June 2013 by Total Food Service

// NEWS

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Culinary Institute of America's 7th Annual Augie Awards Event Raises Funds for CIA Student The seventh annual Leadership Awards - the Augies - from (CIA) were held on April 25 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City to raise funds for CIA student scholarships.

reated in honor of famed French chef Auguste Escoffier, the Augie Awards celebrate success and achievement of the foodservice industry's best chefs, vi-

sionaries, and entrepreneurs. Augie recipients exemplify a tradition of innovation and leadership. Augies were presented to four individuals who exemplify, in spirit and deed, the CIA's

Dr. Tim Ryan, President of The Culinary Institute of America, presented Walter Robb, Rick Bayless, Cliff Pleau, and Daniel Humm (right to left) with the college's highest honor - the 'Augie' Award - on Thursday, April 25th at the CIA's annual Leadership Awards Gala in Manhattan. The annual event was created to raise scholarship funds for CIA students. (PRNewsFoto/The Culinary Institute of America)

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four core value pillars: • Daniel Humm, executive chef, Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad Hotel, New York, NY, was honored for his dedication to professional excellence and innovation • Clifford Pleau '81, corporate executive chef, Seasons 52, Orlando, FL, honored for creating restaurant menus that promote health and wellness • Rick Bayless, chef/owner, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Xoco, Chicago, IL, honored for his contribution to the understanding of world cuisines and cultures • Walter Robb, co-CEO, Whole Foods Market, Austin, TX, honored for his commitment to sustainability and food ethics The Grand Hyatt ballroom was filled with nearly 400 attendees-including industry leaders such as Thomas Keller, Steve Ells, David Burke, Alex Stupak, and Charlie Palmer. Throughout the program, videos by CIA students and the honorees and a presentation from CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan proclaimed the

theme of the event. In his opening remarks, Dr. Ryan declared, "Not only is food part of everyone's traditions and family celebrations - it is a bridge to other cultures; it fosters understanding among the people of the world, it nourishes the body and the soul, and it inspires innovation, excellence, and creativity." Each honoree had advice for the 30 CIA students who were assisting at the celebration and the entire student body, many of whom followed the program on Twitter. Daniel Humm discussed how he finds inspiration through the music of the great jazz innovator, Miles Davis, and abstract expressionist artist Willem de Kooning. Davis pushed the envelope and charted new territory with every album, and de Kooning said, "I have to change to stay the same," a sentiment Chef Humm has taken to heart. Cliff Pleau told the audience that his vision for a restaurant like Seasons 52 began early in his career, but it took nearly 20 years to come true. He spent a lot of time practicing "culinary imagineering," and over the years, collaboration and risk-taking became as important to his success as his commitment to helping Americans eat more mindfully. Rich Bayless took a different path on the way to earning his Ph.D. in anthropological linguistics. Food was his passion. "With one bite of a dish," says Chef Bayless, "and sometimes just a look at the dish, you can tell reams of things about a culture, its history, its agriculture, and its people." Walter Robb quoted author and ac-

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// NEWS

RESTAURANTS

Chipotle, Union Square, Juice Generation, Blue Hill and Cleaver Co. are Among the Participating Restaurants More Than 100 Restaurants Have Signed On To New York City's Food Waste Challenge, The City's First Attempt At A Commercial Composting Program.

he goal is to divert 75% of all solid waste from landfills by 2030 - organic waste accounts for about a third of that and over 70% of restaurant waste. As food waste degrades in landfills, methane is released, a very potent greenhouse gas. San Francisco currently diverts 80% of its waste from landfills. NYC recycles only about 15%. Bloomberg wants to double that by 2017. He's also looking to ban Styrofoam and just announced that all kinds of rigid plastics - including toys, hang-

ers and food containers - can now be recycled because a plant dedicated to that is opening in Brooklyn. The extra 50,000 tons recycled each year will save the city $600,000 in avoiding long truck trips to landfills in other states. Sims Municipal Recycling is opening the largest household recycling plant in North America in Brooklyn, topped with one of the city's largest solar arrays. Because it takes 70% less energy to make plastic from recycled plastics rather than from raw materials, it will further reduce NYC's carbon

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footprint. Sims Group is the world's largest metals and electronics recycler. NYC's climate change target is to cut greenhouse gas emissions 31% by 2017 - since 2007; they are down 17% (from 2005 levels), more than half way there. Participating restaurants are pledging to cut their food waste by half by composting and other waste prevention strategies. A residential compostpickup program starts next month in Staten Island and will be extended to all schools over the next two years. Chipotle, Union Square, Juice Generation, Blue Hill and Clearver Co. are among the participating restaurants. Another program, Gardens for Healthy Communities, is also launching, which sets aside 9 acres of underused City-owned for 20 community gardens, making healthy, fresh food more widely available as well as access to green space. Non-profit and community groups will be encouraged to apply, and projects will be evaluated for their ability to promote fresh food access and awareness as well as sustainability initiatives such as rainwater harvesting and neighborhood composting activities. "We know community gardens are

often hubs for healthy activity -hosting weekly farmers’ markets, working with school groups, or donating produce to pantries," says Kim Kessler, Food Policy Coordinator of NYC. "Many also compost - making their contribution to reducing food waste. These announcements advance both sustainability and health goals by addressing both the production and disposal stages of the food cycle." A third initiative, the Carbon Challenge, is being taken up by 10 companies pledging to cut carbon emissions

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Main Office: 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director: Michael Scinto Creative Director: Ross Moody Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Wyman Philbrook Noelle Ifshin Ryan Condren Andrew Catalano 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 2013 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburg, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy; $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836

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// NEWS

HONORS

Singer Takes Top Honors At Annual FE&S’ Gala In Chicago Among the highlights of a very busy National Restaurant Association Show Week last month in Chicago was the annual Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S’) magazine 2013 Dealer of the Year and Industry Awards Gala.

he annual event honored some of the industry’s best and brightest minds at The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, drawing hundreds of foodservice professionals from virtually all segments of the community, the annual FE&S’ Dealer of the Year and Industry Awards Gala is the premier venue to reconnect with colleagues and meet some of the industry’s rising stars. The 2013 edition had special meaning for the Metro New York area as Singer Equipment Company, with three Metro New York offices and – parent company of M Tucker - led the lineup of award winners. In addition, FE&S’ top rep honors went to Eastchester, NY's PBAC. The ever humble Singer took the time to thank the "367 incredible individuals who make up our company. “They pour their energy, creativity and passion for service into our company and our customers." In addition, he recognized, the firm's COO and Executive Vice President John Vozzo for 29 years of service as well as long time team members Jim Batty, Mark Woolcock, Jim Gatch, Brian Morehead, Rick Snyder and Ralph Russo. Singer went on to detail those who have been so integral to the growth of the firm. "We all stand on the shoul-

ders of those who have come before us, and I, along with our entire company, are blessed to stand on the shoulders of a giant; my Dad: Henry Singer." Henry Singer was a former President of FEDA

and the first individual inducted into the FE&S Dealer Hall of Fame. Singer also thanked his wife Julie. "As we all know, building a company comes with long hours, and it would

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not be possible without my wonderful wife Julie and her willingness to take on so many of our shared responsibilities at home. She is funny, compassionate, and down to earth. She is my advisor, cheerleader, therapist and partner. She is an amazing mother to our children and mother figure to those underprivileged children she teaches." Singer went on to praise the vendor community. "We never forget that we could not be a great company without great manufacturing partners - and thank you for your friendship and your partnership." Singer took time in his comments to address his perspective of the industry. "This is an industry of creative and passionate entrepreneurs, with dreamers. It is an industry that attracts people from all segments of the American experience – immigrants, accountants and artists. It is an industry full of people that like to design, to create, to build, and to sell. I once heard that our lives can be divided into three separate areas – our work, our friends and our family. I have heard it said that life is simply too busy to do a good job in all three areas. What makes this industry so special, and makes me feel so blessed, is that over the last twenty years I have not had to keep these three areas separate." The award has far reaching meaning for the Metro New York food service industry. In 2011, Singer acquired the M. Tucker Company. Paterson based M. Tucker is a leading foodservice equipment and supply dealer in the greater New York City market, providing a complete offering of foodservice equipment, tabletop, disposables and smallwares to major restaurant and foodservice operators. Prior to 2011

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// INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

Nassau & Suffolk Counties Pass "Specials" Posting Notice Over a period of time, I have shared with you that a major consumer complaint has been the offering of specials and not notifying the guests of the price, either verbally or by listing on the menu.

his practice was brought to the attention of Harvey Levinson, the Chairman of the Nassau County, New York, Board of Assessors. He, in turn, requested that David Denenberg, a member of the Nassau County Legislature, and Roger C. Bogsted, the county Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, sponsor a bill to correct the problem. A bill was introduced, passed and is now law. The law requires the following” Restaurant specials” means special offers of food, meals, desserts and drinks which do not appear on the menu or are not commonly offered by the establishment. Notice to customers: Every restaurant shall provide written notice of the prices of all restaurant specials offered to its customers. Such notice shall be clearly visible and legible so that they can be easily viewed and understood by customers and can be provided in one of several forms: • A sign listing the restaurant’s specials and their prices shall be placed on each table in the restaurant; • A written list of the restaurant’s specials and their price shall be presented along with the res-

Fred G. Sampson,

President of Sampson Consulting, Inc. fredsampson1@comcast.net

Every restaurant shall provide written notice of the prices of all restaurant specials offered to its customers. taurant’s regular menu; or A prominently displayed posting in the restaurant, such as a blackboard or whiteboard, listing the restaurant’s specials and their price. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first law of its kind in the country, and you can be sure it won’t be the last. It most assuredly will follow the same path as the re•

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cent outbreak of banning trans-fats that is now sweeping the country. One of the by-products of issues such as this is the comment uttered by public officials that make it sound like an indictment of the entire industry. For example, and I quote Chairman Levinson, “I, like many of you, am frustrated when we are ‘nickeled and dimed’ by businesses trying to increase their profit margins on the backs of unsus-

pecting customers.” He went on to say, “While I know that restaurant visits are becoming more of a luxury in today’s economy, I am sure that at one time or other you have been enticed by a waiter or waitress into ordering the special of the day,’ only to discover that it was really the price that was special being significantly higher than the average entrée. Unless you had the foresight to question the price before ordering, you could never find the price listed on the menu or on a chalk board.” Another statement issued by Roger Bogsted, Nassau County Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, was “Full pricing disclosures is the standard in business. Consumers have every right to know the price of a meal before ordering it.” While I do believe that there is a legitimate basis for such a law, I totally disagree with both Chairman Levinson and Commissioner Bogsted with regard to their comments. First, Mr. Levinson. His remarks left the impression that all restaurants are guilty of failing to inform the guest of the “specials” prices. There are many, many foodservice establishments that both inform the guest of the “specials of the day” available if you have the foresight to request them. While he may not like the fact that he had to ask the price, that does not necessarily mean that the establishment was trying to increase its profit margin by the use of some sinister plot. As for the Commissioner’s statement that “full pricing disclosure is the standard in business,” is he suggesting that everything sold to the public is priced? For example, many items listed in newspapers, on televisiion, radio,

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// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Partridge Scholarship Reception at New York City Technical College EYE joined fellow Partridge Club members in honoring the organization's 2012-13 Hospitality Management program at City Tech scholarship recipients Marko Dojcinovic & Juvert Jay Fetalino.

Schaible, chair of the department. “Many are new immigrants or the first generation born in the U.S. They work very hard, bringing a real dedication to what they are doing, and they achieve at a very high level. They leave with an education that serves them well, at least the equal of what they would get at a private program many times our cost.” For over sixty years City Tech Hospitality graduates have led successful careers throughout New York City and beyond. "The

mission of the hospitality management department of our program is to provide students with a hospitality career education that integrates

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The Partridge Club's Jill Ostaszewski with Rob Chasen

(L to R) Veteran Partridge members George Hannau and Carl Pope

(L to R) HB Day's Tom Egan and Peter Fernandez of Fresh and Tasty

Social media expert Dina Baldwin (C), Partridge president Fred Klashman of TFS (Back R), Tempositions Roger Oliver (Bottom R), Larry Cantamassa (Bottom L), and PBAC's Steve Bauer (Top L)

Chef Thomas Harris directed the student culinary team

City Tech's Liz Schaible (L) and Lynda Dias (R) flank introducing scholarship winner Juvert Jay Fetalino

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(L to R) The PBAC duo of Keith Fitzgerald and Steve Bauer with Marty Kohn of Pro-Tek

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// NEWS

EVENTS

NYC's JamesBeard Foundation Hosts First Official Chefs Boot Camp For Policy & Change Culinary Leaders Gather to Build Community of Advocates for Food-System Change.

ore than a dozen chefs from around the country convened for the James Beard Foundation's first official Chefs Boot Camp for Policy & Change at the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky May 12-14. The program, which was piloted last year at the James Beard Award-nominated Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, is designed to provide chefs with the tools and support they require to lead and advocate for food-system change. Policy and advocacy skills were taught at this Chefs Boot Camp through the topic focus of regional food systems. Participating chefs met with Mayor Greg Fischer, who has embraced the notion of local food in an urban community as part of his policy agenda, and learned more about the regional Kentucky food scene. Chefs also spent time at Laura Lee Brown and Steven Wilson’s Woodland Farm. There, Farm Manager Kristopher Kelley exposed chef participants to the heritage breeds of bison, pigs and chickens; produce harvesting in the sustainably raised gardens; and were given an introduction to the farm’s Kelley Green Biofuel program. "The James Beard Foundation is continually working to take the conversation about our food-system to

the next level," said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. "Our Chefs Boot Camp fills a critical need for hands-on policy and advocacy skills training that allows

participating chefs to bring messages for constructive change out into the culinary world.” The Chefs Boot Camp is conducted under the direction of JBF Award-win-

Policy and advocacy skills were taught at this Chefs Boot Camp through the topic focus of regional food systems. Participating chefs met with Mayor Greg Fischer, who has embraced the notion of local food in an urban community as part of his policy agenda, and learned more about the regional Kentucky food scene.

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ning chef and founder of Wholesome Wave, Michel Nischan and Founder of Arabella Advisors, Eric Kessler. At each boot camp, chefs receive policy and advocacy training by industry and political experts through the lens of a specific food system topic. A day of classroom work, mock-interviews, hands-on activities that engage the chefs with local natural resources, and a collaborative dinner cooked by the participants culminates in a morning of strategic brainstorming about effective action points and next steps. "Laura Lee and I are honored to have hosted this prestigious group of chefs both at our farm and at our restaurant,” said Steve Wilson, owner of 21c Museum Hotels and Woodland Farm. “We hope that by providing an opportunity for these chefs to till the soil, plant a seed, and harvest the bounty of Woodland Farm, they leave more inspired than ever before to lead efforts for real food policy reform in their respective communities.” The Chefs Boot Camp for Policy & Change is part of the James Beard Foundation's broader program to encourage dialogue between diverse stakeholders in the food system while providing an opportunity for the values of the country's best chefs to help influence food decisions for the larger American population. Other programs include conducting a national dialogue on food-system issues at regional salons in cities around the country; an annual national food conference held each fall that brings a diverse group of food-system stakeholders together; and an annual Leadership Awards program recognizing visionaries helping create a more healthful, sustainable, and safe food world. "As the spotlight shines ever brighter on chefs, farmers, artisanal produc-

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// RESTAURANT MARKETING

WITH OLA AYENI

7 Ways To Attract Loyal Restaurant Customers

Breakfast Month by offering an entrée special for all customers that are part of your loyalty program.

Make them first to know

Building a loyal customer database takes time but is well worth the effort. Instead of restaurant patrons that are loyal to daily deal sites but never visit your restaurant a second time, create a loyalty program by treating your customers well and offering them incentives to visit your restaurant as well as rewarding them with surprise exclusives.

et their information

The most important aspect of building a successful loyalty program for your restaurant is building a database with all of your customer information in one place. Having quick access to thousands of emails, phone numbers, birth dates and anniversary dates allows your in-store promotions and specials to be extremely successful. Need help starting a loyalty program? Build your own customer loyalty program with eateria.

Welcome Gift Getting restaurant patrons to sign up for your loyalty program can be as easy as offering an incentive to do so. Need an example? Offer guests a free milkshake when they order a burger from you. You always want to make sure that customers still have to spend a minimum amount in order to redeem their welcome gift. Giving away something free without requiring any type of purchase will attract patrons only looking for a freebie.

Remember Birthdays Just like it feels so nice to have all your

Ola Ayeni,

Founder of Dining Dialog & myeateria.com ola@myeateria.com

friends and family wishing you happy birthday, customers enjoy when restaurants remember their special days. Not only does it make your customers feel wonderful, but it shines a positive light back on your business as well. Encourage your customers to celebrate their birthday at your restaurant with an incentive. For example, offer a free dessert when they choose to dine at your establishment for their birthday.

Celebrate Anniversaries The best restaurants give any excuse to have their customers visit their restaurant. Sometimes a delicious incentive is all a restaurant patron needs to decide on where to dine out that week. Remembering a customer’s an-

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niversary date and then sending them a special promotion exclusively for them not only helps your restaurant stand out in a positive way but also continually drives business throughout the year to your restaurant. A patron, who may not have thought to visit your restaurant at all, suddenly has a reason to dine at your establishment within a week!

Bring on the surprises Offering periodic and spontaneous offers keeps your restaurant patrons on your toes and allows them to see value in being part of your restaurant’s loyalty program. Want to know how to keep customers on their toes? Keep your restaurant offers creative. If you have a breakfast restaurant, celebrate

Keeping with the trend of making loyalty program members feel special, make sure they are always first to know of brand new specials, exclusive offers and are the first to see your new menu. If loyalty program members don’t feel special, they won’t see any value in staying on your mailing list. It’s too easy for restaurant patrons to hit the dreaded “unsubscribe” link on an email. Keep your messages pumped with not only value but also exclusivity. Keep Recruiting – Adding to your restaurant loyalty program should be an ongoing process throughout all times of the year. Be sure to take advantage of high traffic times in your restaurant to build your database at all times. Treat your customer information like gold. Make sure you always have updated guest phone numbers for sending out text messages and emails for sending out email promotions. Ola Ayeni is the founder of Dining Dialog and myeateria.com. eateria™ is a digital loyalty marketing platform and a whole new way for restaurant, food and hospitality businesses to interact with their customers based on their on-the-go lifestyle. eateria™ utilizes the best combination of connected channels of email, social media and text message. Dining Dialog is a cutting edge, full service new media marketing company servicing the restaurant, bar and food service industry. For restaurant marketing tips, visit our eateria™ blog at eateria.org/blog/.

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// Q&A

Jody Pennette Principal of cb5 Hospitality Consulting

ell me how you got into the industry? I was originally studying to go to medical school. At the same time I was really into music. My dad was a creative guy who worked in advertising. He saw me studying and actually suggested that I might want to consider pursuing something I would love and then having the success follow that. So that was the end of the medicine. I moved to Los Angeles and joined a rock band. While earning a living as a musician I had dabbled in working at restaurants. I found something about it that appealed to me. I think the production, like a movie or a play. To me the meal was an ensemble performance. So it wasn't food that actually attracted me to the business at first. It was kind of the flow and the production, the performance of it that really turned me on. So talk to me about what got you into the restaurant business? So I came back east and began working and learning in all kinds of different types of restaurants. I learned systems from fast food and white tablecloth operations at country clubs. In each case the common thread was how small groups of people would work as a team. At the same time from my dad's eyes, I saw the importance of the aesthetics and design of restaurants. Today even though he's semi-retired in Santa Barbara we hire his design company to do a lot of our work. And I think he gave me an appreciation for the industry.

How do you balance marketing and food? If your goal is to build on great restaurants and it’s all about your food and turning the world on to your vision of dining then you need to be in the kitchen grinding it out one dish at a time. I think you can become a bit myopic with a food only approach. So if you want to create businesses that have the ability to connect to different markets then you need to balance food with marketing and be aware of trends. The DNA from my dad helped me. If you have great food, but lousy marketing, or mediocre food and great marketing

which one is going to win, over the long term? I think the restaurant industry has become more of a performance art. What's changed is that it’s a given that with the cost of real estate that you must have good food and service. I think the consumer has become awakened and their demand for experience and to be fulfilled and entertained, that comes on the foundation of good food and good service. Where did the name cb5 come from? Our company's based on the five Chinese brothers fable and the idea was to take individual talents, all masters in different areas and approach the business with those, left and right brains working together. So where did the cotton candy and smoking dishes come from? They probably seem silly and like gimmicks. They're actually pretty strategic. The cotton candy at Red Lulu and the

Jody Pennette has emerged as one of the Metro New York Market's most visionary restaurant developers.

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dry ice smoking dishes of fresh mint granita and grapefruit mint granita at Lolita are meant to get your attention. Customers walk in today with their faces in their cell phones. So we needed to create something to get them to pay attention. I also changed the way our waitstaffs work with our guests. I told them with the smoking dish that we give; you have 10 seconds to bust a move. In that 10 seconds, don't introduce yourself by name. Don't ask if they've been here before. Try to size up the host, make eye contact, and let them know that, just maybe, this could be a different ride and a fun experience if you can get them to trust you. If you can get them to just look at you. That connection sets the tone for the meal. Make it more than an hour and a half of fetching Diet Cokes. Look at the Connecticut restaurant scene; nobody knows it better than you do what's your read on how it's evolved, what makes it unique? I think it's interesting because for many years Connecticut restaurants were really an amalgamation of people mimicking New York restaurants. Because of the easy proximity to Manhattan they replicate some aspects which many times were superficial and occasionally pure. Today Connecticut is truly a market of its own where there's true talent and inspiration. It continues to emerge and what's great is that operators realize that you think you can't fake it. Showing someone what exists somewhere else is cool, but it still has to have its own "Made in Connecticut" soul. As you look at the Penette restauranting 101 are there common elements that create success in the different venues?

We've worked on 200 plus projects, which doesn't make us smarter than anyone else. It just means we've had a lot of experience and paid attention at what seems to never work, what seems to always work, what seems to sometimes work. The cornerstone of success is a foundation of a true story, a soul, and a purpose. I know it's not sexy, but I think with every great movie and every great book there's a core. So when we start a new restaurant, we really agonize over its purpose. Lolita is a good example. Lolita wasn't meant to be a Mexican restaurant. It isn't one. It serves Mexican food but there is no piñatas, mariachis or sombreros. It isn't cliché homage to that. What I wanted to do was create a place that sells to the club set in Greenwich. I wanted a place that was for the bad boy. I wanted to take that little bit

of misbehaving. So I picked a name and a concept that was flirtatious, sexy, and a little darker. And it wasn't mainstream. I deliberately put it on a street in Greenwich that wasn't well known. I wanted it to be a destination. And the soul of the Lolita was this flirty, sexy woman. It was out of the way. It was a secret, and it was one of those places in everyone's vo-

cabulary where we've just had dinner at a big, fancy restaurant. Let's go there for a shot. So once the soul was determined it was campy. It was fun. It was a bit outrageous and all packaged to be a little secret hideaway in the corner. This is a world-class polished town, so it was the contradiction; it was the contrast, the textures. Now we need someone to mix songs that are vintage.

Modern day practices, sleek design elements, and a local food culture have emerged in the form of eleven14 Kitchen in Greenwich, CT. Taking its cues from seasonal availability, and combining them with an array of flavors from around the world. The menu is just as modern as the atmosphere.

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You know some obscure version of Purple Rain in Latin. And maybe a little old grand funk. The uniform should be cool jeans, a CBGB t-shirt. But let's have a Waldorf Astoria waiter jacket. So they don't forget that we take our food seriously. And let's get real expensive tequilas and turn people on to that. And let's make all the food fresh. And, as organic and local as we can even within the Mexican genre. And let's not melt cheese over everything. Let's try to keep it healthy and cool. So, little by little, it turns into this unique product. We're not child-friendly there. Because I say, I don't know how to stretch that. I know Greenwich is a family town. I created the restaurant for when you're lucky enough to find a babysitter. When your wife tries that little black dress on and feels sexy. So, while everyone else is trying to feed you, we said, Lolita was meant to make you feel young, sexy, and have a good time, and the food's damn good, and the service is spot on. What's your attitude towards the restaurant approach to vendors? Do you like to bid every week? Do you use the same designer all the time? No, we're loyal to vendors. I think it’s important to be market savvy and know what's out there. But, I think what you do is you create a network of vendors who know what’s important to you and the nuances of your needs without having to even speak. Those core relationships save a lot of time. You also need to understand that the real high end, specialty guy needs to get paid in two days, but then again, no one has tomatoes like him. You need that company who can be there at 9 o’clock when you forgot to order something. But the idea

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// SHOWS

IHMRS 2013

IHMRS and TabletopJournal Announce Hospitality Tabletop: Differentiating By Design The International Hotel/Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) and TabletopJournal announced plans to launch a new exhibit section, Hospitality Tabletop: Differentiating by Design at the 98th IHMRS, November 10-12, 2013 at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

he 12,000-square-foot-specialized space on the Level 3 exhibit floor will feature exhibits, an education center and specially designed networking space. “Hospitality Tabletop will inspire attendees with creative concepts and trend direction that elevates and dif-

ferentiates the hospitality dining experience and ultimately the profitability of their foodservice operation," said David Turner, Founder and Publisher of TabletopJournal. “By focusing on just tabletop, the category receives the focused marketing effort it deserves and makes IHMRS the industry event

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to see the newest and best in hospitality tabletop design.” Hospitality Tabletop presents uniquely creative, design-driven tabletop product for hospitality including: dinnerware - both permanent and disposable, glassware, flatware, serve and buffet ware, table linens,

table lighting and table accessories for chefs, hotel food and beverage directors, restaurant and club managers, and dealers and distributors. Among the confirmed section participants to date are: Bugambilia, Corby Hall, Dahlgren Duck, Front of House, Hospitality Glass, Masa, RosenthalSambonet, Service Ideas, Steelite and Vertex. In addition to exhibit resources, Hospitality Tabletop will enrich the engagement of exhibitors and attendees with on floor features such as: The Tabletop Matter Awards presented to companies in recognition of outstanding new product Hospitality Tabletop Theater, on

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// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

SFM'S Annual Critical Issues Conference SFM'S annual Critical Issues Conference took center stage at a pair of legendary Manhattan venues. Conference guests were hosted on a tour of the facility by SFM's Peter Ferdinandson.

he innovative MetLife Headquarters which was built in 2009 and serves 1,100 employees. The café and the 23rd Floor Conference Center provides catering services from a centralized buffet, thus reducing the need to produce individual meals for each meeting. The agenda kicked off with Client Liaison and Self Operator Roundtables. EYE enjoyed the exchange of ideas with

industry professionals who share similar membership classifications. The NPD Group's Warren Solochek's sponsored a fascinating seminar on: Protecting Your Turf: How to Better Compete Against Commercial Restaurants. EYE enjoyed the discussion on how corporate dining competes with restaurants for consumer visits. The focus was on the perceived competitive advantages of Quick Service outlets over the corporate dining op-

(L to R) Peter Alessio of Compass Group, Credit Suisse's Jay Silverstein and Barbara Kane of Ecolab 30 • June 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

erator. The goal of the Solochek's program was to analyze how to compete with "neighbors" who open earlier, tend to offer a more 'grab and go' menu and promote themselves more often using social media. EYE enjoyed visiting with SFM President Mark Freeman of Microsoft, Victoria Vega of Unidine Corp who chaired the conference and Restaurant Associates' Ed Sirhal who hosted the event. SFM's annual event featured an all-star lineup of panel-

ist who focused on: Creating a Social Media Strategy for Your Organization. Kevin Rettle of Sodexo moderated the social media panel and was joined by ARAMARK's Tom Carusona, Lisa Lahiji of Eurest Dining Services, Sodexo's Michael McManus and PepsiCo John Ross. No one denies the impact social media has on our lives and businesses. Yet with all of the channels—LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more— how do we effectively deliver impactful messages? "Our goals for the program were to assist our members in gauging the success of a social media strategy," Vega explained. "Those benchmarks include Identifying your audience, Defining your social media strategy, Defining tips for campaign goal-setting and measuring success and shepherding a community of social followers." Riyaz Habibbhai of Gametation and Sodexo's Bill Mitchell moderated Workplace Solutions for Customer Engagement.

(L to R) Compass Group's Mark Maloney, SD's Sandy Smith and CIC chair Victoria Vega of Unidine

The session looked at a number of examples of customized app developments and how interfacing with a customer base can impact your organization. The session looked at a number of examples of customized app developments and how interfacing with a customer base can impact your organization. EYE was fascinated with the discussion of wellness and technology and how tech savvy firms are beginning to integrate these solutions into their engagement strategies. Gametation's Habibbhai, displayed how to create consumer loyalty rewards on Smartphone, web and social media and showed us how easy it is to create digital sweepstakes and engage your customers everyday while sharing a message for them to act on. The always affable John Lawn of Food Management Magazine moderated a program on Managing Data Streams. With Sodexo School Services Paul Komelasky and Chris Lilly of Compass, the trio outlined how real-time sales, buying trends and the merchandise mix can reduce costs, impact internal operating efficiency and provide clients with customized transparent reporting. The Society for Foodservice Management (SFM) was founded in 1979

via a merger of the National Industrial Cafeteria Managers Association (NICMA) and the Association of Food Service Management (AFSM). SFM is the pre-eminent national association serving the needs and interests of ex ecutives in the onsite foodservice industry. Its principal role is to enhance the ability of its members to achieve career and business objectives in an ethical, responsible and professional climate. With members from coast to coast and overseas, SFM members are the best and brightest in onsite foodservice. The Society represents major corporate liaison personnel and independent operators as well as national and regional foodservice contract management companies. T Richard Ysmael of Motorola, and Phillip Cooke of Foodservice Associates (now FSA Group) were key players in SFM's formation, with Ysmael an influential NICMA member and Cooke the manager of NICMA.

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(L to R) SFM president Mark Freeman of Microsoft and Maarten Dekker of Nespresso

Joe Falcone of Compass (C) and Christian Lecole (R) of Goldman Sachs welcomed guests

(L to R) PBAC's Michael Posternak, Bob Doland of Jacobs/Doland/Beer and Marc Fuchs of M. Tucker

(L to R) SD's Doug Hummel, Joe Ferri of Pecinka Ferri and Day & Nite's Rick Sher

// NEWS

LEGISLATION

Christie Rep Meets Opponents Of Teterboro Liquor Bill After discussing the issue with a counsel to Governor Christie last month, the holders of the only liquor license in Teterboro are hoping area restaurant owners will join them in opposing a plan to issue five more licenses to the developers of a 585,000-square-foot development project.

oe and John Celentano, who own Teterboro-based Rudy's In Flight Catering, said they got no indication from the counsel, Gregory L. Acquaviva, on whether Christie plans to sign legislation that would create three licenses for restaurants or bars and two distribution licenses, for sell-

ing alcohol to be consumed off the premises. The bill, which passed the Assembly last week and the Senate late last year, sits on Christie's desk. He has about eight weeks to sign it, modify it, or reject it. The licenses would benefit Catel-

The bill, which passed the Assembly last month and the Senate late last year, sits on Christie's desk. He has about eight weeks to sign it, modify it, or reject it.

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lus Teterboro Urban Renewal LLC the developer of a mostly retail complex that would include Walmart and Costco as its anchors on the former Honeywell International site, according to plans submitted to the Meadowlands Development Commission. Catellus has said that the licenses are a key component in getting a project completed that will clean up the environmental contamination on the site and house businesses employing more than 1,700 people. The Celentanos, who are brothers and also own a Teterboro restaurant, said the property owners, ProLogis, who are selling the land to Catellus, initially sought to buy their license. But the brothers said they refused, noting their businesses couldn't function without the license. The Celentanos said the governor's office invited them to the State House meeting, which included two other opponents of the legislation: an owner of the Houlihan's Restaurant and Bar in Hasbrouck Heights, and a representative of the New Jersey Restaurant Association. "It was really more about him listening to our concerns," said Joseph Celentano, of Acquaviva.

The Celentanos fear that granting five more licenses would diminish the value of their license, for which they paid several hundred thousand dollars 20 years ago. They also believe the establishments opened with the additional licenses would pull business away from area restaurants, bars and liquor stores. John Celentano said many of the 100 licenses held by establishments within five miles of the Teterboro

It's basically a glorified strip mall . This is not creating business. It will just shift business from one license holder to another. So this is basically cannibalism.

project site, which is on Route 46 near Teterboro Airport, would be hurt by the new licenses. He said he hopes the establishments will start a grass-roots campaign to stop the license bill from becoming law. "It's basically a glorified strip mall," John Celentano said. "This is not creating business. It will just shift business from one license holder to another. So this is basically cannibalism."

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// INSURANCE

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

Understanding Health Care Reform, Must Know Aspects of Staying Compliant Do you know which of your employees will be entitled to coverage under next year’s Health Care Reform (HCR) mandate? How will newly proposed rules assessing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) standards for affordability and minimum value affect your wellness program?

Bob Fiorito, Vice President of Business Development at Hub International Robert.Fiorito@ hubinternational.com

re you optimizing the plan design opportunities allowed under federal law? What are the most common questions that employers have on health care reform? What about coverage for children and spouses? These looming questions about health care reform and many more are a major concern for businesses across the restaurant and food service industry, and the large amount of information being provided seems overwhelming. Below are some of the essential “must know” aspects of PPACA compliance that you, the employer, should be sure to be familiar with: Health Care Reform and “Control Groups”: Individual Restaurants part of a Restaurant Group are still expected to comply, subject to penalization. Starting 2014, a “large employer” (defined as an employer who employed an average of at least 50 full time employees for a calendar year) will be subject to a penalty under the federal HCR law if it fails to provide minimum value health benefits to all full-time workers. Federal law uses long standing control

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// HERMANNS ON LINEN When in New York Do as the Romans Do When you’re a linen guy, there are certain things that are so deeply engrained that you often aren’t even aware of them. For example, when I eat in a restaurant I don’t serve, I always flip up the corners of the table cloth looking for a label, or worse, a big unsightly property mark.

can’t help doing it, and I don’t even apologize for it anymore. Even I admit though, that there was something a little strange about my doing it in Rome – Italy being a bit out of my service area. To be fair, I noticed a lot of things about dining in Italy before I noticed the linens, but notice them I did. And what struck me was that every piece I saw, napkin and tablecloth, was yarndyed cotton in intricately woven patterns and colors, and in two weeks I don’t think I ever saw the same pattern twice. Naturally my thoughts turned to the supply chain. How could Italian linen suppliers stock so many different SKU’s? Demand at restaurants can vary dramatically, and even a decent supplier has to be ready to respond with additional product whenever a customer needs it. But so much variety must be hugely expensive for the linen supplier. I asked my friend Giovanni, who owns the looms that make much of the fabric I saw, how it is possible. He said to me, “I’ll explain in 3 words: coperta e pane.” I didn’t have to look that up. I had a paid a coperta at every meal I had. Generally a euro or two per person. And what Giovanni explained to me is that, yes linen suppliers in Italy stock a daunting number of colors and patterns, and they have to replenish their stock constantly because cotton just doesn’t last, but the restaurants in Italy pay so much more than those in America would ever consider, that it’s worth it. And the restaurants have the coperta

Christopher Hermanns, President of WH Linen chermanns@whlinen.com

Why does white polyester dominate the linen rental market? Because it is inexpensive and because it lasts. to cover that cost. If you consider that 2 euros per person on a party of 4 brings in the equivalent of $10.40 US, you start to understand the math. In New York City, restaurants can dress a table for 4 diners for substantially less than $5.00, and potentially less than $3.00, depending on the linens, and the supplier of course. I think there is a missed opportunity here. Why does white polyester dominate the linen rental market? Because it is inexpensive and because it lasts. Synthetics are necessary if linen suppliers are to keep prices where restaurants need them to be. Restaurateurs often want cotton until they hear the

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rental prices, and when they consider purchasing linens themselves they are frustrated by the prices, and the replenishment frequency. I can solve this dilemma in 3 words: coperta e pane. When New York restaurateurs bemoan the fact that their customers expect nice linens but don’t want to pay for them, I suspect they have the coperta in mind, so why not try it? Crazy right? What diner would accept a surcharge on his check, when prices are already fairly high? Well, San Francisco diners to name a few hundred thousands. When San Francisco started requiring restaurants to provide health care to their employees, many

restaurants responded with a “Healthy San Francisco Surcharge” which essentially made their customers pay for the health care of their employees. Apparently every diner noticed the surcharge, and many balked initially, but by all accounts dining out in San Francisco was not impacted in any way, and remains (pardon me) as healthy as it was before the surcharge. It’s possible that a progressive city like San Francisco might have accepted a surcharge in this instance because it served a worthy purpose, namely providing much needed coverage to a hard-working group of people. But I think it’s also possible that eating out is a lifestyle choice that Americans cling to, even when the check is a little hard to swallow. I can say from my own experience that we rented as many napkins in New York during the worst days of the recession as we had prior, and I have to assume that there were diners at the far end of that transaction. The coperta has a number of things in its favor. Let’s face it: it sounds molto continentale for starters. And many European tourists will already be used to paying it, by one name or another. And most important, at a time when restaurants are being squeezed from so many different directions, it provides a little relief. I offer this: any restaurant that wants to include a coperta on my check won’t hear a peep out of me, as long as the food is good, the service is professional and the linens are nice. (Note: recently many restaurants in San Francisco have come under scrutiny for apparently collecting the Healthy San Francisco surcharge but not using it for the health care of their employees. If true, these restaurants are at the very least misrepresenting themselves to their customers. The surcharge didn’t sink them, but their lying about it might.)

// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

First Annual NFL Hospitality & Culinary Management Workshop EYE enjoyed a fascinating afternoon last month at the Institute of Culinary Education, New York City’s leading authority in culinary hospitality education.

CE and the National Football League (NFL) joined forces to host a seminar - the first annual NFL Hospitality & Culinary Management Workshop. EYE notes that with 21 current and former players on hand, good behavior was in the best interest of all. It’s one thing to see players on TV in uniform but the size of today's professional football player in civilian clothes is a sight to behold. Twenty-

(L to R) ICE' s Alan Someck and Colin Cole of the Carolina Panthers

one NFL players – 12 former players and nine active players including five Pro Bowlers Jahri Evans (New Orleans), Chris Gardocki (retired), Terrence Mc Gee (free agent), Brandon Moore (free agent) and Adalius Thomas (retired) took part in the event. Kudos to ICE's Steve Zagor who guided the group through an extensive agenda. The workshop introduces participants and their spouses to the fundamental skills required for success in the hos-

pitality and culinary industries covering topics ranging from getting started in the industry, developing a winning business concept, trends in the food industry, the economics of hospitality and culinary management, managing product and staff, and maximizing return on investment. Participants engaged in interactive workshops and lectures before concluding the class with a hands-on cooking demonstration. Without question, EYE's favorite

Kate Edwards (C) of Kate Edwards Consulting and retired NFL'er Babatunde Oshinow with Samantha Kleinman of NFL

(L to R) Houston restaurateur and former NFLer Herb Taylor with Anthony Caporale and Steve Zagor of ICE and ex NFLer Adalius Thomas 36 • June 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

was Mixologist's Anthony Caporale's seminar on Easy Theft. The energetic instructor taught the players how to steal in a bar scenario and then had them run many of the typical scams that they may encounter in operating a bar and presented methods of prevention. Keynote speaker Howard Greenstone, CEO of national chain Rosa Mexicano, offered an insider’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities related to working in the hospitality or culinary industry. EYE loved talking to former player Herb Taylor about his expanding BBQ restaurant business in Texas. The TCU grad noted that keeping his people on target was the biggest challenge. With the longer offseason, NFL Player Engagement offers current and former players 10 training programs for postNFL careers. Player enrollment criteria include a demonstrated interest and aptitude for business, essays, and NFL playing experience. EYE visited with a number of the players including, Eric Alexander (Patriots) the Eagles' Jason Avant David Caldwell of the Giants and the Panther’s Colin Cole as well as Larry Tripplet, Babatunde Oshinowo and Tony Moll. Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is New York City’s award-winning center for culinary ed-

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Former pigskin star Christopher White came to ICE to prepare for a new career

(L to R) Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Avant, Samantha Kleinman and Justin DeFreece of the NFL and New Orleans Saints' William Smith

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// FOOD SAFETY

WITH WYMAN PHILBROOK

Establishing Proactive RiskBased Management Systems The key steps that your program must address.

n last month’s column I discussed risk assessment in a food service operation by both regulatory and on-site management personnel. In this column we will outline systems that can be used to identify and establish a method of control regarding these risks. In the coming months we will delve deeper into

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Wyman Philbrook

Owner of Philbrook Food & Beverage Consulting And Training philbrook_fandb@comcast.net

these systems and the foundational programs that they are built on. The first system is active managerial control which translates into an ongoing proactive method of addressing the major root causes of food-borne illness. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) amasses data and research on the number and causes of reported food-borne illness in the USA and around the world. Reviewing this information gives solid scientific proof of the main contributors to outbreaks. The CDC has determined that there are 5 main contributing factors to the majority of reported food-borne illnesses. I use the term reported because an individual may have an ill-

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// CHEFCETERA

UP CLOSE WITH METRO NEW YORK'S CHEFS

Chef Vikas Khanna & Guy Goldstein Junoon, New York City Derived from the Hindi word meaning passion, Michelin Star rated Junoon Restaurant delivers on the promise of its moniker with an authentic, yet elegantly modern take on Indian cuisine. With a

When we can source local organic ingredients that suit our cuisine and current menu we absolutely do so. You will find seasonality represented mostly in our vegetarian dishes and garnishing. It is always our goal to support the local farming community of New York and the surrounding states.

talented team, including Executive Chef and cookbook author Vikas Khanna to Junoon’s Wine Director and General Manager, Guy Goldstein, both have helped create a dining experience to satisfy all aspects of fine cuisine: wine selection, service, ambience and atmosphere.

rom a menu which reflects the diversity of India, steeped in the classics while offering deft touches of modernity to a wine program constructed of over 750 bottles spanning both the “old world” and “new world.” Total Food Service sat down with Chef Vikas and Guy Goldstein to discuss their roles on menu and wine strategies at Junoon.

Chef Vikas Khanna Chef Vikas, to those who may not know you, give us a little background about yourself and how did you land at Junoon. At a very young age I got interested in cooking learning from my grandmother and mother. After I finished my culinary training in India I came to the US where I got my first job at an Indian restaurant. A year later I met Restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj who shared his vision of Junnon with me and immediately I knew this is something for me and since then I started working with him.

Junoon’s menu seasonally focuses on the five elements of Indian cooking. Explain the menu change process and how the five elements on Indian cooking play a crucial role in your offerings. We wanted to do something different and introduce the ancient art of sigri (open spit fire) Tawa (griddle cooking) and Patthar (stone cooking) which no other restaurant did. So we had the menu around these cooking techniques besides having regional dishes. We change our menu seasonally to use the freshest ingredients available to us.

tional as possible for flavor and taste to create authentic dishes. But we do apply nontraditional techniques to our cooking process to get the best out of it. Also a lot of effort goes in the plating and presentation of the dishes where there is a nontraditional spin. Utilize any organically farmed seasonal produce from local farms?

Junoon offers dishes rarely seen in the U.S such as Anari Chooza (FreeRange Cornish game hen, pomegranate seeds, roasted cumin seeds and mace.) What’s the thinking behind this and why don’t we see these types of dishes at other Indian restaurants? This was our version of the famous Tandoori Chicken. Almost every Indian restaurant does a Tandoori chicken (marinated and cooked in the clay oven) we wanted to create something new and different hence this dish was born. Most of the chefs do stay focused on age old tradition-

Does the menu reflect cuisine where you grew up in India or do you craft dishes from the many renowned culinary regions in India? It does have some dished from the region where I grew up but we have dishes from different regions of the country. You’re known for compelling creativity, do you try to stay as authentic as possible or do you put a non-traditional spin on your dishes? Our motto here is to stay as tradi-

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Junoon consistently tests new food and wine pairings since the menu encourages “family-style” dining,Junoon must consider the variety of dishes on the table in addition to the individual plates

al dishes but we want to constantly challenge ourselves and see if we can deconstruct a traditional dish and then reconstruct it differently for an enhanced experience. On the equipment side, what’s one piece of equipment that makes your job easier preparing dishes at Junoon? There is not one particular equipment which I like to use. I always like to experiment with new ingredients and techniques so to me all the five elements are equally important. The restaurant industry has a very broad range of foods…what’s your buying approach? Do you go out to bid on a regular basis or do you look for loyalty from vendors? We do work with many that we have long-term relationships with, especially for some hard to find ingredients. We buy our spices in bulk to get them as fresh as possible. This is so we can grind and blend them ourselves. Good business is all about good relationships and we rely on our vendors just as they rely on us. We are always interested in finding a superior product, especially if we can get it at a value that we can pass along to our guests.

Guy Goldstein Guy, give us a little background about yourself. What role do you play at Junoon? I joined the Junoon team as the General Manager after 18 years of New York City restaurant experience in a variety of cuisines and styles. As both an educator for the American Sommelier Association and an avid oenophile, I was eager to oversee the

There is not one particular equipment which I like to use. I always like to experiment with new ingredients and techniques so to me all the five elements are equally important. development of Junoon’s award winning wine program in the capacity of Operating Beverage Director. Some Indian restaurants choose not to offer alcoholic beverages and if they do, it’s very limited. Junoon on the other hand has a wine list consisting over 750 bottles and not to mention a handcrafted cocktail program. How important is the wine and cocktail program to Junoon’s bottom line? It is true that our cuisine is not commonly thought to be wine friendly and, as with any restaurant, some of our guests may not consume alcohol. Despite this misconception that Indian cuisine cannot be paired with great wine and cocktails just as artfully as with any other cuisine, at Junoon we have found that many of our patrons are eager to take full advantage of our 750 wine selections and food and wine pairings. We have meticulously composed programs to both compliment and elevate our cuisine and overall dining experience. We wanted to offer a wine program that is among the best in the city and a cocktail program that is innovative and fine-tuned to enhance and brighten our menu. As a pillar of Junoon’s vision, the wine and cocktail program certainly plays an important role in our bottom line.

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How do you choose wines designed to harmonize with the spices and complexities to match Junoon’s cuisine? And what regions are you sourcing your wines from? We consistently test new food and wine pairings. Since our menu encourages “family-style” dining, we must consider the variety of dishes on the table in addition to the individual plates. Many spice blends, peppers and marinades offer a depth of complexities to play with, allows us to use bigger bolder wines that are often thought to be too powerful to pair with fine food. The wines that we have identified that best suit our cui-

sine typically come from the Rhone Valley, Burgundy, the Right Bank of Bordeaux, and California for both red and white varietals. Of course the standards of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sparkling wine represent a strong content of the program as well. At the same time, we prominently feature Southern Hemisphere reds and whites. We have so far discovered two successful approaches to pairing our cuisine. The first is to heighten and accentuate the spice and heat with aromatic, fruitdriven, medium to full-bodied whites and reds. The second is to balance the heat and spice with semi-sweet to sweet whites and full-bodied rich reds. My favorite is pairing with older Rhone reds where we compliment the spices with deep complex earth tones and primary and secondary fruits; the tannin has integrated into the wine, making a perfect marriage of complex food and wine. Abrupt, or even subtle, changes in storage temperatures can dramatically affect the quality of wine. What

continued on page 101

Junoon's motto is to stay as traditional as possible for flavor and taste to create authentic dishes and apply nontraditional techniques to the cooking process to get the best out of it

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// NEWS

HOTELS

New York Hilton Midtown Celebrates 50 Years of Legendary Service and Extraordinary Achievement New York Hilton Midtown recently announced the upcoming commemoration of 50 years of hospitality and personalized attention to New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.

n June 26, 1963, legendary hotelier, Conrad Hilton officiated over the ribbon-cutting event when the hotel opened its doors for the first time, immediately generating awe and gathering accolades that continue to this day. The hotel was originally called “New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center” since the

original boundaries of this iconic Art Deco building complex extended northward to West 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue. “Conrad N. Hilton was a philanthropist whose vision was to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality,” said Mark Lauer, general manager, New York Hilton Midtown. “During the coming months, the ho-

New York Hilton Midtown recently announced the upcoming commemoration of 50 years of hospitality and personalized attention to New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.

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tel will commemorate the company’s dedication to world hospitality with special events and activities that showcase our legendary service and genuine hospitality.” To help mark this significant milestone in the hotel’s history, New York Hilton Midtown is planning a series of promotional activities designed around the celebration: 50 Random Acts of Hospitality: Throughout 2013, New York Hilton Midtown employees will engage in random acts of hospitality, where they will offer unexpected generosity to a random guest. Random Acts can include complimentary room upgrades, umbrellas on rainy days, and tickets to local attractions or events. The gift will come with a card that encourages the recipient to “pay it forward”— to perform a random act of kindness or generosity, as well. Insider’s Guide 50 to New York City Landmarks: New York Hilton Midtown staff will develop a list of their favorite, iconic destinations in Manhattan with “insider’s tips,” such as days when entrance is free or at a reduced rate; special features, and other little-known facts. newyorkhiltonmidtown50.com:

New York Hilton Midtown is launching a dedicated site for the anniversary – newyorkhiltonmidtown50. com – where visitors can learn more about the hotel’s fascinating history and the special events that accompany the celebration.

The Hotel That Never Rests If New York is the “City that Never Sleeps,” New York Hilton Midtown could appropriately be named the “Hotel that Never Rests.” Not only has the hotel undergone numerous

Conrad N. Hilton was a philanthropist whose vision was to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.

renovations in its 50-year history, but it has also inspired and engaged guests and visitors with its classic New York experience. At its opening, New York Hilton Midtown was one of the first hotels in the world to feature original art in its guest rooms. Sculptures by famous artists graced the lobby and many of the public areas. In 1989, New York Hilton Midtown expanded its special-events space to nearly 150,000 feet with the addition of the Americas Hall. Connected to the hotel by a floating,

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// SCOOP New York Welcomes Hebrew 50-Barrel Brewery Facility SCOOP notes that American Craft Beer Week kicked off with a celebration in New York as Shmaltz Brewing Company cut the ribbon at its brand new

INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE brewing facility in Clifton Park, NY last month. Schmaltz president Jeremy Cowan proudly showed off the firm's new 20,000 square feet home which features a custom-made brew house and custom manufacturing tanks,

(L to R) Dennis Brobston, SEDC President; Adam Kramer, Assemblyman; James Tedisco’s Chief of Staff; James Whalen, Town of Clifton Park, Town Councilman; Tim Collins, Ballston Spa National Bank; Congressman Paul Tonko; Phil Barrett, Town of Clifton Park Supervisor; Jeremy Cowan, Proprietor of Shmaltz Brewing Company; Jim Conroy, New York Business Development Corporation; Pat Hooker, Empire State Development; Todd Shimkus, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

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and a bottling line from well respected Italian experts. For 16 years, Schmaltz championed contract brewing and developed a dedicated cult following around the award-winning HE'BREW - The Chosen Beer® and Coney Island Craft Lagers®. In breaking with tradition, Shmaltz opened its own New York State production brewery just 10 minutes north of Albany's capital district. Shmaltz's new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. With a $3.25 million dollar budget and countless hours of planning and preparation, what began as an improbable fantasy only one year ago, has blossomed into a nearly 20,000 square foot brewing reality. The new Shmaltz brewery will package 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites. Several new releases and collaborations are on tap for 2013, and Shmaltz will continue their acclaimed exploration of barrel-aging with a current inventory of more than 300 bourbon, rye whiskey, and tequila barrels. The brewery projects hiring upwards of 10 full time staff for the new operation in addition to the doz-

The new Shmaltz brewery will package 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites.

en staffers currently handling sales, marketing and contract brewing operations. What began in 1996 as a sincere experiment of 100 cases of beer delivered out of the back of founder Cowan's grandmother's Volvo, has grown into a 200,000 case per year operation (over 12,000 barrels), grossing $3.9 million in sales in 2012, a 42% increase over 2011.

To Join This Club, Be A Star Scoop hears that Chefs Club, a showcase for culinary stars, is having its initial run in Aspen, Colo. But like many a big production, it’s headed for a New York opening. It started last summer at the St. Regis Aspen Resort with a

rotating roster of guest chefs; the current lineup of four includes Matthew Lightner of Atera in New York and Jonathon Sawyer of the Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, restaurants in Cleveland. They visit to cook dinners, teach classes and lead tastings. A New York version is planned for next year, and a San Francisco location is expected to open by the end of the year. The project started after Stephane De Baets a money manager in Bangkok, bought the Aspen hotel two years ago for an Asian investor who is also passionate about food. Their idea was to go beyond the common practice in hotels, where famous chefs are enlisted to devise menus and lend their names, whether Guy Savoy of Daniel Boulud, to the in-house restaurants, even though their presence on more than the awning can be minimal. At Chefs Club, each visiting chef signs on for a number of months, cook special dinners for at least two long weekends and has dishes on the regular a la carte menu. “We wanted to have the chefs actually cooking the food and interacting with the customers,” De Baets said. De Baets and his partner have just hired Didier Elena as resident chef, to run the 78-seat Aspen restaurant and eventually oversee other Chefs Club locations. Mr. Elena, who worked for Anlai Ducasse for more than 20 years, will adapt the visiting chefs recipes, order ingredients for

At Chefs Club, each visiting chef signs on for a number of months, cook special dinners for at least two long weekends and has dishes on the regular a la carte menu.

hotel, to his quiver. Burke, who has competed on “Iron Chef American” and “Top Chef Master,” is launching a 1,500 square-foot restaurant in the 21-story, 180-room hotel planned for 45 W. 38th St. The hotel plans to open next spring. The restaurant’s style may be similar to that of David Burke Kitchen at the James Hotel. A deal has been reached between David and The Archer Hotel. The hotel is designed by Peter Poon Architects and Glen Coben of Glen & Co. Architecture.

Lucky Starr them and supervise the kitchen. All the guest chefs need to bring are their knives. “I design the menus for the restaurant,” he said.

Burke’s Boutique Bull’s Eye Scoop sees that celebrity chef David Burke is adding the Archer New York, Midtown South’s first boutique luxury

David Burke is adding the Archer New York, Midtown South’s first boutique luxury hotel, to is quiver.

CONNECTICUT NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

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181 Marsh Hill Road 91 Brainard Road 566 Hamilton Avenue 15-06 132nd Street 1966 Broadhollow Road 720 Stewart Avenue 43-40 57th Avenue 1335 Lakeland Avenue 650 S. Columbus Avenue 305 S. Regent St. 777 Secaucus Road 45 East Wesley Street 140 South Avenue 1135 Springfield Road

Scoop says it was Buddakan and Morimoto that put Mr. Starr on the culinary map in New York in 2006, when he spent $28 million to open the mega-restaurants – 500 seats in total – in the meatpacking district, which at the time was still only emerging as a destination neighborhood. “The more I think about it, I can’t believe I did that,” said Mr. Starr. “It was a staggering, insane amount to spend, but we’ve made our money back.” Mr. Starr signed the leases before the area became hot, and they have another 15 years left. He opened Caffé Storico at the New York Historical Society in 2011 and Serai at the Rubin Museum in 2012. Both deals also include exclusive catering contracts. This year, he signed a contract to take over the food service at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, elbowing out

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Orange, CT 06477 Hartford, CT 06114 Brooklyn, NY 11232 College Point, NY 11356 Farmingdale, NY 11735 Garden City, NY 11530 Maspeth, NY 11378 Bohemia, NY 11716 Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 Port Chester, NY 10573 Secaucus, NJ 07094 S. Hackensack, NJ 07606 S. Plainfield, NJ 07080 Union, NJ 07083

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some big local competitors such as Danny Meyer. He is also opening El Vez, a 200-seat Mexican eatery, in Battery Park City, and there are two more deals he is on the verge of clinching, he said another restaurant in Chelsea Market, and a contract with another major cultural institution here.

Foodies Take Tasty Visit To Greenwich Scoop hears that they came, they ate, and they took pictures of food. Lots of pictures. A mob of self-professed foodies descended on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT last month as they enjoyed a string of restaurant tours organized by Dishcrawl, a California-based start-up founded in 2010 that’s expanded to more than 30 cities and towns. The inaugural Greenwich event took place on two nights and the tours sold out quickly. Stamford also got in on the action, with the first Dishcrawl late last month. The $45 tickets cover food and gratuity at four restaurants. Participants have to bring cash for drinks. Three of the locations are kept a secret, but participants were emailed the first meeting point a couple of days before. Jesse Leeds-Grant, hired as the one-man operation for Greenwich, picks the restaurants, they generally have private rooms – checks people in and then follows up

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203-795-9900 860-549-4000 718-768-0555 718-762-1000 631-752-3900 516-794-9200 718-707-9330 631-218-1818 914-665-6868 914-935-0220 201-601-4755 201-996-1991 908-791-2740 908-964-5544 continued on next page

// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

James Beard 2013 Awards EYE notes that it was truly an award winning night as many of Metro New York City's top chefs took top honors and center stage at last month's James Beard Awards.

he annual event in Brooklyn gave Partridge members the opportunity to enjoy the schools refurbished dining room and to hear the truly inspirational stories of a program that continues to deliver some of the very best and brightest to the Metro New York food service and hospitality industry. "The Oscars of Foodservice," enjoyed a breath taking beautiful day and evening at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Top honors for the nation's most outstanding chef were a tie for only the third time in the history of the prestigious awards. New York's David

Missions’ Danny Bowen grabbed rising star honors

Chang and Paul Kahan of Chicago shared the top honor. Chang's edgy, in-your-face style not to mention a deft hand with steamed pork buns has spawned a global empire of media and restaurants, including New York's Momofuku Ko and Ma Peche some of the hottest, hard-to-get tables in the city. Chang owes his second career largely to an obsession with ramen noodles, which led him to Tokyo and eventually back to school for a culinary degree (his first had been in religion). By 2004, he opened his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar, and accolades piled up. New York Times critic Frank Bruni even called Chang "the New

It was great to see the legendary Le Cirque impresario Sirio Macccioni and his bride Egi

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York restaurant world's equivalent of Tiger Woods or Roger Federer." "I grew up dreaming what it might be like to do this and how impossible it might be," said Chang, who said he has idolized Kahan for years. "I'm really, truly honored. A tie could not have been better because I'm glad I'm not up here by myself." Kahan is at the forefront of Chicago's increasingly robust restaurant scene. After leaving computer science, he spent years apprenticing to some of the city's top talent, including Rick Bayless. He spun that experience into an award-winning restaurant group that includes Blackbird, Avec and The Pub-

lican, all of which reflect his own culinary obsession sustainably sourced ingredients and close relationships with producers.” You can't beat Chang, but a tie is OK," Kahan said. Chang has won three previous Beard awards, including for best new restaurant for Momofuku Ko in 2009 and rising star chef in 2007. Kahan was named a regional best chef in 2004. Both men lost out for the same honor last year to Daniel Humm, the chef behind New York's Eleven Madison Park. The James Beard awards honor those who follow in the footsteps of Beard, considered the dean of American cooking when he died in 1985. The ceremony honored chefs and restaurants; a similar event later in the week was held for book and other media awards. Previous ties for the outstanding chef award went to Larry Forgione and Jean-Louis Palladin in 1993, and Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten in 1998. The foundation's top restaurant

(L) The Four Seasons’ Julian Niccolini (L) and Cesar Casella (R) welcomed many out of towners

award this year went to Dan Barber's Blue Hill in New York City. Barber who was the foundation's top chef in 2009 follows a minimalist culinary philosophy that he calls "American seasonal." He believes exceptional ingredients should be allowed to stand on their

ICE president Rick Smilow welcomed Beard Award guests

own. A signature dish is "vegetables on a fence," baby vegetables simply prepared and presented speared on a row of upright prongs. "I feel like the luckiest chef in America today," Barber said. He jokingly credited his restaurant's success in part to the difficulty of finding it on New

Legendary Connecticut toque Jacques Pepin took his turn on the red carpet

York's back streets. "They are so much hungrier than they would have been," he said. "I have this feeling, this conviction that the food tastes better than it otherwise would." The Humanitarian of the Year honor went to Emeril Lagasse, whose Emeril Lagasse Foundation in New Orleans supports nonprofit and educational programs aimed at disadvantaged children. The group's efforts, which are focused in communities where Lagasse has restaurants, have included creating an outdoor classroom, school gardens, a fresh foods cafeteria and a culinary learning center. EYE kudos to Wylie Dufresne of Manhattan's wd-50 who was among the top regional chef award winners. Meanwhile, New York City's Del Posto - Mario Batali's ode to fine dining in New York took home two awards, outstanding service and outstanding pastry chef (Brooks Headley). EYE congrats to New Jersey restaurateur Maricel E. Presilla who won top Cookbook of the Year honors for her Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America. The Gala Reception Menu was a big hit with its movie theme. The featured chefs were asked to create

(L to R) Old friends Daniel Boulud and Emeril Lagasse

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Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Portale of Gotham Grill

a sweet or savory food or beverage depending on their star powers that was to be inspired by a beloved movie or favorite film. Among the many standouts were, James Beard Award winning pastry chef, Milk, Momofuku Milk Bar, Christina Tosi’s “balled” desserts. Inspired by movie theater treats such as malted milk balls and popcorn, she and her team created the impossibly, decadently delicious popcorn and malted milk bars. EYE visited with Drew Nierporent who was the first food celebrity up the red carpet. Chef

Chef Todd English (L) and his son Oliver

Claudia Fleming, The North Fork Table & Inn was gorgeous in a lilac, one-shouldered chiffon dress. She was accompanied by her handsome and smiling husband, James Beard nominee, Chef Gerry Hayden. This year’s James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Personality/Host, Bizarre Foods America, Andrew Zimmern, and presenter for an American Classic Award, looked fabulous in his tailored suit. He proudly showed off his black evening slippers and cuff links, emblazoned with skull and crossbones. Maguy Le Coze, who later won for Outstanding Restaurateur, Le Bernadin, NYC, was au courant and so fashionable in her full-length gown and fur caplet. So it was for André Soltner, French chef and cookbook author, who was elegant in his tuxedo. At the top of the evening scoops was the news from James Beard award winning French Chef and cookbook author Michel Richard who revealed his New York restaurant is scheduled to open later this month.

Mr. and Mrs. Wylie Dufrense of WD-40

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// SPOTLIGHT

CASA DI LISIO

Legendary Westchester Sauce Maker Creates Menu Magic For many who have been blessed to live into their 80's, enjoy or yearn for retirement, Lou "Mr. Sauce" DiLisio missed the memo. This year DiLisio is celebrating 40 years of his life's passion, creating the nation's highest quality sauces.

ou and Lucy DiLisio started Casa DiLisio Products in their home in Connecticut in 1973. The Westchester company’s first sauce was a French style scampi sauce later called Sauce Provencal. Casa DiLisio was the first company to put frozen Pesto Sauce on the market for foodservice. They

were the first people to put Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts in the market in a frozen state. In 2013 they will celebrate with another record year in which the firm will hand make and sell over 350 tons of Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts. They are the only manufacturer who uses only fresh Basil and Pine Nuts in

In 2013 they will celebrate with another record year in which the firm will hand make and sell over 350 tons of Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts. They are the only manufacturer who uses only fresh Basil and Pine Nuts in their Pesto Sauce.

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Casa DiLisio's quality has made it a nationwide leader. their Pesto Sauce. All of their sauces are made with only the finest ingredients and freshest herbs. The fresh smell of basil has become the hallmark of a visit to the Casa DiLisio's home in Mt. Kisco, NY. “There's simply only one way to make pesto,” Lou DiLisio explained. "You need to buy the highest quality fresh basil, pine nuts and cheese. Regardless of the price in the marketplace, we simply will not compromise. We then prepare the sauces by hand. According to Lou DiLisio, 40 years ago you couldn't sell pesto sauce, no one knew what it was. Last year Casa DiLisio produced and sold over 600 tons of Pesto Sauce. Casa DiLisio is also one of the very few companies using only FRESH BASIL

in their Pesto Sauce. The commitment to quality led to the American Culinary Federation awarding the nation's only Gold Certification to their Pesto Sauces. Many competitors through the years have brought entries to the marketplace that have featured cheaper ingredients that were machine processed. “We recently did a tour of several major distributors throughout the country,” noted the firm’s sales and marketing chief Linda DiLisio. Our approach was very simple we did tastings for sales’ teams with our product and the cheaper competition. In each case the room went quickly silent because the salesperson who is in front of the chef everyday knew that their customer simply would accept nothing less than Casa DiLisio quality. In addition to their Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts they have the following Gold Medal winning sauces: Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (VEGAN), Fire Roasted Red Pepper Pesto (VEGAN), Puttanesca Sauce, Cilantro Pesto, Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Clam Sauce, Walnut Pesto, Sauce Provencal and Napolitano Tomato Sauce and Basil Pesto without Nuts. Casa DiLisio also just introduced a VEGAN Basil Pesto Sauce, which brings the number of outstanding Vegan Sauces they have to offer to three. Casa DiLisio has learned that when you do things correctly, great things happen. “For years we would post a Gluten-Free sign in our show booths, nobody said anything,” DiLisio noted. “Last year we posted the same sign and there were TV Camer-

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QA, from page 27 of cherry picking vendors every day is just not right. I think that hurts you in the long run. In this world of a super star chef can you live without a super star, do you need a super star chef? How does all that work? You know, especially in our hotel sector, we look at the operation as a movie. If the chef is the star of the movie, I think it works best when there's a script, and there's a producer and a director. So I'm not afraid of a superstar chef. If it's a strong story line, and we've got good production and good direction, yes. Then we can do it. The notion of just tossing the keys to the chef because of reputation or pedigree doesn't fit our model. He or she needs to be part of a team effort. The licensing and

branding of celebrity chefs means that in many cases, chefs are no longer getting sauce on their aprons anymore. I like the idea that there’s a connection that is real between what we are serving and the customer. Brand identity through a recipe and training just doesn't get the job done for us. I think some chefs do this very well while others are expanding beyond their depth. What’s your approach to equity and compensation? The question becomes does a guy like that end up with equity in a place? Not end up with equity in a place? How do you dance around that? Or how do you motivate with that? I don't know if people truly understand it that just being a partner in a restaurant might mean you're

taking on liability as opposed to the upside. It's incumbent on owners to recognize the continuation the passion and the drive to keep evolving your restaurant. You need, people to care. And, sometimes that can happen through the relationship. Other times it comes through sharing in the wealth. I believe bonuses are a good way for ownership to demonstrate keeping people happy without giving up equity. Bonuses feel more like a reward for a job well done. They tend to do a better job of reflecting the restaurant's economic posture at the time. Equity is nebulous and doesn't get the same direct connection. But I think for security, that's one of the reasons. Certainly the owner should do something to share in the success with the team that helps build it. That’s absolute, because they are the backbone of the success. There's no question that their daily contribution is where the bullets get real and that needs to be steeped in motivation. How did your business evolve? We've become developers with a passion for the production of restaurants. We found the hotel sector in particular to be a perfect fit. Those projects needed a way to balance the aesthetic, the business, the performance and execution. We would get a reasonable budget, an opportunity to craft from scratch our ideas. That's where we started actually with Barry Sternlicht and Starwood Hotels. They gave us our entree. And we did a considerable amount of work for them. Actually, we were the first company to get folded in as kind of in-house and when they were just emerging, so we did a lot of the W hotels and then we got spread out to other areas. Like producing a movie or a song, we know how to make it

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and how to make it and create a hit. Someone else can take a bow, with behind the scenes but we provide I think significant horsepower to the complete final product. What’s your approach to a new project? The process begins when someone decides that a restaurant is required. Whether it be from the ground up, a hotel that's three years out or repositioning an existing one. We come in ice cold and size it up. We do that by learning the market, understanding the aspirations, analyzing the budget and the strengths of the team. Then we come back with a one of a kind story for that restaurant and build on that core. You’ve recently expanded with a new office in Manhattan. What is your read on the New York City marketplace? New York is Big Daddy and it is unforgiving in a good sense in that you don't get a pass because they loved you yesterday. You have to earn it everyday. It keeps the restaurant pure. It keeps the energy vital. It keeps the ideas fresh and I think that’s the best proving ground for restaurants. I think the migration of Brooklyn is one of the natural evolutions when you saw the neighborhood in New York between Soho, Chelsea and Tribeca. Brooklyn has become a next evolution of the frontier where maybe you don't have a big budget and, it's a little more hands on organic. And the sensibility of the lifestyle of Brooklyn is very much akin to today's living. It likes to be hands on and soulful. So I think Brooklyn represents a little more of what these emerging neighborhoods did in the natural evolution.

Spotlight, from page 51 as.” They strive for the best product and only the best. “Anything that you use that's cheaper tends to be gluten-based and all of a sudden, takes you out of the gluten-free category,” Lou tells us. Their sauces are freshly made 52 weeks a year, using only the finest ingredients and the secret touch of tender loving care. They make all of their sauces in small quantities and freeze them immediately to preserve the delicate, unique flavor and consistency. Lou DiLisio has always been one of the industry's trust visionaries in his ability to direct the firm's ability to read the ever-changing needs of the food service marketplace. “The dining public has intensified the demands of the chain operator. They typically have an executive chef that works in a corporate environment to build the menu. The actual kitchen restaurant is then operated by a culinary team in which the goal is to execute consistency. Our pesto and full line of sauces enables the chain operator to manage consistency.” “I graduated from secretarial school and agreed to help my folks out for a couple of weeks until I found a job,” noted daughter Linda. “Well here I am 30 plus years later and I never left. I can't tell you how much I have learned from this man working by his side. His commitment to the quality of our products and the needs of our customers simply never ceases to amaze me.” I simply never could have accomplished what we’ve done without the dedication of the incredible team led by Lucy and Linda,” Lou DiLisio explained. Casa DiLisio's quality has made it a nationwide leader. Because as Lou told Total Food Service, “We don't cut any corners.” The firm has a client base that reaches throughout the Caribbean, Hawaii and several countries around the world. The food

service industry such as white tablecloth restaurants, hotels, resorts, pizza restaurants, contract feeders, airlines, cruise lines, universities, hospitals, multi-unit restaurants, and home replacement markets are currently using Casa DiLisio’s frozen sauces. The expansion of the line has been driven by Lou DiLisio's vision for

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continually creating new menu solutions for the firm's customer base. This has included a new breed of pizza chains which are utilizing Casa DiLisio sauces to create signature pies and a major national c-store chain utilizing the sauces to launch a line of gourmet sandwiches. Casa DiLisio's goal to create the ultimate in Italian Frozen Sauces

has implied never wavered. With a family member present to oversee the quality and consistency of their freshly made products, the DiLisio family signature is on every serving to ensure their delicate, unique flavor and consistency. That commitment will surely lead to another four decades plus of undefeated quality.

Scoop, from page 47 with heavy social media promotion. He even retweeted participants’ contributions throughout the evening. Leeds-Grant, of Stamford, said the idea is to “bring community together over food.”

DiSpirito Set To Enter Cottage Cheese Fray Scoop hears that celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito has been hired by Friendship Cottage Cheese to rehabilitate its image. The humble cottage cheese

brand, based in Friendship, NY, is getting badly beaten in the marketplace by the Greek yogurt phenomenon, spearheaded by upstate New York neighbors Chobani and Fage. As of last month, Friendship launched a food truck in Manhattan, giving out DiSpiriito’s cottage cheese creations.

Cake Boss Boards Norwegian Cruise Line Scoop sees that a cruise ship is the newest retail location for the Cake

boss. Buddy Valastro, star of the popular TLC television series “Cake Boss” and “Next Great Baker,” has opened a shop on the new Norwegian Breakaway of the Norwegian Cruise Line, featuring the treats and confections sold in the original Hoboken, NJ, bakery. Dubbed Carlo’s Bake Shop after Valastro’s family business, the ship will also give guests the opportunity to preorder custom specialty cakes for celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries, and offer cupcake-dec-

Buddy Valastro, star of the popular TLC television series “Cake Boss” and “Next Great Baker,” has opened a shop on the new Norwegian Breakaway of the Norwegian Cruise Line.

orating classes.

Juicing Company Spouts Growth Gushere Throughout City Scoop says the three-year-old juicing company Juice Press is squeezing out more retail locations. The rapidly growing chain, which sells coldpressed juices, smoothies and dehydrated snacks, opened its seventh location last month on Prince Street in SoHo. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Marcus Antebi said he has three more outposts under construction and is negotiating for sites for three more. By the end of the year, the company, which boasts fashion designer Cynthia Rowley as a fan, should have at least 13 locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. “People feel that juice, smoothies and raw food are really the fountain of youth,” said Antebi. “They get the fact that this is the way they ought to be eating, and now the product is more readily available.” That burst of growth follows the company’s taking a major swig of fresh funding. Mr. Antebi recently sold stakes in Juice Press to Kenny Dichter, founder of aviation company Marquis Jet, and Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira. He has also raised $7 million in venture capital from investors including Ken Langone of Home Depot and hedge-fund manager Stan Druckenmiller.

Celebrity Chef Michael Psilakis Opens MP Taverna 56 • June 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

In Astoria Scoop notes that Psilakis’ new Greek restaurant will have to impress Astoria’s many Greek residents; Psilakis starred on ‘No Kitchen Required’ and was on ‘Iron Chef’ and received James Beard award nomination. A celebrity chef who has traveled the far

fifth restaurant. “I’m serving the stuff my mother cooked in a refined way through a chef’s hand.” But his toughest critics may be his own people. “If you’re going to open a Greek restaurant in Astoria, you’d better be good,” said City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), who honored Psilakis a few years ago for the cook’s contributions to Greek cuisine. “And chef Psilakis is good.” “It’s going to give Astoria even more caché,” Vallone said of a celebrity chef opening a restaurant in the neighbor-

Chef Michael Psilakis could be facing some of his toughest critics yet with the opening of a new branch of his rustic Greek restaurant MP Taverna in the Greek enclave of Astoria, Queens.

reaches of the globe cooking in front of television cameras is now facing his toughest challenge yet - opening a Greek restaurant in Astoria. Chef Michael Psilakis, whose critically acclaimed restaurants in Manhattan and Long Island have helped to popularize Greek cuisine, opened MP Taverna last

Psilakis was one of the stars of last year’s cooking show “No Kitchen Required” where chefs create meals from local ingredients in some of the most far-flung corners of the world.

month in the heart of the city’s largest Greek community. “It’s being able to cook for the people who really know the food,” Psilakis, the son of immigrants, said of his 57 • June 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

hood. “This is going to make us cooler still.” Psilakis was one of the stars of last year’s cooking show “No Kitchen Required” where chefs create meals from local ingredients in some of the most far-flung corners of the world. He also competed on “Iron Chef” and was nominated for a prestigious James Beard award. Psilakis said he opened MP Taverna in Astoria because the neighborhood has become a mix of middle-class Greek families, immigrants and young professionals. “This restaurant even five years ago in Asto-

ria would have had to fight an uphill battle,” he said. Blogger Judith Klein Rich, one of the founders of WeHeartAstoria.com, said she expects MP Taverna will be a success because it symbolizes that mix of new and old that Astoria has become. “It was a really intelligent take on Greek food,” she said. “He combined a lot of modern techniques with traditional styles.”

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// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

First Annual Imperial Bag & Paper Day Sponsored by Rubbermaid EYE enjoyed the hospitality at the First Annual Imperial Bag & Paper Day sponsored by Newell Rubbermaid at Imperial's magnificent Garden State facility.

ur goal is always to find new solutions for our customers and this gave us the perfect opportunity to do just that,” noted Imperial's sales chief Christopher Freeman.

EYE noted a number of innovative new products from Rubbermaid including a new material handling cart, a convertible utility cart and newly designed ingredient bins for the foodservice operator. The open house was the latest from

the energetic Freeman and his team who have set the bar for creativity with the design of the firm's annual booth at the International Restaurant and Foodservice show of NYC. EYE loved the appearance of Rubbermaid's 'Built to Last Tour Truck"

The day’s festivities featured live music from the deck of Rubbermaid’s traveling road show

that included live music. Both Imperial and Rubbermaid invited a select group of complimentary vendors including Diversey and Kimberly Clark. The Bayonne based distributor of paper products, packaging, foodservice items, cleaning supplies and janitorial equipment was bought by Robert Tillis in 2007. Tillis and his team have turned Imperial into a one-stop shop for paper, packaging and janitorial supplies. EYE notes that even with some 90 trucks delivering products to more than 6,000 clients, their personal touch continues to be a hallmark of Imperial Bag & Paper's services.

Imperial's Director of Sales Chris Freeman (L) with Director of IT, Harry Westfall

(L to R) The Diversey duo of Darrell LaRocco and Joe Rodriguez

Community Access' Roger Wortman, Chris Peterson and Tom Krisa of JV Carter Co

(L to R) Juan Guzman and Wayne Thomas of Hudson River Services

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(L to R) The YMCA of Greater New York's Christian Miller with Imperial Bag's John Arena and Robert Tillis

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Scoop, from page 57

Ranger’s Boss Looks To Nieporent To Fix Blueshirts Powerplay Scoop notes that New York Rangers President and General manager Glen Sather met with Myraid Restaurant's Tracy Nieporent in an attempt to fix the hockey team's offensive woes. The veteran hockey executive has been a friend of Nieporent and his brother Drew since he took over the Rangers reigns in 2000. Sather came to the right place because Tracy Nieporent is a long time hockey afficiando dating back to his days as an undergraduate at Cornell University. Tracy Nieporent is Director of Marketing and Partner,

overseeing public relations, communications, promotion, advertising and charitable events for the everexpanding Myriad Restaurant Group. Its members now include Tribeca Grill, Corton, Nobu, Nobu London, Nobu Next Door, Nobu 57, Acela Club at Citi Field, The Daily Burger at Madison Square Garden, and Crush Wine & Spirits. Nieporent officially joined Myriad in 1991 when the group consisted of just two restaurants and was poised for growth. Since that time through ownership and consulting, Myriad has opened over 30 restaurants. Tracy manages the implementation of programs that add clarity, focus and direction to Myriad's marketing program and heightened

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Ranger's boss Glen Sather (L) brought special birthday wishes to Myriad Restaurant's Tracy Nieporent

attention and publicity in all media. SCOOP also visited with Tracy at last month's New Jersey Table To Table event at Alpine Country Club. He sits on the board of the Garden State

charity that will feed some 12 million meals to the hungry this year. Since 2004, he has been the Restaurant Committee Chairman of NYC & Co., which conceptualizes and operates NYC Restaurant Week. With his leadership, it has become the largest and most successful culinary program in the nation, expanding to two weeks in both Summer and Winter. There are now more than 300 of New York City's finest restaurants participating. Sather and his staff will now regroup after a second round playoff exit and prepare for the upcoming NHL draft later this month in Newark.

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// MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Metro New York Margaritas Say the word Tequila and many people will turn up their noses and scoff at the mere mention of the word.

uch can be the case when a drink like the margarita is mentioned. Unfortunately the vast majority of people have never had a real margarita. What they usually receive when they order one in a bar is a vast difference from what this venerable drink SHOULD BE. Under the day-to-day workings of a bar there really is no substitute for freshly squeezed juices, or at the very least use a juice that is made with all natural ingredients. When a customer orders a margarita in a bar or a restaurant, what usually greets them is a green colored liquid, more sugary corn syrup and that burn in the back of the throat that comes from cheap Triple Sec and rock gut Tequila that should find a better use as a paint remover. The ice is usually crushed into oblivion that dilutes this venerable cocktail into a slushy mess. This is unfortunate because a wellmade margarita is truly a thing of rare beauty. Most people have not had a real margarita, nor would they know what this drink truly is, other than a slurry of sweet flavors woven around a core of cheap Tequila, served frozen in a quart sized container usually made of plastic. This is unacceptable! Every time that

Warren Bobrow Warren Bobrow is the cocktail writer for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista, Voda Magazine and the 501c3 not for profit Wild River Review/Wild Table, where he also serves as an editor. www.cocktailwhisperer.com

I order a margarita in a bar or a restaurant, I have some pretty specific demands for my drink. First and most importantly, I ask the bartender to use freshly squeezed juice. Limes deteriorate very quickly once they are juiced, so the best margarita cocktails are always made with fresh juice. If you have been using bottled sugar syrup laden lime juices you should stop reading this article because using a bottled lime juice like Rose’s is just being lazy. Next, should you use Triple Sec in your margarita cocktails may I

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suggest that you try using Cointreau or better yet Grand Marnier in your cocktail. I’ve actually started using a product from Clement in Martinique named Creole Shrubb. This ingredient is essential in my home prepared margarita cocktails, although good luck finding it in a bar or restaurant. A Shrubb is the combination of bitter to sweet to savory flavors from real sugar cane juice instead of molasses, fermented and then mixed with real orange oil from the zests of the orange. It is a most magnificent thing in a margarita because it doesn’t taste like the stuff that is usually served. Rhum Agricole based Creole Shrubb is marvelous when combined with Tequila along with a bit of ice and some freshly squeezed lime juice along with a salt rim. Recently I did an informal taste test of margarita cocktails and I was shocked by what I received. The usual margarita served is a combination of artificial ingredients. It can be quite bitter and on the other side of the equation, sugary sweet. The ice is not important to most bartenders and they don’t show that they care to do something from “scratch” to make this cocktail sing. What I usually get served is slurry of sour to candy sweet, poured over a glass of crushed ice with a dried out slice of lime. It’s embarrassing to say the least for any bartender worth his or her muster to serve a margarita that is more cartoon than lip smacking, thirst quenching, hunger inducing combination of good simple ingredients. My margarita cocktails are done very simply with all fresh ingredients. There really is no reason why you should use a pre-made mix from a bottle when it’s so easy to make a margarita from scratch. There are many margarita mixes on

Limes deteriorate very quickly once they are juiced, so the best margarita cocktails are always made with fresh juice.

the market. But when you see just how easy it is to juice some limes, add a couple ounces of good Tequila and hit this home-made mix with an orange liqueur, then finish the cocktail with no more than a handful of ice you may never buy a store bought mix again. This way you control the amount of sugar that goes into the cocktail and how much sweetness finishes it. I’m quite fond of Casa Noble Tequila in Reposado for my margarita cocktails. I find that the extra aging (365 days) in French White Oak barrels stands up better to the smack of the citrus and the vivaciously opulent texture of the orange liqueur. Casa Noble is also USDA Certified Organic, one of only a handful of Tequila brands on the market produced without artificial ingredients or chemical pesticides. If you try to eat organically, this should be important. I love Casa Noble because it tastes differently from many of the other Tequilas on the market. I think I know what makes Casa Noble so delicious in a margarita. This is because these barrels have a drier finish than many of the bourbon cask finished products on the market. Bourbon cask

continued on page 68

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Warren, from page 66 finished Tequila is lush and soft in the mouth. These Tequilas are more modern in approach. French Oak on the other hand is elegant and sharp on the tongue, yet it finishes aromatic, dry and oh so very French! And if you don’t want a margarita, please let me suggest that you add a couple ounces of this carefully crafted Tequila into a snifter with one ice cube made with your Mavea “Inspired Water” filtration pitcher. It’s worth it to use the very best ice that you can make. Add a squeeze of lime and you have a cocktail made for kings! I’ve written extensively on ice and believe that a quality cocktail is built on the premise that the ice is the most important ingredient. I’ve seen perfectly good cocktails absolutely destroyed by using ¼ or smaller cube ice from a dirty machine. This is something that I disdain more than most anything in the cocktail land. The use of this kind of low-end ice just says cheap to me. If a restaurant or bar really wants to build their bar business, they should seriously start thinking about upgrading their ice program. There are a number of high quality machines on the market that will make a simple cocktail like a margarita sing!

A Gracious Southern Swing A slightly askew Margarita Cocktail As interpreted and augmented by Warren Bobrow, The Cocktail Whisperer

Ingredients • •

•

8 oz. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice Ice filtered through a MAVEA “Inspired Water” Filtration Pitcher (Essential) 5 oz. Casa Noble Reposado (Essential to use the very best because you’re worth it) 2 oz. Clement Shrubb or any super premium orange liquor of your choosing Pinch of Sea salt

• •

•

2 oz. Simple Syrup Splash of the magical and aromatic Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water in Lime Essence Angostura Bitters

Preparation 1. To a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with the Mavea filtered water ice- add ½ of the liquid ingredients (reserving the other ½ for the next round and shake for 15 seconds 2. Add a pinch of sea salt for spark within the cocktail… (Listen to me on this!) 3. Taste for sweetness, adding a bit more of the simple syrup if necessary 4. Serve with a splash of the Perrier Sparkling water over the top 5. Finish with a few drops of Angostura Bitters (For healing the stomach!) 6. You can wet the rim of the glass with a slice of lime and dip in sea salt if desired.

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// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

The Sixth Annual Gala Dinner Dance Food & Beverage Scholarship Foundation Inc. Once again the truly incredible Gladys Mouton Di Stefano and her Food and Beverage Association team led by Starwood Hotel’s Sean Cassidy and noted restaurateur Steve Gatullo hosted its annual black tie gala at the JW Marriott Essex House, late last month.

he Gala benefitted the Food and Beverage Scholarship Foundation Inc. This year’s roster of honorees was headed by Steve Batta of the JW Marriott Essex House, American Hotel and Lodging Association president Joseph McInerney and Empire Merchants' Director of Hotel Sales Nicole Bosco McAneney. The Top Hospitality Professional Of The Year Batta has more than 20 years of industry experience with the majority of his career in the New York

City market. Prior to joining Marriott Batta was the General Manager of the Renaissance New York Hotel 57, where he led his team to achieve exceptionally high associate engagement levels and placed a strong focus on leadership development. McInerney, this year's FBAA Industry Professional Of The Year is a 50 year veteran of the hospitality industry, spends time on a variety of humanitarian activities, including sitting on the board of trustees at the Boston University Medical Center and

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St. Vincent De Paul Village, a homeless shelter and rehabilitation center in San Diego. In support of professional development for the future of the hospitality industry, McInereny currently serves on the board of trustees for The Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management at New York University, and the University of Delaware School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. EYE toasted this years’ FBAA scholarship winners from the Hospital-

ity Management program at New York City College of Technology who all received $5000 scholarships from FBAA. The Food and Beverage Association of America is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, philanthropic, educational and social trade organization. Its membership encompasses executives in the food and beverage allied industries of the greater New York Metropolitan area. Established in 1956, the Association, formerly Food and Beverage Manag-

Gladys Mouton Di Stefano with Hospitality Professional of the Year, Steve Batta of JW Marriott Essex House New York

Lynda Dias of New York City College of Technology receives scholarship fund check

ers (FBMA), have responded to the continued need for improved standards and within the food industry. The Association is accessible to food and beverage executives who wish to network and grow within the industry and has served many members as a career catalyst, presenting opportunities for advancement. Members contribute their time, knowledge and efforts to Association activities. The Association continues to support organizations such as City Meals-on Wheels, The Children’s Aid Society, National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Share Our Strength (SOS). The Association invests in the future of the hospitality industry via Scholarship and Awards Programs, offering financial assistance to future hospitality professionals who have demonstrated need and maintained scholastic superiority. In 1997, the Association com-

mitted a five-year pledge of $100,000 to fund a learning center in the name of the Food and Beverage Association of America at the Bobst Library of New York University.

F&B's Gladys Mouton Di Stefano presents Empire Merchant's Nicole Bosco McAneney with Purveyor of the Year award

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Industry Professional of the Year, Joseph McInerney of American Hotel & Lodging Association gives his award speech to guests on hand

// EYE

LONG ISLAND'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Sysco Long Island's Anniversary Show Central Islip, NY - Sysco Long Island President Frank Recine and his team opened their doors to welcome hundreds of guests to the firm's spectacular new Long Island facility on Friday, May 1, 2013.

udos to Sysco Long Island Marketing Manager Denise Scidmore and her show team who brilliantly orchestrated their first annual food show. "Our goal was to showcase hand-selected, on trend items that are on the forefront of innovation and quality. Nothing seemed more fitting than to host this prestigious event in our incredible facility." The show spanned over 15,000 square feet of the warehouse in ad-

dition to another 6,000 square feet of event space. Scidmore and Sysco Long Islands’ attention to detail included customers being greeted by the well-outfitted sales team sporting a Long Island resort casual look. The atmosphere was enhanced with two sailboats filling the 40-foot high ceilings with their white crisp sails. An additional three boats were placed throughout the exhibit space, all generously donated by the Long Island Maritime Museum. An added bit of fun and excitement

to the “Welcome to Long Island,” was created as midway through the facility, customers had the opportunity to take a 10-minute break to enjoy a massage while listening to the unique acoustic sounds of Matt Cutillo. “We are thrilled to be able to share our first anniversary with our customers and vendors that have made it all possible,” Recine noted. After 14-months of construction, the Central Islip location quickly proved to be an overnight game changer in both the local foodservice distribution marketplace and in reinventing the role of the food service distributor in Long Island. With over 175 suppliers and vendors and over 1000 people in attendance, the first annual Sysco Long Island Food Show proved to be a tremendous success. Show guests had the opportunity to

(L to R) Barbara Bramble Director of Credit, John Jaroski Training & Development Manager

(L to R) Sherri McGinnis of Heinz and Sysco's Jeff Schaeffer

(L to R) Sysco's Jeff Usamanont with Jared Adler of the Fisherman's Room

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(L to R) Sag Town Coffee's Tisha Collette, Chloe Schindler and Shane Dyckman

sample from the largest food pantry this side of Jersey City, with Sysco Long Island's team of foodservice distribution experts. Foodservice professionals were welcomed and hosted by Sysco-Long Island's culinary team led by Chef Mat Accardi. The Culinary Institute of America graduate has walk-in boxes that are packed with the very freshest offerings. "The way this kitchen was designed, a visiting chef or food service professional can mention virtually any menu challenge and we can grab it fresh and then actually cook it on the same equipment that he is working on in his restaurant," Accardi explained. It was important that the first food show catered to the entire Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens’ food service community and they did just that. I watched the Sysco's Long Island's staff of some 60-plus marketing professionals make the event special for every show guest. The event truly reflected Sysco Long Island's rollout of a new program. “There have been many accomplishments throughout our first year,” Recine continued. “Food Shows always take the spotlight as it is the one opportunity to put our most valued suppliers and our most valued customers in one place at one time. It was important that the first food show catered to the entire Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens’ food service community and Denise's team enabled us to accomplish that goal,” Recine concluded. Although Sysco is the world’s largest food distributor in the world, its new Long Island facility proves that its success has come from a truly laserlike focus on the local communities it serves. EYE notes we can't wait to return for the 2nd anniversary.

// HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE

WITH ANDREW CATALANO

Vision Equals Resiliency Vision is the act or power of anticipating, that which may come to be as is true of all successful entrepreneurs. Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds–trauma, tragedy, personal crises, plain ‘ole’ life problems and bounce back stronger, wiser, and more personally powerful.

he entrepreneurial spirit requires individuals to keep to his or her visions and a gut wrenching desire to stay resilient. How many of us in business regularly review the company’s vision and mission statement, core values and the business plan, updating as required? Do we in one of the most competitive industries, the Hospitality Business spend enough time, thinking, planning, and understanding what the KPI are saying, and then make good business decisions? Working the business, listening to customers, listening to staff, and knowing the competition all sound fundamental but without keeping to the vision and organization is lost. Nevertheless, how does one keep focused and the drive. All individuals in leadership positions need to learn how to be resilient. Resiliency is a skill and can be learned. Life is full of challenges, setbacks, and situations that are out of one’s control. Leaders with low resilience often suffer high stress levels. In our business lives, it is not uncommon to work long hours. Although many of us appear to be highly engaged in his or her work, we all have a tendency to suffer high levels of stress and low levels of resilience. Then without a clear purpose we can eventually, burn

Andrew Catalano, Director of Hospitality & Service Excellence SUNY Downstate at LICH New York, NY

andrew.catalano@downstate.edu

How many of us in business regularly review the company’s vision and mission statement, core values and the business plan, updating as required?

out. Some may eventually become ill with stress. Building resilience is a successful remedy against these situations. There are many resilience assessment measurements and under-

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standing one’s own levels in handling life’s stresses is a good place to start. Some key questions one may ask themselves: • Do I understand the visions • Am I determined

• • •

What is my involvement Do I have good relationships When problem solving, do I react too quickly • Am I organized and have good time management skills Moreover and most important, am I self-confident Normally, resilient companies and its employees will have a clear idea of what they are trying to achieve in their business and in their lives. Communication of visions and purpose is a requirement and time must be set aside to review the vision from time to time, particularly when events seek to divert efforts away from achieving the vision. The vision itself might be blurred at times but this is when leadership needs to take action in evaluating four key factors. Evaluating the confidence levels within the organization. 2) Is staff coping with the stress levels and have the self-esteem to deliver the product? 3) Is there a sense of purpose, clear values, drive, and direction? Are the good relationships and support for staff to deal with the stresses? 4) Last is there adaptability and flexibility to change and a recovery plan for when problems arise? Remember the vision but more importantly working the vision is what counts and without a double dose of resiliency in today’s challenging times the entrepreneurial spirit could be lost. Business is a Team sport and without a team of highly motivated individual and all working for the same purpose, the organization will go off course. Set the compass and have all hands on deck.

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Sampson, from page 10

Partridge, from page 14

NFL, from page 36

magazines, the Internet and in store windows do not show a price and, thus, the customer must ask, “what is the price of that advertised item?” Are they all a part of some sinister plot to fool or mislead the public? I would remind both of these gentlemen that Nassau County is blessed with many outstanding food service establishments, operated by hard working, job making, risk taking, tax paying people and, as an industry, are not out to scam their patrons. It would have been nice if they had pointed out that on the whole, most restaurants do make this information available, instead of making it sound as though the practice was the norm. To the best of my knowledge, no similar characterization of the industry accompanied the Suffolk legislation, which is similar in almost every detail to the Nassau law.

applied management practices and theory with liberal arts and sciences," Schaible added. The program serves over 750 students and its graduates can be found in all areas of the hospitality industry including: Hotels and Resorts, Restaurant Operations, Tourism and Travel Management, Culinary and Pastry Arts, Sales and Marketing and even teaching the Culinary Arts in New York City High Schools. The Partridge Club’s scholarship initiatives benefit a vast array of programs. In addition to City Tech, Partridge grants go to such noted institutions as the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales, Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts. The Club continues to spread its vision for the use of its funding with the addition of New York State's Paul Smith College to its scholarship recipient line-up. The

ucation. Founded in 1975, the school offers highly regarded 8 to 13 month career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Culinary Management and Hospitality Management. ICE also runs one of the largest Schools of Recreational Cooking in the nation. ICE is a past winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals' Culinary School of the Year, and an ACCSCT School of Distinction honor.

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The program serves over 750 students and its graduates can be found in all areas of the hospitality industry.

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.

Augie Awards, from page 2

Waste Challenge, from page 4 40% in the next 10 years. Participating universities have cut emissions 13% and hospitals 6% over the past three years. Among the 10 companies that signed are: Google, JetBlue Airways, American International Group, BlackRock, Bloomberg LP, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and top coal financiers Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase. They join 17 universities with more than 35 campuses and the 11 largest hospital organizations - together they have 120 million square feet of space, representing 3.5% of the city's emissions. If these organizations meet their goals, NYC's emissions will drop by 1%. Emissions from buildings are the city's biggest source of greenhouse gases, 75%. The focus is on reducing emissions in interior office spaces and leased spaces.

"When choosing the home of our new support center in Long Island City, we purposefully selected a building that certified LEED Silver. We're reducing our energy, controlling our HVAC, lights and appliances and using green cleaning methods," says Dave Barger, JetBlue CEO. "We are proud that our global headquarters in New York City is the world's largest LEED Platinum-certified renovation of an existing office building," says Frank Bisignano, Co-Chief Operating Officer, JPMorgan Chase. Four universities and one hospital have already met their goals: Barnard College, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York University (NYU), Rockefeller University and New York Hospital/ Queens have reduced emissions by an average of 33.3% and cut energy consumption 22%. FIT is installing its second green

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roof and NYU met its goal of 30% by 2017 six years early thanks to its stateof-the-art co-generation plant, energy efficiency projects and campus wide engagement campaigns. Its new target is a 50% cut by 2016. For New York Hospital in Queens, the key to cutting emissions 31% in just three years was replacing a natural gas-driven chiller with an electric chiller. The hospital is also installing a green roof and has recycling and energy reduction programs. Municipal buildings are also contributing, having cut emissions 12%. Last year, New York City adopted Zone Green, an impressive initiative that amends the city's zoning regulations to foster green buildings.

ademic Wendell Berry several times in his remarks about sustainability. He sees 100 percent transparency in the future of food, with stores and restaurants providing complete information about how food is grown, made, and transported. As Dr. Ryan noted, "Each honoree was presented his Augie in the name of just one of our thought-leadership pillars, but they are all committed to all of the pillars. The role of today's chefs and food professionals is not only about flavor development and pleasing customers. Chefs must be socially responsible citizens of the world, and it is our job and our privilege at the CIA to train them with that goal in mind." All proceeds from the Leadership Awards dinner support CIA student scholarships. Over $49,000 was raised through the live auction alone.

// MEET THE NEWSMAKER

FURNITURE

Barry Breibart, Vice President of Sales Flash Furniture in Canton, GA

hat led to Flash Furniture being created? Flash Furniture was the brainchild of Gary Glazer, a furniture rep who felt like his factories were not capable of supporting his efforts into the future. When the company began, what was the niche that Flash was trying to fill? The niche was office furniture not currently available in the U.S. He was getting factories to make private label furniture for him to compete with national brands. As you look at your target customer, you guys run a lot of different businesses. Tell me a little bit about how you got into the hospitality and food service business, and tell me a little bit about what that target looks like and how that's evolving. We were led to the restaurant channel by some local Atlanta area dealers who had experience with Gary as an office furniture rep. Because years ago a number of the office furniture dealers also sold restaurant equipment. That may have been a strictly southern thing, and actually one of the big ones is still around. We began with Atlanta Fixtures who was a big office furniture dealer, which led to tables and chairs. As you look at your restaurant segment, tell me how it's developed, tell me what the target is, do you look at

market.

Flash Furniture’s Barry Breibart

So in a business full of people who have buying group relationships and things like that, how do you build your niche, what makes you different? Why should a dealer who's currently affiliated with Pride or ABC or one of those guys, what's the niche that you can fill for him? Well, our consistent niches value pricing and huge inventory. We have a

Right now our target market is the independent dealer that sells to entrepreneurial restaurants. The start-up restaurants. You have plenty of those in the New York City/Tri-State area. country clubs on one side, do you look at hotels on another side, do you look at restaurants as another? Right now our target market is the independent dealer that sells to entrepreneurial restaurants. The start-up restaurants. You have plenty of those in the New York City/Tri-State area. We want the dealer who has connections to the guy that's going to open a pizza parlor next week, and needs ten tables and forty chairs. That's our current

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website that can give freight quotes so a dealer can do an immediate job. We're also listed on AutoQuotes. We are a member of a major buying group: Excell. Their founder Randy Brunschwig was an investment banker who bought into this buying group about 8 or 10 years ago. He's turned them around with 30% growth from last year. I’ve worked with many buying groups in many industries and this guy's really

sharp. With only 120 members this one is small enough to control unlike some with 1,000 plus members. His approach is a match for our strategy. He actually started this process as an informal audit of his dealers. Where they sit down and say Ok, who are you buying these things from, and if you're not buying it from one of our vendors, why not? And, if the answer's just, I don't know, then they encourage them to make the change in the brand. If it's, well, they're overpriced or they're this, or they're that, then he makes a connection to the vendor and says, “I've got a guy that would do business with you.” He's really a clever guy compared to the others. As you look at it, is the object of the game to get samples into a dealer’s showroom or is the object of the game to get the catalog into the hands of everyone? The object of the game is to get the catalog into the dealers’ hands and make them aware of the availability of our websites for research on inventory, pricing and freight. The reality is that there are probably 25 of us, bringing in some of the same selections of tables and chairs. Our goal is to have a wider range especially with the chairs. We do offer some customer upgrades with vinyls, and we reupholster the chairs, but for the most part it's strictly commodity products at a value price. Do you guys have a lot of different industries other than food service? How does that help you think out of the box in terms of helping that dealer solve what he's trying to solve? Our experience in a number of different industries gives us a unique perspective to share with the restaurant supply dealer. Well, we're able to give them advice on how to compete with the Internet, because we know who

they are and what makes them tick. I wrote a document, for the Excel buying group about how to compete with the Internet. And what a disaster if you order on the Internet. Are you going to get your chef to go out and put forty tables together? Some dealers say, “You let me know if you have any problems, and I'll just charge you for service for coming over and helping set up, or whatever you need, hauling out the trash etc.” I mean, can you imagine, being a little restaurant in New York City, and there's a fifty-two foot truck outside trying to unload three palates, and you don't have a forklift? You have to paint these guys a picture, especially in your market, and what's going to happen when

they choose to save probably a dollar or two dollars a share on a table. And now with this new bill probably passing with tax on Internet sales, thank God for that I mean our retail guys are screaming but I'm happy we're thrilled. Other than if you think Amazon is going to build a 3,000,000 square foot facility in the middle of your state. Would that be the only reason not to vote for the bill? Amazon's paying taxes now. They don't care anymore. And if you thought that somebody was going to be able to come and create thousands of jobs in your community because they had a competitive advantage in a marketplace nationally, then theoretically that could be the case. The big guys are all behind this tax. Trust me, Amazon is coming to an empty building near you in every state. You've got a very unique background in guiding Flash Furniture’s sales ef-

forts, how did you get into the business and what's your read on what makes Flash unique? What makes us unique is our huge inventory and our value pricing and our commitment. Talk about what you bring to the table in terms of the market place in the company. I used to be one of their major suppliers of domestic product. Let’s just say I've known the founder for over 25 years. He was a former salesman for my company. Over the years we followed each other's careers. For years and years, he would say we should work together but there just wasn't anything that I felt I could bring to what he was doing. So when he decided to expand his wholesale furniture business he saw the value of my experience. He recognized my track record of creating new business in the channels that were in and the ability for me to guide the company into new industries including restaurants and hotels. New York is very much an I need it now type of marketplace. Talk for a second about some of the quick ship solutions that you guys offer the dealer and their end-user customers. We have great freight rates, quick shipping; everything's in stock and ships within 24 to 48 hours. So we can have it to the dealer within a week in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. Bottom line is our hands-on approach to selling commodity products. We provide, the very same type of service that you would expect in buying more expensive contract furniture without the hassle of having to work with a designer. Are there trends that you're seeing with tables and chairs for hospitals and food service? Anything that's hot right now that you guys offer? We're now offering an expanding line of resins and a number of new tops.

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// NEWS

RESTAURANTS

N.J. Bars and Restaurants Busted For Fake Booze More than two dozen bars in New Jersey have been deceiving patrons in a nasty way.

ast month state officials announced that they had raided 63 bars in the state and collected liquor samples for testing as part of a yearlong investigation, “Operation Swill.” They launched the investigation in January after the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control had received more complaints than usual about potentially mislabeled liquor. With the help of an infor-

mant with knowledge of the industry, undercover investigators collected the samples by ordering “neat” drinks—or drinks without ice or mixers—from the establishments and then covertly taking samples for testing. At one bar, a mixture that included rubbing alcohol and caramel coloring was sold as scotch. In another, premium liquor bottles were refilled with water - and apparently not even clean

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water at that. State officials provided those new details last month on raids they conducted a day earlier as part of the yearlong investigation. Twenty-nine New Jersey bars and restaurants, including 13 TGI Fridays, were accused of substituting cheap booze - or worse - for the good stuff while charging premium prices. "As part of Operation Swill, investi-

gators collected 1,000 open bottles of vodka, gin, rum, scotch, whiskey and tequila from the wells of the bars," State Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said. "This alleged scheme is a dishonest ruse to increase profits and is a slap in the face of the consumer," Chiesa said. Within seven days, the establishments must turn over records to help state authorities determine how many patrons were overcharged and by how much. They also will have to inform the state which employees were at work the days samples were covertly taken earlier this year. State officials would not say what establishment used the rubbing al-

continued on page 83

// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Chefs Gala at Alpine Country Club Benefitting Table to Table When EYE heard that some 11 million meals are served to the hungry in Bergen County; it was truly hard to fathom.

o it was truly special to see first hand an organization that is tackling the issue. Table to Table’s premier food and wine event, the Chefs Gala. The event supported Table to Table, Northeast New Jersey’s first and only food rescue program. Last month the black-tie Chefs Gala at Alpine Country Club in Demarest welcomed celebrated chef, restaurateur and cookbook writer Thomas Keller as guest of honor. The event showcased seven award-winning chefs and their signature dishes: Kevin Kohler of Café Panache, David Burke

of David Burke Townhouse, Ryan DePersio of Fascino, Ben Pollinger of Oceana, Sebastien Rouxel of Per Se and French Laundry, and Peter Kelly of Xaviars at Piermont. Table to Table is the only dedicated food rescue program in northeast New Jersey, serving more than 65 hunger relief agencies throughout Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. Table to Table receives no government funding and, instead, relies solely on support from private and corporate donations. The event kicked off Table to Table's "Dinners of Distinction." EYE had the chance to visit with some of the Metro New York City area’s top toques

that donated their time to the cause. The all-star cast included Kevin Kohler of Café Panache, David Burke of David Burke Townhouse, and Peter Kelly of Xaviars at Piermont. Kelly's introduction of Keller became an instant classic with his references to the cost of a meal at Keller’s an iconic Columbus Circle eatery. EYE had the opportunity to visit with one of the true gems of the industry: Claire Insalata Poulos. The founder of the food rescue organization brought boundless energy and outlined her vision to feed 12 million meals to the homeless in the county in 2013. EYE enjoyed chatting with New Jersey Devils’ CFO

Robert Sommer who has brought the Prudential Center aka "The Rock" into the fold as a participant with Table to Table. “Table to Table has become one of the most essential services in our communities,” Poulos explained. “Proceeds from these events will further our mission to collect prepared and perishable food that would otherwise be discarded and deliver it, free of charge, to organizations that serve the hungry in Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, and Essex counties. With five refrigerated vehicles and dedicated drivers, Table to Table picks up food that is unable to be sold, but still of good quality, from a wide range of food establishments each day. This food is delivered on the day it is donated, avoiding the need for warehouse facilities and keeping Table To Table's costs limited to the operation of the vehicles EYE enjoyed the hospitality of WH Linen’s Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Hermanns whose firm provides linens to many of the City's top chefs. His support of Table to Table is truly something special.

(L to R) Peter Kelly of Xaviar's, Sean Quinn and Table to Table Founder Claire Poulos

(L to R) The evening honoree Thomas Keller (L in suit) thanked the culinary team for making the evening special

Noted chef and board member David Burke (R) & Thomas Keller (L)

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(L to R) USHG'S Dan Solloway, publicist Jaclyn Cheyne, Legendary Chef Thomas Keller and Mr and Mrs Christopher Hermanns of WH Linen

Booze, from page 81 cohol or which one used dirty water, or water not from a tap. They said no health issues were reported. TGI Fridays Inc. said it was conducting its own investigation, working with the franchisee that owns the 13 restaurants cited, The Briad Group. Briad, based in Livingston, said it "takes great pride in the quality of food and drink" served at its TGI Fridays franchises and was troubled and surprised by the allegations. It said in an emailed statement it would take immediate steps to correct any problems it identified. "We want every assurance possible that our guests can continue to feel confident in the great food and drink they order at our T.G.I. Friday's restaurants," said Rick Barbrick, president of The Briad Operation Swill started after the state began receiving more complaints than usual about possibly mislabeled drinks, said the director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Michael Halfacre. An informant with knowledge of the industry contacted the agency in the fall to help in the investigation, he said. In January and February, investigators went to 63 establishments they suspected were scamming liquor customers. They ordered drinks neat - that is, without ice or mixers - and then covertly took samples for testing. Of 150 samples collected, 30 were not the brand as which they were being sold. The establishments face suspensions of their liquor licenses and possible revocations if there are enough violations. "This alleged scheme is a dishonest ruse to increase profits and is a slap in the face of the consumer," Chiesa said. Within seven days, the establishments must turn over records to help state authorities determine how many patrons were overcharged and by how much. They also will have to inform the state which employees were at work the days samples were covertly

taken earlier this year. State officials would not say what establishment used the rubbing alcohol or which one used dirty water, or water not from a tap. They said no health issues were reported. TGI Fridays Inc. said it was conducting its own investigation, working with the franchisee that owns the 13 restaurants cited, The Briad Group. Briad, based in Livingston, said it "takes great pride in the quality of food and drink" served at its TGI Fridays franchises and was troubled and surprised by the allegations. It said in

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an emailed statement it would take immediate steps to correct any problems it identified. "We want every assurance possible that our guests can continue to feel confident in the great food and drink they order at our T.G.I. Friday's restaurants," said Rick Barbrick, president of The Briad Restaurant Group. Operation Swill started after the state began receiving more complaints than usual about possibly mislabeled drinks, said the director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Michael Halfacre. An informant

with knowledge of the industry contacted the agency in the fall to help in the investigation, he said. In January and February, investigators went to 63 establishments they suspected were scamming liquor customers. They ordered drinks neat — that is, without ice or mixers — and then covertly took samples for testing. Of 150 samples collected, 30 were not the brand which they were being sold as.The establishments face suspensions of their liquor licenses and possible revocations if there are enough violations.

// MEET THE NEWSMAKER

OCABANON

Co-Owners Armel Joly, Alexnadre Mur, & Michael Faure OCabanon Cave á Manger Coming Soon to New York, NY

or those not familiar with Cave à Manger, please give our readers a description. “Cave à Manger”, word by word, means “Cellar to Eat.” In fact, the idea is to bring a nice pairing between wine and food in a cozy place. We want our “Cave à Manger” to be a friendly destination, where anybody can discover love stories between wine and food, share and gossip around a good bottle. It would also, through OCabanon, bring back some memories buried, the

“Cave à Manger”, word by word, means “Cellar to Eat.” In fact, the idea is to bring a nice pairing between wine and food in a cozy place. We want our “Cave à Manger” to be a friendly destination.

OCabonon Co-Owners Armel Joly, Alexnadre Mur, & Michael Faure

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memories of youth, so that they can remember the smells of their childhood kitchens, flavors and beautiful products that touch the raw material. For others, it is some evasion to the discovery of true treasure ever suspected. OCabanon also will be a place of discovery, of escape, of sharing and conviviality. The idea is to leave a clear path, and also to search for the product for which the grower has a real story to tell, sharing of know-how, and sometimes even a new discovery. This winemaker will then surprise us, take a risk but we offer a "live" product. At the opposite end, we want to leave the classical highways of taste where everything is too perfect and where you don’t have any feelings of surprise. Our ancestors had knowledge, we knew

how to improve it from over the years despite the fact that we forgot it while we now realize that this knowledge missed us. Tell us a little about your foodservice backgrounds and experience. Where did you three meet? Two of us (Alexandre and Michael) come from the restaurant area. Alexandre used to work for business restaurants from the last 20 years. His latest employer was Chez Daniel; Michael had several years of experiences in New York, from Brasserie (Le Cercle Rouge) to restaurant (Le Bernardin). Armel came from the Bank Industry where he spent the last 15 years of his professional life. Last but not least, it’s also a family business because we’re all brother in laws! You all had a common dream in OCabanon, how did it become a reality? The idea to create all together our own place always existed but became a real project in August 2011, enjoying family holidays and sharing good times for the breakfast to the dinner! During the next 6 following months, we decided to tweak the project and we concluded for a “let’s go!” in January 2012 but to be honest, we had this project in each of us for many years. What do you want your guests to experience at OCabanon? OCabanon Cave à Manger becomes a friendly destination for groups of people to share stories over wine and food. OCabanon awakens the senses through wine, allowing the guest to appreciate the wine yard, soil, grape, and nature. The energy of the food lies in its simplicity and quality, expressions from the Earth. The restaurant will also feature vins naturels, organic and biodynamic wines. In addition, the res-

taurant will have a full liquor and beer license. To conclude, we can say that we’re looking for our customers to live the OCabanon mojo: to share. Where is OCabanon getting ingredients? Local markets? Importers? At that stage, our priority is to propose fresh and quality products coming mainly from the local farm market. Obviously, as our food will be a taste from the word, we’ll also have to use some importers. As much and as often as possible, our menu will integrate a “retour du marché” which means that we’re going to serve the products found in the morning at local farm producers. Tell us a little about the wine menu strategy and does OCabanon offer any signature cocktails? A large selection will be made from Europe and the new world with a majority of French Producers. The idea is to find some products with a story behind it, a story to tell or to share. I could be risky sometimes but those wines are made with so much passion. It could be surprising; it’s more “un retour à la source” which brings to you something more ‘vivant.” We believe in Bio-dynamic, organic wines but even more important, wines from producers who can tell us a real story. In the same spirit, as we apply for a full liquor license, we can also propose some cocktails without forgetting the beers lovers. How does OCabanon present, appeal and price menu items that fit a guest's taste as well as their wallet? As you can imagine, we want to propose some reasonable prices in our place, but again, behind every product that we’re going to propose, there is a lot of work and effort.

We like this place because it allows our customers to feel like home at the bar, on the mezzanine or directly seated in front of the chef

For those reasons, if we want to select a product for the specificity of the work behind it, the price will be adapted. For wine, our objective is to propose a large range of bottles for each wallet. What type of cuisine is offered? As explained previously, the cuisine offered is based on simplicity and sharing. Simplicity because we believe that if a product is delicious by itself, its worthless to create something complicated around it, we want to propose it naked or with a simple transformation. Sharing it because, as this product is good, we want to propose it easily to serve and to share with all the people at the same table. Pairing: wine and food propose a story that never ends and it’ll be a real challenge to try to match the food and wine again and again. The cuisine will be worldwide because, each country, each nation comes with some extraordinary taste and memories in its dishes.

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For us, it is also important to go to the source, to remember. For those who have lived the smell of jam being cooked, overripe fruit from the garden and sketched out full teeth, OCabanon also wants to use this type of product to give back to them those memories or even more to let discover these feelings to new people. Sometimes the visual imperfect but full of sun and good smell of fruit or vegetables, and put on a very simple way in the plate could be an interesting way to let them have new experiences. Work with any local NYC designers and consultants on the BOH and FOH? No, our background, our feelings and our history drove us on this project. We used a nice architect company to help us to structure our approach. Was it a challenge finding the perfect piece of real estate for OCabanon? To be honest with you, the space we found was something special for us.

The first time, we saw and visited it, it seemed strange and complex but at the same time familiar and mysterious. A long space with different ceiling heights and this mezzanine on the front that goes all on the back but gives a very clear vision of space. It is also a place when we visited, which showed a large number of transition and traces of the past. It used to be a deli, a clothing store but each of those activities brought something to the space. Then, we saw immediately in this space a real potential and started to feel very well in it. It’s also important to feel the potential that this place can offer you. We like this place because it allows our customers to feel like home at the bar, on the mezzanine or directly seated in front of the chef. What was the most difficult task to get OCabanon opened? Every step has its own challenge and it requested lots of commitments and envy in order to go through the next. As a marathon, you have to keep in mind that the Dday is important but if you want to cross the line, you need to train yourself step by step. Looking into the future, do you see more OCabanon's popping up in places like the Meat Packing District or Williamsburg, Brooklyn, etc.? Why not but to be honest with you, more than those places, we can share OCabanon in another districts but also cities. We’re also aware that in those places the market starts to be a little bit saturated and New York is big enough and there’s a lot of district with a lot of potential.

Hilton, from page 44 glass-enclosed walkway, the 36,000 square-foot facility has become one of the hotel’s most popular convention and event staging locations. In 1999, New York Hilton Midtown became the first hotel in America to install a “smart card” keyless entry system as an enhanced guest room security measure. These micro-chip controlled key cards are ubiquitous in better hotels, today. In the past decade, New York Hilton Midtown has become a leader in environmental sustainability and stewardship. In 2007, the hotel installed a combustion-free PureCell system, which generates electric power and hot water throughout the hotel, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In 2009, New York Hilton Midtown was the recipient of the 2008-2009 Environmental Recognition Pro-

gram – “Green Street Award” – by the Avenue of the Americas Association for its environmentally-friendly energy fuel cell. In 2010, the hotel completed a 16,000 square-foot green-roof system on its fifth floor roof to facilitate carbon capture, energy conservation and reduction of the Urban Heat Island effect. A highly efficient cogeneration plant, which became fully operational in 2013, now provides more than 50% of the hotel’s electrical power and more than 40% of the steam needed for heating and hot water requirements. It is the largest cogeneration system of any New York City hotel, reducing New York Hilton Midtown’s carbon footprint by 30%.

Historic Red-Letter Dates New York Hilton Midtown’s renowned hospitality and generous proportions have brought millions of visitors and thousands of notables

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through its doors. As the largest hotel in New York City – with the city’s grandest, column-free ballroom – its proud history includes many celebrity “achievements.” A select list follows. (New York Hilton Midtown has dozens of interesting facts and engaging story ideas to share): 1964: New York Hilton Midtown experiences its own “British Invasion” when The Beatles arrive in New York to perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The famous rock n’ roll group visited the hotel and made a magnificent penthouse suite — with sweeping city views and a grand piano — their home throughout the visit. 1971: John Lennon and Yoko Ono move to New York and stay at New York Hilton Midtown, where Lennon pens the lyrics to his most celebrated song, “Imagine,” on hotel note paper. The original lyrics are currently on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

1973: On April 3, Martin Cooper makes the world’s first public mobile phone call from a sidewalk outside New York Hilton Midtown, where he subsequently held a press conference announcing the landmark achievement. 2006-2007: Hilton New York Midtown, which has made multiple appearances on the big and small screens, takes a star turn in Spiderman III, American Gangster, El Cantante, Margaret, Michael Clayton, and Music & Lyrics. 2011: Scandinavian Heads of State, European royalty, top diplomats, and distinguished members of the U.S. and Nordic cultural, educational, business and philanthropic communities mark the 100th Anniversary of The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) during the blacktie Centennial Ball in October.

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// EYE

METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Tarrytown's Elliot Group Gathers Nation's Top Restaurateurs in Chicago Alice Elliot, the country's leading retaurant and retail search firm used the backdrop of the NRA Show to honor its Entrepreneur of the Year!

YE notes that the leading name in executive search in the restaurant industry brought together a truly eclectic group of some of the nation's top visionaries at the Elliot Group's 'Trep of the Year‘ awards celebration in Chicago. "We've always been know for bringing together the industry's best and brightest, " noted the dynamic Alice Elliot.

and stuffed with pastas, meats, cheeses, sauce and vegetables. He sampled various piadas while he was traveling in Italy. For nearly two years, Doody and his investment group of Bravo Brio veterans – former corporate chef Mike Bomberger, regional chef Jamy Bolling and controller Jason Souder worked to bring the fare from the roads of Rimini to the US. EYE loved visiting with notables including NRA president Dawn Sweeney, CIA chief Tim Ryan and the indefatigable Rick Berman. Alice Elliot and her team have become the industry's go to for their insight and advice on trends in the industry and human capital issues. EYE loved the Paris Club venue. French Chef Jean Joho who built the Everest Restaurant landmark in the Windy City has teamed with restaurateurs RJ and Jerrod Melman to create another hit.

The event was marked by the first ever awarding of a new Elliot Group honor. Columbus, OH restaurateur Chris Doody was feted at the event for his work in creating the Piada Italian Street Food Restaurant chain. The Elliot magic is the ability to identify the hottest cutting edge concept and then enable the industry's top leaders to feed off of each other as they outline their keys to success. The restaurateur

co-founded the 85-restaurant Bravo Brio Restaurant Group Inc. with brother Rick in 1992. The Doodys then sold Bravo Brio for $150 million to $200 million to New York-based Bruckmann Rosser Sherrill & Co. Management LP and Castle Harlan Inc. Doody went searching for a new product for Central Ohioans and soon the nation. The piada, also called a piadina, is a wrap-like sandwich built on thin-crust, stone-cooked dough

Sally Smith, CEO, Buffalo Wild Wings; Glen Tullman, Board Member, Argo Tea; Arsen Avakian, CEO/Founder, Argo Tea

Sarah Grover, Chief Concept Officer, California Pizza Kitchen, Matt Hood, Chief Marketing Officer, BJ’s Restaurants

Scott Shaw, CEO, Fishbowl; Chris Ricchi, Owner, I Ricchi; Alice Elliot, CEO, The Elliot Group; Matt Wilbur, CFO, Barteca Restaurants

Frank Paci, CEO, McAlister’s Deli; Phil Friedman, CEO, Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina

Tim Ryan, President, Culinary Institute of America; Joe Essa, President, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide

Lane Cardwell, Board Member, Ruby Tuesday; Rich Melman, Founder and Chairman, Lettuce Entertain You; Kevin Brown, President and CEO, Lettuce Entertain You

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Jessica Lederhausen, Mats Lederhausen, Founder & CEO, BeCause; Kevin Reddy, CEO, Noodles & Company

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Celebrating

50YearsofGiving Foodservice and Paper Chapter

Leonard J. Myron

Senior Development Director, AJC New York, NY

AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE

ow/when did AJC begin? AJC began in 1906 when a small group of prominent Jews in New York got together to make people aware of the pogroms that were going on in Russia at the time. Eventually, they helped to initiate legislation against US trade with Russia. What was the AJC’s agenda when it launched and how has that evolved? From the start, AJC was committed to the idea that Jewish people can only be safe when the rights and dignity of all people were respected. AJC has evolved from an organization with a strong national focus to its current role as the preeminent global Jewish advocacy organization while still working to build interreligious and interethnic bridges within America, our current orientation, by necessity, is global in nature. When did the food service and paper chapter launch and what/who were the driving factors? By bringing prominent AJC business leaders into the AJC family, AJC sought to both expand its network of influential partners and further support its activities financially. The first

Leonard J. Myron is the Senior Development Director at AJC

event was in 1963 when AJC started hosting fundraising events in various trades. Jerome Engleman and Louis Maslow were the first recipients of what has become our Food Service Division award behind their establishment? How has our chapter helped the AJC accomplish its goals? The Food Service Division is one of a handful of industries that has never missed one year of fundraising. The industry’s dedication and philanthropic spirit has significantly boosted AJC’s ability to achieve its goals. The AJC has always fought Ant-Semitism. Are Anti-Semitism and anti-

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Israel /Zionism the same issue? AJC fights both anti-Semitism and anti-Israel/Zionism. The fact is that after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism became unacceptable in much of the world. Many of those people who still have hatred toward the Jewish people switched their animosity to the now, much more acceptable, anti-Zionism. In a sense, Israel, to the anti-Semites, has become the “Jew” among the nations. This is of course does not mean that all criticism is anti-Semitism, but AJC keeps a close watch to make the distinction. We’ve had some truly dynamic characters through the years….talk about the Mike Nashs, Clark Pagers, Stephen Tuckers and what they’ve meant to the AJC. The leaders in our food service industry, both current and past, have contributed tremendously to the health and vitality of AJC. People like Clark Pager, Mike Nash, Steve Tucker, Marc Fuchs and Fred Klashman are business executives who possess a very strong sense of civic concern and social vision. They are leaders who understand that business is not an island onto itself, but very much a part of the larger world. This is true of

The AJC is an international advocacy organization whose key areas of focus are: building bridges of understanding, advancing the security of Americans and the democratic world, combating anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry; supporting Israel's quest for peace and security; advocating for energy independence; strengthening Jewish life. The organization has regional offices in 26 American cities, seven overseas offices, and 31 international partnerships with Jewish communal institutions around the world. The organization's mission statement is "To enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance jewish rights and jewish values in the United States and around the world."

many former leaders as well, such as Harold Karmin, Marvin Tucker and Ben Yuter, just to name a few whose generosity and leadership helped strengthen and guide AJC. Seems as if the AJC has covered a lot more ground than just the stupidity of Anti-Semitism, talk about its overall agenda to fight bigotry.

continued on page 93

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Celebrating

50YearsofGiving Foodservice and Paper Chapter

The ground is shifting in many ways and AJC strives, always, to stay in the midst of these changing realities.

AJC has always taken a proactive approach to the problem of anti-Semitism, never nearly a reactive, defensive approach. This means that we actively build coalitions in the world of politics and religion who envision a world of cooperation and democratic values as we do. Anti-Semitism has always been a hallmark of those who have an animosity toward individual freedom. Today, around the world, AJC aims by many means to strengthen the coalition of those committed to democratic values. As part of a new strategic plan adopted in 2009, AJC envisioned itself as the “Global Center for Jewish and Israel Advocacy” and the “Central ‘Jewish Address’ for Intergroup Relations and Human Rights with a new tagline “Global Jewish Advocacy." AJC makes friends around the world with allies and potential allies of the Jewish people and democratic values.   Many of us hear about this “David Harris” guy or have heard him on the radio, what should people know about him?

David Harris is the visionary primarily responsible for turning AJC into a truly global Jewish advocacy organization. He has been helping shape Jewish history for more than four decades, from his intensive involvement in the struggle to free Soviet Jewry, to his leadership in helping Ethiopian Jews leave Africa for Israel, to his front line role in opposing the infamous UN “Zionism = Racism” resolution, to his unparalleled role as a global Jewish leader today.   Crystal ball..what lies ahead for the AJC? The nature of diplomacy has changed exponentially, and globalization is rapidly shifting power centers in our world. The ground is shifting in many ways and AJC strives, always, to stay in the midst of these changing realities. To quote one of our esteemed former Presidents and prominent, business leader, Harold Tanner “None of us knows with certainty what lies ahead for the Jewish people, but through AJC, we can forge a vision and take a stand and thereby pursue a brighter future for generations to come.

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Jim Sugarman

Vice Chairman, Supply Solutions

hat/who first brought you to an AJC Dinner? The people that first brought me to the AJC Dinner were Meredith Reuben and Frank Perlman. What’s your perspective of what the AJC stands for and is accomplishing? AJC is one of the oldest and most respected human rights and civil rights organizations in America. Its mission clearly states its concern about safeguarding the welfare and security of Jews in the U.S., Israel, and throughout the world. AJC also looks to enhance the quality of Jewish life by helping to ensure Jewish continuity and deepen ties between American and Israeli Jews. Any fun stories or special moments from an AJC dinner that you attended? It is one venue where competitors can come together, break bread, and be focused on a common cause.

Rob Monroe

EVP Client Management, KeyImpact

hat/who first brought you to an AJC Dinner? I have attended the AJC Food Service Division Dinner for about the past 8 years. I initially heard about the dinner from Clark Pager and have been proud to support the cause. What’s your perspective of what the AJC stands for and is accomplishing? Good question! I encouraged Lenny Myron to start sending more details to the attendee list to better educate our audience on the value of the AJC. I believe the AJC serves ALL ethnicities in advocating peace and security. Any fun stories or special moments from an AJC dinner that you attended? Having been a past recipient of an award from the AJC, it was extra special being able to accept the honor in front of my peers and family (including my Mother, Sister and at the time, soon to be fiancé / wife).

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Fiorito, from page 34 group rules to combine employers for the purpose of health reform. All “related” companies, as defined under Tax Code are treated as a single employer for purposes of HCR. This means that some restaurants that may have otherwise escaped the minimum qualifications for health reform mandate compliance, could now be drawn under the mandate as a result of control group relationships. All you have to offer, but be prepared! PPACA mandates that employers provide health coverage starting as early as January 1, 2014. Thy key is that all you have to do is offer this to your employees! An employer complies by offering an affordable minimum plan, if the employee waives coverage, there is no penalty to the employer. If you have already offered coverage, and employees did not take it – then you can delay and wait until anniversary date of benefits (renewal) to provide benefit plan options. If you haven’t offered, then you are mandated to provide coverage starting January 1, 2014 – regardless of your renewal date. Be aware that some plans can’t delay due to Carve-out: Offer coverage on January 1, 2014 if group did not have 25%+ of all employees enrolled, or 33%+ of all employees offered coverage. Preparation should begin well ahead of the compliance date. Identify full time workers in 2013 and know who is eligible on compliance date in 2014. Set Premiums for “Affordability” & Avoid Penalties: Employers cannot charge an employee more than 9.5% of household income, for single coverage premium. Under reform rules, an employer subject to HCR must offer “affordable” coverage of a minimum value plan to employees. Technically, that means the employee’s share of the self-only premium for the lowest cost coverage cannot exceed 9.5% of the employee’s household income. Please note this is for those employees earning up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (approx. $44,600). An employer will not know household income and should not ask for verifi-

cation of that information. (A variety of state and federal laws arguably protect the employee from having to share such sensitive information.) Employers have been asking how they must comply, given what they cannot know. In response, the IRS initially announced a safe harbor based on an estimate of the employee’s annual W-2 income. That particular safe harbor, as clarified below, is still allowed - plus two new safe harbors have also been added. Following any of the three outlined approaches shields an employer from the $3,000 penalty. (A separate $2,000 “no offer” penalty applies to any employer who fails to provide adequate health plan coverage to all full-time employees, within a 5% margin for error.) • W-2 Earnings (Optimal choice for most employers): The employee’s contribution for employee-only coverage must be no more than 9.5% of the employee’s wages from the employer, estimated to be reported in Box 1 of the Form W-2. The new rules clarify that Box 1 income does not include elective deferrals to retirement plans or cafeteria plan amounts. Although this interpretation skews the affordability calculation in the employee's favor, lower-paid workers may not use salary deferral opportunities to the same extent as other workers. • Rate of Pay: The Rate of Pay safe harbor lets an employer take an hourly worker’s hourly pay rate, multiply the hourly rate by 130 hours, and determine affordability based on that monthly amount. For salaried employees, the monthly salary is used. • Federal Poverty Level (also possibly called FPL): The Federal Poverty Level safe harbor means employer coverage is affordable if the employee's cost for single coverage does not exceed 9.5% of the federal poverty level for a single individual. The first listed option using an estimate of the W-2 earnings is the best affordability safe harbor choice for most

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employers, followed closely by the second, rate of pay, option. The last option will rarely be useful, because using the federal poverty basement to set the employees’ premium shares results in the employer not shifting an optimal amount of premium expense to higher-paid employees. Dependants: Eligibility for families of employees is different from what PPACA experts have assumed since 2010. Instead of offering coverage to the employee and all family members, an employer does not need to be that generous. An employer does not have to offer coverage to spouses. Rather, an employer is only required to offer the coverage to children. This clarification means an employer can decide to not offer coverage to spouses, though such a plan is unlikely to be viewed as a very generous benefit. Even an employer that does offer coverage to spouses could limit eligibility to spouses who have no other coverage, or place other restrictions on spouses' eligibility. Second, the coverage offered to the children does not have to be affordable. (This has been a common question, so this clarity is welcomed.) Finally, it has been assumed that if an employer offered affordable coverage to the employee, the family members could still access federal assistance such as tax credits to purchase coverage through an insurance exchange. However, that is not true. Now, the federal government says when an employer offers affordable coverage to the employee, the family members of the employee cannot qualify for any federal tax credits or other assistance. These family members instead could still use the exchange to purchase a policy, but must pay the full amount of the premium for that coverage. Stay up to date with compliance, as it is always changing and updating! As of May 17, 2013, New Disclosure Obligation: Among the many changes directed under federal law, special rules will require a new employer to provide notice to workers. The new rule generally requires any employer subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to

disclose information about plan options available to employees. Specifically, the new disclosure rule requires all employers to notify all employees about the new state and federal insurance exchanges. The requirement to send the notice to an employee applies regardless of whether an employee works full or part time. The notice must be sent to all current employees by October 1, 2013. The employer must send the notice to new hires starting October 1, 2013 or after generally within 14 days of date of hire. Two model notices have been made available: one for employers who offer health plan coverage to some or all of their employees, and one for employers who do not offer any health plan to any employee. As with other mandated notice requirements, a direct penalty is not specified for failure to comply with the notice obligation. Instead, the participant has rights under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) to recover damages sustained as a result of the failure to receive information as directed under law. 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 only ensure that your restaurant is compliant with reform, but will most importantly discuss a strategy to avoid any negative impact of this legislation on your business. Robert Fiorito, serves as Vice President, HUB International Northeast, where he specializes in providing insurance brokerage services to the restaurant industry. As a 20-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fastfood chains to upscale, “white tablecloth" dining establishments. For more information, please visit www.hubfiorito.

// JC FURNITURE PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Empire City’s The Big Kitchen Total Food Service sat down with Goldman Design Group’s Jennifer Geddes to talk about her role with JC Furniture on the new Empire City Casino expansion.

hat was Empire City’s vision for a table and seating plan and how did you transform their ideas from conception to completion? We worked very closely with Marc to create a functional yet colorful seat-

ing plan. The goal was to combine a casual mixture of furniture to create an interesting outdoor/ indoor street theme. The furniture also had to be able to take a lot of abuse as well as be accessible for many older clientele.

The goal was to combine a casual mixture of furniture to create an interesting outdoor/ indoor street theme.

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Were any custom pieces, like banquettes specified? We customized the banquette and some of the small wooden tables. The Big Kitchen is quite large, what were some of the seating strategies and challenges with working with

such a large space? Since the Big Kitchen was so large we made many different seating areas using a variety of chairs and tables as well as counter stools. We mixed the colors and styles to give the room an overall fun look. JC Furniture worked with you on supplying the furniture. What’s it like working with them and how did they meet your needs to provide you with the looks you needed? We have worked with JC for many years. We always find them to be helpful in understanding our ideas. They made a number of sample pieces of furniture so that the owners could sit on them and then know what they would be ordering which is very helpful. Empire City wanted an exciting street theme. The key was to have the large street lamps and walkway

The furniture also had to be able to take a lot of abuse as well as be accessible for many older clientele

Empire City wanted an exciting street theme. The key was to have the large street lamps and walkway make you feel that the outside was combined with the inside.

make you feel that the outside was combined with the inside. The redesign of the Big Kitchen was way over due and they wanted something fun,

colorful, unique yet functional. We created an environment that will appeal to a wide range of clientele. We wanted the space to be exciting and added a small coffee area as well as a funky yogurt area. The casino is very happy with our transformation and felt it was better then they could have expected.

Since the Big Kitchen was so large we made many different seating areas using a variety of chairs and tables as well as counter stools

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We are now designing a second project for the casino called the Little Kitchen. It is more of a fast food take

out area with a large seating area that overlooks the casino. We are using many new innovative products with a small open kitchen. The overall theme is very colorful, fun and unique. We have a number of upcoming projects that we are working on that include a Meatball restaurant, an Italian Restaurant, Irish Pub and a Mediterranean Restaurant. We will be working with JC on all of these. At Goldman Design Group we make each project unique and we have a constant and wide new client base because of our creativity.

Beard, from page 18 ers, and other food professionals who form the core constituency of JBF, we recognize the powerful potential to turn these dedicated professionals into leaders and advocates for a better, safer, more sustainable food system," said Mitchell Davis, Ph.D., executive vice president of the James Beard Foundation. Over 280 chefs came to the Chefs Boot Camp program. Participants were selected to represent regional and topic interest diversity, with consideration given to the voice that each chef has within their local community and nationally. Participating chefs included: • Timon Balloo, SUGARCANE raw bar grill, Miami, Florida; • Kathy Cary, Lilly’s, Louisville, Kentucky • Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, California • Jose Gutierrez, River Oaks, Memphis, Tennessee • Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Alabama (JBF Award winner) • Maria Hines, Maria Hines Restaurants, Seattle, Washington (JBF Award winner and participated in pilot Chefs Boot Camp) • Sara Jenkins, Porsena, New York, New York • Phil Jones, Colors Restaurant, Detroit, Michigan • Cormac Mahoney, Madison Park Conservatory, Seattle, Washington • Kyle Mendenhall, The Kitchen Community, Boulder, Colorado • Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, Wisconsin (JBF Award winner); • Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, Oregon • Hari Pulapaka, Cress Restaurant, DeLand, Florida • Bruce Sherman, North Pond Restaurant, Chicago, Illinois and • Levon Wallace, Proof on Main, Louisville, Kentuck Supporters of this spring’s Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change in-

IHMRS, from page 29 cluded the 21c Museum Hotel, Proof on Main, Woodland Farm, Kentucky Proud, Kentucky Distillers’ Association, Winston Industries, LLC, Louisville Conventions and Visitors Bureau, and Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies. To keep abreast of the Foundation's work within the food system and the chefs' progress during the Chefs Boot Camp for Policy & Change, follow hashtag #JBFLeads on Twitter and visit the James Beard Foundation's blog at jamesbeard.org. To apply for future Chefs Bootcamps, please visit jamesbeard.org/bootcamp. Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, nurturing, and preserving America's diverse culinary heritage and future. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful and delicious food. Today the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, and scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. In September of 2012, the Foundation launched the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Protocol and helped create the American Chef Corps as a way to champion American chefs abroad, promote American food products and foster an interest in American culinary culture and history through international programs and initiatives.

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floor education, covering such timely topics as: the future of tabletop design, the beverage only experience, and the greening of tabletop. Hospitality Tabletop Concept Lobby Bar, a specially designed “pop-up” space on the exhibit floor highlighting trend direction and facilitating exhibitor and attendee networking. “We are delighted to partner with Dave to develop Hospitality Tabletop and so appreciate his passion for and knowledge of the category,” said Phil Robinson, IHMRS Show Director. The 98th annual International Hotel/Motel + Restaurant Show will run Saturday, November 9, through Tuesday, November 12 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The Hospitality Leadership Forum, a full-day of conference and networking activities, kicks off on Saturday, November 9. IHMRS then follows with three days of exhibits of new products and services for hotels and foodservice properties from Sunday, November 10, through Tuesday, November 12. IHMRS is co-located with 4th annual Boutique Design New York (BDNY), featuring suppliers of highend, unique and innovative interior design products for hospitality. The combined market presents over 1,000 hospitality industry suppliers and attracts more than 22,000 trade visitors. IHMRS is sponsored by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), and is managed by Hospitality Media Group (HMG). Boutique Design New York is a joint venture of the three associations and HMG. For additional information on IHMRS and BDNY, please contact Phil Robinson, Group Show Director, HMG at 212-754-7920 or phil.robinson@stmediagroup.com or visit IHMRS.com and BDNY.com .

Singer, from page 6 Singer had two contract offices in Ft. Lee, NJ and Woodbury, NY. Singer was feted by a full slate of M. Tucker executives led by Stephen Tucker, Marc Fuchs, Neil London and Morgan Tucker at the Windy City event. "The award will help support M. Tucker's message that they are part of a company that has been making a difference for our customers with great service," Singer continued. Top honors also went to Bill Imke of Tri-Mark (DSR of the Year) Martin Cowley (Hall of Fame Inductee), Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (Design and Construction), Jameel Burkett (Top Achievers: Dealer) Burkett Restaurant Equipment, Toledo, Ohio, Steve Carlson (Consultant) Robert Rippe & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., Brock Coleman (Service Agent) Commercial Kitchen Parts & Service, San Antonio, Texas and the University of WisconsinMadison Union South (Facility Design Project of the Year:) Madison, WI. The event was sponsored by Foodservice Equipment and Supplies Magazine. The Illinois based publication connects equipment and supply manufacturers and service providers with the full distribution channel including foodservice operators, E&S dealers and facility design consultants.

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Philbrook, from page 39 ness such as Campylobacter or Norovirus and attribute it to a flu bug and never report it. The cause of illnesses may never be definitively identified during an investigation so we may hear what the likely cause/source was. Based on confirmed reports the five major factors are: Purchasing food from unsafe sources Failing to cook food adequately Holding food at incorrect temperature Using contaminated equipment Practicing poor personal hygiene Active managerial control is both understanding and addressing these factors and developing methods and procedures that will address the needs of your operation. All facilities even chain restaurants that use the same kitchen layout will have unique characteristics. Vendors, local environmental conditions, staffing, skill and knowledge levels will always be a constant variable between two operations. Management addresses potential risks by evaluating the operation and developing policies and procedures that manage these risks. Key actions are monitoring the application of these policies and procedures to insure their effective implementation by the staff and verifying that they are still managing the risks. Updating as needed when they are not effective or when new regulations and science address new risks or the effectiveness of current procedures. The second system is HACCP which is misunderstood by many people who throw the acronym around in conversation and on marketing & advertising. It was initially developed for NASA to address the concerns of a food-borne illness occurring during a manned space flight. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a term that can describe a written plan that is part of a HACCP system. I am contacted often by companies who want me to give them a HACCP Plan because the regulatory agency says they need one. Many companies and stand alone op-

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HACCP plans can be developed around a single recipe like sushi rice or a similar process such as foods that are cooked and served. When something different happens in the process a new plan must be developed. erations will reach out and contract a reputable HACCP trained consultant to advise or assist in the development of the HACCP plan and implementation of a HACCP system. A consultant can assist, advise and mentor the HACCP team in the development of a HACCP plan and a HACCP system. Management should be aware that a HACCP plan is unique to your operation and requires input from you and your staff members. A consultant should have the knowledge and integrity not to provide a boilerplate plan and a bill for services rendered without working with the on-site staff to customize. A HACCP plan and system need to be built on the solid foundation of Prerequisite Programs (PRPs). Some examples of these programs are policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and sanitary standard operating procedures (SSOPs). These procedures and policies need to be in writing, implemented, and enforced by management. These would also be used in an active managerial control system previously mentioned; in fact if you currently had an effective program in place it would be much easier to build a HACCP system on it. These policies and procedures would include employee hygiene, cleaning and sanitizing, purchasing and receiving, pest control, etc. (these will be topics in future columns) Building on what

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is in place and is effective, the steps to develop a HACCP plan would be: • Establish a HACCP team that has representatives from key areas in the operation that handle food from delivery to service i.e. management, purchasing, culinary and service personnel. One individual should be trained in the principles of HACCP. Describe the food product and its intended use. How is it served? Do you serve high-risk populations? Construct a flow diagram of the food products and confirm its accuracy on site. Product comes in to the facility is stored, prepared, cooked and served. Some operations may prepare and cook in advance so there is a cooling and reheating step. Conduct a hazard analysis to determine the likelihood of biological, physical or chemical hazards affecting the food throughout its flow through your facilities and determine what has to be controlled. Realistically decide the likelihood of something happening and the severity/consequences if it does happen. Example: Chicken must be cooked properly because it is known to carry salmonella and it can cause sickness and potentially death or severe injury particularly to young

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adults, the elderly or immune compromised individuals. Determine what must be done to control the hazard, how it will be monitored and what needs to be done if it is not in control. Referencing the chicken above, you would cook it to 1650 F and monitor it with a thermometer and continue to cook it if it was under the correct temperature. Management or their designees would ensure that the procedures were being followed consistently and that records were being kept either in writing or electronically.

HACCP plans can be developed around a single recipe like sushi rice or a similar process such as foods that are cooked and served. When something different happens in the process a new plan must be developed. i.e. cooling cooked food and then reheating and serving. The regulatory guidelines have determined that certain processes that are similar to food manufacturing for storage & shelflife, i.e. smoking, curing, fermenting, vacuum-packaging and sous-vide, all require HACCP plans that are submitted for approval. The likelihood and severity of something not being controlled in the process is high ( i.e. Botulism). A HACCP plan is a document that when implemented and continually reviewed & updated, becomes an effective HACCP system. The best analogy is it is a battle plan that you change and update as needed to win the battle. There are many companies like mine that can assist with the development and implementation of a food safety management system and can also provide introductory and specialized training to meet the needs of your operation. As stated, columns that go into more depth in these different areas will be coming in future issues.

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Junoon, from page 41 steps do you take to make sure your wines are precisely controlled? We have two wine cellars in the restaurant capable of holding well over 10,000 bottles; a display cellar in the Main Dining Room and a storage cellar in the basement of the restaurant. Both cellars are temperature and humidity controlled, maintaining storage at 58 degrees with 70 percent humidity. What do you think is the most versatile wine and do you have any preferences for New World versus Old World wines? Choosing one particular wine as a finished product is difficult, however certain varietals are naturally more versatile and allow for a wide

range of expressions. One would be Riesling, offering everything from the bone-dry Alsatians to the unctuously sweet, nectar-like Sélections de Grains Nobles and German Eisweins. Another varietal would be the renowned Chenin Blanc of the Loire Valley, which manifests itself as highly acidic and dry in Savennières and delectably sweet in Bonnezeaux. While I personally tend to prefer French wines, I will ultimately choose a wine – whether Old or New World – according to what the food demands, and I am always eager to discover new upand-coming wine makers regardless of their origin. A 750 wine list can be a little frightening for a novice. Is Junoon’s wine

program built for a wine enthusiast? Our 750 titles undoubtedly make Junoon a destination for our wine-savvy guests. While we fully understand that such a large selection may be intimidating for some of our guests, the Junoon team (including 6 certified sommeliers) is prepared to expertly guide these guests through their selection process and hone in on their individual preferences. Also, our by the glass list is very intentionally designed to feature wines that complement our cuisine and serve as a general guideline. One of the many benefits of having such a large selection is that we are able to offer both the big-name Bordeaux and Burgundy classics as well as some beautifully made, lower priced, or lesser known wines. You need to know that your staff is knowledgeable about each type of wine on your list. How do you train and teach your staff? Rigorous training. At Junoon, we pride ourselves on having a staff that is extremely well versed not only in our cuisine, but also in wine, cocktails, and pairing. To maintain this level of knowledge, we offer our staff a full range of resources including wine and food tastings, regularly scheduled classes with examinations, and incentives to build their knowledge independently - sommelier certification among others. Consumers are savvier about wine markups more than ever and wine is a commodity. The nicer the restaurant, the higher the cost. How do you price your wine list and what’s your buying approach? As far as purchasing wine for the restaurant is concerned, I am always looking to fortify our list with some of the rare, limited production wines,

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including the classic Bordeaux and Burgundys that are well worth the higher cost. At the same time, the market is saturated with beautifully made, under-valued, and unnoticed wines that allow me to pass along their great value to our guests. I am a huge proponent of featuring $50 bottles that taste like $100 bottles. It is also not uncommon to offer wines not available to the general public. This requires a large initial investment to purchase the wine upon its release, but pays off ten-fold once the wine has fully matured and reached its ideal level of drinkability.

Call Vic Rose: 732-864-2220

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