FALL 2021, VOL. 16
IN THE MOMENT at
Single Thread
Fall
Harvest Celebrating our cornucopia of
great ingredients
Derek Powers Photo credit: Erika Cole
ONE WORLD 1 TO RO N TO
&
CACIQUE
THE
RISE AND SHINE OF
Jojo Ruiz CORO ARTISAN MEATS
Harvesting
by Bruce Luong
ESPITE THE MIXED EMOTIONS of this past summer, there is a lot to be happy about moving into the fall season. With business recovering quickly, CW has had the ability to serve our customers and the opportunity for our sales reps to build the business again.
The definition of the word ‘harvest’ means ‘to gather,’ which makes me think of how when our industry comes together we can do amazing things and conquer any challenge.
Resilience
CW Executive Vice President West Coast and Canada
D
I was very pleased with the way restaurants reopened at the rate they did during the spring and summer months. As well, CW rebounded much more quickly than I originally anticipated. I feel very fortunate in that, even through great challenges, CW was able to overcome a lot of labor shortages because our existing staff was so great at picking up the pieces. As the industry continues to recover this fall, a different type of ‘harvest’ is at hand; a time to gather strength, ability, and collaboration. We must continue to summon our resilience and work with what we have and make the most of it. The silver lining is that we discover what we have is more than enough; we surprise ourselves with the brilliance of what we can create.
The
Fall
The other side of gathering is relevant in CW’s product mix. We truly have the most amazing offerings for our customers. We curate such a specific type of high-quality product crafted by the best category specialists in the industry. We continue to meet with our vendors to learn about new products that we can bring to our customers. Regardless of obstacles, we are constantly reaching to add new line items so that you, our chefs, can continue to be innovative and flexible. The fall is one of my favorite seasons; a time to slow down and focus. As the weather cools and travel slows for a bit, it is a time to be around family and friends and enjoy all of the beautiful autumnal ingredients. It is also a time for celebrating each of our unique bounties, literally and figuratively. Finally, this is a great moment to get present to our gratitude for being far enough along this ‘unprecedented’ road that we can come together safely to the tables that nourish, sustain, and bring us joy. Happy Fall Everyone.
NORCAL
In the Moment at Single Thread, pg. 4 Touted as the new French Laundry, 3 Michelin starred Single Thread, in Healdsburg, CA thrives on its followed philosophy of ‘omotenashi’, anticipating every guest’s need. Grasp the magic of Owner Chef Kyle Connaughton and wife / farmer / owner Katina Connaughton’s ever-present and progressive moveable feast.
SOCAL
TEXAS
LAS VEGAS
8
14 Taste Chef Aaron Bludorn’s full-circle
22 Feast at ‘The Beast,’ Todd English’s
James Beard winner Jojo Ruiz (Lionfish and Serea) shares his recipe for success: talent, tenacity and working himself ‘to the bone.’
TORONTO
‘Chef Story’ with late great Anthony Bourdain and his classic, winning Houston venue.
PNW
12 Want sustainability with your cuisine? Look no 16 CEO’s Martinique Grigg and Clara Veniard
further than the zero waste menu from Chef Derek Power’s 1 Toronto.
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make it known charcuterie is equally a women’s game, with Seattle’s Coro Foods.
mind-blowing modern food hall at Area15, with Executive Chef Sani Hebaj.
INGREDIENT FEATURES Cacique, Crescendo, Allen Brothers, Coro Artisan Meats, CW Compostable Takeout and Supplies and Valrhona
Crescendo offers a complete line of pastry ingredients with a focus on innovation and value, without compromising quality. Key products include: a complete line of sweet and savory tart shells, pastry bags, frozen macarons, pastry mixes, fondants, edible wafers, decorative dusts, assorted vanilla products, gold leaf, finished desserts and much more!
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in the moment at SINGLE THREAD by Kelli Colaco
Five years after its opening, Single Thread, the Three Michelin Star and One Green Michelin Star accolade-a-plenty culinary unicorn of husband and wife team Chef Kyle and Farmer Katina Connaughton, is still on the tips of everybody’s lips.
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Guided by their trademark philosophy of Omotenashi (spirit of selfless hospitality), the talented team of Single Thread graces their guests with much more than mind-blowing, hyper-seasonal, 10 course dining experiences. What Kyle and Katina (and tribe) deliver is much more personal. Beyond the life-changing, skillfully crafted, whimsy-forward dishes, what they want you to be present to is yourself.
A conversation with “Single Thread” Owner-Chef
Kyle Connaughton
THE ONION FLOWER is the symbol and logo of Single Thread because it is the one vegetable that Single Thread’s 5 five acre farm can grow year-round. Echoing this, the symbolic un-peeling of the onion from the play Peer Gynt, by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, is a metaphor for peeling back the layers of our identity. How has Single Thread peeled back the layers of your identity as a chef and as a person? CKC: That’s really great question. That’s quite an opener! Katina and I opened Single Thread in our 40s, so we had a pretty big perspective. I started working in restaurants as a teenager in a sushi bar as soon as they would let me. Since then, I was lucky enough to work in a lot of great, diverse restaurants ranging from very classic Japanese cuisine at Michel Bras’ Toya Japan in Hokkaido, where I deepened my knowledge of kaiseki, izakaya, soba, and sushi, to California cuisine, to very Modernist cooking at The Fat Duck with Heston Blumenthal. In many ways, Single Thread is a combination of work and life experiences of living in Japan and Europe and being from California. I think this has allowed me as a chef and Katina as a farmer to really showcase exactly what our vision is. It was really great to spend time learning other people’s cuisine and other people’s voices and to then create our own.
Kyle & Katina’s Connection-Thread CKC: We’ve been on this journey together since we were 15 and 16 years old. We had our kids when we were very young. They traveled with us to Japan when we were in our 20s and then to England right afterward. We were in many ways all growing up together. We were really on this journey, the four of us, learning
and growing and figuring these things out. It’s kind of obvious how a chef and a farmer complement each other. However, we’ve also had this whole lifetime of shared experiences all over the world: dining at other fine dining restaurants and seeing what we like or don’t like, experiences about family, friendships, atmosphere, and about creating a certain narrative. We wanted to bring this feeling of warmth; to really feel like the restaurant was less like a Three Michelin Star restaurant and more like you’re going to a dinner party in someone’s home. I think the hospitality that we do is unique. The ‘single thread’ really stems from our long history of life experiences together.
Secret Ingredient
important thing is that we have balance. There isn’t one of us who is out of balance to the other because we’re each 100% reliant on the other. I’m 100% reliant on Katina and the farm, her farm team, and the results that they get. She’s 100% reliant on me to utilize the products responsibly and thoughtfully; in a way that aligns with her harvest in the season so we don’t waste anything. I think we push each other to do better. We can criticize each other in a really constructive way, that doesn’t have anything else attached. We both want the same thing which is the best for our guests and for our team. One thing that we both share historically is that we are both low stress, and just very calm, and generally always in a good mood. , This really helps when dealing with things that go wrong, which is frequent. We have 80 employees. The level is hard. Mistakes are happening all the time. We try to make sure that all of them turn into teaching moments to get better. But neither one of us has a volatile personality. In fact, we’re probably a little too chill. We present a very unified front to the team so that they see that there’s a lot of love and respect between us. Not, ‘Hey, they’re arguing in front of us and it’s awkward and uncomfortable.’ Or, ‘Hey if I don’t like what ‘mom’ says I’ll go and see what ‘dad’ says.’ Our team is aware of our respect and admiration for each other all the time.
The Devil’s in the Details. Nature or Nurture? CKC: I think it’s sort of more natural. My relationship with Japan and Japanese culture goes back to when I was nine years old growing up next to a big Japanese
CKC: The biggest thing is we’re best friends. We’re married and we’re partners, but we’re buds. We literally tell each other, ‘You’re my best friend’. Saying ‘I love you,’ is important but also saying, ‘You’re my best friend,’ is equally important. We actually want to hang out with each other. We have a lot of hobbies that we share. We enjoy food, traveling, our kids, and people. We do have somewhat different personalities. Katina is very nurturing. She’s full of empathy and compassion. I’m very ambitious and artistic and methodical. So we teach each other a lot, and we’ve become more like each other. We’ve really absorbed each other’s strengths. When it comes to the work the
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community in Los Angeles and then living in Japan as an adult. My parents were also doing business with people from Japan quite a bit when I was a kid. We even had their Japanese business partners, living with us for a bit. I was always just fascinated by, and in love with Japanese culture. What I was most drawn to was how important the craftsmanship and artistry were in all the different forms. Whether it was culinary, knife making, potters, or lacquerware artisans, this was always very attractive to me, how much people cared about their craft and about all the details. I also had great mentors who instilled this in me early on. I look at what we do at Single Thread less like running a restaurant every day and more like throwing a dinner party, and just wanting to get all details right. That’s just something that we’ve always loved; creating experiences for people. We love this in our personal lives as well. This is what drives both Katina and I. Oftentimes chefs are so focused on making amazing food, that the details of the guest’s experience are not really in focus. For us, first and foremost, we are hospitality people who want our guests to have a good experience and food is just one part of that experience.
This Chapter Of The Story. Now. CKC: I worked with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in the UK for five years. I ran all the R&D there. It was really fun because we would approach everything very creatively, sometimes like a fairy tale, and tell all these elaborate stories with the menu. It was really great to go to these lengths and add theatrical elements for the guests like, ‘Hey! We’re doing something special at your table tonight with liquid nitrogen!’ At Single Thread, we are really focused on the story we’re telling about today. This is today. This is what’s happening on our farm. This is what’s happening in Sonoma County. This is what’s in season. These are the flavors, the ingredients, the flowers of this moment, all around you. So you are partaking in something that is now. Something that was different yesterday and will be different tomorrow. This is today. We’re all here together. We have a lot of guests who come 4 to 8 times a year to experience the
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different micro seasons. You feel like you’re reading a different chapter of the story. We’re not trying to be too showy and certainly not gimmicky. Let the food and experience be a little bit more straightforward but to really give people almost permission to connect and be present.
Navigating The Three Michelin Star CKC: What we were doing the day before the Three Michelin Stars is the same as what we were doing the day after, and the same that we’re doing, almost two years later. Obviously, we’re always trying to evolve and get better, but by and large, we opened with a very specific vision. I’ve worked at Three Michelin Star restaurants for most of my career, so I understand the expectations, the level, and the consistency; the quality that needs to be maintained. Of course, it was thrilling receiving the stars. And there are also elements of it that become scary because things get real when you have something to lose. But we take it all in stride and I think we have the experience and the maturity to navigate those waters. But it’s not why we do what we do. Accolades are amazing, and we’re so thankful for them. They are incredible for the business and for the team to acknowledge, ‘Hey, this is something we’ve earned together!’ And then we have to come back here and achieve it every day. Because, what’s unique about Michelin is it’s not an award that you won for something that you did in the past and then you put it up on the shelf, like ‘That’s done.’ It’s not a Grammy, right? You have to earn it every day. There isn’t a day where we can be off our game. So, it’s nice to have that fire under you all the time. We just say everyone’s a Michelin Star inspector. Everyone is important. They’ve taken their time. They’ve taken their money and they’re invested in this experience. I don’t stress out so much in the dining room. We’re either doing a good enough job or we aren’t. Michelin Inspectors generally come about 15 times a year. We have 17 tables a night. So you do the math. It’s pretty frequent!
Covid Pivot Japanese Garden CKC: Last year when we had the initial closure we did a takeaway program that was incredibly creative, popular and fun. However, it was absolutely impossible from an economic standpoint to make it work. All we wanted out of it was to keep everyone employed and keep everyone’s benefits intact. So we did that which was really great. And then we partnered with our friends at Kistler Vineyards and did a four-month outdoor service in a tent: an Autumn Dinner Series in the vineyards, consisting of a 10-course menu paired with favorite wines from the region. The designer Ken Fulk, who’s now our business partner / designer in our new venture Little Saint in Healdsburg, CA, created this crazy Japanese forest in the wintertime and we built a menu centered around rustic Japanese style hotpot dining. It turned out to be exactly what people wanted. This type of cooking is kind of my area of expertise. I spent two years writing a cookbook (Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking) about it so we were kind of, you know, taking both the guests and our team on that journey, which was a lot of fun. Then we finally we moved back indoors, and now we’re back to doing what it is that we do. We’re very busy right now. We are booked out, every single day, every single table. It is just crazy and amazing.
Elevating With ‘Care’ CKC: I just think we’re really sensitive to what people want. What we’ve seen is that people really want to relax, they want to enjoy, they want to celebrate. They want to be removed from the stresses of all the stuff that’s going on right now. They want to be taken care of. They want to have fun. This is just consistent with what we have always done. When I greet a guest, as they’re coming into the restaurant and welcoming them, talking to them, I always say very naturally… intuitively, ‘Have fun tonight.’; just constantly reminding people that this is not a serious thing. They’re not here to experience, me or the restaurant. They’re here to experience themselves. People want and need to be taken care of. I think a lot of people feel very much on their own to figure things out and navigate the world, right now. It’s exhausting for all of us. So to have a place where people are genuinely here to take care of you feels good, it elevates the food and the wine and everything.
What It All Means CVC: We’re really big on mentorship here, trying to train the next generation of thoughtful leaders for the industry. It’s not like we’re curing disease or solving the world’s problems. But I ask myself, ‘What are we doing? What does it all mean?’ Of course, it’s our livelihoods and everything, but in the broader context, what we keep coming back to is people need moments in their life where they can just relax, enjoy something beautiful, connect with the seasons,
connect with the food. It’s not about us. This is about them. If you focus on having the guests have the most amazing experience they can, then all the things that you want out of it will come very naturally. Every night I get to watch people enjoying themselves: family getting together, old friends celebrating and reminiscing and laughing around the table. It’s so nice when they come into the kitchen and say, ‘Thank you for giving us the time and space to really
connect. I can’t remember the last time we just laughed like this and enjoyed an experience together.’ You know people will come in and say, ‘Oh, we really enjoyed the food’ and ‘Oh, your staff is so nice and attention to detail is great and just thanks for putting together an experience where we could just really be transported somewhere else’. This is what fuels me. Takes me a while to fall asleep because I am still excited about what happened that night at the restaurant. It is all very rewarding.
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The Rise and Shine of Jojo Ruiz Acclaimed James Beard Award-winning, Executive Chef Jojo Ruiz (Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine at The Pendry, and Seréa Coastal Cuisine at the Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, CA) is ‘notorious’ in SoCal as being the King of Sustainable Seafood. He also knows a hell of a lot about building cars and motorcycles and is a power yoga junkie.
Executive Chef
Jojo Ruiz
L I O N F I S H @ T H E P E N D RY H OT E L S E RẼA @ T H E H OT E L D E L C O R O NA D O SAN DIEGO
to working in stand-alone restaurants. Lionfish was in a hotel. The Director of Operations from corporate, whom I’d worked with at Brian Malarkey, approached me about Clique Restaurant Group. She said, “Listen this is a really good opportunity. You should talk to these guys.”
Raised in Chula Vista, CA, just down the block from downtown San Diego, Ruiz remembers visiting the tide pools at the beach as a kid with his grandparents. However, Chef Ruiz’s passion for seafood was born in the kitchen at Yokozuna’s Sushi Bar and Grill. His penchant for working harder than anybody else, along with his natural creative chef skills, fueled his rise from dishwasher at 15, to line cook at 16, and seafood butcher, sushi chef, and hot line cook by age 17. Jojo comments, ‘‘I’ve always been happy to work a 16-hour day back to back to back and be completely fine with it. That’s my strength. I’m very good at working myself almost to the bone.” Jojo credits his love of hard work to his father and grandfather.
Getting things done is Chef Jojo’s superpower. Being a James Beard Foundation Smart Catch Leader is a clear example of this. Smart Catch is an educational sustainable seafood program created by chefs for chefs with the purpose of increasing the sustainability of the seafood supply chain. Chef Jojo shares, “When it comes to sustainable seafood, it’s just doing your homework and asking your sales reps questions. It really comes down to what is good for the environment. In terms of wild seafood, how are they fishing it? What types of nets are they using? Making sure I’m not buying from a company that is overfishing. Using the best products but also the right products; taking responsibility as a chef to do your due diligence is key.”
After graduating from high school a year early, Jojo made a mad dash to the San Diego Culinary Institute. Prior to graduating culinary school, where he also taught the Fish Fabrication class, Jojo worked in three restaurants simultaneously. Needing to fulfill an extern position at a high-end venue to get his diploma, Jojo shot straight for the top. He explains, “I was watching the famous chef Chef Brian Malarkey on television, and thought, I want to try and work for this guy! So, I pushed in to see him at Oceanaire Restaurant. Halfway through the interview, Brian said, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna hire you!’ I was like, Wow! I was 20 years old and my first job out of culinary school was working with Brian Malarky at Oceanaire.” While working with Malarky, Jojo helped open Seersucker and Herringbone, among others, and in the midst of these efforts he caught the eye of the Clique Restaurant Group, which includes the restaurant Lionfish Coastal Cuisine. Ruiz explains, ‘At 22 years old, I didn’t really understand the progression of being a professional. I was used
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Hospitality: “Working with Andy and Clique has completely changed my life. It’s taught me a lot about how to communicate and how to become more business savvy. Andy is a great example of putting your money where your mouth is and going the extra mile to create the experience, beyond just being a mentor. We really trust each other when it comes to getting things done.”
After killing it in the interview-tasting with the Clique Restaurant Group, Ruiz was hired. He shares, ‘By joining Clique Restaurant Group I’ve gotten to opportunity work and create menus for up to four restaurants at a time. I grew up without a lot of money. We never went on fancy vacations or knew what a luxury hotel was. So this experience really helped to create a new reality andpersptive.
A personal favorite fish for the King of Sustainable Seafood? Jojo responds: “I like anchovies. I like sardines. I love mackerel. But a whole local yellowtail is just the best. When they are super fresh, they’re translucent, almost pink. When you get whole local yellowtail just out of the water, it’s just a different level of flavor. It’s almost sweet.”
When asked when he finds time to sleep, Chef Jojo, who is raising a three-year-old son and has another
Rounding out our time with ever-busy Chef Jojo, who’s currently building a ‘66 Impala in his spare time, he generously shared one of the favorite ingredient categories he enjoys buying from CW. “CW are the condiment kings!”, he offered, enthusiastically, adding, “The white truffle honey is delicious. The black garlic aged shoyu, the barrel aged fish sauces…you can pretty much get any
baby on the way with his wife, (Chefs’ Warehouse Rep Ashley Bonia,) replies, “Communication is key. Sleep is overrated. We drink really good coffee.”
cool condiment from The Chefs’ Warehouse, and Justin Lawson (VP Sales) is always introducing me to new ones.”
As chefs know, chemistry is everything in food as well as relationships. Ruiz gives his take on partnering with Andy Messiah, founder of Clique
SAN DIEGO
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We’re stewards of Center of Plate excellence with our ever expansive protein selection.
01 HAND CUT & PERFECTLY AGED USDA Choice, Upper 2/3 Black Angus Beef Our Black Angus cattle are raised by local Midwest family farmers and sourced within 250 miles from our harvest facility in Aberdeen, South Dakota. We offer corn-fed beef that is pasture and ranch raised. Allen Brothers USDA Choice - Upper 2/3 Black Angus Beef has a high degree of marbling in every tender bite.
02 TENDER, JUICY & FLAVORFUL Antibiotic Free Domestic Lamb Tender and juicy with a rich hearty flavor in every bite, Allen Brothers Antibiotic-Free Domestic Lamb is a decadent and delicious addition to any meal. Finding the right choice for your culinary experience is easier than ever. Perfectly aged and curated, these selections offer a melt in your mouth tenderness that never fails to excite.
03 THE PREMIER GRADE OF BEEF USDA Prime Beef Our team will meticulously sort through master cases to find loins within two pounds or less variance. Adhering to a specification this tight allows our customer to have the peace of mind that the steaks they cut will be just as consistent as if they are purchasing portion-controlled steaks from Allen Brothers.
04 THE WORLD’S FINEST SEAFOOD When considering the many options available for adding delicious seafood to your next meal or event, we offer some of the most beloved choices the sea has to offer. With our selection of premium seafood, every option has been procured and prepared to offer the freshest and most flavorful experience.
Available exclusively through The Chefs’ Warehouse 10 | ChefsWarehouse.com
waste can be wonderful
WITH CW’S COMPOSTABLE TAKEOUT & SUPPLIES COLLECTION Changing restaurant operations to be more sustainable is an evolution. Our day to day decisions impact our environment, our communities and our bottom line.
THINK BEYOND
At CW, our commitment to the environment goes beyond just the sustainability of our facilities and food products – it extends into our search for recyclable, compostable, renewable and sustainable options for takeout and kitchen supplies.
All of our actions matter.
THE FOOD An unfinished meal to-go can nourish our soils.
A take-out container with food scraps can be sent to the compost. It sounds hard, but it’s our job to figure it out. – Eco Products
EVERYDAY Affecting change a cup at a time.
IMPACT
From plates, bowls, soup containers, skewers, picks, straws, cutlery, cold cups and lids – we’ve sourced an array of cutting edge products, from bamboo, sugarcane, PLA plant based plastics and beyond to curtail environmental impacts and lean into a sustainable future.
Explore our full array of compostable options in our beautiful new CW Take Out and Supplies Catalog. Ask your sales rep!
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CANADA
ONE WORLD 1 TORONTO
EX EC U T I V E C H EF D ERE K POW E RS JR. 1 Hotel Toronto, 1 Kitchen Toronto, Flora Lounge and Harriet’s Toronto
by Sean Jeremy Palmer
It’s all clean eats. Simple foods. Nothing over the top. Stuff that you eat and feel good about is the goal.
H
is mom from Trinidad, his dad from Detroit, Executive Chef Derek Powers Jr. grew up in Los Angeles with spirit in the kitchen and a spoon and whisk in his
hands. His young culinary career has sent him through San Diego, Houston, Miami, Jersey, the Bahamas, Atlantic City, LA and now Toronto, where he’s leading
The 1 Toronto concept is astounding in its ambition. Tell us about it. 1 Hotels is a sustainable luxury hospitality brand, that encourages guests to preserve and protect the one world we live in. At the new Toronto property, we’re doing it step by step and the culinary programs play a major role. Our signature restaurant 1 Kitchen Toronto is where you’ll definitely see zero waste dishes. We aim to be as sustainable as possible by sourcing ingredients from small Ontario farms, and we’ve also partnered with local purveyors and producers, incorporating them into our monthly programming to help build a better sense of community.
the most anticipated fully sustainable kitchens at one of one of North America’s most esteemed addresses, in what is called “Canada’s coolest neighborhood”. Between a slew of openings and engagements, Chef Derek sat with CW Magazine to talk about his success.
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We are also the only hotel in Toronto to operate an extensive wet-waste compost program. If we end up having an extra few items that we’re not able to add into our dishes, or if a guest doesn’t finish their meal, we add it to our composter, turning that waste into nutrient dense soil that is used to cultivate the 3,300 plants throughout the hotel, and grow our beautiful on-property garden pavilion. We grow a variety of fresh herbs and produce onsite and use the fresh items in our kitchens. It’s a whole circular process.
Can you give us the anatomy of a zero waste dish? I think a great example is our Harvest Board; it’s literally like a garden. First, we source all item from within a 100km radius and put those items right on your table. You’ll see edible soil made of pumpernickel and greens from our partner farm. Some beautiful seasonal veggies from our garden, farm radishes, heirloom carrots, and three dips that we rotate in: a foraged mushroom pâte, an herb tahini and a Romanesco. As I mentioned earlier, what doesn’t get eaten is diverted to our onsite composter, which helps grow our herbs and produce we use for the next harvest board.
What are your guilty pleasures? I love sandwiches. My new thing is all dressed chips - which I discovered when I moved to Toronto. I’m not picky. Occasional Thai food here and there, sometimes a burger.
New Jersey, we had an all black brigade that just happened out of nowhere. And then the team I inherited here in Toronto, same thing, a very diverse group of talented men and women. We have cultures from the Philippines, India, Bangladesh.
And how does CW support your kitchens?
And what are your goals with all this?
Honestly, I’ve been working with CW for over 10 years now, from my time in LA. So wherever I’ve been, I always wanted to make sure they are a part of my team and it’s been the same success out here in Toronto. I love the reps, everybody’s been very accommodating. They’re awesome.
How does the focus on plant-based sustainability affect you in terms of your own diet?
You’re from Los Angeles, so your Canada story is also an American one. Can you speak to diversity in the kitchen?
Right now, I’m opening three restaurants I have to admit it’s hard. I literally live off espresso and water.
I am very fortunate that growing in the industry, I’ve seen us all come up. It was really cool in
With five dining concepts on property, we’re able to cater to a range of guests and palettes. 1 Kitchen Toronto and Flora Lounge celebrate the bounty of Ontario. Our rooftop concept, Harriett’s Toronto by The h.wood Group, just opened with menu that focuses incredible cocktails and Japanese dishes. Coming soon is Casa Madera, which takes a modern approach to traditional Mexican cuisine. While all of our restaurants offer distinct experience, our goal is to ensure our guests eat mindfully and well.
Fall 2021 | 13
Chef Stories
with
Chef Aaron Bludorn
Bludorn Restaurant, Houston, TX
I was working as a dishwasher at 15-years old in a tiny diner in my hometown of Bainbridge Island, Washington, a small island right across the Puget Sound. The diner would cater to a lot of the ferry traffic. The day tourists would come over to the island just to walk around our little town. They’d come in and eat with us and take the ferry back. My friend had just given me the book Kitchen Confidential. Reading that book was such a huge part of my excitement of doing what I was doing at the diner; working a busy service, getting tipped out by the waiters and, everything else in between. I loved it--the team atmosphere that restaurants have. The ‘we’re all in this together,’ of it all. In Kitchen Confidential Anthony Bourdain talks about ‘lifers’. I was just sort of enamored that that was a way to live. I remember standing out in the back of the diner with the owner and she brought up this term that Bourdain used. ‘Lifers’. I’ll never forget that. If I was to trace it back to one moment where I realized that this was a possibility for me as a career, that was the moment. I’ve actually had some pretty amazing moments with Anthony Bourdain since then. Like the day before I went to culinary school, I went to a book signing of his Les Halles Cookbook. I told him I was going to the CIA the very next day and shared with him what a big influence he’d had on me. He laughed and smiled at this and signed my book ‘Chefs Rule.’ Then, years later when I was Executive Chef at Café Boulud, Bourdain was sitting on the terrace with his daughter. I went out and re-introduced myself and we had a great conversation. I told him about the ‘lifers’ story and the book signing moment. All those years, and there he was eating in the restaurant where I was Executive Chef. I told him how much he had influenced my career. He was so gracious and offered any help that he could. You could tell that he loved chefs. He might not have loved a lot of things in his life but his love of chefs was clear. Telling him that story, bringing it all together for both of us, was a great moment. The definition of full circle.
Mer-i-toc-racy Definition: (Noun) Holding of power by people selected on the basis of their ability Having been on the board of Careers to Culinary Arts Program in NYC, I am eager to find a similar iteration in here in Texas. I am obsessed with the fact that our business is a meritocracy. You get out of it what you put into it. I always say it’s like putting money in a bank. I always tell young chefs, if you’re
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HOUSTON
TOP: Quail, BOTTOM LEFT: Chef Bludorn’s Baked Alaska.
a hard worker, do what you’re told, show up for work every day and have some basic talent, one day you can one day be me. It’s not based on anything but hard work in most cases in our industry.
family. In some cases, it’s people’s first family.
pretty quick, because you’re not gonna have very many guests.
It’s All in the Listening at Bludorn
Kids that come from underserved communities don’t realize that jobs like this are out there for them. Not all families have the means to send their kids to college. And you don’t necessarily have to go to college to be successful in the culinary world. But you do have to have upward mobility. Being involved in C.C.A.P. gave me the opportunity to expose kids to what can be possible for them. Restaurants are also family-based. Your kitchen is your second
Ten years ago if you’d asked me if I’d be in Houston, Texas, there’s no way I would have said yes. But you’ve got to be nimble. You learn early as a chef you have to listen. You’ve got to take your ego out of it. You’re not cooking for yourself. At least most successful chefs aren’t. They’re not cooking to show what kind of special techniques they picked up in their career. You are cooking for the guests. You can cook for yourself but I tell you, it’s gonna be
At Bludhorn we’re very much here for our guests the minute they walk in the front door. This is what makes our restaurants successful. I wanted to build a restaurant that was an instant classic with elements of the restaurant that feel like they have been here for years, but at the same time, all feel very new. That’s what we set out to do. Fortunately despite the obvious challenges of the past two years, we are doing very well.
Fall 2021 | 15
She Said:
CORO ARTISAN MEATS
SEATTLE
She Said,
THE HARMONY OF oro, the Italian word for chorus, is a metaphor for not only the chorus of non-traditional flavors in Coro meats but also the chorus of voices that come together to bring Coro to the world.
C
CEOs Clara Veniard and Martinique Grigg are moms, makers, and longtime friends. Their passion for food drives them to continuously taste, experiment, and improve. Check out our Q&A to discover the unique harmony and innovation of this dynamic she-duo of charcuterie.
How did you meet? CLARA: We’ve been close friends for over a decade. We went to the same college and graduate school (Dartmouth and Harvard Business School) but we actually met for the first time while skiing on Mount Baker Mountain in Washington State. We like to say it is our passion for life and food that really brought us together. MARTINIQUE: As we struck up a natural friendship, our professional aspirations started to come to the surface. We were both in the same phase of life, both moms of elementary school-aged children. We each have a business background and a passion for creating products, and we’ve always bonded over getting our families together to break bread. This has always been a big part of our friendship story. Clara is originally from Argentina and used to have an empanada business. She also edited cookbooks for James Beard Award-winning chefs. CLARA: When I came into this, a lot of my family and my friends in Argentina, knowing my personal passions and family’s background, were like, ‘Oh my gosh! Finally, you’re back where you truly belong.’
How did salami become your purveyor destiny? MARTINIQUE: We knew we had this love of food so we started looking in the Seattle area for what would excite us. CLARA: We are both big fans of making charcuterie boards and grazing boards. We noticed the charcuterie aisle didn’t have the same creativity and richness that you see in cheese, chocolate, coffee and craft beer. MARTINIQUE: All these crazy inventive flavors were being offered in those categories. However, in cured meats, there were a lot of opportunities to bring what we love to the table, ‘Invention with Intention,’ to create an intentional workplace environment.’
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How did you make the dream a reality? MARTINIQUE: We started having conversations with different companies in the area. We found the company Salumi and the family was looking to retire. We knew about their amazing products.
MARTINIQUE: Neither of us are strangers to being the only woman in the room from our business school and professional experiences. This actually really motivates us. We might be the one, if not the only certified “woman owned” charcuterie business out there. (I can think of one other female CEO running a charcutier company, but I’m not aware of any other certified female owned charcuterie businesses).
CLARA: Everything really matched up perfectly so we took over the business and apprenticed with the family to learn the craft and trade. Then we basically took it to the next level.
CLARA: It’s one of our core values to create pathways for underrepresented genders.
Please speak to Coro salami being delightfully casing-free.
What should chefs know about Coro?
CLARA: So the salami gets put into a casing for fermentation and aging.
MARTINIQUE: Our bold and delicious flavor profiles really set us apart. Once someone tastes our salami they keep coming back for more. In addition to inventive flavors, we create with intentional ingredients, process and practices. We source the highest quality pork from a collective of family farms that are American humane certified. The pork is never ever treated with antibiotics and vegetarian fed. Our ingredients are all natural, including our cure which is a proprietary all natural cure we developed. And we’ve fine-tuned our dry cure and fermentation processes to ensure the slow aging brings out the richness of our flavors but also maintains our high standards for consistent quality.
MARTINIQUE: But what we heard from people is the confusion about whether they should eat the casing or not. Because after aging process, the casing does not have a role. CLARA: I remember my 87-year old father eating a salami sandwich. Whoever made it hadn’t removed the casing. So the entire time, my Dad was picking casing out of his teeth and he had a little pile going. And I thought, no, we can’t be doing this with our product. MARTINIQUE: So we took the step of peeling it to make it easier for our consumers to enjoy. It’s funny how people stick to the practice of something just because that’s the way it has always been. You can’t have progress this way.
CLARA: We really believe that all these factors affect the flavors of Coro products. We also pride ourselves in our labor practices and how we run our company. We believe how you treat your employees affects how they show up to work. You have to have people that really love what they’re doing.
CW greatly supports the ongoing paradigm shift of women rising in culinary. Anything to offer about how women can kick-ass in charcuterie just as well as the ‘men folk?’
MARTINIQUE: To sum it all up, if you want something different that’s really going to surprise and delight your customers as soon as they put it in their mouths; something they’ve never experienced before, then Coro is for you. And the final benefit is that you’re supporting a company that cares about the practices and ingredients that they use and how they treat people.
Fall 2021 | 17
Pastry Solutions with CW Corporate Pastry Chef
François Mellet
At The Chefs’ Warehouse, we have a deep respect for the people we work with across the industry. Our passion for food, dedication to excellence in our product offerings, and client support are at the core of everything we do. We are still in quite challenging times for the food industry in general. Unfortunately, the first area that feels the impact is the bakery and pastry kitchen. Just when it was getting better, the new challenges presented by the Delta Variant of Covid have stalled the return of pastry as it existed pre-pandemic. Some positive news is that many pastry chefs are getting back to work, so at least there appears to be some light on the horizon. If there is one thing these unprecedented times are teaching us, it is to be flexible and prepared to shift as necessary. This is often an opportunity to learn and rediscover. For instance, chocolate is one of our strongest categories at CW and since a lot of pastry chefs are not currently buying chocolate in the same way, we are increasing our focus on providing additional quality pastry solutions to many kitchens that are in need. We have also done some shifting to quality domestic ingredients. With containers being delayed due manufacturers not having enough labor, shipments are taking substantially longer, and raw materials are not easily available. Therefore, we are looking for quality domestic options that are easier handle.
A good example of this is our new Crescendo Chocolate Dessert Mousse Program (featured in CW Magazine SpringSummer 2021) created by using premium ingredients and manufactured with a local partner. This is a product that’s both domestic and high-end. The idea behind the Chocolate Crescendo Dessert Mousse Program is to give whoever’s in the kitchen the freedom of decorating the plate the way they want it and make the dessert their own. This results in a positive pivot to domestic through collaboration and resourcing. We continue to respond to our current circumstances by putting ourselves in our customers positions on a technical level to understand what they are facing. If it’s a high-end kitchen with a skilled chef who just needs support, we can offer scratch ingredients. If the business doesn’t have a designated pastry chef, we can go one step further and offer some of our excellent ease-of-use solutions that are very simple to put together. We have tart shells, ready-to-use glazes, gelato and ready-to-bake breakfast pastries. We also offer several outstanding bread programs. We have the solutions! As this new season comes into focus we will continue to proceed as we always have--respecting the people and the product, staying passionate about what we do and maintaining our integrity. Happy Fall, everyone!
– CW Corporate Pastry Chef, François Mellet 18 | ChefsWarehouse.com
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Fall2021 2021||19 19 Spring / Summer
for all seasons
From the Roof Garden at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, to the Italian gem that is Campo Fina in Healdsburg, to the festive Lamp Light Lounge outside of Disneyland, Cacique ‘Autentico Essentials are being utilized as delicious and reliable components in a myriad of diverse menus. For generations, Cacique ingredients have inspired treasured recipes shared with family and friends. At the table, the warm aroma fills the air while bursts of laughter bring everyone closer. From joys to sorrow, the kitchen table bears the patina of the fullness of life. Cacique is honored and humbled to take part.
A pure rich and creamy taste with an ever so slight tinge of buttery sweetness. Cacique’s Crema Mexicana is an everyday table cream that has a neutral freshtasting flavor, similar in consistency to crème fraiche. It’s pourable, rich, silky texture creates a shiny, white lace over your dishes.
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Cacique Vegetarian Enchiladas Mexicanas
Prep Time: 30 Min Cook Time: 10 Min Serving Size: 4
THE FOLLOWING RECIPE is a vibrantly flavorful vegetarian option for your restaurant. The dish is also a wonderful take-away or a ‘bake at home’ option for your guests’ convenience. Finally, as chefs are well aware, vegetarian dishes with layered flavor profiles that include satisfying elements such as Cacique Queso Fresco and Crema Mexicana quickly become menu favorites and are friendly to your ‘bottom line.’ A muy sabroso win-win!
For Filling
How To Make It
2 cups corn oil
In a pot, boil all of the ingredients for the red chile sauce until everything is soft, approximately 30 min. Combine in blender, then pour sauce through a strainer into a pot. Add the agave nectar and salt to taste. (Add water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.)
8 corn tortillas I package Cacique Queso Fresco 1 cup diced white onion 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
For Red Chile Sauce 4 Ancho chiles 6 Guajillo chiles 1 large tomato 3 cloves garlic 1/2 white onion
Cabbage Slaw 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced 1/2 cup sliced red onion, pickled 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lime
For the enchilada filling, combine a package of Cacique Queso Fresco with the diced white onion and chopped cilantro. In a separate saute pan, heat a 1/4 inch of corn oil. Dip each tortilla in the oil and cook until softened. Take each tortilla and fill with about 2 tablespoons of queso fresco filling, then roll each enchilada and reserve. For the potatoes and carrots, cook in a saute pan with 1/2 cup of chile puree until the vegetables are al dente. For the cabbage slaw, combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt to taste. To build the dish, place each enchilada on the plate, ladle the chile sauce over each one, top with potato and carrot mixture, cabbage slaw, Cacique Queso Fresco, and drizzle with Cacique Crema Mexicana.
Fall 2021 | 21
‘The Beast’ of the Feast
with Todd English and Executive Chef Sani Hebaj
THE BEAST, located in immersive Entertainment Complex Area15, off the strip in L.V. is a techno-vibrant food hall created by four-time James Beard Awardwinner Todd English, and boasts a high-end ‘wizard behind its culinary curtain’ in Executive Chef Sani Hebaj. Accustomed to serving his beautiful creations on Bernadotte china at his previous Executive Chef gig at The Plaza Hotel in NYC, Chef Hebaj, a New York native, shared how his classical training benefits his current culinary adventure. ‘We’re using the same techniques at The Beast as I’ve used before, but our plating here is very whimsical, wild, and eccentric. The dark room here, the aesthetics, the visuals, the music, the lights….we have so much going on and want the food to be as fun as the unique environment. Todd’s always thinking of wacky things to do and constantly has new ideas. He’s texted me about six times this morning already. We try to add a little bit of craziness to the menu wherever we can. We like to call it Mad Max meets Burning Man.’ Sani, who comes from a multi-generation culinary family (including his two sisters and brother-in-law) studied at Culinary Arts & Sciences at California Academy. Having moved to Las Vegas from NYC for the unique Executive Chef position at The Beast, Chef Sani cheekily shared
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one of his favorite aspects of the geographical change up, ‘I’ve lived here for about nine months now and I have to say one of the best parts about being in Vegas is the commute. It’s wonderful. Getting to work is super easy!’ The Beast team, comprised of 130 employees, with 34 of them in the kitchen, has to fire on all cylinders to successfully deliver the expansive, ‘something for everybody’ menu. ‘It always shocks people when they try the food here because they’re not expecting this level of quality inside of Area15. They’re like ‘Oh my God, I’ve been to all the top places in Las Vegas, and this has the best food and service.’ And I’m just like, ‘Wow, that’s a great compliment to get’ offered Hebaj. The Beast’s food hall, Chef Hebaj shared, is more like a restaurant with high-level food hall offerings. It has a bespoke ‘Beast’ for everybody, including ‘Belly of the Beast Pizza’ with topping options like Peking Duck or Smoked
Mushroom with Camembert. There’s ‘The Beast Breath Smoke House’ featuring skewers of Wagyu Beef, Black Dry Rub Brisket, Smoked Short Rib Churrasco, as well as off-the-chain ‘Beast Burgers’ like The Amsterdam Burger with house pastrami, gruyere, and kraut. For cravings from the Far East, there’s ‘Wok Wok’ with stellar umami dishes like Singapore Street Noodles and Pineapple Fried Rice. For those needing their pasta fancies satisfied, ‘Pasta Beast’ offers authentic staples like Truffle Cacio e Pepe over Pappardelle with Toasted Garlic. Black Bean Burgers with mango ketchup and deluxe Impossible Burgers delight the plant-based folks at ‘Veggie Beast.’ You can also get your fiesta on with a Beef Birria Queso Taco with Consommé (among others) at ‘Space Taco.’ The Beast’s Korean Corn Dogs are said to be life-changing. Of course, the bar menu is a world of its own. And for those with a sweet tooth, Old Fashioned Hand Dipped Donuts lead the colorful dessert parade.
LAS VEGAS
Chef Hebaj commented on the beastly stimuli of his new venue. ‘Being from NYC I love all the noise and lights here. I like it much more than a quiet atmosphere. I’m that type of personality where I always need noise. I actually fall asleep with loud music in my headphones at night. Growing up in Brooklyn, our family home was on a path with all the emergency vehicles, so the ambulances would constantly just drive outside of my window all night back when there was no air conditioning. So I actually find all the stimuli kind of calming. Having opened at the peak of the pandemic in February 2021 and doing 1000 covers a day at only 25% capacity(!), The Beast team are no strangers to thriving under pressure. As with most venues, Chef Hebaj relayed his current challenges in ingredients supply and kindly commented on his gratitude towards his hardworking CW Sales Manager Jessica Gordon. ‘Jessica has been amazing. She’s brought in all these exciting ingredients like Black Garlic Shoyu which I’m really excited to use. She really goes the extra mile in terms of her support and understanding of our needs. She even stocked up burgers in her freezer to make sure I wouldn’t run out because we were selling over 1000 a week. Now that’s service.’ As we all know in this industry the right ingredients at the right time are everything. It is clear Chef Sani Hebaj is exactly the right ‘ingredient’ and collaborator for The Beast at Area15. When asked if he planned to move back to NYC, Chef Hebaj responded enthusiastically, ‘Who knows? I’m on an adventure! I’m starting to think about living and working in China.’ After mastering a power-packed venue like ‘The Beast,’ clearly the sky’s the limit.
Spring / Summer 2021 | 23
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cs@valrhona-selection.com · (718) 522-7001 · www.valrhona.us · @valrhonausa · @norohyvanille
