GOING INTO THIS FALL, with kids going back to school and people transitioning from being out on vacation to staying in their home cities, taking a break and enjoying one’s self becomes about dining out. Obviously this is great news in our industry, as well as another step towards normalcy after the heavily unpredictable nature of the past couple of years. With the confidence of being able to depend much more on the regularity of diners, chefs can get back to focusing more on being creative with their menus, rather than worrying about if people are coming back or not.
In terms of supply chain issues, it’s reassuring that items are reliable on the domestic side. Despite continuing to see inconsistency in terms of receiving international supplies, we anticipate things will begin to get back to more normal levels as folks continue to return back to work and people return to dining out in full capacity both locally and globally.
One of the great ways CW supports our customers is by offering myriad options –-sourcing quality products that are available for their kitchens, as well as introducing new ingredients to chefs that
can truly revitalize their menus. CW’s winning formula of providing ‘chef to chef’ expert service, with the majority of our sales team having chef backgrounds, offers an unparalleled kind of partnership. Fostering rich relationships with our chefs also helps us get through whatever challenges that come our way, like the ebb and flow of a recession, together.
As the fall season ushers in, I am once again conscious of how very fortunate we are to live on the West Coast where the majority of produce is grown right in our region and harvested this time of year. It is always exciting to see chefs pivot their menus with autumnal creations utilizing the fruits and vegetables in season from local markets, such as the CW Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica that reaches our West Coast chefs very quickly, often within hours from being picked.
As we move towards Thanksgiving, I’m most thankful for the people, our team at The Chefs’ Warehouse West Coast and Canada. It is an understatement to say our people are great. This dynamic group of dedicated and talented individuals really makes our current business what it is today.
Speaking of gratitude, this past year, like with so many markets, CW has had operational struggles, whether due to labor shortages or moving to new warehouses and so forth. I’m very thankful to you, our loyal customers, for being patient with us as we’ve navigated challenges that came our way following the pandemic.
I am very proud to say that CW West Coast and Canada are better now than we have ever been. We simply would not be here without your patience and understanding. We are excited and ready to offer you the best service in the industry and to help your business grow. Here’s to all of us reaping the harvest of our collective resilience, hard work and creativity! Happy Fall everyone!
CW’s winning formula of providing ‘chef to chef’ expert service offers an unparalleled kind of partnership.
It is always exciting to see chefs pivot their menus with autumnal creations utilizing the fruits and vegetables in season from local markets, like the CW Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica that reaches our West Coast chefs very quickly, often within hours from being picked.
andy Tran, the fresh new Executive Pastry Chef/Chocolatier of arty-cool andSons Chocolatiers in Beverly Hills CA, perfected her pastry chef talents at Thomas Keller’s, The French Laundry (and with CIA Greystone and Mainland Inn, PA as well). Tran’s ‘keep striving for the best attitude,’ think out-of-the-box creativity, along with her BA in Social Ecology (the study of how individuals interact with and respond to the environment around them) from U.C. Irvine, make her the ideal new Executive Pastry Chef/Chocolatier to take andSons to the next exciting couverture level.
Despite cherishing being an integral part of the team of The French Laundry, when ‘Rona’ hit and the world shut down, Sandy, and her fellow chef husband Izra took the cue to move closer to family in Orange County with their beautiful baby son Asher in tow.
As fate would have it, not long after their relocation, Sandy and her husband stumbled into andSon’s in Beverly Hills where she soon found herself in conversation with own er-brothers Marc and Phil Covitz regarding the possibility of her jumping in as their Executive Pastry Chef/Chocolatier.
andSons, opened by ‘the mensches’ as Sandy calls them, in 2019, is a second-generation chocolate business. The first, Teuscher, Swiss Chocolate Chocolatier was owned and operated by their mother Aviva Covitz for 35 years and was a much-savored location for decadence on the corner of Camden and Brighton in Beverly Hills for decades.
andSons, which like Sandy, is still in the early stages of its trajectory, offers an ideal canvas for the smart and talented chocolatier due to its uniquely modern, eclectic vibe founded in the highest level of chocolate procurement.
With big plans in the mix and the holiday season soon
approaching, CW Magazine caught a minute with creatively conscious Sandy Tran for a fresh and evocative conversation as enticing as her andSon’s bonbons.
The “why do you do what you do” question.
I’m an instant gratification kind of person. Being able to produce something with my hands and see the result of my labor is what really drives me. There’s a science that’s very sat isfying when all the chemistry works out in your favor; once everything is tempered correctly and lines up like soldiers, you get that excellent shine. I like to have full control over the process. Knocking out a tray of chocolates is literally the best thing in the world.
Just like Adam Driver doesn’t ever watch himself in his movies, once I make a tray of chocolate I’m like. ‘This is really great. Let’s move on!’ I want it to be enjoyed right there in that second in its purest form. I love to see the reactions when people go, ‘Oooh,’ or even, ‘Yuck!’ Whatever the reaction, like the chocolate, it’s gone and it’s fleeting. It’s wonderful because then you just get to start over. And then it’s, ‘Okay, how can I do this better?’
S Sandy Tran by Kelli Colaco
Speaking of ‘the force,’ what’s your superpower?
The ability to always question myself. A lot of this comes from my training at ‘the Laundry,’ where you know, we’d use this word ‘Kaizen,’ (Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning change for the better or continuous improvement. ) Thomas would say, ‘You can never achieve perfection just the joy and pursuit of it.’ It’s just being superfluid, never thinking that you’re done and never stopping.
Being a Social Ecologist, how’d you compare the environments of The French Laundry to andSons?
The ‘Laundry’ is its own special little place. From the second you enter, you put on the jacket and the blue apron, and the culture is instilled in you. You just know this is a different place. You can’t help but be swept up in it. It changes you as a person.
The difference here at andSons is that I’m in charge. It’s up to me to develop the company culture and strive for perfection. The team here really resonates with that kind of drive.
The fresh seasonal flavor of andSons ‘time capsules’
The fact that we’re in Los Angeles is kind of huge. I love our home state. I’m born and raised in California. Our produce is exceptional. I can say with full confidence that I think Santa Monica Farmers Market is the best farmers’ market in the country. In terms of what we create here, all of that quality selection translates to our product right? Strawberries, peaches, apricots whatever’s in season, that’s what we’re bringing in. What’s really nice about confec tions is that it’s a form of preserving fruit jam. andSons
has grown to a point where we’re creating as seasonally as possible. This is the main thing we really want to push; preserving our fruit-oriented bonbon when the fruit is at its height of flavor. You’re going to want a peanut butter and strawberry jelly bonbon in September. But you’re probably gonna really want one in January. So, when I put a strawberry in the bonbon, you best believe it’s a fresh farmer’s market strawberry going in and not a frozen product from a pack. The fresh seasonal flavor of the fruit is palpable. That’s the beauty of confection. They’re hermetically sealed and preserved.
O Noble Valrhona. Tran’s chocolate of choice.
There’s a lot of different couverture but Valrhona is particularly wonderful because they’re very consistent. It is also important to us that they are a B Corp (B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. ) Working with an ethical company that ensures they are sourcing from farms not involved in slave labor, or child labor, and paying farmers a decent wage is really important to what we’re doing. We use Clover Cream for that exact same reason. We like to align our selves with B Corps. because I can rest assured knowing we’ve done our due diligence. You gotta think about our future. It’s an uncertain time. We have to be thinking in this way in everything we do. And not everybody does.
All the leaves are brown and the sky is a pleasing 75 degrees in SoCal. But, do you have plans for what you might be procuring for fall?
This is my first season taking over so we’re in the baby
infant planning stages. We haven’t made it official but I can drop a few hints. One of my cooks had this like wonderful idea to work with a local baker to celebrate the Hispanic roots in L.A. and incorporate authentic Mexican flavors of orange, cinnamon, fennel, and fennel pollen.
As a chef, I claim this holiday from all of my family members every year. I’m also married to a chef so we go big. We’ve been working in restaurants most of the time so you only really get the day of Thanksgiving off to prepare. So, we get up early and do everything the morning of. You have to have a real plan. We go super traditional. All of our family friends and family come together. My entire family is spread around Orange County and Long Beach so Thanksgiving is always a really special time.
Last words about the ‘mensches’ of andSons and this opportunity in general?
They pulled me in with their good energy. Good energy is what comes first for me. I want to work with the people who would save the puppy on the side of the freeway. I was actually researching all the different brands and looking at andSons product, packaging and story and I liked their whole business and thought to myself, ‘One day if I had a chocolate shop, I’d want it to be like andSons. There’s validity and legitimacy to having something passed down from generation to generation. I could not find myself with a better company to align my goals with. We’re new together, but Mark and Phil have shown me nothing but good vibes and full support. So, I’m all about it.
“Zucchini is in full blossom. All of the flowers are opening up and we’ve got about seven large plants that I look for a great yield. Ten pounds of garlic scapes have been pulled,” he says, “while radish es and carrots have been harvested and replant ed, and the garden peas grow out of control; a beautiful thing. Finishing herbs: parsley, marjoram; varieties of lettuce--flat leaf, red, romaine,” Dean Fast adds. He remembers the aesthetics: the orchids and bachelor buttons. “A lot of different, nice finishers go a long way on the plate.” His list goes on and on.
by Sean Jeremy Palmer“I’m missing a few for sure. We’ll be picking food and garnishes right out of the garden the after noon before they get served on the salads, and vegetables for the entrees that night.”
For the fall season’s changing menus, culinary inspiration can come from a lot of places. For Rouge Restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine Dean Fast, that inspiration comes from the garden. One of Calgary’s most celebrated restaurants since its opening in 2003, it boasts a host of accolades – Top 10 Restaurant in Calgary, the world’s top 100 restaurants and Alberta’s best fine-dining restaurant. Chef Dean discusses how Alberta’s short seasons influence the seasonality of his “Seasonsmenu.
are tough here in Calgary. We have really short growth periods. Even with the amount of space that we have in our garden, we’re still limited to what we can provide on the plate, based on volume and how much we can plant and utilize. What I like to do is structure our menus, which revolve around the wild harvest, so it has a bit of a “Everyfoundation.”dishcan
be changed based on what’s com ing out of the ground today or tomorrow or in this
season,” Dean continues. “For example, I have this rabbit ravioli made with spinach, fava beans, and a cream sauce underneath--that’s changed into Swiss chard when spinach isn’t available and fava beans can become peas. There’s a foundation, a cement block to the dish; those side ingredients that help tell the story, change daily and season ally with what’s available at that peak moment. So we optimize freshness and availability and are able to highlight different areas of the garden.”
I ask Dean to take me down his road to the kitchen.
“I grew up just outside Winnipeg in Portage la Prairie, a small town,” he answers. “It wasn’t hard for me to make a decision to leave, and I kind of came out here just looking for something different. I was drawn by the mountains, of course, like most people are.”
Dean’s culinary journey begins at 14, working the kitchen at a Pizza Hut and evolves to shuttling between kitchens in Jasper so he can snowboard, to a chef’s apprenticeship in a Manitoba hotel, where he falls in love with the work, the effort, the response one gets from hospitality, and pleasing “Itguests.just
clicked,” Dean says. “It’s just not a job to me. It’s a lifestyle. I found that out really young and early in my career. And I think that’s really helped me to develop, grow and understand what it takes to be successful.”
The Canadian source of Rouge Restaurant’s effervescent blush is found just behind the historic red-painted 19th-century Cross House, in the massive one-acre garden where many of the best ingredients from their refined farm-to-fork menu are grown. Chef de Cuisine Dean Fast talks me through its late summer season’s harvest.In my early years, it was for pastry and chocolate; once I arrived at Rouge, I realized there’s a whole lot more that they bring to the table, and quality and freshness is as important to them as it is to me.
Our gardens can only support so many guests, so we try to make sure that those items can be matched with CW, to facilitate the amount of volumes we have. And when I’m receiving orders and looking things over, it brings me almost as much joy as when I’m picking things out of the garden.
Dean started with Rouge in September 2020, and marking his two-year anniversary he speaks of his tenure. “The transition was very easy for me because this was all very familiar,” he says referencing his decade plus experience at Q Haute Cuisine – a like minded restaurant in the city with similar service style.
“The timing was right. And the fit seemed perfect. It’s exciting to join a team like this with all the accolades that you mentioned--the garden, the opportunity for growth, the chance to develop my style.”
And Dean’s thoughts return to the garden. I ask how he balances his chef/gardener hats.
“It can certainly be tough. We have a small team and I’m a very hands on chef. I’m probably the first one in and last one out five days out the six that I work. So, trying to make time to get out and really care for the garden is a struggle, but it’s one that’s really worth the work.”
And what goes into its planning?
“Paul Rogalski, one of the owners here, we sit down and strategize: What do we wanna plant this year? Where is it gonna go in the garden for best opportunity? How are we gonna be able to recycle
the space properly? There’s a lot of thought and strategy that goes in before the hard work and the muscle of, you know, weeding, planting, and re seeding. And I try to utilize the guys in the kitchen as well to make sure that everybody spends a little bit of time in the garden.”
Dean continues, “Everybody should put their hands in that soil and understand what they’re taking out the ground to put on the plates. So, getting out there every day, whether it’s just showing up early in the morning to make sure it gets water before the hot sun hits; staying a little late to get water just before the evening, or watching the weather, making sure that that balance is on point.
The hard work pays off in the end when we’ve got guests sitting on the patio at eight o’clock while the sun’s going down and they’re looking at the sprinkler, going back and forth over top of everything they’ve just eaten, and realizing where their food came from. That’s a really important and special moment in the day.“
Refined farm-to-fork and a prestigious, acclaimed venue. “And what do you bring to this?” I ask.
Dean pauses and thinks. “If I have a style,” he begins. “I’m still pretty new at this; still working on myself in developing things, but my background’s
very heavy on molecular gastronomy. I like to blend the humble part of farm to table and wild harvest with new techniques based on classic recipes and things, but with a slight twist. I believe heavily in presentation and the artistic side of plating food. We first eat with our eyes, always. That begins the story--what you see first and what you taste after should match, and leave you in wonder and amazement. Humble ingredients with a twist, I suppose.”
“
I’ve been working with The Chefs’ Warehouse for quite a while.
HEMISTRY IS EVERYTHING. Just ask Executive Chef John Carpenter and Sous Chef Jaime Torres of quintessentially provincial Signature Restaurant located just above San Antonio TX, in the Texas Hill Country. C
The culinary duo had worked together at San Antonio’s Chinese and Japanese-influenced Peruvian restaurant Botika Chifa Nikkei for four years when Chef Carpenter took the Executive Chef position at Signature at the lush La Cantera Resort. Chef Torres followed quickly on his heels as sous chef; an executive chef-sous chef pair trend that is becoming more and more popular in the culinary industry. Taking part in the team makes sense across the board. It takes years to establish professional harmony as much as it does on the personal front. When there’s an organic rhythm and connection in the kitchen, you can taste it.
Chef Carpenter comments on why he feels he and Chef Torres work so well together. ‘Jaime is my sous chef, but at the same time, it’s a really
even playing field. We’re just really good friends. We just gel because we are similar people but opposites at the same time. We complement each other. We also share a great sense of humor, which is really important. We’ve just always had great chemistry. We also benefit from working really well with our other sous chef at Signature, D.J. (Dominic Jenkins.)
Carpenter expounds on the benefits of a reliable team, ‘I’ve been an Executive Chef for almost 12 years. When you first come into the position you just want to do everything
Carpenter Sous Chef Jaime Torres
You want to create everything yourself. You want to be the guy who does it all. And then you see how quick and how hard it becomes and you learn from your failures. You start to realize that it’s all about the team that you build. It’s not at all about yourself and how good you are. You’re not going to be doing all the cooking. Your guys are going to be doing it and you’re going to be the one sitting there tasting, overseeing, and making sure things are correct. So it’s all about building the right culture within.’
Chef Jaime Torres, a San Antonio native, cut his young chef teeth in the kitchen with his abuela and cooking for his family at eight years old. He did his best to not follow the career path of his hard-working cook father. He eventually relented to his life-calling after studying Kinesiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio and working as a football referee and insurance agent. Torres comments on working with Chef Carpenter and the intentionality of positive team vibes over ego in their kitchen. ‘It’s really important to us when we’re hiring that we bring in someone who is going to support the positive energy in the kitchen. Obviously, we want someone with skill and some experience, but we’ll take somebody with less experience, but with a good attitude over somebody who’s coming in think ing they know everything.’
John and Jaime took their CW Magazine Q&A interview sitting out in Signature’s gorgeous patio garden that boasts endless trees and greenery that pour across the vast landscape. Jaime commented on what he feels makes San Antonio such a unique
corner of the world. ‘I just think that we’re very rich in culture. San Antonio itself is 300 years old. There are just a lot of different people that have lived here throughout history from people with Mexican heritage to German heritage. We’re a military city. So there’s a constant influx of new people as well. People with different backgrounds come and like what they see and end up coming back to live here at some point. It also has that big city, small town kind of lifestyle. It’s real family-oriented as well; a very comfortable city.
John, who used to create special menus and delight his family with original dishes when he was in middle school, shared his impressions of his country-elegant venue that is known for boasting fresher, brighter versions of traditional cuisine, enlivened with unconventional Texas spirit. ‘When I was interviewing for the job, I was just like, ‘Oh my God. How beautiful is this? If I can look out to this every day… Signature is just a stunningly beautiful restaurant. It’s about as ideal as it can get from like a standpoint of a chef. We have our own garden in the backyard where we use a lot of ingredients, like tons of fresh herbs. Basically, the whole patio and back have beautifully landscaped flowers everywhere… We also clip a lot of flowers for Signaturegarnish.’
Restaurant, though part of the highly-rated La Cantera Resort, resides a mile away from the main resort and feels like a stand-alone venue. The guests of the resort arrive to Signature by golf cart. However, much of the venue’s clientele comes from the local area. Carpenter comments, ‘Fortunately we have been
very highly-rated in our own right. So we don’t just bank off of being this hotel restaurant. We stand alone and try to operate in our own little fine-dining world. But we’re still part of the resort.’
The venue of Signature with its exquisitely rustic hang ing copper pans and sprawl of flower-laden long wood tables with bespoke hanging pastoral chandeliers seems the quintessential dining space for the autumnal months that precede the holiday season. On the precipice of Thanksgiving, both chefs shared what they are most thankful for. Jaime, who incidentally won the Grand Championship at the Paella Challenge in San Antonio, and treats his large family to his self-cooked Thanksgiving annual event, shares, ‘I’m just thankful for my family and my friends that I speak to every day, and just being able to enjoy life.’ John, chimes in, ‘Yeah, it’s pretty much a given that what I am most thankful for is my family at this point. My wife and I have two small daughters aged six and four. Thanksgiving for us is small with my wife’s dad and my mom and our family. Everyone is used to me cooking everything. We do all the classics and it’s always really nice.’
With a stunningly picturesque venue and well-tuned rapport, Chef Carpenter, Chef Torres and the entire culinary team at Signature restaurant offer a refreshing example of what is possible when ‘good vibes’ and ‘ego-free’ are the top priority on the menu.
Signature’s savored CW ingredients:
Ribeye – Allen Brothers Prime Bone In Frenched 18oz Ribeye
Shrimp – Oishii 16/20 EZ Peel Shrimp
CW Caviar – Sasanian Brand, Smoked Trout Roe, Premium Sturgeon (Hackelback) Caviar
Black Garlic – Calpac Black Garlic Molasses
The power of story and the love Chef/ Owner John Martinez has for his grandmother, is exemplified in the name of his highly coveted midtown Tucson neighborhood bistro Tito & Pep. The fictional characters Tito & Pep and their adventures together were created by John’s grandmother and her best friend and first cousin, his Aunt Marie, while they were children growing up in post-war Los Angeles.
by Kelli Colaco
The actual stories of Tito & Pep, which embody the adventures of a rich Hispanic girl and a poor one, remain known only to the creators. John shares, ‘ Both these women are angels now. They’ve passed on. The stories are still just between them. They were Mexican-American girls growing up in East L.A. They were not wealthy by any means. But they were not paupers either. They had the good fortune of growing up with close families in an era where there was an equitable opportunity to support yourself even though there was a Depression. But if you worked hard, the govern ment would also help to support you. The government felt a responsibility to fight against poverty. There was still a semblance of social responsibility.’
Nostalgia-laced memories of fall season traditions pour out of John Martinez evok ing idyllic familial images. He shares, ‘When you entered my grandmother’s home she was always roasting poblanos or chilies and cooking something delicious over the stove. She was a great cook. We always came together to make green corn tamales during the late summer harvest in the fall. The corn and the green chilies for the tamales would be harvested at the same time. We’d all meet up early in the morning. The corn would get shucked. You’d have to peel off the leaves carefully to get the whole husk to make the tamales. Those would get saved and washed. The kids would have to pick the silk out because we had the smallest fingers. We’d find little caterpillars in the corn and save them in a jar. That’d be what we get to
We need to embrace the culture that has existed here for centuries, the indigenous that have been here for millennia, as well as embracing the Mexican-American culture that has been present here for hundreds of years.
THE ANCESTRAL FLAVORS OF TITO & PEP IN TUCSON, AZ
play with. The kernels would be cut off the cobs and then they would go to the area to get ground for the masa. In the meantime, you’re cleaning the chilies. We’d have this assembly line running down two sides of a long table. As you grew you were at different areas of the table on the assembly line. The older uncles were always down at the end because they were the ones folding. My grandmother was always at the head. She would be the one that made the masa. I remember watching her hands, how she would hold them, whipping and folding in the masa and getting it nice and light.’
Martinez, who grew up in Tucson, but cut his culinary teeth in N.Y.C. under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and held myriad chef positions around New York, has witnessed the booming growth of the gem desert city, as well as the evolution this has inspired gastro nomically. John comments on regional culinary influ ences, ‘We are in this unique corner of the country, the original colonizing culture from the Spanish and from Mexico. This back and forth between Mexico and southern Arizona, between Sonora and southern Arizona culinarily and culturally, is something that res onates for a large part of the population. We need to embrace the culture that has existed here for centu ries. This includes respecting the indigenous peoples that have been here for millennia, as well as embrac ing the Mexican-American culture that has been pres ent here for hundreds of years as well.’
Echoing Martinez’s commitment to honoring ances tral cooking traditions, much of Tito & Pep’s innova tive and culturally reflective menu centers around cooking over a mesquite grill. Martinez shares, ‘My
family would always get together and cook over mes quite. You can’t do this in New York on your fire es cape. The flavor that cooking over mesquite imparts is evocative of so many different cultures that go back forever and forever. Even if you cook up a pot of beans slowly over an open wood fire, that flavor and aroma finds its way into the beans. Getting the food over the mesquite is the one thing that continues to tie us to the culinary heritage of where we are.’
Like most chefs and restaurant owners, Martinez has a tale to tell regarding how Tito & Pep pivoted to survive during the pandemic. His story, in keeping with the Fall season edition, uniquely centers around his mesquite grill and turkeys. Martinez shares, ‘These past two Thanksgivings we sold whole turkeys cooked over mesquite with all of the sides. We built a 30 square -foot grill. We went from selling 20 to 30 then to 50 birds, and so on. This really helped us get over the hurdles of the Delta and Omicron variants. People loved it because it was delicious and not expensive, but for us, it was a lot of work, particularly with the sides. One turkey was dinner for 8 to 10 people, so in addition to the turkey, we were selling sides for hundreds of people. That was the insane
Pep, with its accessible retro, mid-century aesthetic designed by Martinez’s wife, has won its success by the old-fashioned marketing tool of word of mouth. Having put zero dollars into advertising, Martinez has focused all his creativity and efforts on his menu and neighborhood-oriented service of his venue, an approach that is clearly working.
With culturally infused dishes such as grilled striped bass with mayakoba beans, zucchini, hoja santa, and lemon; grilled NY strip with roasted chilies, charro beans, and grilled onions; charred bean salad with labne, snap peas, pistachio, lemon, and fresh herbs, and crispy chicken torta with pickled onions, tomato, mint-lime mayo, to name just a few, Chef Martinez keeps it earthy, inviting and exotic at the same time.
Moving into fall, Martinez shares what he looks for ward to creating for his seasonally inspired menus. ‘Fall in the desert means the chili harvest. Back to the conversation of tamales: it’s green corn, fresh corn, and green chili in September. I’ll also be adding a fall vegetable pasole with root vegetables to the menu. In December when we make our Christmas tamales, we’re using corn that was dried and exter nalized and then ground into the masa. Christmas tamales are with braised beef and dried red chilies. Sometimes I’m almost hesitant to put things that are so homey or simplistic on the menu. But when we do, people absolutely love it. Chilies are just so rooted here. Sometimes we’ll do them with brisket or a short rib or what have you. It is important to us to incor porate our cultural, local ingredients with the recipe and the traditional ways of cooking. This is honoring our people, our history, and our family. This is how I watched my father do it. This is how I watched my grandmother do it. And I want you to get that.’
Let’s be totally honest. Despite the fear, loss, and stress of the global pandemic, some of it was enjoyable, meaningful even; a time to discover a different reality, a different truth, a different self. For longtime high-level Executive Chef Rob Moore, (Aria, Prime Steakhouse with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Lespinasse, with Gray Kunz, to name a few) the self-discovery time that the relative silence the pandemic provided allowed him to realize something crucial about his professional life – he was no longer having any fun.
SO, HE DID THE UNTHINKABLE. He jumped ship. He bravely chopped and changed, leaving chef positions behind him that many folks only dream of having. Then again, may folks wind up working away their years unsatisfied but too scared to take the risk of jumping out the proverbial plane for the potential of something better, something more fun, something more… you.
CW Magazine managed to steal some precious time for a conversation with Chef Rob Moore, who as luck would have it, left it all on the table, but wound up with…more. His own brick and mortar, Rosa Ristorante, (inspired by the nostalgic Ital
ian-American fare from his upbringing in New Jer sey) is already a neighborhood favorite in Hender son, Las Vegas.
Your decision to jump out of the Executive Chef position at Prime Steakhouse (LV) was brave and inspiring and this led you to a new exciting time in your life. Do you recommend following your gut?
I don’t know if they call it an accident, but an ac cidental meeting. I just happened to be at a table with a guy that just happened to have a restaurant that had closed. It all just seemed to work out.
No. But I think you have to be present for the opportunity when it reveals itself. When you’re doing the right thing all the time, somebody will finally recognize that and want to be a part of it.
What made you decide to go back to your Italian American roots with Rosa Ristorante?
This just happened to be the perfect time in my life during quarantine where I was cooking food at home that I loved. I have an amazing garden in the backyard that I grabbed fresh produce from to cook for myself very every day. I started making pizzas.
If it wasn’t for this opportunity, to slow down and slow life down, to see who you are and what you’re doing, and ask yourself are you happy? It was the perfect time for me. I got to listen to myself. And this is what came from that.
Can you share a little bit about your upbringing in New Jersey?
I remember family times when grandma would cook for all of her siblings. There were six of them and she’d make the antipasto salad, and the day before she would start folding a tin foil packet and put it on the stove. I didn’t know what that meant back then. But you know, the pot of gravy was on there so it didn’t burn. And then you know, she’d make the meatballs and the sausage and start the lasagna. I remember trying to steal mozzarella and her shoo-ing me away, which was a playful game that she only had with me. And all the memories of being around the table with the family. You know, that’s what I want here at Rosa’s.
When my General Manager David Oseas first asked what I wanted to do with this place, ‘I want to have fun.’ So that’s where it starts here. I want to have fun with the food. I want to have fun with the menu. I want to have fun at the bar. For a long time in my life, I just wasn’t having any fun. Everybody who works here are people I’ve worked with before or they’re family mem bers; people I’ve known for a long time. We wanted to create a family-style neighborhood restaurant, so it all starts with the people, your team, and the people you work with.
I started using The Chefs’ Warehouse in the 90s when I was in New York City. The thing I loved most was they were the first company that would break cases. You didn’t have to buy a whole case of olive oil, or whatever it was. Especially being in a small restaurant. That’s what made them stand out from the get-go. But the quality of the product and service of CW has always spoken for itself.
Yeah, don’t do it. (Excessive laughter…) No. Follow all your dreams. This is a hard life. It’s not for everybody. However, when you embrace it it can be very reward ing. You do need to know what you’re getting into. And keep listening to yourself.
Francois Mellet was born in Lyon, France, and brings more than 30 years of experience to The Chefs’ Warehouse pastry category, having served as CW/Qzina’s Corporate Pastry Chef since 2010. In 2012, Chef Francois earned a Guinness world record for building the world’s largest chocolate structure: a chocolate replica of an ancient Mayan temple to celebrate the roots of cocoa that weighed 18,239 pounds. In 2017, Mellet was named one of the ‘Top 10 Pastry Chefs in USA’ by Dessert Magazine.
‘At The Chefs’ Warehouse, we strive to deliver an excellent end-to-end experience to our customers. We provide a unique and robust product assortment across all categories of the food Todayindustry.weareexcited share our new National Pastry Catalog offerings with you! The catalog is available in a printed version and electronically. your sales representative for a copy!’
Francois Mellet
The Chefs’ Warehouse Corporate Pastry Chef
The philosophy of the Thomas Keller Group is no matter what level of excellence one achieves, you can always strive for better. This couldn’t be more apparent than in TKRG’s award-winning restaurants The French Laundry, Bouchon Bistro, and Ad Hoc (Yountville, CA), and Per Se in N.Y.C., to name a few.
Chef Thomas Keller Group’s Cup4Cup gluten-free 1:1 Multipurpose Flour, created by the chefs of The French Laundry has been forging the path for the highest level of gluten-free preparations since its inception in 2010.
Currently carrying the Cup4Cup torch of continued excellence is Head of Research and Development and TKRG, 23-year veteran Devin Knell. After coming up as a young chef at The French Laun dry, directly under Chef Keller himself, Knell is no stranger to relentlessly pushing for perfection.
An acclaimed chef in his own right, Knell speaks with a romantic nostalgia for the hard-core kitchen days of yore and being a part of the tremendous French Laundry. Knell comments, ‘When things became very intense in a tumultuous way, it was actually also extremely fun. It’s an interesting balance, whether you’re a culinary team, a sports team, or you’re in the tech field. The pressure is going to be “on” and the people who thrive in that high-pressure environment are the ones that are going to excel.’
With raw, kitchen culture a hot trend in TV and film these days, (such as The Bear, on Hulu) audiences seem hungry for the grit and underbelly of high-bar, high-pressure kitchens. Knell shares, ‘I know this theme has become really popular and I think a lot of it is unfair. Chef Keller himself is a person who walks the talk. It’s a lot easier to respect some body, especially when they’re very demanding, that is doing it himself. The example that he sets shows great leadership.’
Opting to remain with the same chef and res taurant group, albeit one of the world’s best, for
going on three decades, denotes a level of personal and career satisfaction. Knell shared, ‘I’ve always felt like I’m supported in our constant quest to improve. With that, I’m allowed to improve and develop personally as well. So it’s been a synergistic approach to just doing better and better. Through that journey, I feel very fortunate to have been provided with many opportunities to travel and meet interesting people, and do interesting projects. It’s a very demanding place to work but at the same time, the rewards are great and I feel like a lot of personal advancement and development through this.’
In a category that has become saturated in the past decade, mostly by subpar copycats, award-winning, industry leader, Cup4Cup, ben efits greatly from the continued R&D of Head of Research and Development Devin Knell, and the TKRG R&D team that came before. Along with perfecting the brand, the guidance and inspiration Knell and his team provide chefs and pastry chefs in terms of Cup4Cup application, and the ongoing evolution of gluten-free in professional kitchens, is unparalleled. Knell’s key objective is to contin ue to modernize Cup4Cup by refining pre-existing recipes and creating new and innovative ideas and recipes for the product.
High on the Cup4Cup priority list of inspiring and
When asked how the environment in TKRG kitchens has changed over the years, Knell offered, “We have really heightened our standards for how we interact professionally with our employees and our peers. It’s still a high-pressure environment and emotional environment, but we do a very good job at balancing this with treating people with integrity and respect. We’re uncompromising in our product and with what’s on our menu.”
supporting chefs is educating them on how to stretch recipes to go a further to save on time and labor. Knell offers, ‘There are some aspects of glu ten-free that perform extremely well, if not better than the traditional wheat flour formulations. This alleviates the burden on the kitchen to prepare alternative options. If you can prepare a batter or preparation that is gluten-free then you only have to prepare one instead of two, it’s a win-win.’ Knell expounds, ‘Like with frying batters for instance. Also, pie crusts hold up really well with Cup4Cup.’ Knell adds. ‘Short doughs are ideal as well. When there’s usually a higher proportion of fat and a low er proportion of water or hydration, gluten-free can be key. Like with pancake batter, Cup4Cup makes an amazing pancake. These are low-hanging fruit recipes for chefs.’
When asked the best way for chefs to discover how Cup4Cup can be an asset to their own kitchens, Knell offers, ‘I suggest chefs develop their recipes, beginning with their traditional recipe and then try pilot batches, small pilot batches with Cup4Cup. Play with hydration levels and familiarize them selves with it. Analyze areas where you can use Cup4Cup as a way to cut corners. If you can make
an amazing shortbread with Cup4Cup why would you make it with wheat flour? It’s a great place to begin analyzing within your repertoire.
To implement Cup4Cup in Fall recipe applications, Knell shares, ‘Pie crust works great of course, with all the apples and pumpkins coming in. Quick breads, like a Persimmon Pudding, are certainly great on a Fall dessert menu.’ He continues enthu siastically. ‘One thing we’ve added to our recipe rep ertoire is pâte à choux with Cup4Cup which creates an amazing dough. This is doubly great because there are so many applications and variations to utilize pâte à choux dough. You can make gnocchi Parisienne (French gnocchi) which is incredible. For the holiday season, gougères with Gruyère are re ally great with champagne. Éclairs and profiteroles from your pâte à choux come out perfect as well. When you can get several applications out of one dough, you’re economizing on one single prepa ration. From a professional application, this is a great opportunity.’
Gnocchi Parisienne made by utilizing versatile pate a choux with Cup4Cup. Nothing makes more reliably perfect pancakes than Cup4Cup!
JENN SUSSMAN
JENNIFER SUSSMAN’S FIRST CLUE that her future might be in culinary came in the form of a beautiful Italian candy with liquor inside, given to her by her father, a Navy carrier ship seaman, fresh home from Naples, Italy. A feast of professional adventures would unfold from that moment.
From the eclectic tastes, and love of food inherited from her father, to culinary school at the highly regarded Tante Marie Culinary Academy in San Fransisco, to discovering her natural talent as an Ingredient Specialist and Category Manager for GreenLeaf and Dean & Deluca, CW has benefited greatly from Suss man forging the path to the world’s greatest ingredients (and nurturing seedling purveyors to success along the way). You just might say, Jennifer Sussman is one of The Chefs’ Warehouse’s prized, ‘secret ingredients,’ for
fallen in love with her first Easy Bake Oven as a child, Jenn’s dislike for the processed foods oft given to kids ‘of a cer tain generation,’ was immediately apparent.
Jenn shared, ‘I was a finicky kid from the
start. I hated canned or processed food, even though those were staples in those days. I hated fish and chips (from frozen) at home but when my father took me to a great seafood restaurant in San Diego and I had fish fresh from the ocean, I loved it; the real thing. My father would also cook recipes for me that he would learn from his travels though he was not a professional cook. He’d make chipped beef on toast and beef bourguignon. He was always adventurous. He’d eat his meat rare at a time when everyone else was cooking the hell out of Reminiscingit.’on
the role her father played on her path to her ultimate profession, Jenn of fered, ‘When I decided to go to culinary school instead of going to law school, (which is what I thought I would do after college,) my father was very supportive. He moved me to San Francisco to go to culinary school. I was going to school and working full time and he would call me every Sunday and ask about what I was learning to make.’
Sussman, who at a young age had thought she wanted to be a nun until she realized be ing overly curious and challenging ideas were not ideal traits in that particular world, always had a passion and affinity for extremely well-
made things. She shares her early ambitions of being a clothes designer, ‘I love a really well-tailored dress. Creating something of true quality from the finest materials has always been something I’ve been passionate about. But, more than anything, I always wanted to own my own restaurant. And that’s why I went to culinary school.’
Jenn’s love of sacredness, beauty, integrity, and diverse artisanal ingredients intermingle prominently in her role as Director of Catego ry Management with CW. Being a touchstone for chefs, purveyors, and the nationwide CW Sales Team, of the myriad tiers, seasonalities, trends, and challenges of culinary, requires a dynamic skill set. When asked to distill down what she does for a living, she offers, like it’s easy, ‘I procure the best products, at the best prices and sell them to the best customers.’
Considering that The Chefs’ Warehouse pro vides the world’s greatest ingredients to North America’s best chefs, with seven main cate gories populated by endless subcategories and offering thousands of the finest specialty ingredients procured domestically and inter nationally, it is surprising that Sussman finds time to sleep. To this she counters, ‘I love everything about this job. Even if my email box
CW’s Director of Category Management Roasted beets with Bel Aria Balsamic Vinegar Glazeis overflowing. I chose a long time ago to be hap py with whatever I do. But, it also helps that I love the company and I love the people I work with. This makes me want to be a better leader and a better
Buildingemployee.’long enduring relationships with vendors is one of Jenn’s many strengths. Beyond supporting vendors, Sussman is known for helping to launch many new artisanal brands. Jenn shares, ‘I love nothing more than to see CW grow and our vendors succeed. To be a part of an item’s rise to success is very satisfying. But launching items can also be tough, especially if they’re perishable. So, it takes a lot of drive and an educated sales team like we have at
WithCW.’a
keen eye for what’s next for culinary, Jenn offers, ‘I would say plant-based. However, given the
economy right now, the convenience of an item is more crucial to our chefs than ever. Due to labor shortages, supply issues, and a pending recession, chefs are looking for quality, wholesome ingredients that can help them save on time and labor, as well as ingredients that are multidimensional/multipurpose that go further in terms of dynamic application. Our job is to help them find these items.’
Being the D.C.M. in the know with close ties to the most talented chefs in the nation (and abroad) means that Sussman is privy to some of the most future-forward, earth-conscious creations as well.
Jenn enthusiastically illuminates one of her favorite recent discoveries: ‘There are a lot of innovative things happening in terms of recycling or reusing in gredients. For example, the other night, I was dining at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and realized the china we were eating off of was made from the bones of
the grass-fed cows that they have to provide their meat. I never realized that bone china was a com bination of actual bone and porcelain. They take the bones, grind them down and pulverize them and they make their own gorgeous 100% grass-fed bone china. That’s what I mean by reuse and repurposing. This is the future. Complete up-cycle. It’s very exciting.’
The original ‘spark’ that fuels a person, a career, a company, or a prized dish, starts somewhere that is most often innocent--wonder and instinct. To this end, CW is grateful for all the sparks that ignite the interest and talent of the chefs, purveyors, and in this case, their very own Director of Category Management who one day becomes a winning ‘secret ingredient’ in their company universe.
Persimmons sliced into a field green salad with Bazzini Walnuts Oven-roasted chicken with Tribeca Oven Bread salad Sauteed brussels sprouts with Fra’mani Pancetta Braised parsnips with Bel Aria Pesto Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese and Bears’ Club Honey Savile Row Vintage Cheddar grilled cheese sandwich with Divinia Fig JamI’ve heard of couples in the industry who manage to successfully open and run a venue together. This is a rarity to be respected. So, when CW ‘wine country wonder’ rep Sherri Barrows pitched the idea of CW Magazine covering dynamic duo Terri and Mark Stark, who, if you didn’t know, own and operate seven dynamically killer venues in Sonoma County, my mind was blown. Surely she was exaggerating.
ONCE I SETTLED DOWN and did some research, I discovered that not only do Terri and Mark Stark own and operate seven venues but that the seven venues-Willy’s Wine Bar--Californian comfort but deceivingly complex, (2002); Monti’s Californian-seafood forward with authentic exotic twists (2004); Stark’s Steak & Seafood--elegant, classic, upscale (2008); Bird & The Bottle--dynamic, and whimsical (2015); Grossman’s Noshery & Bar--modern Jewish deli-diner (2020) in Santa Rosa; Willy’s Seafood (2003) and Bravas--one of a kind killer tapas, voted Top 20 Tapas restaurants in Healdsburg, were all award-winning in their own right and distinctly different from one another. Not to mention that the Starks are James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur Semifinalists. One thing I became certain of prior to interviewing the Starks, with all the literal plates, venues, ingredients, and employees they’re juggling, was that they must
be crazed lunatics and not very accessible and/or fun people. Well, darn it if they didn’t prove me wrong again. Not only are Terri and Mark exceptionally easy and fun to talk to, but for their ‘unicorn’ level of success they are astonishingly humble, get this: happily married and even…How dare they? Funny.
Check out the following taster of CW Mag’s conversation with one-of-a-kind power couple Mark (Executive Chef) and Terri Stark; (Front Of House), brilliant examples of the talented, hard-working, awesome humans CW is so proud of to work with.
Where do you source your ambition and energy?
Mark We just start with a conversation that usually begins with one of us saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…?’ Everything with us has always grown organically in this way.
Terri And the location. What that location kind of says to us.
Mark Yea, that’s a big part of our motivation.
What is your secret for making a marriage and business partnership work so well on this level?
Mark Pinot Noir and a sense of humor.
Terri We met back in 1995 while working at the same place.
Mark When both people are involved in a restaurant it can take a toll on a marriage. We really love what we do so this makes it easier.
Terri Clear lanes are important, no crossing lanes. When we do, we are quick to remind one another. Still, the separation of church and state can get tough sometimes. Setting boundaries is really important.
Mark We have conflict code words. Terri’s is ‘Shut the F-k up. Mine is, ‘Yes, honey.’
Did you set out to own and operate seven venues?
Mark and Terri NO!!
Mark The plan was, we’d open Willy’s wine bar. Terri would work in front, I’d work back. We’d take a break at 2 pm each day to have an espresso, and then go back to work for dinner. The plan was we would do this for ten years and then jump out.
Terri We were pretty successful right out of the gate. Three months after opening Willy’s we were approached about another location for Willy’s Seafood. We were just getting used to having one venue! We ended up opening three venues in under two years.
You have a lot of long-term employ ees and offer your team supportive employment opportunities. Do you credit this for part of your success?
Mark We have always thought about our employees’ happiness first. We never worried about the customer because if your people are happy, the customers will naturally be happy.
Terri We learned early on that the key to retaining people is to provide the opportunity for them to enjoy work, pursue future goals, make a nice living, get married, go back to school, buy a house, etc. Creating
TOP LEFT: Matzoh Ball Soup with BBQ Chicken Thigh in Ramen Broth from Bird and the Bottle, BOTTOM RIGHT: Spit Roasted Organic Chicken, from Monti’s.
this kind of support system for em ployees who stay allows you to open new venues. This also allows you to help extend your staff’s knowledge and advancement, which all feeds into the success of our venues.
Keeping one restaurant alive during the pandemic has been greatly challenging for restaurateurs. You have managed to keep all of your venues alive? What do you credit for this?
Mark Our venues being so well received in the community really helped.
Terri And the fact we have all of the venues within a 15-mile radius. However, Grossman’s opened the day before the shut down so it wasn’t eligible for PPO support.
Mark All the stores except for the steak house had outdoor dining facilities. The steak house had
none. To pivot for this, we created a Brazilian Churrascaria (steakhouse). Built a huge wood grill in the parking lot. All you can eat. People still ask for it to return!
How do keep everything firing on all cylinders?
Mark We promote from within.
Terri What that means is that people and culture stay alive in each store. We also have an E.M.T (External Management Team).
Mark Or as many call it, ‘Extra Mark and Terri’s!
Terri EMT assistance greatly supports us across all seven of our venues. We have been in a relationship with most of them for over 25 years. This extra support allows us to foster greener
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE.
employees with learning support for their culinary careers.
Mark The EMTs also help us with external challenges; our present challenge is everything costing too much.
Terri They look for opportunities to control our costs without affecting the guests.
Mark They also help maintain consistency, from the big stuff to little stuff, like making bread crumbs, it’s a small detail but when we noticed our bread crumbs weren’t up to snuff, our EMTs could support this and get everyone on the right track. It’s the little details that matter.
Terri EMTs can also fill in so chefs can go on a vacation and so people don’t get overworked. It’s important for everyone to get a break from time to time.
Which one of your venues currently exemplifies you the most?
Terri Bird in the Bottle. It’s located in a 1906, beautiful two-story building that used to be a doctor’s office in downtown Santa Rosa. It boasts tons of character with a restored wood floor and bespoke design elements.
Mark We love places that used to be cool spots but got worn down by time and neglect and then we bring them back to life in a new way. Like Stark’s Steak house (a Landmark building in Santa Rosa’s Historic Railroad Square in Sonoma County. Built in 1934) was the oldest freestand
ing building in the area. We’re kind of like venue flippers.
Terri Like Bravas used to be a small old burger joint. When we decided to take it on I asked Mark what we should do there and he said:
Mark Something very small. Terri So we decided on tapas vis a vis small plates.
Mark Really small plates!
It is deceivingly difficult to maintain a high level of excellence with tapas. And yet you do it so extremely well; so unique and authentic at the same time. As good or better than I’ve had in Spain. How do you make this look easy?
Mark We went to Spain, ate tons of croquettes, read a lot of books and studied.
Terri It’s funny the first day we opened Bravas a man walked in and sat at the bar. Right away he shared that he’s just gotten back from four years in Barcelona.
Mark We were like, Oh great. This is just what we need!
Terri But after his meal, he said he enjoyed our tapas just as much if not more than what he had in Barcelona. He said we assimilated extremely well. Was such a relief!
Healdsburg has become one of the hottest hubs for North America killer cuisine; kind of like a high-end amuse ‘bouchement’ park. What is it like to have such a prominent stake in this culinary mecca?
Mark We were initially nervous to open Willy’s in
Healdsburg in 2003 when there were only about, 11,000 local residents. Our inspiration was to ap peal to the locals who would also be here during the winter. Then Charlie Palmer opened and put everyone on the map, things started shifting.
Sonoma County is palpably overflowing with vi brant culinary talent who happen to also be nice people. Is there something in the water here?
Mark It is in the water. The restaurant community is a small town. Everyone knows everyone.
Terri The community here is very vibrant and real. They still have a ‘Future Farmers Parade every year. The whole town sets up chairs; very Americana in a very sweet way.
Finally, with seven incredible venues and massively full schedules, is it possible you guys have future plans for a new venue?
Mark You know, we were just talking the other day…
Terri And we were saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…?
BOTTOM LEFT: Slow Smoked Crispy Pork Belly, Bird & The Bottle, BOTTOM RIGHT: Willi’s Wine Bar, Morrocan Lamb Chops, TOP RIGHT: Willi’s Wine Bar - Tunisian Roasted Carrots.Hear All About It! With 36 episodes and 4.9 out 5-star reviews, CW’s Ingredient Insiders Podcast Series with John Magazino (Veteran Ingredient Specialist/ CW Director of Business Development, and Andrea Parkins (CW VP Sales/President of Digital Merchandising) is an official hit!
Join The Chefs’ Warehouse’s very own food celebrities John Magazino and Andrea Parkins as they travel on a culinary journey inside the minds of the world’s top chefs and the ingredients that inspire them in the kitchen.
It’s so easy to enjoy! Check it out on the way to work! When prepping for your lunch and dinner service. Indulge in the deca dent, fun-spirited, inspiration, and ingredi ent education of Ingredient Insiders for your next menu makeover! This Podcast is Arti san-High End Tasty. You don’t want to miss being in the room when all the ingredient/ culinary- key-convo happens such as Daniel
Boulud on Scallops with Bristol Seafood & The Right Scallops, Octopus Convo with Brad Rubano & MARKFOODS FAO 34, the last word on Italian Olive Oil: Albert DeAnge lis & Monini, Caviar with Michael White & Sasanian Caviar, and Fried Chicken with Lee Schrager & Freebird Chicken, to name but a few! You also don’t want to miss Ingredient Insiders, ‘What’s In Your Pantry?’ segments where the best chefs share their must-have pantry staples, and some will surprise you! Get lifted, informed, and inspired with Ingredient Insiders, Available on Apple, Audible or wherever you source your podcast pleasure.
Daniel Boulud Chef Ignacio Mattos James Kent Pastry Chef, Michael Marine Leman, Valrhona Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein
