Traditional Fare, Savvy Marketing Spur Growth at Havana South Chef Spotlight Many Cocktails, but Your Eyes Do Not Deceive
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Vol. 33 No. 8 www.sfsn.com October/November 2009 Chef Spotlight SeaFare Restaurant Puts Traditional Spin on Seafood Buffet South Carolina Eatery Now in 20th Year By Liisa Sullivan Vol. 34 No. 5 www.sfsn.com June/July 2010 At first glance, you may think that you’ve had one too Traditional Fare, Savvy Marketing Spur Growth at Havana South Chef Spotlight many cocktails, but your eyes do not deceive. The Seafare By Liisa Sullivan the likes of upscale restaurants manager for Havana South. divided into five sections: carne Restaurant in Surfside Beach, in the trendy Atlanta enclaves of “Our chef, Pavel Gonzalez, (beef), lechon (pork), arroz South Carolina, offers a tropi- Havana South in Buford, Buckhead and Midtown. moved here from Cuba only five (rice dishes), pollo (chicken), cal-island theme where one of Georgia, opened in 2008. “We provide authentic years ago.” and mariscos (seafood). its main attractions is a la- Chef and restaurateur Since then, they have earned a Cuban food with no variations While Gonzalez was cooking “The Masitas de Puerco (pork goon with live mermaids who reputation that is equivalent to or twists,” said Danielle Acosta, in Miami, he met the uncle chunks) and the Palomilla steak Robert A. Dickson, a.k.a. swim about entertaining and of Rey Diaz - the current - thin steak that is topped with the ‘Singing Chef,’ reflects interacting with guests. on 45 years in the restau- Not only is Seafare the only owner of Havana South - onions - are customer favorites,” rant business. restaurant with swimming and his uncle mentioned Acosta said. “Our food really PAGE 6 mermaids, but it also offers to Gonzalez that Diaz was sells itself.” the only seafood buffet in the considering opening a One customer wrote a review A Chef’s Life Myrtle Beach area with a restaurant. Both men joined on Atlanta Chow Down. He said gourmet selection of items him in this venture. that he got wind of this place Chef Hugo Ramirez puts his Diaz’s family moved about a year ago. It was about own spin on multiculturalism and cooking methods. at Limones in Asheville, North This is one area that owner to the U.S. a few months 22 miles from where he lived, Carolina. The Mexico native Stephen Karos attributes to before he was born. He but he admits, that he will travel blends elements of Mexican, the Seafare’s 20 years of suc- was born and raised in for good food. He went for one French and California cuisines into a unique culinary fusion. cess. Diners at Seafare Restaurant in New York City and moved lunch one day and not a single “While other buffets on the Surfside Beach, South Carolina, are to Georgia about five year table was available; he was lucky PAGE 9 Grand Strand focus on fried treated to two things they can’t find ago; he missed the food enough to secure the last seat by seafood, Seafare offers baked, so he decided to open his the bar which has had a good A Chef’s Life broiled, steamed, and raw anywhere else – a true gourmet seafood buffet and a lagoon with own little home away from view of the kitchen’s pass-through seafood selections as well as home. bar. He could see all the food that unique signature dishes such live mermaids. It’s all part of the tropical island atmosphere at this was coming out and was dazzled as seafood strudel and Traditional Fare by its beauty and portions. Mediterranean spice-rubbed 20-year-old Grand Strand eatery He ordered the Cuban Mahi-Mahi,” he said. that’s operated by veteran Stephen Culinary competitions are (See SEAFARE on page 16) Karos and his family. The menu boasts sandwich and claimed it was, by an excellent way to hone everything from the far, the best Cuban sandwich in professional skills – espe- traditional churasco to Georgia. Patrons at Havana South in Buford, Georgia, enjoy ‘authentic Cuban cially for students. Chef Cuban sandwiches, plantains “The bread had a toasty food with no variations or twists.’ The menu boasts everything from Lucardie tells about his and black beans with crunch on the outside, yet a soft Survey: Southeast Brokerstraditional Battling churasco to Cuban Recession,sandwiches. own experiences working rice. Entrees are primarily See Havana South on page 10 with young chefs. Consolidation & Market Changes Surf and sun aren’t the only things PAGE 14 BP Oil Spill Has Major Impact on Southeast Food Service Industry that Chef Lucardie loves about People, Places & Things By John P. Hayward worst economic climate since service will see a decrease of centage of this decline. living in Tampa, Florida. He’s also the Great Depression, and the 11.3 percentBy John from P. ’08. Hayward Restau- It’s20th, a difficultfew could environment have foreseen livelihoods, businesses and entire to fishing. a big fan of authentic Cuban bread, a local favorite, as he explains in For most of us in the hurdles are even higher. rants and bars will see a de- for theSoutheast calamity food that service would bro- result. industries at risk. As efforts to cap the spill Catch up on the latest Southeast food service indus- The national unemploy- crease of 3.5 percent, with kers. this month’s column. PAGE 8 industry news and events. When the Deep Water More than two months later, The impact of the spill continue, the question for the try, 2009 will go into the ment rate stands at 9.8 per- full-serviceHorizon drillingrestaurants rig in theac- Gulf “Ouroil and overall natural business gas continue is has been devastating and food service industry is, ‘What books as one of the toughest cent, according to the U.S. counting for the largest per- (See SURVEY on page 10) People, PAGE 8 of Mexico exploded on April to spew into the Gulf, putting widespread. Tourism is suffering; now?’ Places & Things in memory. Declining sales, Labor Department, the high- jobs are being lost in a myriad In Mississippi, the focus is Product Spotlight rising unemployment and est since 1982. Regionally, the of businesses from hospitality on “salvaging what’s left of the Read about all the latest industry market malaise have taken a numbers are similar. South- news and happenings. toll on nearly every segment. east unemployment ranges to fishing to food processing; tourist season,” according to For food service brokers, from a low of 6.7 percent in and the natural, pristine beauty Mike Cashion, executive director PAGES 4 & 5 though, the pain has been es- Virginia to a high of around of the Gulf coast region is being of the Mississippi Hospitality & Product Spotlight pecially severe. As the indus- 11 percent in both Florida and threatened. Restaurant Association. try’s ultimate middlemen, South Carolina. At press time, the spill had The state’s coastline has brokers serve as catalysts and U.S. Food service industry affected coastal areas stretching been largely spared of the liaisons to manufacturers, sales are projected to top $499 from Louisiana to the Florida spill’s physical effects, Cashion distributors and operators in billion this year, according to Panhandle. Government said. Nevertheless “we’ve seen the flow of products. They’re Technomic Inc. This would be estimates put the amount of oil dramatic collateral damage from at the sharp end of the stick a decline of 3.8 percent from leaking into the Gulf at 35,000- all the negative press. There’s a — and usually the first ones 2008. The dropoff is concen- Inc. Company 60,000 barrels per day, with some perception that our beaches are Read about the newest to get poked in the eye. trated largely in the commer- Publishing estimates of the total amount covered in oil when they’re not. Southeast Change Service Requested Service Change products in the food service Even in the best of times, cial food service segment. PAID as high as 165 million gallons. There’s no reason why tourists See the newest products in the U.S. Postage U.S. the brokerage business is Technomic projects that 34677-7008 FL OLDSMAR, industry. STD PRSRT More than 78,000 square miles shouldn’t be coming to the Gulf food service industry. PAGE 22 challenging. But throw in the travel and leisure-related food 2008 BOX P.O. of federal waters had been closed See Oil Spill on page 4 PAGES 13 & 15 TM 2 SOUTHEAST FOOD SERVICE NEWS JUNE/JUly 2010 Herbs, Spices Create Authentic Latin Flavors TM By Brian Sullivan cumin, coriander, cloves, allspice, then buy it from a professional. nutmeg, annatto, anise, and Seeking out an expert or purveyor Latin food is the food of the chilies. Three major herbs are: of spices and dried herbs is your people – often homemade and rosemary, thyme and oregano; best bet. uncomplicated cuisine. But, these may be used fresh, dried or The Spice and Tea Exchange is Serving the Food Service Market in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, without the right ingredients ground. The bay leaf, also, cannot the perfect place to discover spice South Carolina, and Tennessee. such as the herbs and spices to be excluded. It makes appearances and herb blends from around Southeast Food Service News is a wholly create it, it will never quite taste in many Latin-inspired recipes. the globe. Currently, they have owned subsidiary of Southeast Publishing like the real deal. Knowing what to use when seven locations in Florida (soon Company, Inc. and has no affiliation with any The most-commonly used and why is one of the keys to to be eight); and also locations in other group, association or publication.