of different wines. There is no substitute for tasting, they’ll say. Don’t believe them.” Mr. Foderaro continues: “If you want to expand your knowledge and appreciation of wine, of course you want to sample as many wines and varieties as possible. That goes without saying. But that won’t make you an expert. Or even give you a better understanding of wine. I’ve met plenty of adventurous wine drinkers and even some deeppocketed collectors who have tried a lot of good wine but wouldn’t know Margaux from Merlot.” (The first is a prestigious vineyard area in France’s Bordeaux region, and the second is a popular grape native to the Bordeaux variety.) He goes on to say that “In the end, making sense of wine requires more than drinking: you need facts— the names of the grapes, the locations of the villages, the climate of certain
countries, a smattering of viniculture and enology—and that’s just the basics. Like it or not, you have to read.” It is my contention that most consumers have neither the urge nor the desire to invest that much time in order to make sure they are ordering the “right wine at the right time.” Most wine drinkers, including the casual drinker, can tell whether they are drinking an acceptable wine or not. In the final analysis, that is the bottom line. Having said that, I agree that reading is a must if you are committed to learning more about wine. I have a limited number of books on wine. They include Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book; Beverage Media’s The Professional Wine Reference, by Frank E. Johnson; The Oxford Companion to Wine, by Jancis Robinson; and closer to home, The Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, by Kevin Zraly, a friend, and author of the world’s topselling wine book. One last observation. As further testimony to how the casual lifestyle has affected the wine industry, I would like to mention the development and mar-
Many consumers have accepted a more realistic approach when ordering wine, and that is to order what they like and not what protocol would normally dictate.
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Fred G. Sampson is the retired President Emeritus of the New York State Restaurant Association. He began working with NYSRA in 1961. Within the next four years the NYSRA more than tripled its membership and expanded from one regional chapter to eight. Sampson played roles in representing restaurants on issues including paid sick leave, minimum wage, liquor laws, a statewide alcohol training program and insurance plans. Comments may be sent to fredgsampson@juno.com
keting of wine in a box with a spigot, and while not as popular as boxed wine, the use of screw caps. There are vintners who say screw caps are being used because cork is no longer as available as it once was. That may be true, but the consumer looks at it as a convenience issue, from opening the bottle to recapping the wine not consumed. I’m very much aware of the fact that many reading this column are wine professionals; many of you may not be. The latter is the audience I had in mind when writing this article.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 27
// NEWS
EXPANSION
Mattos And Carter Set to Bring Eatery To Metropolitan’s New Uptown Branch The grande dame of Manhattan museums has decided to import a dash of downtown cool.
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he Metropolitan Museum of Art has signed a contract with the chef Ignacio Mattos and the restaurateur Thomas Carter, the men behind Estela on East Houston Street, to create an Upper East Side version of the restaurant at the Met Breuer, a new standalone outpost of the museum that will be devoted to 20th- and 21st-century work. The Met Breuer is set to open in March, but the restaurant, which may be called Estela Breuer (the name is still not finalized), could open early in the summer. “It seems very attractive to bring that downtown energy uptown,” said Thomas P. Campbell, the director and chief executive of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Met is all too often seen as this sedate, august institution.” Estela’s approach to food and service is seen as emblematic of a downtown sensibility; there is nothing quite like Estela in the neighborhood surrounding the Met. Campbell said he liked the “experiential” style of a meal at Estela, where the impromptu nature of the menu invites both snacking and feasting. “It can be formal, but it can be very informal,” he said. “It’s very much what you as the diner make of it.” The building that the Estela team will be working in, at the corner of Madison Avenue and 75th Street, used to house the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has moved south
to the meatpacking district. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group oversees the restaurants at a couple of major museums in New York: the Modern at the Museum of Modern Art and Untitled at the Whitney. In downtown Los Angeles, the chef Timothy Hollingsworth and the restaurateur Bill Chait recently opened Otium, a restaurant linked to the Broad, a contemporary art museum. And Stephen Starr, the restaurateur behind spots like Upland and El Vez, brought Caffè Storico, an Italian restaurant, to the New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side. Mattos seemed almost taken aback that he had “an opportunity to partner up with the biggest museum in the
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Western Hemisphere,” as he put it. He added, “I love going to the Metropolitan with my son.” Another New York museum that has chosen a smaller, more independent culinary collaborator is MoMA PS1 in Queens, where the in-house restau-
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
rant is M. Wells Dinette. The Metropolitan Museum “wanted something that was a little more individual and very particular to New York,” Carter said, adding that its leaders had not expressed an interest in opening an old school, white-tablecloth restaurant. “They want something more convivial and rustic and fun,” he said. Carter is the restaurant’s resident wine expert, and the wine list at the Breuer branch of Estela will be much larger than the one on Houston Street: about 500 bottles uptown versus about 200 downtown. “It will dwarf this one, but it will still be manageable,” he said. The new restaurant will have its own entrance and hours.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 29
// Q&A
EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW
Alex Guarnaschelli Celebrity Chef and Executive Chef at New York City’s Butter Restaurant
Y
ou grew up as the daughter of a cookbook editor - What impact did that have on what you have
become? I won’t say that growing up with my mother made me turn into a chef. It’s more that I grew up in a house where there was always cooking going on. The kitchen was the heart of the home growing up and I think that made me gravitate towards that energy in a professional kitchen when I chose my career. Who was instrumental in mentoring you as you grew into the star you have become? I definitely don’t see myself as a “star” and I think that most of the mentors I have don’t see themselves that way either. Guy Savoy definitely taught me about cooking and developing flavor. He also gave me some much-needed confidence which is what a mentor needs to do in the first place. I’ve had some surprise mentors sneak up on me like Bobby Flay. He encourages keeping it real and remembering what you are: first and foremost, a chef. Does your success surprise you? Or did you always just know that it was there to find? I don’t need to get poetic about the
concept of success but I’m not sure how to define success for myself? I’m happy that I have a daughter. That is a real success story for me that I didn’t think would happen. As far as cooking and television, I never dreamed any of the things that have happened would happen! You had the opportunity to apprentice in NYC, LA and France: What did you learn at each of those stops that has stayed with you? What are the similar traits that make restaurants successful no mater where they are located? I really only apprenticed in France and that was for a number of years. I think the two things that stuck with me through all of those experiences are as follows: number one, kitchen together like a family. The kitchen is a dangerous place so you have to trust the people you work with and who share your space. I also learned cooking is hard work. We can romanticize it all we want. It is very romantic as a craft but it is also just straight up work and repetition. How did the opportunity at the Darby evolve and what did you take away from that experience? The Darby was an amazing con-
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Old School Comfort Food, the book from Alex Guarnaschelli, Celebrity Chef and Executive Chef at New York City’s Butter Restaurant
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 31
Q&A Alex Guarnaschelli, from page 30
cept. A speakeasy in an iconic New York City space where “Nell’s” was located. It was supposed to harken back to another time in New York when music and art and food all converged in the same space. I loved it. What led to Butter and what impact did that have on your career? To be honest, it was kind of an accident. Happy one. I met a number of staff members who still work with me to this day. I discovered the Green Market, great farmers and the value of ingredients on my own. Awesome. How has your TV success impacted how you look at the industry? There is no question the television does one great thing for restaurants: it raises awareness and it brings
people to your restaurant to eat. To me, when I am on television and I know that it’s helping us to work the security of Butter and the great stuff inside it, it makes me happy. What impact do you think the Food Network and the Cooking Channel have had on running a successful restaurant? Is today’s customer more sophisticated? The level of awareness that Americans have about food and ingredients is astounding. My daughter watches the Food Network and is 8 years old; she asked me if red quinoa is the crispiest variety when cooked. Huh? She also loves gooseberries and Rambutans. I remember being eight and super excited about a mackintosh apple. How has the path/glass ceiling
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evolved for a women looking to build a name in our industry? My best advice is to ignore gender and do the work and try your best to kick some a** every day. The ceiling gets higher and higher that way, I think. What makes you tick….what drives you everyday? Do you still like to cook? (Don’t laugh please) because of how much you have on your plate? My daughter makes me tick and I love hanging out with her. Yes I still cook a lot and I still love it. My love affair with cooking is lifelong. How do you balance Alex – “The TV Persona” with Alex – “The Chef ” and Alex “The Entrepreneur”? It’s really just one giant Gemini mood swing that moves from
one thing to the next and honestly all my work is very intertwined so it makes sense. You are now involved in branding hotel concepts in Miami - What role do you see for restaurants and food in hotels? I am working on a hotel restaurant in Miami Beach called the The Driftwood Room in the Nautlius Hotel. It just opened a couple of weeks ago and I’m really excited about it. Concept is beachy and Mediterranean which I think is perfect for when you’re sitting by the ocean. I think from beginning to end, when you are staying in a hotel, from the room service to lunch to dinner, restaurants play a crucial role in having a great stay.
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Q&A Alex Guarnaschelli, from page 32
What’s the first thing you remember eating in NYC? A corned-beef and pastrami and chicken-liver sandwich on rye from the Carnegie Deli. And the chicken liver was a spread where the mayonnaise would normally belong. I was 8, 9. What’s your go-to, everyday restaurant? Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop on Fifth Avenue. I go in there and have an egg sandwich at the counter. I like a place where you can sit at a counter and look. Old school. And I like watching short-order cooking. It’s a dying art. What restaurant is next on your list to try?
Gabriel Kreuther’s restaurant. I like his cooking a lot. I want to go to Vaucluse. Anything French, sign me up. But those are fancy. The fancy restaurants take me longer to get to. They involve dressing up, being on time, being accurate, planning. Where do you take out-of-town guests? I don’t treat out-of-town guests any differently than in-town guests. I really love to go to Hearth. That’s one of my favorites; it has been for a long time. I like Marco Canora, the chef; I like his sensibility a lot. I like to go to Cookshop. You go in there and it’s truly seasonal. What should everyone in New York try? You need to have a street hot dog.
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Just do it. Is it the most gourmet? No. But you need to have that sensory experience of the sauerkraut and the mustard and the hot-dog water wafting in your face. Sara Jenkins has a place, Porchetta, you should probably go there and have a sandwich. I think you should go to the Donut Pub and have a really old-school doughnut at the counter. Before doughnuts got really tricked up, before there was a caviar smoothie goji-berry doughnut, there was just a cinnamon cruller. Nom Wah Tea Parlor. I’d go there and have some dumplings. It’s a dim sum parlor from the 1920s. It’s a tradition kept alive, it’s a unique experience and so tasty and very unassuming, which I like. I think you probably need to have a deli
sandwich or some matzo-ball soup. I might have a Black Seed bagel. You should probably have the mouthburning curry at Brick Lane, too. As you look in the Crystal Ball for 2016 and beyond for your brand, what’s the next project? I have decided that 2016 will be the year I hunker down and focus on everything to make sure that it’s as great as it can be. I am working on a second cookbook which I am really excited about. Other than that, I will consider 2016 a success if I go to the circus, the aquarium and an amusement park with my daughter.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 35
// NEWS
LEGISLATION
New York City Restaurateurs Deal With New Salt Ban As NRA Files Suit To Battle Compliance
A
tiny salt shaker symbol that warns certain meals are high in sodium made its debut last month, on menus in chain restaurants in New York City, the first U.S. city to take the step in an effort to combat heart disease and stroke. New York City is facing an imminent challenge to a new rule requiring restaurant chains to post warnings on dishes with high amounts of salt, the latest battle in its campaign to improve public health on the fast-food front. The city has already banned trans fats and required menus to list calorie counts, though it lost in its bid to limit the size of sugary drink servings. Now the National Restaurant Association says it’s planning to sue to block the sodium rule, which went into effect
The warning symbol indicating meals are considered high in sodium.
“It’s not hard to get 2.3 g of sodium into your face,” said Dr. Howard Weintraub, co-director of NYU Langone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. last month. Any menu item containing more than 2,300 milligrams (0.08 oz.) of sodium, the daily limit many nutritionists recommend and which equals about one teaspoon of salt, must display the emblem of a salt shaker in a black triangle. The measure unanimously approved by the New York City Board of Health in September applies only to restaurants with at least 15 establishments across the U.S., and concession stands at some movie theaters and sports stadiums. “It’s not hard to get 2.3 g of sodium into your face,” Dr. Howard Weintraub, co-director of NYU Langone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, said. Some chains have beaten the city
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to the punch. Burger King removed the biscuit from its Ultimate Breakfast Platter in its New York City locations, taking the platter’s sodium content from 2,380 milligrams to 1,680 milligrams. The chain said its New York City restaurants no longer have any items that are over the rule’s threshold. Panera Bread said it cut the amount of salt in three of its menu items in New York to avoid having to warn customers about the sodium content. That included the Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich, which the Center for Science in the Public Interest had listed in September among the fast-food menu items with more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in New York
City, claiming nearly 17,000 lives in 2013, the health department said. It noted a “well-established connection” between sodium intake and high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. A 2010 study found New Yorkers consume more than 3,200 mg of sodium each day on average, with higher intake among blacks and Hispanics, the health department said. Getting New Yorkers to start watching their sodium intake, is a first step that health advocates hope will prompt other behavioral changes. “Things are not going to work out great if all you do is just not eat salt,” Weintraub said. “But maybe, just maybe, they’ll start to watch how much they eat, maybe they will get off the subway a stop earlier and walk, instead of taking the elevator, they will walk two flights, there will be some weight loss.” The sodium warning label pressed by Mayor Bill de Blasio echoed a series of efforts by his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, including banning smoking in public places and requiring fast food joints to post calorie counts
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 37
// SCOOP Make-A-Wish Made Garden City Twins’ Chef Dreams Come True Scoop notes that Madison and Jack Lewinger are 10-year-old twins who look like they don’t have a care in the world. As you watch them happily learn how to make spaghetti and meatballs (every top chef’s personal go-to) in the kitchen of Maggiano’s in Garden City, New York, you’d be hard-pressed to think that the children in chef hats are anything but ordinary. But for Maddie and Jack, things haven’t always been easy. They were diagnosed with kidney cancer at 2, making it hard for them to be like other kids their own age. But after years of undergoing intensive chemotherapy, each losing a kidney, and two difficult relapses for Maddie, the twins are having the time of their lives. That’s because Make-A-Wish has been making sure that their remission has been magical. The twins have gotten to meet their favorite Disney characters, travel to amusement parks (both Legoland and Disneyland) and Make-A-Wish even helped Jack learn how to surf the
INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE wild waves of the Pacific Ocean. And now the kids know something else: how to make a delicious dinner all on their own. In just a few steps, Chef Dailey guided Maddie, and Jack through a meatball and pasta recipe that accommodates the twins’ gluten and dairy allergies. After some hard work in the kitchen, enjoying the delicious dish was the perfect way for these two brave children to celebrate the holidays together. Is someone cutting onions in here or is it just all the dust? I don’t know about you, but my eyes are watering.
City Tech Hospitality Management Students Win Awards at International Salon of Culinary Art Competition Scoop notes that after more than two months of intensive work, City Tech Hospitality Management students recently won top awards at the 147th Annual Salon of Culinary Art in November. The Salon event was held in conjunction with HX The Hotel Experience Trade Show at
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The jazz-themed table entry that took the Marc Sarrazin Prize for best complete buffet table
the Jacob Javits Convention Center, and is sponsored by the Societie Culinaire Philanthropique. City Tech congratulates the students on the Confectionery Team, which includes Stephanie Alcaide, Joyce Chan, Hyein Jang, Sandra Ortega, Chanae St. Louis, Kelly Wu, Joon Yim, Shaneeka Wood, and Jill Keller as well as those on the Garde Manger Team, which
includes Miguel Casanova, Vernonica Kirschner, Tammy Lam, Ferdinand Lee Wah, Trevor Marcano, Anthony Martinez, Ameera McGaney, Andrew Rodriguez, Maria Salcedo, Antonio Tanzi, Max Wattanachaiyot, and Sarah Weinstein. Students and faculty on the Culinary Salon team worked long hours to produce platters and showpieces that were judged by a discerning group of culinary, pastry, and confectionery professionals. Professors Mark Hellermann, Anthony Smith and Robert Walljasper led the confectionery arts and garde manger students to victory with jazz-themed table entries that took the Marc Sarrazin Prize for best complete buffet table as well as Best Sugar Showpiece of the Salon and Best Poulard of the Salon. City Tech students consistently perform well at this competition; they also won the prestigious Marc Sarrazin Prize in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The Annual Salon of Culinary Art is a judged exhibition featuring numerous food categories where each exhibitor can showcase their artistic and creative skills at various levels of expertise.
During the salon experience, students met international members of the hospitality industry who viewed and judged the unique craftsmanship and talent of the students’ creations. “Because of the commitment to excellence, students are in one of the most difficult classes they will have,” said Professor Hellermann. “But putting their work on display is extremely rewarding and this type of experiential learning has a big impact on their careers.”
and cook for themselves. Chefs Deliver was launched in January 2014 by Citymeals Board of Directors Co-President Chef Daniel Boulud and Citymeals Board Member Chef Charlie Palmer. Chef Capon prepared 25 meals of roasted chateaubriand with red onion jam, Parisian potatoes, Brussels sprouts and butternut squash, then hand-delivered some of the meals to Citymeals recipients living in SoHo. “While many of us are already wrapped up
in the bustle of the holidays, there are thousands of isolated older New Yorkers who are alone and unable to share in the joy of the season,” noted Citymeals Executive Director Beth Shapiro. “Citymeals makes sure that our frail aged neighbors are not forgotten. We hope that bringing a smile and a nourishing meal right to their doors warmed their hearts today. Thank you to Chef Capon for participating in this month’s Chefs Deliver.”
Chef Josh Capon Of Bowery Meat Company Delivers Meals To Homebound Elderly In SoHo Scoop notes that homebound elderly New Yorkers received a special treat on Thanksgiving day as Chef Josh Capon of Bowery Meat Company delivered meals to their doors as part of the Chefs Deliver for Citymeals program. A Citymeals on Wheels initiative, Chefs Deliver brings together a rotating cast of culinary stars who, once a month, lend their talents to Citymeals – cooking and often personally delivering the meals to the doors of New Yorkers who are too frail to shop
Chef Josh Capon (L)
Chef Capon’s prepared cuisine
Ultimate Chef New Jersey To Crown State’s Best Chef Scoop notes that chefs from across the state will square off on Saturday, January 9. Chef Central of Paramus has announced the lineup of chef competitors for the first-ever Ultimate Chef New Jersey (UCNJ) competition, formerly called Ultimate Chef Bergen County (UCBC). On Saturday, January 9th, representing Union County, chef Don Macmath of Twin Brooks Country Club in Watchung will square off against the Bergen County representative, chef Todd Villani, of Terre a Terre Restaurant in Carlstadt. On Saturday, January 16, representing Passaic County, chef Josh Bernstein, of Spuntino Wine Bar and Italian Tapas in Clifton, will square off against the representative from Essex County, chef Justin Manzi of The Pig and Prince Restaurant in Montclair. The two winners of these rounds will then face each other in the semi-finals on Saturday, January 23. On Saturday, January 30, the
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 39
Scoop, from page 39
winner of that round will then face the reigning UCBC Champion chef Carlos Valdez of The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Hackensack for the title of Ultimate Chef New Jersey 2016 Champion. All events start at 11 AM and admission is free to the public. There is very limited seating. Chefs will be given a mystery ingredient that must be a major part of each of the four courses they submit for judging. Audience members will receive tasting samples of two of each chef’s four dishes. Judges will score each dish on taste, presentation, cooking skills, innovation and degree of difficulty. The chef who has a winning score on a majority of scorecards will win. The competition is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.
start and starts decorating in September and they keep it festive until April. Meaning if you can’t get a spot at the popular destination during Christmastime (the line to get in often wraps around the corner) you can catch it during the spring. Scoop really has to tip our hats to the festive spot. They really know how to do Christmas right.
New York City Bar Spends $60,000 Every Year on Christmas Decorations Scoop sees that during the holidays, the inside of Rolf’s German Restaurant in New York City looks a little bit like a tornado whipped through Santa’s factory and left every Christmas decoration that exists inside. That’s because the famous watering hole gets totally decked out in100,000 lights, 15,000 ornaments, thousand of icicles, and about 800 dolls (yes, you read that right) each year. According to the restaurant manager, Suhul Uddin, the tradition started with the previous owner. But he says the decorations get more elaborate every year and currently costs the restaurant between $60,000 and $65,000 annually and it takes six men working overnight for
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Owners of Eleven Madison Park Are Opening a FastCasual Restaurant The elaborate decorations at Rolf’s German Restaurant.
six weeks to hang all of the elaborate decor. Which is why it’s a good thing Rolf’s doesn’t just celebrate a 25-day season: The restaurant gets a head
Scoop hears that from the team that brought you Eleven Madison Park, one of the most prestigious, three Michelin-starred culinary destinations in New York City comes a new fast-casual concept: Made Nice. With chef and restaurateur Daniel Humm and Will Guidara at the helm of this upcoming fast food
Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, the operators of Eleven Madison Park
experiment, the selections will likely be more than just “nice.” Made Nice, a counter-service restaurant focusing on seasonal vegetables, grains, proteins, and starches served on stoneware, will open near Eleven Madison Park in the Flatiron District in 2016. Dishes will range from $10 to $15, a far cry and hefty bite from the $225 per plate at Eleven Madison Park (a whopping new price category, announced in conjunction with the restaurant’s decision to get rid of tipping). “Maybe we’ll have a dish focused on cucumbers,” Humm said. “Maybe
it’s grilled cucumbers, potato salad, salmon and some greens.” Chef Humm is not the only restaurateur in the gourmet sphere with an eye on the fast food industry. After all, Americans spend approximately $117 billion on fast food annually, according to data from Fast Food Marketing. Earlier this year, José Andrés and Peter Chang also opened fast-casual restaurants.
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 41
Scoop, from page 41
Dean & Deluca’s cheesecake
Iconic NYC Restaurant Opens In Dubai Scoop notes that New York City’s Dean & Deluca has opened in Mall of the Emirates in Dubai as part of the mall’s recent expansion, serving local and international cuisine. The brand, known in the US as a chain of upscale grocery stores serving gourmet food, has a 38-year history as an international purveyor of gourmet and quality specialty foods. The new Dubai outlet features
open kitchens and a diverse main café menu covering lunch and dinner, with everything from US classics like the Philly Steak Sandwich to Arabic dishes such as Mourabian (prawn stew with spicy tomato sauce, served with rice). The breakfast menu consists of a variety of dishes like the signature Fatayers (Arab pie) available in five different toppings including the signature Dean & Deluca premium ground lamb meat seasoned with a combination of Dean & Deluca spices & chopped plum tomatoes, and Dean & Deluca’s breakfast of two eggs served with grilled beef, beef sausages, sautéed mushroom and breakfast potatoes.This is the first Dean & Deluca to open in Dubai and the second in the Middle East, following the launch of an outlet in The Avenues Mall, Kuwait.
Electrolux Professional Welcomes ACF Culinary Team USA Member Chef Corey Siegel Scoop hears that Chef Corey Siegel has joined the Electrolux Professional team as Corporate Executive Chef at its headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Electrolux Professional is ready to welcome this new team addition to ensure stronger culinary efficiency and performance guarantee for its customers. Corey Siegel is from Albany, NY and began cooking at the age of 14. As a student he was a serious member of the American Culinary Federation, and in 2008 began training at the Culinary Institute of America. During his time at school, he worked at Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY. Corey won the Northeast Regional Student Chef of the Year for the ACF in
2010. Corey joined the team at The Greenbrier in West Virginia in 2010, and enrolled in an intense threeyear apprenticeship program at the resort overseen by Chef Richard Rosendale. In 2011 Corey was selected by Chef Rosendale to be his Commis for the Bocuse d’Or USA Finals and won the competition in January 2012. While finishing his senior year of his apprenticeship, he and Chef Rosendale devotedly trained to compete in the Bocuse d’Or in January 2013 held in Lyon, France. Receiving over 15 medals competing both nationally and internationally, Corey is also a member of ACF Culinary Team USA to compete in the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany in 2016!
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42 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 43
// NEWS
SERVICE EXPANSION
Long Island Based Day & Nite Continues Expansion With Philadelphia Launch
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efrigeration can be one of the biggest challenges for a restaurant. A refrigerator is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the kitchen for keeping food safe. We take them for granted. But when the power goes off, or they start malfunctioning, they put our food’s safety in jeopardy. Enter Day & Nite All Service, first a refrigerator repair business for foodservice customers, then a service organization that is today without parallel in the industry. The team of Kenneth and Irwin Sher started the company in the ‘70s, hoping to improve on the service being offered by competitors – and succeeding. In 1977 the Javits Center contracted Day & Nite for all of their cold installations. This job solidified the company’s reputation to handle large projects on-time and onbudget in the New York City area. In 1979, Yankee Stadium called to have all of its refrigeration work redone. And the team was off and running. “Our current executive management team has been running the company since 2013,” says President Matt Sher. “For all intents and purposes, we’ve doubled the com-
“Matt reports that the company picked the D.C. Area because it has been a dynamic and growing market, not unlike NYC over the past decade and engage clients with a service offering unlike anything they have experienced before.” pany in size from when we started to prepare for succession half a decade ago till now.” Expanding this month into Philadelphia from their home base in New York City, the family has seen their business explode since they started it in the ‘70s, according to Matt. It was in the late 1980’s that Ken and Irwin decided to move into the foodservice business when they acquired All Service. In the early ‘90’s they turned it into a commercial cooking equipment service company. “Now, almost 20 years later,
44 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
All Service shares the same distinguished reputation in the foodservice equipment service world as Day & Nite, thus, reflecting the Day & Nite family brand of company’s staying power and depth of expertise,” Matt notes proudly. Drawing on their success with their newest branch, which opened in Washington, D.C. last year, the team decided to try their hand in a different geography, not hard for a company that has seen expansion into the Carolinas, the Tampa area, Orlando, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Ocala and other cities in the past.
Day & Nite has built a team of professionals to anchor the firm’s expansion, Matt points out. Sandy Smith and Doug Hummel, who joined the company in 2014, will lead Day & Nite’s launch into Philadelphia. “The duo brings an extensive portfolio of food service experience,” Matt says. “Sandy and Doug have both dedicated themselves to many of our industry’s most noteworthy initiatives.” Smith and Hummell have been longtime members of SHFM and have sat on a number of the organization’s committees. “When we started the branches, it was more opportunistic than strategic. We learned what worked and what not to do,” Matt recalls. “Unknowingly, we allowed for certain processes to be decentralized and ultimately centralized the majority of office-related functions in 2014, preparing for our next wave of branch growth, and enabling us to expand the Day & Nite All Service brand.” Matt reports that the company picked the D.C. Area because it has been a dynamic and growing mar-
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 45
// C-CAP TRADE TALK
WITH JOYCE APPELMAN
Patrice Vassell Pastry Sous Chef at Telepan Restaurant, NYC
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he was born in New York but raised on the island of Jamaica, and is one of four siblings, all of whom are twins. Growing up as a child in Montego Bay, her sister and she were always in the kitchen helping out their grandmother or stopping by the family owned bakery to get Jamaican baked goods. One of Patrice’s earliest memories is making chocolate chip cookies with her grandmother. That is still one of her
favorite things to make today. It wasn’t until her third year in high school, that Patrice realized she wanted to go to culinary school. Patrice graduated in 2007 from The Door, which has a high school equivalency program participating in C-CAP. She was introduced to in-house dining services when she participated in C-CAP’s job shadow program at Flik International. She competed in the C-CAP Cooking Competition and was awarded a
Patrice Vassell is the Pastry Sous Chef at Telepan Restaurant in Manhattan.
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full-tuition scholarship to Monroe College in New Rochelle and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelors in Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management. During her freshman year of college, C-CAP placed her in celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s kitchen at Country in Manhattan for her internship as a line cook. She also trained for 3 months in Italy for her Study Abroad Program in the cities of Parma, Otranto, and Ferrara. Upon graduating from Monroe College, Patrice landed in top kitchens in New York. She began working at Marc Forgione, then at Telepan in 2010 as Chef Larissa Raphael’s pastry cook. She moved on to EMM Group’s Catch and The General, followed by The Breslin and in 2014 she returned to Telepan and continues to be mentored by Pastry Chef Larissa Raphael. Chef Raphael is known for her classic and inventive desserts and has worked alongside Chef Bill Telepan since the opening of the Michelin-starred Telepan in 2005 on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Chef Vassell is working in all aspects of the pastry department, and supports Chef Raphael in the desserts she creates, to gracefully complement Telepan’s inspired and seasonal Greenmarket cooking philosophy. When she’s not in the kitchen,
Joyce Appelman, is the National Communications Director for CCAP, Careers through Culinary Arts Program in New York, NY. She has been instrumental in opening career opportunities for many young people in the foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com
Chef Vassell regularly volunteers for C-CAP events and attends alumni events. In 2015, she was awarded a Dessert Professional/Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) Alumni Scholarship for continuing education classes in pastry and baking. In addition to her work at the restaurant, she has participated in Wellness in the Schools’ Café Days with Chef Telepan, introducing healthy dishes and new ingredients to K-8th graders. As the Executive Chef of WITS, Chef Telepan has spearheaded the organization’s goals by developing nutritious school menus, training cafeteria workers and teaching culinary and nutrition concepts to students, parents and teachers, in efforts to inspire healthy eating habits among school children.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 47
48 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 49
// INSURANCE
FIORITO ON INSURANCE
Is Your Restaurant Bulletproof Against Costly ACA Compliance Penalties?
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mployee benefits are a top five expense for businesses across all industries. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is about to make cost management even more challenging. In light of the King v. Burwell Supreme Court decision, looming PPACA deadlines for IRS reporting, the Employer Mandate and the Cadillac Tax will debut as planned. Additionally, the IRS debuts its $900 million dollar AIRS enforcement system this year. AIRS is the “ACA Information Recovery System” and is the mind-blowing new IRS technology platform that puts teeth in federal enforcement efforts. And, unlike the government’s failed ACA website, early reports indicate that this new system has been thoroughly tested and is already online and ready to operate. Creating a strategic 3 to 5 year employee benefits plan is more important now than ever. In order to help your restaurant meet the upcoming PPACA mandates in a proactive and timely manner, it’s important to create an employee benefits strategic planning process that streamlines and prioritizes plan design changes over the next 3 to 5 years. Like a business plan, this process allows your business to strategize from 50,000 feet and most importantly, forces company executives to have conversations around benefits in an organized way. Each company’s goals and objectives are different, so too are their benefits plan. For this reason, a success-
ful 3-5 year process stresses flexibility, with gradual change over the first few years. This applies to every category of employee benefits. Here is a sampling of considerations from a 3 to 5 year process: • Value added/voluntary products – Businesses moving from rich health care plans to high-deductible plans will want to consider offering voluntary benefits, including hospital indemnity plans, accident policies and more, to maintain a high level of offerings for employees. How will you “make it up” to your employees so they don’t feel their benefits are being reduced? • Funding – With PPACA expanding the definition of small businesses to 99 lives, more businesses will consider self-insurance options than ever before. What is the ideal mechanism for your business to fund employee benefits? • Contributions – Health care reform will force employers to reconsider their employee contribution strategies. Will you continue with the traditional, flat dollar methodology, move to a new salary-based, tiered approach, or a defined contribution in which employees are given one lump sum each year to allocate as they choose? • Communications – The traditional open enrollment packet isn’t enough to introduce a new way of thinking about benefits to your employees. Instead, proactive organizations will create a communications campaign around the new benefits, including the use of e-guides and online
50 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
tools, like private exchange-decision support. How will you drive engagement, adoption, and understanding as well as proof of offer and declination for your new employee benefits? • Compliance – The PPACA will usher in many new reporting requirements. Using the 3 to 5 -year strategy to map out your specific compliance requirements will be critical. How are you going to prove and certify your benefits compliance? • Technology – Technology will play a critical role in your long-term benefits administration goals to ensure the solutions you choose establish, prove, track and maintain compliance today, while supporting your business strategies of tomorrow. How are you going to present new health care plans, add voluntary benefits, implement a wellness program, change how you communicate with employees about their benefits, meet new compliance and reporting regulations, change how your employee benefits are funded and how you contribute to them financially? Regardless of what your restaurant’s ultimate benefits re-design looks like, being purposeful and flexible will ease the employer/ employee transition. An annual evaluation of what worked, what didn’t and what changes have occurred will cause the employee benefits strategy to evolve. Bottom line, find a trusted advisor; work together to develop a strategy and come up with a viable solution before it’s too late! An experienced and knowledgeable advisor will not
Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President, HUB International Northeast, where he specializes in providing insurance brokerage services to the restaurant industry. As a 20-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant & food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. For more information, please visit www.hubfiorito.com
only ensure that your business is compliant with reform, but will most importantly discuss a strategy to avoid any negative impact of this legislation on your business. Join Us: Leading global insurance brokerage HUB International is hosting complimentary compliance seminars taking place in January and February, addressing employee benefit cost saving strategies, the new IRS reporting guidelines, ACA compliance, and much more. The agenda will equip you with the detailed information you need to seize control of your health plan’s bottom line and ensure that your restaurant is bulletproof against costly ACA compliance penalties.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 51
// MIXOLOGY
WITH WARREN BOBROW
These Are The Drinks You’ve Been Looking For
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ertainly by the end of the year I’ve become a bit jaded on what I consider to be trends for the following year. Everyone wants to know what the “next best thing” is… Or what it’s going to be tomorrow, next week or in the coming months. It is here that I want to start my list of what I think, as a tastemakerwill be hot in the coming months. I’ll give a list with some explanation- just in case. Last September I was fortunate to attend the Moscow (Russia) Bar Show. It was enlightening, amazing and educational. I gave a master class on rum and traveled to the other side of the globe to find a country that for all intents and purposes is just like ours- except they speak Russian. They love us- we’d never know that from our press though. The Russians are passionate about American Whiskey. Want to know where all the Bourbon Whiskey is? Russia. So, I’ll start my list in Moscow. • Authenticity, Nostalgia, Simplicity. I was sent to the Moscow Bar Show by Mezan Rum. You would think that Russians would be preoccupied with vodka. Not so, they demand authenticity and that “Jerry Thomas” approach to history. Fine aged rum plays directly into this chess game. Rum that hasn’t been colorized, chill-filtered nor any
Warren Bobrow is the creator of the
added sugar, or saccharine allowed. Mezan fulfills this purpose and takes you further into the plethora of flavors that speak clearly to the métier of the rum distiller. Get some! I prefer the Jamaican version. There is a certain funk in each sip. Powerful stuff in a Planter’s Punch or even in a Rum-Manhattan. Make sure you use a Vermouth like Atsby, or Uncouth- even Carpano… But use the white one. The red is too sweet for
52 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
these perfumed rums. • Whiskey from actual distilleries! What a concept- is it me, or are there more made-up names than usual on the store shelves? I actually had a friend ask me about a Bourbon the other day from a distillery that has never existed outside of a Madison Avenue advertising agency desk. The label appeared to be hand attached and the closure had the look of a cork stuck in the top of a bot-
popular blog The Cocktail Whisperer and the author of nearly half a dozen books, including Apothecary Cocktails, Whiskey Cocktail and Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails- his most recent book.
tle of Moonshine. There may have been leather involved. All it said to me was, stay far away. Authenticity in Bourbon takes guts these days. But should you find a true craft distillery- then by all means buy their stuff. They deserve your support. The big guys are ok, but cut out the fake-craft labeling. It’s confusing to the consumer! My favorites going forward, Barrell Bourbon, Few Spirits, Catoctin Creek, Hudson… They are my favorites for a reason. They speak the language of history. • Scotch from Scotland and other places - Ok, so they call them smoked whiskies when they are from other places. I don’t want to raise the ire of Scotch drinkers. Pardon me. Amongst my favorites going forward- Virginia Highland Malt Whisky- yes Virginia, they distill absolutely gorgeous whisky in Virginia. I’ve been making Bee’s Knees with Old St. Andrews Scotch Whisky- lightly aromatic of cut grass and toasted peat. Not overpowering with smoke, but to my palate, just
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January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 53
// NEWS
GRAND OPENING
Pecinka Ferri Hosts Tri-State Foodservice Community At Grand Opening Of Jersey Home
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or over three decades, Pecinka Ferri has built its reputation as one of the Metro New York area’s leading equipment and supply reps. The firm’s commitment to providing support to its dealer and consultant customers has never wavered. Last month, the Ed Pecinka, Joe Ferri led firm welcomed the Metro New York food service community to its official grand opening of its new home. The spectacular new facility in Fairfield, NJ, will provide additional space for Pecinka Ferri’s on-going search for the latest innovative cooking and food prep solutions.
Chef Nick Mercogliano will anchor Pecinka Ferri’s commitment to monitoring culinary trends at the firm’s new home.
The company started back in 1972 as McKeever and Dumbach Associates. McKeever was a direct factory rep for the Blodgett Company. George Dumbach had worked for Traulsen, then went to Blodgett as regional sales manager. Ed Pecinka Sr. joined the duo after 38 years at Traulsen to work as a manufacturer’s rep. Ed Pecinka Jr. joined the firm after college and in 1995 Joe Ferri Sr. became a partner. The Pecinka Ferri team has embraced its long-standing tradition of providing education to its customer base and marketing expertise on behalf of the manufacturers it represents. The rep’s role has evolved explained Ed Pecinka: “We represent many forward-thinking companies. They also understand better than most that there is the need for manufacturing reps. No matter what we do in terms of the technology or how much of a role the Internet plays in the business, people still want relationships. Someone needs to take ownership of the customer when there’s a problem or issue. The game changer in sales is always going to be the relationship. Some may think it’s the bells and whistles, others price, but it comes down to the ability of that sales rep to answer those needs. With the move to its new Fairfield home Ferri envisions the ability to ex-
54 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
pand the company’s marketing initiatives. “We now have an enhanced test kitchen with all the bells and whistles that technology provides. The Pecinka Ferri test kitchen is anchored by one of the industry’s bright young talent: Chef Nick Mercogliano. The 23-year old certified executive chef is the youngest ACF local chapter president in the history of the national organization. “His latest experience before us was with a major health care institution, Ferri explained. He brings us an incredibly varied knowledge based on culinary trends, despite his young age. He gives us that window into culinary trends and the lowest-
hanging fruit for foodservice and equipment, which is the health care market.” With Chef Nick and the new facility, Pecinka Ferri’s goal is to keep its finger on the pulse of trends on Metro New York City’s menus. “In pan-Asian there are still a lot of openings going on,” Ferri added. Pizza, surprisingly, makes a comeback but a blending and morphing of different concepts. With the growth in fresh and farm to table has come an increase in raw food. With that comes enhanced need for proper refrigeration and handling.
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Last month, Pecinka Ferri christened its new test kitchen as part of its ongoing commitment to support the needs of Metro NYC’s foodservice community.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 55
“From manufacturers to end-users we need to provide a resource that makes it easy to go from that Mediterranean concept to a Vietnamese concept to a coffee concept,” Pecinka said. “You name it with our set-up, in Fairfield, we’re going to continue to promote these vignettes in our facility where you can visualize the hardware needed to produce any one of those concepts. Pecinka Ferri’s new facility seeks to be a waypoint on the mobile highway. “We’ve adopted the Starbucks model so that end-users, dealers and consultants have a crash pad here in our offices with WiFi and coffee and all the accouterments required to do business in today’s mobile world,” Ferri concluded.
Sam Tell and Son’s Tony Nicoletti led a star studded cast of top Tri-State dealers and consultants to the Pecinka Ferri opening event.
56 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
Grand opening guests were treated to a vast array of menu offerings from Pecinka Ferri’s latest cooking equipment innovations.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 57
Whether your customers order hot beverages, cold drinks or a glass of water, their satisfaction depends on the taste of the water. Hydro Life™ uses Granulated Activated Charcoal to control taste and odor, while patented KDF® Media prevents bacteria growth and reduces limescale, saving your equipment from costly repairs. Our filter lines are priced competitively without compromising quality. High quality water is essential for equipment such as steamers, Combi ovens and ice machines to operate efficiently, as well as for better tasting beverages, more satisfied customers and ultimately your bottom line.
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58 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
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// NEWS
CULINARY COMPETITION
All Star Lineup Of Chefs Set To Vie For Top BBQ Honors At Annual NYC Cookoff
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orth America’s most talked about culinary competition returns to New York City on January 24 with a one-of-a-kind standup tasting reception featuring five chefs cooking five heritage breed pigs in a friendly competition for a cause. Upping its commitment to the good food movement, this year’s tour will benefit Piggy Bank, a genetic sanctuary that will provide free heritage breed pigs and business plans to emerging family farms. Kicking off its 8th Annual 18city tour, Cochon555 is dedicated to uniting 16,000 guests across the country with local farmers, renowned chefs, prominent winemakers, restaurateurs, craft brewers and distillers. Together, they are raising awareness for honest food producers, responsible farming and
the first open-source agriculture platform. This year’s competing chefs include Justin Smillie of Upland, Angie Mar of The Beatrice Inn, Hillary Sterling of Vic’s, Danny Mena of Hecho en Dumbo and Mike Poiarkoff of Vinegar Hill. The five chefs will prepare a maximum of six dishes from one whole hog and their utilization will help them win votes from a crowd of hungry gourmands and celebrated judges. In addition to the 36 dishes prepared from locally-raised pigs, guests will feast on educational experiences featuring boutique wines and culinary cocktails paired with delicious bites. The winner of the regional event will be announced as the “Princess or Prince of Porc” and go on to compete for the national title of “King or Queen of Porc” at Grand Cochon, the tour finale, held at the Viceroy in
Snowmass/Aspen on June 18th. The New York version of this pig fairy-tale event includes 2,000+ pounds of heritage pork from animals raised safely, honestly and sustainably. Cochon555 is famous for their culinary “pop-up” experiences that take place about every 20 minutes throughout the evening. New in 2016, guests will enjoy the Ramen Shop paired with Wines of Germany, the Five Winemakers Tasting, Welcome Punches featuring Buffalo Trace and DRY Sparkling, a lovely TIKI Bar Experience prepared with The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley and the new Luxe Butter Bar featuring the wines of Antica Napa Valley. Billy Harris of Hanging with Harris will host the Pop-Up Butcher Shop to raise money for charity with the support of Williams-Sonoma. Additional experiences include the Artisan Cheese Bar, a TarTare Bar featuring Creekstone Farms, the Seafood Shelf featuring oysters and shrimp and Prosciutto di Parma will spotlight a local ham special-
ist. Wine lovers will rejoice as we welcome Fasel Shenstones‘ Vermut Experience featuring La Cuesta alongside wineries including Ridge Vineyards, Folio Fine Wines, Alysian and Tenuta Sassoregale and amazing craft cider from Virtue. The 2016 culinary cocktail program is stepping up with the return of the Perfect Manhattan Bar, Mezcal Expressions, the very special Smoked Old Fashioned featuring Breckenridge Bourbon and the new Heritage Rum Cart featuring Rhum Clement. Additionally, VIP guests will enjoy Punch Kings featuring five top barkeeps in Cochon555’s spirited Punch Competition. More chefs and more tasty experiences will be announced with the Official Judge lineup 21 days in advance of the event. “I’m excited about all the new partners in 2016 who support family farming and independent business. The Cochon555 Tour is now a
continued on page 96
“I’m excited about all the new partners in 2016 who support family farming and independent business,” said Lowe. January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 59
// NEWS
CONCEPT EXPANSION
Jersey Brothers Team Brings Authentic Greek Eats To Jersey Launch
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ith two highly successful restaurants in their portfolio, George, Kyriakos and Taso Lyristis have set a standard for culinary excellence in Red Bank, NJ. “We are very proud of the success that we have had at The Teak and The Bistro,” noted George. “But we always knew that we wanted to bring that very authentic taste of our Greek heritage to the US. With that goal in mind, the brothers recently opened Greek Eats in Shrewsbury, NJ. “We would describe it as a contemporary twist on traditional Greek cuisine,” George continued. For us to accomplish that we needed to find a source that could work with us to design just the right meats. Our traditional Yeeros which has evolved in many places in the US into a gyro has to have just the right blend of texture and flavor. We are so fortunate to have found a company from Greece that has come to New Jersey: Megas Yeeros. They have given us the opportunity to work side by side with them to create a blend for us that truly captures our vision.” The Greek Eats menu is built to appeal to a wide diversity of diners and day parts. In addition to the authentic Megas Yeeros sandwiches, there’s a full line of pitas, salads, and plates filled, dressed, and topped with a choice of authentic meats, cheeses, sauces, veggies and of course kids meals. Guests are also 60 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
With the nation’s yearning for a healthier menu that tastes great, look for the Greek Eats concept to grow into one of the nation’s multiple unit success stories. treated to a wide range of imported Greek treats and sodas. For dessert there are three varieties of frozen Greek yogurt.
George Lyristis, co-owner, Greek Eats, Red Bank, NJ
“It started with a passion for the culture and cuisine of the Mediterranean,” George noted. We thought long and hard about what our customers would want: the freshest responsibly raised ingredients, skillfully prepared with classic culinary techniques and a little American creativity, heightened with traditional Mediterranean spices and flavors. All that with efficient, friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere.” Greek Eats has reinvented the tzaziki. In addition to the “traditional” yellow fava beans pureed with fresh garlic & herbs the menu of-
fers: smoked chilies, fresh cilantro, lime juice & sour cream: Sririacha Cilantro Crema and oregano, shallots, onions, herbs, Greek extra virgin olive oil & red and wine vinegar. There’s even Greek Chimicurri our traditional tzaziki with fresh avocado. “In addition to the authenticity that Megas Yeeros enables us to have, all of our olive oil, olives, feta and many Greek ingredients are imported directly from the motherland. Greek Eats has also made a commitment to the communities it serves. “From our 100% compostable packaging, utensils, napkins and cups to our reclaimed wood décor - we’re committed to leaving the smallest possible footprint while delivering the healthiest, tastiest food around,” George added. The Greek Eats philosophy is simple - use family recipes to make real food, with integrity, taste and freshness. “We honor our Greek heritage and take joy in bringing our favorite foods to you,” George concluded. With the nation’s yearning for a healthier menu that tastes great look for the Greek Eats concept to grow into one of the nation’s multiple unit success stories.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 61
// RESTAURANT STAFF MANAGEMENT
WITH LEEANNE HOMSEY
Why You Should Be Using Periscope In Your Restaurant Right Now LeeAnne Homsey specializes in
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hile I won’t debate the need for social media, the sheer volume and number of options seemingly needed in order to stay relevant must seem completely overwhelming. So you’ve hired someone called a “social media expert” but really aren’t they just “following” the crowd and posting the same type of content in the same places that everyone else is? So how do you stand out? How do you look like the expert? How can you use social media to benefit your business and not simply create hundreds of useless posts and pictures like everyone elses? How do you get your “social media expert” to reflect your unique business and products and stop mimicking everyone else? Easy. You download Periscope the new video, streaming app by twitter and tell your social media expert you want them to focus exclusively on building engagement on that platform. Periscope is a free, game changing social media platform that has engagement built right into it. People start engaging with your business, your product, your brand and your employees seconds after installing it and No One Else Is Using It For Business. With over 10 million users, like the first businesses to use Facebook or Twitter, for absolutely no additional cost you will literally own the entire platform.
providing consulting / training ser-
You no longer need to come up with some catchy saying to post or take pictures of your food in the hopes of finding new people to “like” and follow your Facebook, twitter or Instagram pages. These days people are being bombarded with requests to like and follow everything from sewer treatments to supermodels. You have to stay ahead of the pack in your competitive field and you can do so simply by using Periscope for an hour or so every day or so. Here is how to do it best: get an Ipad or tablet with cover or stand so you can stand it up and position it for easy viewing. Download the app and choose a user name (Your business name and town or address of course.) and in your profile write a clear description about your business including your address and town plus your website (using http:// not www so it is clickable) and also times you broadcast. All of these details can be updated as needed so don’t get too hung up on the details. Next title your broadcast. This is EX-
TREMELY important because it is what people see before they decide to click. Keep it engaging. Make it sound more like a conversation and you will get better quality engagement and therefore loyal fans of buying from you not just random people who “like” everything they are asked to like and never buy a thing. You can use it right now, you can use it even with just a phone if you don’t have an Ipad, and you can watch your broadcast from another phone anywhere in the world so it acts like a free, additional security camera. Plus using it will: • A) Keep the employees you are already paying engaging with your social media instead of theirs • B) Make thousands of new potential customers aware of your business within SECONDS • C) Keep your employees on their toes and best behavior since each broadcast is also recorded on your Ipad and you can review what was said • D) It’s FREE! and...
With over 10 million users, like the first businesses to use Facebook or Twitter, for absolutely no additional cost you will literally own the entire platform.
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vices to the restaurant industry. As a 25-year veteran, LeeAnne has worked with a wide array of restaurant businesses ranging from casual to upscale dining establishments. For more information call 1-646-462-0384, e-mail info@leeannehomsey.com or visit www. leeannehomsey.com.
• E) There are millions of users • F) Unlike your website, Facbook or Twitter customers will discover you simply because you are broadcasting. On the other platforms they must be searching for you • G) You give them an “inside” look at your establishment which gives potential customers the familiarity they crave before trying someplace new • H) Broadcasting with Periscope now means you will have thousands of followers by January. Followers who will already be familiar with your menu and location and who you can contact directly to offer special deals, challenges and incentives if they refer friends. • I) Broadcast live and interacting with your customers immediately will make Facebook and Twitter irrelevant for business. Intimidate engagement makes other social media platforms look and feel like the stone ages. • J) Broadcasting live is free. When you see how well it works you will fire your social media department and save money
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 63
// ON WATER
WITH BRIAN MADDEN
Water Is Not Something We Think About
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lean, refreshing water, free of bacteria and viruses. That’s what we want and we take it for granted that it will always be there. But restaurant owners have to work to make sure their water is clean, safe and good tasting for customers. That’s where water filtration systems come in. They clean the water that comes in through the pipes and then disinfect it to make sure nothing is there that shouldn’t be. But the chemicals to do that can often leave a very unpleasant aftertaste. I remember being at a hotel bar with some friends and one commenting, “This place could use your filters. The drinks really taste like chlorine.” It wasn’t coming from the water but from the glass, leftover residual on it from a low-temperature machine with a chlorine-based process. Did you ever go to a diner and see a coffee cup with lipstick on it, or ever get a plate with a piece of dried-up egg yolk on it? Generally it’s from a low-temperature machine. They don’t clean as well. A lot of diners use low temp because their chemical guys give them the machine and sell chemicals into it. It’s safe, it’s disinfected, but it’s not necessarily something you want to eat or drink out of. That’s where water filtration systems come in. Filtration systems come in different configurations. Some products, like our Endurance, do fine filtration followed by finer filtration, and it’s really high-flow, 50 gallons a minute. Endurance SC, our other
Brian Madden is a New Hyde Park , NY native. The Western Connectcut University graduate has built a reputation as one of the nation’s leading experts on water filtration. In his current post with Pentair, he is han-
For every gallon saved of water that is made, restaurant owners send 3 to 4 down the drain as waste. model in this product line, has ultra fine filtration and it’s self-cleaning. It has that ultra fiber membrane that cleans itself. But our product that does the most for restaurants, and filtration, is our MRS600, a 600-gallon per day mineral reduction system that allows you to reduce the amount of dissolved solids in your water. You can reduce none of it or all of it or anything in between and it’s got a blend valve that allows you to go through the reverse osmosis membrane and blends filtered water back with it. Why should restaurant owners care about this? I’ll tell you why. For every gallon saved of water that is made, you send 3 to 4 down the drain as waste. When you start employing a pressure pump
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on it and get more efficiency out of it, it’s more one to one. It takes two gallons of water to make one gallon, and one gallon is waste. With the MRS600, for every gallon you make, you only send one quart down the drain. But it’s more than energy-efficiency and conservation that foodservice operations worry about. Safety is paramount. A lot of establishments, like the diner I mentioned, use low-temperature machines. They’re fine, they do the job most of the time, but then there’s that instance when dried food turns up on your clean plates. Not very appetizing, or something that would cause a customer to want to return. It’s all about disinfecting your water, and how you choose to do it. With low-temperature machines, you have to use chemicals because the water never gets hot enough to kill the bacteria. We have a client who’s putting in a glass washer and is worried about having to polish the spots out of his glasses because he’s using a low-temperature machine. I explained to him what I’d do. Put a good filter on the front of it, and that will usually do it. But it’s a cold-water feed, using chemi-
dling sales in the Northeast. Madden’s career includes successful stints with Pepsi in Las Vegas, Metro NY with Hoshizaki as well as being deployed by Pentair to China.
cal disinfectant instead of hot water to kill all the germs. Hot-water machines don’t use the chemicals that can make your drinks taste like chlorine. With a low-temperature machine, you’re going to see a film at the end. It’s not because of the water; it’s because of the chemical additives they put in as a disinfectant. If you’re worried about the spots, aside from that, if you don’t get all the particles out of the water, you’re asking for trouble. Here’s how it works. All machines will run at about 140 degrees incoming water to clean dishes and pots and glasses. But to ensure that your dishware is clean, you need 180 degrees and above. And those are the hightemp machines. A high-temp machine, on the other hand, has a booster heater that’s underneath the machine, that, at the final rinse, feeds hot water from the boiler wherever it is – in the basement, in the back of the house, wherever – to the dishwasher. You have to bring the temperature up over 180 degrees for hot-water disinfection to take place. If
continued on page 88
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 65
// NEWS
HOTELS
Borgata Bets Big On Atlantic City With Dining Upgrade
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ut with the old and in with the new - at least that’s how Borgata feels regarding its existing nightlife properties. The marina casino plans to build a new $14 million nightlife experience called Premier Nightclub in place of mur.mur and its already-shuttered MIXX. The move will give the city’s nightlife a much-needed shot in the arm as well as elevate tourist choices to bring on par with other nightlife meccas. The once mighty gambling town has seen brutal competition from neighboring states in the past few years. As a result, four of the city’s 12 casinos closed in 2014 Showboat, Atlantic Club, Revel and Trump Plaza. The massive 18,000-square foot venue will occupy the former MIXX
space and a new expansion, and will open in spring 2016. When it opened in the summer of 2003, Borgata ushered in a new caliber of casino. It wasn’t trying to be Las Vegas-like it was Las Vegas-like with such amenities as premium bottle service, A-list deejays and artists. But why the change in one of the few Atlantic City properties that never seems to be flailing? “Nearly 13 years later, we felt now was the ideal time to once again redefine nightlife entertainment with a venue designed to rival the top clubs in Las Vegas, Miami, and New York,” says Joe Lupo, Senior Vice President of Operations for Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Borgata is certainly bringing in the big guns for the project. Josh
The Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ 66 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
Held, the visionary designer behind such iconic nightspots as Marquee NYC, TAO Las Vegas and Voyeur Los Angeles, will be at the helm for the new space. Ornate yet modern is the way Borgata sees the new nightclub. There will be tiered booths focused on the deejay booth and artist stage. The main room will be flanked by two 35-foot-long bars with carved stone facades flanked by a sweeping staircase with hand-welded bronze, taking guests up to the horseshoeshaped mezzanine. Upstairs, a 6-foot disco ball will help complement a 25-foot-wide chandelier. Earlier this month, Borgata announced a shake-up in its restaurant row: Celebrity chef Michael Symon will be opening his first Italian restaurant at the resort, join-
ing fellow Iron Chefs’ Bobby Flay and Geoffrey Zakarian there. He’ll be in the space vacated three years ago by Michael Mina’s SeaBlue. Symon, a Cleveland native and James Beard winner whose robust flavors have made his hometown an unlikely culinary destination, is also a co-host of “The Chew” on ABC. But Symon’s Italian concept is dooming another Borgata restaurant, Fornelletto, a regional Italian eatery from chef Stephen Kalt, who opened a new California-Mediterranean restaurant in Los Angeles earlier this month. Fornelletto will close when Symon’s restaurant opens in the fall; Borgata has not yet announced plans for Fornelletto’s subterranean space.
“Nearly 13 years later, we felt now was the ideal time to once again redefine nightlife entertainment with a venue designed to rival the top clubs in Las Vegas, Miami, and New York,” says Joe Lupo.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 67
// NEWS
PEST CONTROL
Keep Rodents Off The Menu This Winter By Hope Bowman, Technical Specialist, Western Pest Services
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t’s that time of year again – temperatures are dropping and rodents are on the prowl for food, water and warm shelter to survive the winter. Let’s face it. Rodents are not welcome dinner guests at restaurants. Rats and mice are a sign of an unsanitary restaurant and can cause immediate shutdown resulting in loss of revenue and a damaged reputation. Additionally, rodents pose serious health threats to your employees and patrons. The best way to safeguard your restaurant against rodents is to be proactive and take preventive measures, work with a pest management professional and understand the signs of rodents. Here are some tips to help keep rodents out of your restaurant this winter. Rodent prevention tips • Close all entry points. Just like us, rodents want a warm place to escape the cold. If they detect heat coming from inside your establishment, it will immediately become a target and they’ll look for any way possible to get inside. For this reason, it’s critical to eliminate entry points. Caulk and seal any holes or cracks around the exterior of the restaurant. Rats can squeeze through a hole as small as a quarter and mice a dime, so seal
even the tiniest openings. Keep doors closed when not in use. Check for gaps around doors and windows and install tight-fitting weather stripping and door sweeps. • Tightly seal food and garbage, and keep the kitchen clean. Rodents will eat any scraps left behind. Take out trash regularly and store food in airtight containers that are at least six inches from the floor and away from the wall. Make sure garbage cans have tight-fitting lids and place dumpsters as far away from the building as possible. • Eliminate standing water. Like humans, rodents can’t survive without water. Wipe down any spills or excess moisture immediately. If you have soft drink machines, ice machines or dishwashers, ensure there aren’t any leaks. • Trim all shrubs and trees around the restaurant. Rodents are great hiders, so it is important to regularly trim back all shrubbery and trees around
the building to eliminate any potential hiding places. • Get your employees onboard. Educate your employees about pest prevention and identification. Your provider may be able to offer educational resources or training for your team. Identify the signs of rodents • Droppings: Beyond seeing the rodent itself, droppings are the number one sign that rodents are or have been present. Droppings are often found in food and storage areas. • Noises: If you hear scurrying or squeaking around the restaurant, particularly at night, it is likely rodents have found a home in your restaurant. • Gnaw marks: Packaged products or any food materials that have teeth marks are another indication rodents may be present. Inspect all of your products and inventory carefully to ensure rodents haven’t made their way inside. • Rub markings on walls or inven-
The best way to safeguard your restaurant against rodents is to be proactive and take preventive measures, work with a pest management professional and understand the signs of rodents.
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Work with your pest management provider to conduct an on-site training session
tory: Rodents are known to leave behind rub or grease markings as they make their way through the restaurant. Markings can likely be found on products, inventory and walls. • Nests: Pay close attention to the darker, more secluded areas in your establishment, as those areas are likely to have the most rodent traffic. Once inside, rodents can build nests using any material they can find in the restaurant ranging from string and paper to food wrappers. Nests are shaped like a ball and will likely have droppings inside or around them. • Contact a professional if you suspect rodents. Early detection and identification of pest problems helps keep issues to a minimum. If you see any signs of rodents, contact your pest management professional immediately. Protect your restaurant against rodents this winter. Be proactive and work with a pest management professional to help maintain a rodent-free restaurant. Hope Bowman is a Technical Specialist and board-certified entomologist with Western Pest Services, a New-Jersey based pest management company serving businesses and homeowners in major Northeastern markets. Learn more about Western by visiting www.westernpest.com.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 69
// CATERSOURCE CONSULTANT
WITH MICHAEL ROSMAN
What’s Your Job?
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hile a lot of my knowledge has been gleaned from my 30+ years of corporate catering experience, I continually add to that base as I speak to my clients. I recently defined what a catering business actually is--an entity unto itself that has its own needs. Many of my clients understand this, but they struggle with their exact roles within their business. Recently I had a long conversation with a client who pointedly said, “Michael, I don’t really know what my job is anymore. Am I a catering salesman, head of my marketing department, company purchasing agent, cook, human resources contact, or merely the person who puts out all of the daily fires? Each day when I go into work, I don’t know which hat to wear. What is the most important thing I should do?” Good Problem to Have If you have thought about this, it follows that your business is growing. If your business is struggling, you do whatever is necessary to keep the doors open. Maybe you can’t afford a full staff so one day you may need to be the driver and another day you may be the dishwasher. Possibly you cook lunch every day because that saves valuable payroll dollars. When you start to make money, however, you may
find that you can afford an extra lunch driver and another part-time cook. As your business grows, every position may be filled with a qualified person and that leaves you time to do something else. Can’t Let Go? This can be a critical point for your business. Those who realize that they, as owners, can move on to more supervisory roles give their businesses the chance to organically grow. Those that can learn to trust and ultimately delegate to others are many times amazed at the way their business expands. I already shared the story of my late-sleeping client who diligently taught his staff to handle breakfast so he wouldn’t have to be at work at the crack of dawn. This client, however, couldn’t trust his staff to get the lunch food out, so he in effect stymied the growth of his business by taking over during the noon hour.
Still There Another client tried to run his business from another state. Unfortunately he couldn’t resist the urge to call three or four times a day just to “make sure everything was going OK.” His staff became resentful, and this client eventually sold his business. His company had grossed a little more than a million dollars per year when he sold it, and three years later, it brought in only half that much. During those three years my client had little or no contact with his former staff. The new owner was a semi-absentee gentleman and made many poor decisions. Still, throughout messy supplier changes, staff turnover, ill-fated menu reworkings and generally poor management, half of the original clients remained three years later. My client still wonders what he could have accomplished if he had kept the
Those who realize that they, as owners, can move on to more supervisory roles give their businesses the chance to organically grow.
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Michael Rosman is considered one of the foremost thought-leaders and sought-after consultants in the catering industry. As a national speaker, published author and magazine columnist Michael’s pioneering membership website, The Corporate Caterer, is the go-to resource for restaurateurs and caterers who want to start or grow their corporate drop-off catering business. Michael can be reached directly at michael@thecorporatecaterer.com.
business, enabled and encouraged his staff and consulted with them on a weekly basis rather than three or four times a day. What’s It Gonna Be? The moral of this story is again, that you must listen to your business. It will tell you when it needs you to be hands-on, and it will alert you when you need to back off. Howard Shultz obviously knew how to step back and now he has over 21,000 Starbucks. Owners Joe and Mary are still working at their single coffee shop from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week. Try to act more like Howard and less like Joe and Mary and you will discover exactly what your role is.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 71
// NEWS
TECHNOLOGY
TouchBistro Debuts New Enhancement To Enable Restaurateurs To Unleash Power Of New iPad Pro
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ow do you think customers feel when their orders are taken painlessly, their meals are delivered effortlessly and their entire dining experience is enhanced by relaxed, confident waitstaff? This is what is happening at restaurants that use the new TouchBistro app, and it’s catching on fast. Created on an iPad to replace outdated point-of-sale (POS) systems that were clunky, sometimes hard to use and often crashing, this new technology makes it easy for waitstaff to work together to make dining out an enjoyable experience for both customers and themselves. Why a tablet? “With TouchBistro mobile POS solution, your staff gets things done faster and more efficiently. From taking orders to processing payments, the tasks are seamlessly integrated into one easy-to-use application on your iPad,” says Toan Dinh, the firm’s Vice President of Marketing. Touch Bistro, which bills itself as the “#1 grossing food and drink app in 33 countries on the Apple App Store,” helps streamline foodservice operations and improve the customer experience with intuitive and smart management, easy bill splitting, table side payments, and more. “TouchBistro helps you bring increased efficiency to order-taking and payments,” says Dinh. “Touch-
Bistro lets waitstaff spend more time engaging with the customer.” And for restaurants with multiple tables, multiple locations, and multiple employees, small efficiency gains across multiple points in operations add up to real savings, he adds. The TouchBistro app can be used by quick-service, food chain, food truck, bar and coffee shop operations to achieve greater efficiencies. In bars, the app manages open tabs by seat or customer name, supports silent thermal printers, and doesn’t disturb patrons with noisy impact receipt or order chit printers. In coffee shops, it speeds up the lines for caffeine-starved customers in need of quick fixes. And in food trucks, the app gets customer payments processed and orders to the kitchen for prep in as little as 30 seconds from the time they reach the order window.
Thousands of restaurants and bars around the world use TouchBistro, including many local favorites in the USA and Canada such as Frere de Lys, the Bees Knees Baking Company, Crosstown Pub & Grill, Steam Whistle, and Michael Jordan’s Steakouse in NY Grand Central Station. “Compared to traditional POS systems, TouchBistro is not only lower in cost, but also offers more value. TouchBistro’s low monthly payments and flexible financing options make it easy for restaurants to get a POS solution that is quick to deploy and allows them to stay focused on implementing improvements in running their businesses,” says Dinh. “It’s the smart move.” As for support, TouchBistro offers its 24/7 (phone and email), as well as end-to-end documentation and help videos. Restaurant operators can choose a phone training pack
“With TouchBistro mobile POS solution, your staff gets things done faster and more efficiently. From taking orders to processing payments, the tasks are seamlessly integrated into one easy-touse application on your iPad,” says Toan Dinh, the firm’s Vice President of Marketing.
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or, at select locations, an on site training pack. The company also sponsors webinars. Customers can get a 30-day free trial, too. TouchBistro supports major payment gateways, such as Chase, Cayan, Mercury, Moneris, Premier Payments, RBC Caribbean, and PayPal Mobile. “With our app, the POS isn’t hardwired at a fixed location over at the counter cash register by a bowl full of mints. It can be taken right to table side,” says Dinh. “With TouchBistro, waiters can enter customer orders on an iPad at the table that are transmitted electronically directly to the kitchen or bar for preparation, eliminating all the time consuming running back and forth to a distant terminal.” To improve accuracy and speed of order entry, Dihn explained that
every order entered into TouchBistro is associated with an individual seat at the table, and are built one customer at a time, just like on paper. Items can also easily be shared by the whole table, moved or modified, and notes and special requests are accommodated. Cost can be allocated to special requests, too! TouchBistro even supports a signon screen option for a paperless experience.
Dinh says the company’s main mission is to make dining out as pleasant as possible for customers, and the TouchBistro app does that by making it easy for waitstaff to keep their patrons satisfied. “Customer happiness is in our DNA,” he says. TouchBistro will be in booth 1521 at the Javits Center at the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show in New York March 6 – 8.
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 73
// NEWS
NETWORKING
Chefs And Foodservice Community Welcomes New Manhattan Bricks and Mortar Community Center Concept
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o you want to open a restaurant. But the only experience you have is as a cook or a server. You don’t know the first thing about the finer points of running a restaurant – like how to make money. What to do? Journee founder Anthony Rudolf may have the answer. “In the restaurant world, it’s very much the sink or swim, succeed or fail, learn on the job mentality,” he says. “Journee exists to help you evolve to that point. We want to be here for your entire 20-year career. Journee is a community for restaurant professionals in New York City, in the heart of the Flatiron District, according to Rudolf. “Members receive access to unlimited classes, guidance from industry vets, and a collaborative space for meetings or catching up with peers,” he explains. “The space serves as a home for ambitious and curious thinkers and doers in food, beverage, and hospitality to discover, share, and collaborate, empowering restaurant professionals to take control of their careers and ultimately affect the way the profession evolves.” Rudolf acknowledges that while making it in the restaurant industry will never be easy, Journee provides the access to the know-how and resources to help professionals make the leap. The founder should know. Hailing from a small town outside Philadelphia, he grew up in the restaurant industry. “At 15 years old, I went to tech school, high school, then on to the Culinary Institute of America. I’ve been
in this business ever since,” he notes. The idea for Journee came from being on both sides of the equation as a young professional desiring to grow and also as a manager wanting to provide a staff with the tools they need to be successful, he points out. “I spent four years with Jean Georges working through a waiter, then through a service director. I went on to work for Chef Keller for seven years, going from maitre d’ to director of operations. As a young professional growing his career – becoming a general manager at 29 at Per Se – I really hadn’t had a business or finance background. I hadn’t seen a P&L statement since college,” he recalls. Rudolf believes that growing your way through the ranks – from server and cook to management – what you need is what’s on your daily prep list, either in the dining room or the kitchen, not management techniques. “There are very few resources available to you to take the next step, take control of your career and grow,” he reiterates. What he is seeking to provide is open
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access to resources for restaurant professionals, he says. “I was going to do it all online – the whole business was going to be an online learning platform. But one of the things I soon discovered is that building an online community and video production wasn’t really what I wake up every day and thirst to do,” he says. “It’s really about being a person. Instead of going to studios and recording and filming and distributing content, why not just build a community center and from that we’ll distribute what happens in here digitally?” And so Journee was born. “I’m here full time, and I have a 3,000-square-foot space where members can come and take as many classes as they like, come with a laptop and hammer out work or take a meeting in the conference room,” Rudolf states. “We’re focused on the individual learner. And we try to be conscious of costs. We’re priced for a $12-an-hour employee, whether a cook or server. You’re able to join and be in control of your own career and not be dependent on anyone else -- $40 a month, or $365
“What it tells me as an employer is that this person is committed to this as a career,” he declares.
annually and you get access to as many classes as you want, no additional charge. That’s a dollar a day!” he says. Four programs run a week, from human resources to legal to accounting and finance. “Every week we have a wine class so you can get access to a wine education for just $365,” he adds. “Programming changes weekly. It’s not meant to go from 0 to 1. It’s more like, three months from now, you have the potential for your first management role. If you come once a week or twice a month, we’re going to teach you management 101 leadership, the basics of finance, and HR, so you’re prepared for when you take that leap you have a little head start.” Rudolf notes that, if you start out as a cook or waiter, you get promoted to sous chef or maitre d, based on how good you are at cooking or serving. “But your leadership skills have yet to be tested or developed. So first you take some leader mentorship classes so you can think in that mode, and as that develops, you take food-costing class, where the burden would not be on the employer to teach you these things.” From his experience of going through the system and hiring hundreds of people, the accreditation from the 0 to 1 standpoint is very important. “What it tells me as an employer is that this person is committed to this as a career,” he declares. “It doesn’t tell me they’re qualified or have the skills, but if they spend anywhere from $18 to 60k to join this career, they’re going to be committed for a chunk of time. I can help mold and shape them.”
January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 75
// LIZ ON TABLETOP
TABLETOP SOLUTIONS
Culinary And Tabletop Trends To Look For In 2016
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very year, we challenge ourselves with those personal New Year’s resolutions and of course those egg nog induced visions for your restaurant or foodservice operation. So with best wishes to our H. Weiss customers and TFS readers, we head into 2016 with our view of some concepts that can help get you started towards accomplishing those goals this year. At H. Weiss, we are promoting the
Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co. She is known nationally as one of
trend that we see in colored/matte china that looks hand-made. A New York City area restaurant table is also the perfect place for decorated- ethnic inspired china. Keep an eye on old fashioned cocktails being served in glasses reminiscent of the 1940’s hotel scene. What a special touch to see those cocktails stirred at the table and not shaken. Needless to say, there are certainly New Year’s resolutions that touch both our personal and business pursuits.
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A New Year with a fresh start to get healthy. Among the more interesting trends that accomplishes that is, of course, eating and serving healthier meals. We are finding that many H. Weiss customers are adopting Meatless Mondays. With the right bowls that we can easily select and suggest, you offer your customers Grains, Salad and soup. The key is for them not to be mixed but separated. Why not create a menu so that they can be shared and served with large interesting salad
the nation’s foremost authorities on tabletop design. The Michigan State graduate is also actively involved with WPO-Women’s Presidents Organization. Comments may be sent to eweiss@hweiss.net.
serving sets that the server or customer can use to mix and serve at the table? Our customers are constantly on the lookout for a new but comfortable look for their plates. We see 2016 as the
year of the deep coupe plates. You may have seen the shapes before but not the use of color and matte glaze. Many of our H. Weiss customers utilize off white- almost cream. With the addition of some brown accents it harkens to a handmade look. In 2016, we see a comeback for black. Black matte shows off all the colors of the food in an exiciting and healthy light. Many of our H. Weiss customers welcome many guests every day with many table turns. So we love the fact that the pricing on this look is now economical because many of the manufacturers now stock matte without having to custom order. This means that you can easily place a few new dishes without going broke. We also think that 2016 will be the
year of the extra-large spoon for hardy soups. But make sure that they are HEAVY. At H. Weiss, we also make certain that our customers make sure that those spoons don’t look like serving spoons that you used because you ran short, but a heavy large interesting different utensil. Keep an eye in the New Year for natural colored napkins. Hoffmaster has linen-like in kraft or a pattern that appear to be like burlap that is soft and easy to use. The New Year brings the chilly winter months and of course comfort food to area menus. From stews and pasta to hardy soups, comfort is key. This year, look for pasta that has been arranged in a nest with light sauce. A nice touch that we suggest to our H.
Weiss customers is to have extra sauce served in an iron pot that is ladled by server or by the customer to taste. We see meats being served separately with the sauce in the bowl or pot. Once again with our H. Weiss customers, we guide them to choose plates in colors that work with the different sauces. In 2016, we are seeing soups in deep bowls shaped like large breakfast cups without handles. These are available with large saucers or plates with wells that are large enough for hunks of crusty bread and a piece of cheese or side dish. Again, seasonal items work in matte finish, and colored plates that look handmade indicating that these items are new, seasonal, and not the same old thing.
From rich hot totties with ample serving of rum or lighter healthier teas, cold weather is always the time for warm drinks. We are seeing many operators create weekly specials and serve them in a different mug, with a different color or even a different shape. Our goal is to assist our customers create drinks that are special, seasonal, and not what you have served before. You could even add warm infused waters that can be substituted for teas, depending on your recipe. We would be happy to help you find the correct glass/vessel to show this off. Call or email us with questions. We would be delighted to help you bring some of these trends to your tables. Happy New Year.
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// EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
The 18th Annual Food Allergy Ball Raises $2.8 Million for Food Allergy Research & Education
T
he 18th Annual Food Allergy Ball, benefiting Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), took place on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at The American Museum of Natural History. The Ball, which drew 550 supporters, is a signature event for FARE, the nation’s leading advocacy organization working on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies. The evening raised $2.8 million for FARE’s food allergy research, education and advocacy programs. The evening honored Joseph Ianniello, chief operating officer, CBS Corporation, for his commitment to FARE’s mission. Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick of Major Food Group received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to an outstanding restaurateur and culinary team for their commitment to excellence and compassion for diners with food allergies. Delta Air Lines, the Corporate Dinner Honoree, was recognized for significant contributions in improving accommodations for air-
line passengers with food allergies. John Dickerson, anchor of CBS’ “Face the Nation” and political director for CBS News, was the Emcee for the evening. Karen Mandelbaum and Lianne Mandelbaum were the Gala Dinner Co-Chairs. Sharyn T. Mann was the Honorary Dinner Chair. Guests enjoyed a peanut-, tree nut, and shellfish-free dinner inspired by Major Food Group, as well as a special performance by The Filharmonic. Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for lifethreatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. – or roughly two in every classroom. FARE’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. Our work is organized around three core tenets: LIFE – support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with
the respect of others through our education and advocacy initiatives; HEALTH – enhance the healthcare access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-the-art diagnosis and
treatment; and HOPE – encourage and fund research in both industry and academia that promises new therapies to improve the allergic condition.
Pure Hospitality’s Helen, Laurel, and David Jaffe
(l-r) Laura Svienty with the CBS duo of Gil Schwartz and Julie Chen
Arthur Backal and Liana Silverstein Backal of Backal Hospitality
Nick Valenti, Linda Valenti, of Patina Restaurant Group
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(l-r) Myriad Restaurant Group’s Drew Nieporent with Major Food Group’s Jeff Zalaznick and Mario Carbone
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Consolo, from page 18 seating, communal seating, and bar seating. Gansevoort Market 52 Gansevoort Street NY, NY 10014 (212) 242-1701 www.gansmarket.com Located in the Meatpacking District, an airy 8,000-square-feet of seating, browsing, and eating. Enjoy; Bangkok Bar, The BRUFFIN Cafe (a light and flaky, brioche-like pastry filled with high quality ingredients sourced from around the world), Cappone’s Salumeria, Champion Coffee, Crêpe Sucre French crêpe bar, Dana’s Bakery, Sushi Dojo Express, Donostia, Ed’s Lobster Bar, feelfood, Flower Girl NYC, Heermance Farm, Il Conte Italian Pasta, Luzzo’s Pizza, Meatball Guys, Meyers of Keswick, Mission Ceviche, M’o Il Gelato, M Terranean, Organic Gemini, Palenque, Tacombi Tacos, tease NYC, and Yiaourti. Hudson Eats Brookfield Place 200 Vesey Street, NY, NY 10281 (212) 417-7000 brookfieldplaceny.com First and foremost the views are spectacular: seating in the second floor space overlooks the New York Harbor and New Jersey beyond. Battery Park City’s 600-seat, 35,000-square-foot food hall features are star studded lineup that expands constantly: Umami Burger, Tartinery, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Black Seed, Little Muenster, Skinny Pizza, Dig Inn, Sprinkles, Olive’s, Chop’t, Dos Toros, Mighty Quinn’s, Num Pang, Northern Tiger, Amada (coming soon), Digg Inn Seasonal Market, Financier Patisserie, P.J. Clarke’s, and Parm. Le District is the 25,000-square-foot French inspired marketplace of bustling districts of culinary-specific stations, restaurants (Beabourg, le Bar, L’Appart), and a fantastic fresh grocery. City Kitchen
City Kitchen at ROW NYC 700 8th Avenue at 44th Street NY, NY 10036 http://citykitchen.rownyc.com/ Showcases nine gourmet vendors to the heart of it all; Times Square. Lobster rolls from Luke’s, doughnuts from Dough, sushi from Azuki, burgers from Whitmans and seasonal fare like Wooly’s shaved ice and Sigmund’s Pretzels. Kuro Obi features ramen bowls, Gabriela’s serves fish tacos, and another outpost of Madison Square Park Lebanese favorite, Ilili Box. The space has an industrial feel; white subway tile, steel and leather stools, reclaimed wood, marble countertops and Italian glass chandeliers. Forthcoming Food Eataly’s founder, Oscar Farinetti, has announced plans to open two more Eataly locations in Manhattan, while a Nordic-themed food hall is slated to open in Vanderbilt Hall inside Grand Central Station. Restaurateur Danny Meyer is dominating dining; opening up a 40,000-square-foot food court at Hudson Yards. Anthony Bourdain is opening Bourdain Market on Pier 57 at the Hudson River on the edge of the Meatpacking District. Estimating a two year build, planned are 100+ retail and wholesale food vendors from New York, the nation, internationally and at least one full-service restaurant. Singaporestyle hawker market(A hawker centre or cooked food centre is an open-air housing many moveable stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive food), with communal eating spaces surrounded by small stands selling street foods from around the world — many of them mom-and-pop operations. This will be the biggest and best; 155,000 square feet, which dominates the scale of other food markets. The mouthwatering momentum is building and I can’t wait to see what new dining concepts come to fruition! Happy Dining and Happy Shopping!
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TouchBistro, from page 8
growth. Future-proof your company by choosing a solution that offers different, scalable packages that can adjust to your growth rate – and fast. Some POS systems scale based on the number of iPads you use. Adjusting to growth can be as easy as buying a new iPad and downloading the POS app. Bada bing. Bada boom. No waits at a computer. No line-ups for billing. No lag when you adapt your operations to your sales and staffing needs. 3. DON’T go on price alone The old adage, “you get what you pay for” applies even here. It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: a POS system is not something you want to cheap out on. Take time to learn about the features your POS
offers. Read reviews. Ask for client testimonials. Your POS is the central system of your business. Without it, the body ceases to function. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. 4. DON’T get distracted from your needs “Can the POS split bills?” You ask. “Look at this shiny new inventory tracker, made of diamonds!” They say. Don’t get distracted by the bells and whistles. What is it you want? Probably topping your list is: table management, robust reporting, and a seamless billing experience. An intuitive user experience is nonnegotiable. A sleek, attractive design is bonus. Use the KISS principle; stick with the essentials and the compa-
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nies that do those best. Redundant features, like a down-to-the-ingredient inventory tracker, might look good in theory, but the reality is, it requires a full time person to manage this minute tracking and opens up a whole can of worms for management. 5. DON’T ignore the fine print. If you’ve got a question, will someone be there to take your call? And if they are, is there a charge for that? Is the customer support 24/7 or only during regular business hours? What about new versions of the software? Will your POS update seamlessly on the iPad with the click of a button, or will you be required to pay to install the latest version? Always read the fine print. You’re
buying a POS – it should include the support you need to keep your POS functioning at top speed and functionality. Look for hidden fees like charges for support calls and updates. The best solutions anticipate changes in technology, the market, your needs, and your systems. And they makes the changes to get you what you need, no additional fees. See the TouchBistro Restaurant Success Library for more helpful tips.
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Bobrow, from page 52
enough. And that bottle! Looks like a golf ball. Brenne from France continues to please and going forward I would say that any releases from this marvelous producer will challenge even the most snobbish of the Whisky drinkers. I had some beautiful Scotch Whisky in Russia that dated back to the mid 1960’s… If you can find any of these, save your pennies… They are worth every cent. • Rhum Agricole . Certainly you should be drinking Rhum Agricole… Don’t just put a bottle on your bar and forget about it. I continue to wax poetic about the mysterious flavors that appear and disappear in each sip of Rhum Agricole. One of my favorite ways to drink this perfumed slice of Rhum history (yes they use an extra h in Rhum in the French West Indies) is with a chunk of lime (with the skin on) and a couple splashes of Cane Sugar Syrup… This is so simple! Anyone can choose their own demise by making this drink as strong or as weak as
they desire. Thank you to Ed Hamilton for teaching me what I needed to know in the first place. • Flavored Syrups and Shrubs . What is a shrub? My third book, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails defines a Shrub as an acidulated beverage, historically used as a method of aiding digestion and for refreshment- as an energy drink. In the days prior to soda, a touch of vinegar, sugar and fruit along with cool water would satisfy most thirsts. Flavored syrups make our jobs as bartenders and mixologists much easier. Amongst the very best that you can buy are: Royal Rose… Fruitations (I’m just blown away by their Cranberry), Pickett’s from Brooklyn (yes, that’s a place and their hot ginger syrup is world class) Shrub and Company, Shrub Drinks, Liber and Company. All delicious and lip-smacking. Powell & Mahoney is my go/to for Pomegranate Mixer- yes- even I use a pre-mix for some events. • Craft Soda … With too many names to mention, but I’ll mention a couple. Q-Drinks- they’re magnificent. The Club Soda has a pinch of sea salt- keeps you thirsty! I’m thrilled by some of the Root Beers that come down from Bar Harbor in Maine… I love to drink Boylan’s and Bruce Cost sodas when I want something even more authentic. Dry Soda is just amazing stuff- the cucumber variety is crisp and refreshing. • Hard Cider . Possmann’s from Germany is my go/to. This lightly sparkling cider is all apple and just the right amount of fizz and alcohol rolling in at 5% abv. I’ve had it on tap in the New York/Metro area and if you see it, get some… immediately! Farnum Hill from up in New England continues to charm my palate as well. There are some Spanish Ciders that are just so as-
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sertive- Burgundy wine comes to mind. Barnyard notes and crushed stones come into view, sip by sip, if you dare! They are just different styles from Spain. I much prefer the German ciders, at least for my palate. • Tequila . I don’t know what happened to Tequila, but I’m tired of Tequila that tastes like Bourbon. Maybe it’s because they age the distillate in used Bourbon casks? Absolutely, this is why your Tequila tastes sweet. It’s in the cask! I much prefer the rare and usually a bit more expensive versions like Casa Nobleaged in French White Oak. This is a much more expensive method, but worthwhile in my opinion. • Mezcal ... It’s mysterious like a high fever in the middle of Summer. There’s smoke in there- lots of stuff going on in your imagination. If you want to really challenge your palate, in a good way… Taste Mezcal. Of course if it has a worm in the bottle, throw it out immediately. This is not the real thing. It was invented, yes again... by one of those ad agencies. No one eats the darned thing! • Gin . Stick to what you like and I love Barr Hill from Vermont. The Tom Cat, aged in American Oak is my preference in a snifter- for a perfectly marvelous gin and juice – use nothing more than the raw honey and grain distilled Barr Hill Gin with freshly squeezed- broiled grapefruit in a muddle. A splash of Q-Tonic water and a couple dashes of Angostura to finish... All good. Happy New Year! My fourth book, Cannabis Cocktails (the first book on the topic!) is in pre-sell now: w w w. q u a r t o k n ow s. c o m / books/9781592337347/CannabisCocktails-Mocktails-and-Tonics. html
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// THE WINE COACH
WITH LAURIE FORSTER
2016 Wine Resolutions Every New Year we make resolutions—to lose weight, find work-life balance or maybe to expand our business. Given this fresh start it might be time to set some “Wine Resolutions” for your restaurant or hospitality business. Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, is a
H
ere are a few you might consider adding to your list for 2016 for a more interesting and profitable wine program. 1. If you can’t pronounce it, you should try drinking it! Venture into unfamiliar territory by adding new grape varieties to your wine list. Hundreds exist, and many times, the lesser known grape varieties provide the best bargains. Most wine distributors will be thrilled to show you some of the more interesting selections from their portfolio. For example if many of your guests love a full bodied Chardonnay with intense tropical fruit flavors then try adding Viognier (pronounced vee-oh-NYAY) to your wine list. This fuller bodied white is known for its exotic fruit flavors of mango, kiwi and tangerine along with floral notes of orange blossom and honey. Great Viognier is being made in many places including Virginia, California and of course the Northern Rhone Valley in France. 2. Train your staff to delight your guests If you really want to sell more wine you need to have a staff that knows your wine list and proper wine service. They don’t all need to be mini sommeliers but they should have
certified sommelier, award-winning author and media personality. Forster is the host of her radio show The Sipping Point and her mobile applica-
Wine training should be done on a consistent basis so that the staff can reinforce what they learn throughout the year. the basics of wine service and the ability to help the guest pair wines with your menu. Wine training should be done on a consistent basis so that the staff can reinforce what they learn throughout the year. When new staff members join there should be a basic course for them to review. Regular testing and sales incentives can be integral parts of a successful wine program. 3. Give your guests a break Consider taking a traditionally slow night into a more profitable one by offering wine promotions. Maybe half priced bottles of wine on Mondays, Wine Wednesdays or a
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list of specially priced wine that changes each month. You can work with your distributor to find wines that are a great value that you can offer at an attractive price by the bottle and the glass. Studies show that Millennial wine lovers enjoy drinking wine by the glass not only because of the cost but for variety. To attract these younger more adventurous sippers, be sure to give them a selection of wines by the glass and several pour sizes. 4. Let your guests travel by glass For great value wines explore bottles from lesser-known regions. For example, Ital-
tion “The Wine Coach” was listed as one of the Top 8 Wine Apps in Wine Enthusiast. To find out more visit: www.TheWineCoachSpeaks.com | @thewinecoach | facebook.com/ winecoach
ian wine fans might balk at the price of the legendary Barolos from the Piedmont region. Instead, offer a Gattinara, which is found in a more northern section of Piedmont but uses the same trademark grape of Barolo—Nebbiolo. In addition, many Barolo producers also create a Nebbiolo wine with their second tier grapes that is less expensive but still delicious. Don’t forget to explore wine regions right under your nose! New York State is one of the top wine producing states in the nation with over 400 wineries. Consider adding a dry or off dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes to your list to delight your local and out of town guests. No matter what wine resolutions you make this year, I hope that tasting more wine is one of them. Let’s all raise a glass to a profitable and delicious 2016!!
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Madden, from page 64 you maintain your machine over 180 degrees, there’s nothing that can live through that final process. It kills all the bacteria and viruses and all that might be in there. What a low-temp machine will do is run at or below 140-degree water (some even run at 110) but to make sure your dishware is safe and sanitary, instead of using hot water, you have to spray on a chlorine-based chemical and that’s your disinfectant. That disinfectant is going to leave a little film on the dishware. So, as I said earlier, if you go to a place like the hotel bar, where obviously a low-temp machine was in use, very often your guests will taste the chlorine. And that’s not good for business! Sometimes the opposite can happen, however, and our systems take care of that, too. One client is opening a new coffee bar in Manhattan and New York City water tends to be very clean, very little mineral content. A lot of people say New York doesn’t have enough mineral in the water for a good cup of coffee, it’s only 55 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved solids. The client wanted it up above 180, so we used our Endurance system. We’d already had some experience with that. Earlier in the year, at a trade show, we filled up 400 five-gallon plastic water jugs that were distributed to every one exhibiting, and we not only filtered the New York City water but blended back in some calcium carbonate, some hardness, to meet their required recipe. So we brought it up. The MRS600 system has a blend valve and you test the water coming through. We run it over a cartridge that’s embedded with calcium carbonate and when you run the water over it, it dissolves a little into it. We showed this to her but she then said she wanted magnesium in there, too. No worries! We also happen to have a magnesium feeder, actually a neutralizing cartridge, magnesium oxide,
that will dissolve the magnesium oxide into the water. It won’t cause it to scale --- magnesium carbonate or bicarbonate would scale, magnesium oxide won’t – and it will add magnesium to the water and bring the pH up a little bit. That’s what she’s putting into her coffee shop. And that’s what I call a satisfied customer. Endurance systems are filtered but will not change the chemistry of the water. The MRS600 is a combination
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filtration and reverse osmosis system, which allows you to blend the chemistry to where you want it. So, if you have 200 ppm of dissolved solids, and you want 100 ppm, you could run half the water, and through reverse osmosis, that will strip that water bare of any dissolved solids, then run the other filtered water and blend them back together, essentially cutting the dissolved solids down to half. It’s a great system that I love working with. And the client? She’s not at all un-
usual. People are getting more and more particular these days, profiles have changed, and there’s huge demand. Starbucks or McDonald’s or convenience stores like Wa Wa, they’re coming in and saying, this is the quality we want, we sell so much coffee we want it of the highest quality. We help them get it there. If you’d like to learn more, please contact me at brian.madden@pentair. com.
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IRFSNY, from page 12 States Pastry Competition, which will feature the showpiece theme of Magic & Illusions. The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum provides the gold-standard in industry-leading educational content that is practical and relevant for today’s foodservice professional. For the first time in New York, Metz, a Certified Master Chef and President Emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America, will present the Torch Award, created to honor outstanding chefs who embody Illumination, Energy, Joy, Victory, Enlightenment, Hope and Education, all qualities and characteristics of the word torch. Attendees will be able to choose from 40 Educational Sessions where subject matter experts will deliver real, applicable business lessons, the latest information on trends and best practices in the market, and opinions of what creates success. Sessions at The Forum will include the Women’s Entrepreneurship Circle, Uncovering Hot New Trends, Increasing Revenue and Loyalty, Operational Excellence and Lowering Costs, Minimize Turnover while Building Winning Teams, Delivering Optimal Customer Experience, Menu, Cuisine and Profits, Minimizing Risk and Legal Issues, Boosting Beverage Earnings, and more.
“This premier once-a-year event offers everything industry professionals need to master emerging trends, power up their profits, and engage their customers in unique and memorable ways,” said Ron Mathews, Industry Vice President for Urban Expositions Foodservice Events, producers of the event.
Registration: Available online at www.internationalrestaurantny. com Location: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York City, NY Date & Time: Sunday, March 6, 2016: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday, March 7, 2016: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday, March 8, 2016: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm 90 • January 2016 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is owned and produced by Urban Expositions (www.urban-expo.com), and sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association (www. nysra.org). For more information on exhibiting or attending, visit the official Show website at www.internationalrestaurantny.com.
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Gina DePalma, from page 20 “Gina was never afraid of making a very savory dessert with just a tinge of sweetness,” Mr. Batali said. Ms. DePalma wrote the dessert chapter for Mr. Batali’s “Babbo Cookbook,” published in 2002. It offered readers Babbo standouts as maple-mascarpone cheesecake, chocolate and Valpolicella crema, and Meyer lemon semifreddo. While on a six-month sabbatical in Rome that began in the summer
of 2009, she wrote a weekly column, “Seriously Italian,” for the website Serious Eats. She later contributed to the travel magazine Viaggio. After leaving Babbo in 2013, she made frequent trips to Italy, gathering ideas for a second cookbook, which she completed but had not found a publisher for. In addition to her sister, Ms. DePalma, who lived in Manhattan, is survived by her mother, the former Evelyn Filice; and a brother, Chris.
She revealed in her last blog post, “A Peaceful Wish For Autumn,” that she has been “dealing with” ovarian cancer for the last seven years, and first underwent surgery in 2007 followed by chemotherapy to treat the disease. She went under the knife again this past September. Batali shared the passing of “the finest pastry chef I’ve ever known,” in a somber tweet.
NEW PRODUCTS WANTED… for the region’s #1 sales opportunity
March 6-8, 2016
Javits Center, NYC
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Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to drive your sales & grow your business Put your business in front of more than 16,000 buyers – representing more than $132Million in sales. Call today to reserve your space and discuss how we can help you reach your goals. Bill: 203-484-8055 Dave: 203-484-8056 Sponsored by:
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Produced & Managed by:
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Day & Nite, from page 44
ket, not unlike NYC over the past decade. And what’s helped Day & Nite succeed in D.C.? “Good defined processes and SOP adherence,” he reports. As for Philadelphia, Day & Nite plans to leverage its most recent success with D.C. “And engage clients with a service offering unlike anything they have experienced before,” says Matt. Day & Nite will do this through its superior use of technology, technician training, parts on hand and SOP adherence - driving a faster, more accurate, easier-to-track service solution. Where to next? “Bridging the mid-Atlantic gap of our service offerings,” he says.
As for the future? “We see continued refinement and an even better market- leading service offering by way of our undying desire to be the best because ‘we are the one,’” Matt affirms, stating the company’s slogan. “That, and a larger geographic self-performing footprint, making it easier for our client base to perform their core functions, making them more productive and profitable, supporting their and our mutual growth.”
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W E N
Grease Interceptor
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Cochon555, from page 59
movement, from hosting celebrated culinary events and dinners all over North America to reaching a global audience with the news of the first open-source agricultural model. The tour is dedicated to helping family farmers succeed, period,” stated founder Brady Lowe. “This doesn’t exist anywhere in the world, and for the first time in human history, a culinary tour has emerged to save endangered species on a global scale. Together, with some of the best chefs and partners in hospitality, we amplify the conversation of heritage pork once again, which for many is a ‘gateway’ to a larger appreciation of where our food comes from and the people that raise it, leading to more mindful eating and safer food choices for our youth. We can’t wait to kick-off an amazing weekend in New York City with two dinners raising money for Piggy Bank, a 501(c) (3) project of the Giving Back Fund.” On January 22, the weekend takeover commences with a pair of guest chef dinners to benefit Piggy Bank. These unique dinners bring together chefs, world-renowned winemakers and beverage experts to create a multi-course, interactive dining experience where guests have the opportunity to interact with the participating chefs. On Friday, the tour will kick off with the Late Night Asian Speakeasy, an all-inclusive feast paying homage to Chinese, Sichuan, Korean, Thai and Japanese after-hour establishments known to inspire great kitchens across the country. On Saturday, a refined three-hour culinary experience, the Chef’s Course Dinner Series, begins with a reception featuring a selection of passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a seated dinner and premium wine pairings. Both dinners will be limited to 40 seats each night, tickets will be available online at
Scoop, from page 42
$125 per person and 100% of the proceeds will benefit Piggy Bank. Additionally, ticket buyers are welcome to sign-up for Chefs Course, Cochon555’s annual rewards program with over 100+ restaurants participating nationwide. The Cochon555 US Tour, executes a variety of authentic, hyper-local food events focused on raising awareness for heritage breed pigs with the world’s first nose-to-tail pig competition. Created in response to the lack of consumer education around heritage breed pigs, this epic pork feast visits 20 major cities in North America annually with over 60 events. The tour also features a multitude of live-event expressions including Heritage BBQ (global cultures), Heritage Fire (live-fire event), EPIC Cochon (hyper-premium), All-Star Cochon (fan favorites) and Cochon Island (agritourism). All Cochon555 events cultivate a long-term impact for heritage species raised by family farms, reaching the top culinary markets in North America while promoting their sponsors’ messages to 16,000 guests by drawing from the biggest names in the hospitality industry, including 2,200+ chefs, 150+ family farms and 16 culinary schools. Since 2009, 50,000+ consumers have experienced heritage pork for the first time, more than $500,000 has been donated to charities and over $750,000 has been paid directly to their farmers. Together with winemakers, brewers, distillers and craft food makers they create authentic culinary events celebrating champions in the good food movement.
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Bronx Distributor Creates New Strategy For Sustainable Produce Solutions Thomas McQuillan, a business analyst with Baldor Specialty Foods Inc., doesn’t want to use the “W” word for edible product waste. People might not be so interested in eating the byproducts or foods that are traditionally discarded, he figures. The New York-based foodservice wholesaler has started a food repurposing program it calls SparCs, pronounced “sparks” which is “scraps” spelled backwards and is using that term until a more positive word for edible waste is developed. The program works to find uses for edible food from its fresh-cut processing division including carrots, which are frequently chopped into sticks and dices after trimmings are discarded. One New York chef uses repurposed items for a “Dumpster Dive” salad that is featured on the eatery’s menu and carrot peelings and celery tops were used in a series of pop-up dinners called WastED. “Baldor wants to find uses for the trimmings and cut pineapples, mangoes, melons, citrus, apples and many vegetables and instead of labeling as garbage, view the offerings as food products,” McQuillan said. “Unlike other refuse picked up from the streets and mixed with other discarded items, the food wastage is pure and can be eaten or used in juices as well as in animal feed,” McQuillan said. “We’re trying to treat the food as food, not as garbage or a byproduct,” he said. “What is interesting is it’s so clean. There are no contaminants and this is a clean form of product that can be turned or trans-
formed into something else.” Fresh-cut produce itself is a good food repurposer as 100% of freshcut processed products can be consumed. The program remains in its infancy but McQuillan said many chefs are expressing interest in how they can reduce food waste and the cause has become a national concern. “We are working with chefs to identify new opportunities,” he said. “Chefs want to start thinking about how they can be more efficient in restaurants and put changes in place to produce less waste. It seems to be on the minds of many people.” “Instead of peeling carrots and potatoes and discarding the trimmings, many chefs simply wash them and serve as-is because the peels are valuable and include many nutrients,” McQuillan said. “About 37 million pounds of usable food worth $40 billion goes to waste every year in the U.S.,” he said. “People may need to think more aggressively about eating it,” McQuillan said. “This is where we will see a lot more use of the product going forward.” Baldor is working with a juicer, a broth manufacturer and is sending products to northeast hog farms for use as animal feed and is exploring other uses. The program may grow into something larger, but for now, McQuillan said Baldor remains focused on finding new uses for food that would otherwise go to waste. Freshcut processing accounts for about 15% of Baldor’s business
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