FOOD FANATICS FOOD PEOPLE MONEY & SENSE PLUS Spice Trail Talk Shop Food Hall Fame I’ll to That Rediscover the regions of , Nip that pain in the neck, You’ll want to get in, Build a better wine list, page 22 page 40 page 48 page 66

TACO THE TOWN Sharing the Love of Food—Inspiring Business Success THE

SPRING 2016 TOWN MEXICO’S FAVORITE BLOWS UP PAGE 8 SPRING 2016

FOOD

UNMATCHED QUALITY ° UNPARALLELED FLAVOR COVER STORY Let’s Taco ‘Bout It 8 Any concept can cash in on the taco trend. Learn how.

Build a Better Bloody 14 This classic cocktail can be more substance than show.

Hearth of the Matter 18 -driven bakeries score a sweet side of the business.

Passage to India 22 Indian is all about mapping your own adventure. FOOD PEOPLE Satiating the Insatiable 36 Load up on ways to ensure big appetites get their fill.

Road Trip 39 Our Food Fanatics chef gives a tour of his hometown, Portland, Maine.

Talk Shop 40 When is the customer not right?

The Winner’s Circle 44 Recipients of the Food Fanatics Awards share their secrets.

Join Food Fanatic chefs as they journey to the source to learn more about ® SPICE UP the quality cuts that Sterling Silver Premium Beef offers US customers YOUR at sterlingsilvermeats.com/USFoods. WITH INDIAN FLAVORS Sterling Silver Premium Beef is available in exclusive markets across the country. PAGE 22

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34974_FoodFanaticAd FA.indd 1 1/5/16 3:10 PM For more menu inspiration and ideas to increase sales, MONEY & SENSE check out FOODFANATICS.COM Hail the Food Hall 48 The future of dining has arrived.

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IN EVERY ISSUE From the countryside of Lucca in the Trend Tracker Tuscany region of Italy, to the fi nest 29 Here’s the temperature on which trends are across the globe, Filippo heating up and cooling off. Berio® Olive Oil has a 150-year-long Feed the Staff reputation for satisfying the most 34 Get schooled in the art of mentorship. discriminating palates and demanding THE FIRST AND LAST NAME culinary professionals. iHelp 58 Green tech is the new normal. IN OLIVE OIL IS THE FIRST AND Today, his legacy remains the gold PR Machine standard against which all olive oils 60 Social media has evolved—have you? ONLY CHOICE FOR CULINARY are measured. Not just in his hometown of Lucca, but around the world, where Beyond the Plate professional chefs can now add his 62 Upgrade your digs with the latest PROFESSIONALS. design trends. passion, artistry and commitment to their own pursuit of culinary excellence. Dear Food Fanatic 65 Real chef-to-chef advice for the front and back of the house.

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To experience Filippo Berio Culinary Selection® Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Olive BAKE IT ‘TIL Oil, and Olive & Vegetable Oil Blends, YOU MAKE IT call 877-376-6250 or visit cargilldso.com. PAGE 18 Now available in EVO-to-GoTM single-serve packets! PHOTOGRAPH BY KATHRYN GAMBLE BY KATHRYN PHOTOGRAPH Filippo Berio® and Filippo Berio Culinary Selection® 2 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 are trademarks of SALOV S.p.A., used under license. ©2016 Cargill, Incorporated View the magazine on the Web at FoodFanatics.com FoodFanatics.com for exclusive content US FOODS ADVISORY BOARD President and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Satriano Chief Merchandising Officer Steve Guberman Join the Senior Vice President of Marketing Marshall Warkentin Program Manager conversation on social Jennifer Paulson

FOOD FANATICS CHEF Rocco Paradiso, Fort Mill, CONTRIBUTORS South Carolina John Byrne, Minneapolis Craig M. Peck, Northeast Perry Canestraro, Baltimore Don Price, Lubbock, Texas Foster Deadman, Milwaukee Jeffery Schlissel, Boca, Florida Matthew Dean, Streator, Illinois Jaci Shelby, Kansas City, Missouri Josh Hoellein, Salt Lake City Paul Sturkey, Cincinnati Rob Johnson, Oklahoma City Melissa Trimmer, Chicago Tom Macrina, Philadelphia Joe Vargyas, Houston Who are these people? PUBLISHING PARTNER Kate Rockwood Every business has its unsung heroes. They’re the ones behind the scenes who Publisher Mike Sula James Meyers make everyone else look good. Our favorites are called out here. Feedback Executive Vice President We welcome your Doug Kelly comments. EVP Chief Content Officer Please email us at: Kim Caviness [email protected] VP Editorial Director Write us at: PROGRESSIVE Marla Clark Food Fanatics Magazine If anyone could sell ice to Eskimos and herd cats with Imagination Content Director finesse, it would be Elizabeth Ervin. She’s the account 600 W. Fulton St. Laura Yee Suite 600 and national ad sales director. She maintains order on Creative Director Chicago, IL 60661 the business side of the magazine and website, and Joline Rivera Unless otherwise specified, all cor- respondence sent to Food Fanatics Senior Editor ADVERTISEMENT leads the charge on advertising. A champion sailor and is assumed for publication and Carly Fisher self-professed East Coast snob, Ervin is always game to becomes the copyright property of Acount Director/ US Foods. try just about any food once. National Ad Sales Director Advertising Information Elizabeth Ervin For rates and a media kit, contact Production Director Elizabeth Ervin at (312) 382-7860 or Marissa Uhrina email [email protected]. PAGE 5 Associate Art Director Food Fanatics is the go-to source Sami Skelton for the industry and Marissa Uhrina can’t escape the left-brained anyone truly passionate about Photographer food, food people and improving tendencies of her engineer dad and CPA mom. Paul Strabbing the bottom line. Issued quarterly She’s the English and music major who works with Contributing Writers and hand-delivered to readers, the spreadsheets, budgets, and schedules as the Lisa Arnett magazine is a US Foods publication Kate Bernot produced by Imagination, 600 W. production director, making sure no one ever has Gloria Dawson Fulton St., Suite 600, Chicago, IL to shout “stop the presses!” Aside from her love of Kristin Eddy 60661 (312) 887-1000. Peter Gianopulos For more information on the Food reading, music and the Minnesota Twins, Uhrina is a big Shebnem Ince Fanatics program, visit fan of travel and food. Kate Leahy www.FoodFanatics.com Liz Logan All rights reserved. ©

As one of America’s great food companies and leading distributors, US Foods is Keeping Kitchens and making life easier for more Megan Dawson’s epitaph might read: If your mother than 250,000 chefs and foodservice operators across the country by says she loves you, prove it. That’s because she’s the bringing them innovative, on-trend products and best-in-class business solutions. The company proudly employs approximately 25,000 people fact checker, big on facts and intolerant of claims. She in more than 60 locations nationwide. US Foods is headquartered in questions, challenges and serves as the last line of Rosemont, Ill., and is jointly owned by funds managed by Clayton, Dubili- er & Rice Inc. and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. the defense to spelling your name wrong. She’s also an avid doughnut sampler who plans on swimming a 5 kilometer race in Lake Michigan to balance her affection for confections.

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Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & affiliates. Business insurance may be placed through Progressive Specialty Insurance Agency, Inc. with select insurers, which are not affiliated with Progressive, 4 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 are solely responsible for servicing and claims, and pay the agency commission for policies sold. Prices, coverages, privacy policies and commission rates vary among these insurers. FOOD Spring into the latest trends

Let’s Taco ‘Bout It makes a buzzworthy comeback

Tortillas are a canvas for anything, from braised pork to slow-roasted poblanos and spring carrots.

foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 7

© 2015 Pactiv. All rights reserved. COVER STORY FOR A STANDOUT TACO, Then, Chef Roy Choi started the taco revolution, famously turning his popular SIMPLICITY ONCE RULED. Korean Kogi taco truck into an empire of PACK A HOUSEMADE brick-and-mortar in Los An- WITH CARNE geles. moved beyond their origins, requiring more than that perfect three- ASADA INSPIRED BY SU bite expression of the Mexican table to ABUELA, ADD SALSA OR turn heads. CHOPPED ONIONS AND “Tacos are a great platform for flavor,” says Matt Drummond, executive chef at CILANTRO. DONE. Loco Taqueria & Bar in Boston. “They’re composed dishes. Pretty much anything you can put on a piece of or porcelain, you can put on a corn torti- lla as well.” Taco offerings on restaurant have risen 32.4 percent from 2010 to 2015, according to a recent Technomic Shelling Out for survey. Once-exotic offerings like carnitas, carne asada and Baja shrimp tacos are now commonplace. Chefs are proving tacos are as much global as they are seasonal, seeking re- gional influences from the homeland and beyond. Unusual proteins and seasonal ingredients fill the shell—which is not al- ways corn. Made in-house, can be creative, too.

Tacos go global with jerk spiced catfish, snap pea kimchee and mango cream at TD’s Pop-Up in Mexican street food Portland, Oregon. stretches far beyond BY PETERits GIANOPULOS origins

T Based in Portland, Maine, Tortilleria Pachanga uses locally grown and milled corn for its tortillas, acosgiving customers an on- trend selling point. 8 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 9 Handheld Culture Masa Appeal A taco can be whatever suits the menu, Tacos are no stranger to culinary mashups, The foundation is just as important as the fill- but those regional flavors are becoming more ings, which is why some chefs are rethinking no matter the segment or daypart. distinctive. Lamb rib tacos with Louisiana the tortilla. Alex Stupak, chef-owner of Em- blueberry slaw feel right at home at Emer- pellón Taqueria and other restau- Wood-Roasted Spring Lamb Taco Make your own il’s in New Orleans, while Tacocraft in Fort rants, published “Tacos: Recipes and Provo- Chef Mike Randolph queso fresco, which Lauderdale, Florida, features chef-inspired cations” (Clarkson Potter) last October with a Publico in St. Louis, Missouri is simple and offers a tempura-battered shrimp with mango salsa. Amount of tacos chapter on other types of tortillas, such as vege- kick of salt and acidity. Chef Eddie Hernandez saw this trend com- appearing on table juice (carrot, beet and spinach) instead of ing years ago. In 2000, he opened his first water. He also swaps out corn for other grains Taqueria del Sol outpost in Atlanta, surprising breakfast menus like rye and buckwheat. Don’t always rely on locals with tacos inspired by Southern blue- Los Chingones’ Guard infuses carrots and tomatillos. Go for a plate specials. carrot juice with masa he makes in-house to ac- seasonal salsa like The fusion gambit worked because Hernan- centuate the tortillas for his seasonal “garden” salsa verde with local dez balanced Southern flavors with Mexican taco, which include roasted carrots, avocado, ramps and peas. techniques, developing a jalapeno-lime may- 8% cotija cheese and guajillo sauce. onnaise for his tacos and tequila At Publico in St. Louis, Chef Mike Randolph for his Memphis smoked pork. Diners 18 and is committed to an authentic taco but also Hernandez now operates five locations in % wants the shell “to have the pliability of a older who prefer Georgia. By scaling up, he’s able to keep prices soft tacos tortilla with the flavor of a .” around $3 a taco. 54 To achieve that delicate balance, Randolph “My suppliers trust me,” Hernandez says. uses imported corn from Uruapan, Mexico, “They know I’m going to order a lot from them cooks it in a solution of water and ash—a pro- on a regular basis, so they give me the best cess called nixtamalization—and then hands it products at the best prices.” vs. over to his tortilla-maker who grinds the corn % in 2015 into masa before hand-forming each tortilla. Appetites Outweigh Cents 29.1 The results are “almost Frito-esque,” says Ditch the ground At Bodega Negra in New York, Executive Chef Randolph, bold enough for his smoked white Michael Armstrong uses tacos to elevate unex- Restaurants that offered% at least one taco fish and jalapeno cream cheese or oyster and beef for proteins in 2010 pected cultural combinations. His 22.2 shiitake mushrooms with cucumber, radish, like lamb, pork or Sources: Datassential MenuTrends 2015, Technomic. sustainable fish. tacos, for example, pair five spice and clove and huitlacoche goat cheese crema. seamlessly with a Mexican mole, while his lob- At Hecho en Dumbo in New York, Chef ster tacos are glazed in a foamy butter sauce Danny Mena has captured a similar sense of spiked with morita chilies. las, margaritas and cocktails. On most nights, exoticism by importing ideas from his native Stick to a housemade Fresh tortillas made in-house and high- Los Chingones enjoys an enviable 50-50 split Mexico. His tacos campechanos—filled with corn tortilla and er-end ingredients mean price points are high- between food and . salt-cured steak, chorizo and chicharron (pork improvise with er than the average taco. A pair can range from rinds)—were inspired by a taco sold around other flavors. $14 to $22, but he says diners rarely complain. Smoke and Fire the bullfighting arena in Mexico City. His tacos “Sometimes people don’t want to sit out- To fit the summertime vibe when the thirst gobernador with smoked sablefish, octopus and side on a sidewalk with a paper plate,” says for tequila is high, Chef Tom Dunklin of Three shrimp riff on marlin-filled “mayor” tacos. Armstrong. “They want a nice restaurant with Degrees Waterfront Bar & Grill in Portland, Part of Hecho’s success, says Mena, also a great tacos and cocktails and an exciting dining Oregon, opened the seasonal taqueria, TD’s co-owner, comes from offering tacos that are room. People will pay for an experience.” Pop-Up. It runs only during the summer when difficult to find elsewhere. When he sees a fa- Chef-owner Troy Guard at Los Chingones he can build a menu around seasonal produce miliar taco around New York, he swaps it off his Looks count, so in Denver sees pricing differently. He’s menu for something new. try pea tendrils or and seafood. committed to local ingredients but also to “Tacos in a sense are like sandwiches,” chopped cilantro to Instead of a traditional grill, Dunklin opted keeping prices low by using inexpensive, bump color and flavor. for a wood-burning one. He found it imbued Mena says. “Sometimes you have to ask yourself flavorful cuts. His steak tacos, for instance, the tacos with an undercurrent of smoke, ideal what would this be like with a different meat, are made from the tips and ends of butts for his richer salsas paired with tacos such as a different cheese, a different bread? Once and hanger steaks. His menu often includes smoked adobo salmon with jicama cucumber you start playing with flavor combinations, beef cheek tacos with green chilies and lo- relish and local pork belly with shrimp, green the possibilities are endless.” n cally grown Olathe sweet corn or lamb neck papaya slaw, fish sauce and chili oil. with onions and pasilla chilies. “When it comes to tacos, how you a Peter Gianopulos is a restaurant critic for Chi- At around $4 per taco, diners tend to order meat or protein can be important,” says Dunk- cago magazine, an adjunct professor and a more and splurge on his extensive list of tequi- lin. “It’s a way to redefine classic flavor profiles.” freelance writer.

10 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 11 Garden Taco with Guajillo Roasted Carrots, Avocado & Cotija Cheese Chef-owner Troy Guard FAMILY Los Chingones, Denver

1½ cups Mexican tortilla dry masa DINING 1 teaspoon salt GROUPS GATHER ½ cup carrot puree 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup carrot juice ¾ pound , chopped WHERE THEY CAN SHARE 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 15 guajillo dried chilies 1 arbol chili 5 Roma tomatoes, halved 4 cups chicken stock ¼ cup cilantro, chopped, plus extra for 1 cup crumbled corn chips Salt and pepper to taste 2 pounds heirloom carrots, scrubbed Olive oil, as needed 2 ripe avocados 1 cup cotija cheese

Combine masa and salt. Add carrot puree and oil, mixing in carrot juice slowly until it forms a dough. Shape into small balls and use a tortilla press to flatten.

Render the bacon fat; save bacon for other use. Add onions and garlic; caramelize. Add tomato paste, cook 5 minutes. Stir in chiles.

Add tomatoes, chicken stock and cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for McCain® Harvest Splendor ® 30 minutes. Add corn chips and blend in ® a food processor until completely smooth. Cross Trax Season with salt and pepper. APN# 1637271

Toss carrots salt, pepper and olive oil to coat; roast in a 350 F degree oven until firm but tender; place in guajillo sauce. Become the destination where guests love to gather and they’ll keep coming back. McCain ® can Cook tortillas on griddle top and add 1 2 roasted guajillo carrots. Top with avoca- help you build on the growing popularity of both sides and shareables with pass-around portions ® ® do, grated cotija cheese and cilantro. featuring premium ingredients like Harvest Splendor Sweet Potato Cross Trax for experiences that invite more gatherings and more return visits.

Get everything you need for a crowd-pleasing shareable side menu at www.mccainideafeed.com/shareablesides

12014 Technomic Inc.; Future of FSR: Family & Casual Dining Consumer Trend Report. 2“Innovative, shareable appetizers drive sales,” Nation’s Restaurant News, 2013. ©2016 McCain Foods USA, Inc. The trademarks herein are owned by or used under license by McCain Foods Limited or by one of its subsidiaries. www.McCainUSAFoodservice.com 12 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016

19408_Distributor Media Print Ads_Final_010516.indd 1 1/7/16 5:00 PM IT’S FITTING THAT A Ludd’s Blood 100-YEAR-OLD-PLUS Chef-owner Jason French

COCKTAIL WITH NO CLEAR 64 ounces tomato juice BIRTHPLACE CAN BE FOUND 2½ ounces Worcestershire sauce 1 ounce sherry vinegar ON NEARLY EVERY 1 ounce horseradish 1 ounce hot sauce MENU. 1 ounce lemon juice Could it be the St. Regis Hotel’s King Cole 1 ounce pickle juice Bar in New York? Maybe Harry’s New York 1 teaspoon dill weed Bar in Paris? 1 teaspoon black peppercorn It doesn’t matter when bloody marys are 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for spice rim a favorite, whether at airport lounges or col- 1 teaspoon celery seed ½ teaspoon dill seed A lege town sports bars. Mega-garnishes like ½ teaspoon mustard seed , slices and chicken wings ¼ teaspoon fennel seed are attention-grabbers, but a refined bloody 1½ ounces aquavit or vodka mary has virtues worth considering. Caraway, coriander and sea salt, as needed We’re talking more substance and less show Cucumbers and pickles* as a strong point of difference. B B Combine wet ingredients. Grind together dry This doesn’t mean boring. Just play to the ingredients and add to the liquid. Adjust sea- possibilities of its main flavor components: sonings. Pour mix over 1½ ounces of aquavit or E umami, spice and booze. vodka in a glass rimmed with caraway, coriander U and sea salt. Makes 1 drink plus extra base. Garnish with cucumber and pickles. I T Ludd’s Blood, $7 Ned Ludd, Portland, Oregon Inspiration: Vodka’s not the only bloody base in town. L T *Try different pickles such as apples, watermelon rind, beets, Booze counts when it comes to a quality peppers, radishes or carrots. bloody mary, which explains why some bar- D E tenders are trading classic vodka for trendier and more flavorful spirits. At Ned Ludd in Portland, Oregon, Chef-owner Jason French I R offers the option to swap in aquavit for the restaurant’s bloody mary. “The elevator pitch for the aquavit is: Vodka’s N boring,” French says. French adjusts the rim of the bloody mary B glass to echo aquavit’s flavors: caraway, corian- G der and sea salt. The base is mostly traditional: tomato juice, Worcestershire and a handful of L spices with a splash of sherry vinegar, inspired by gazpacho. The stars of the drink, though, are its gar- This classic cocktail O nishes: a cucumber garnish joined by a host of seasonal and nontraditional pickles such can be more substance as watermelon rinds, apples, beets or pears. French brines each in a specific liquid based on than show O its acidity and sweetness. BY KATE BERNOT “I want it to be bright, but not lasting in its acidity,” he says. “If all pickles use the same D brine, it becomes monosyllabic. This way you get a range of sweetness and mild acidity, and I think it makes for a more interesting eat. At the Y end you’re not puckered out.” To keep the focus on the pickles, the drink is served on the rocks in a simple, rimmed highball glass.

14 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 15 Oak Barrel-aged Bloody, $10 Kimchee Mary, $11 Oak Barrel-aged Kimchee Mary The Bonneville, Austin, Texas Lowell’s Restaurant, Seattle General Manager Mark Monroe Inspiration: Spirits with a custom spin Infused Bloody Inspiration: A spicy kick that isn’t hot sauce. Chef-owner Jennifer Costello 1½ ounces horseradish, not creamed Vodka is a blank slate, perfect for infusions and 3 750-milliliter bottles of vodka Lowell’s Restaurant is pushing 60, but its most 2 ounces green Tabasco sauce barrel aging techniques that can set a bloody popular bloody mary definitely isn’t old school. 7 ounces Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning 2 large bunches of fresh basil, torn and mary apart from the pack. At The Bonneville stems broken It’s the Kimchee Mary, a surprise hit that began 69 ounces tomato juice 46 ounces V8 juice in Austin, Texas, Chef-owner Jennifer Costello 1½ tablespoons black peppercorns as a way to use the leftover brine from the kim- 2 ounces vodka uses both approaches to give layers of warmth 1½ tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns chee slaw that crowns the restaurant’s tacos. 1 ounce kimchee brine, your recipe and personality to the blah base spirit. 1 whole dried guajillo chile, stemmed and seed- “There are a zillion easier kimchee recipes Dehydrated pickles, ground as needed She begins by adding guajillo and ancho chil- ed; torn into 4 to 6 pieces than mine that you can make to obtain a brine,” Roasted sesame seeds, as needed ies to vodka for spice and smoke. Basil leaves 1 whole dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded; torn into 4 to 6 pieces says General Manager Mark Monroe, adding Pickled onions and green beans, as needed brighten the earthy peppers with a freshness that kitchens that already make kimchee can Tomato water, frozen into cubes that lasts through the barrel-aging process Hot sauce, your choice easily skim off the brine to use in the recipe. “I Combine horseradish, Tabasco and bloody mary seasoning and then tomato and V8 juices; reserve while Sichuan and black peppercorns offer an just happen to love mine and use the kimchee as a base. Combine 4 ounces of base with vodka additional layer of heat. After infusing for one Pour vodka into a sealable container with basil, to top our braised brisket tacos.” and kimchee brine. Rim glass with dehydrated pick- week, the vodka rests for another two to three peppercorns and chilies. Stir and seal; let sit for up Presentation is also notable here: an 8-ounce, les and roasted sesame seeds. Garnish with weeks in 3-liter charred oak barrels. to 10 days until the liquid is dark and fully flavored. swing-top bottle contains 4 ounces of bloody onion, green beans and a lime slice if desired. “Vodka is, by nature, a pretty hot alcohol. Strain and pour into an oak barrel. Age for 1 to 3 weeks, checking regularly for desired flavor. mary mix, 2 ounces of vodka and 1 ounce of Makes 1 drink plus extra base. Barrel aging knocks that off and kicks that kimchee brine. It’s accompanied by a mason jar earthiness way up,” Costello says. “You’re To make the drink, place tomato water ice cubes in rimmed with a powder of ground dehydrated pulling toasted wood notes out, plus caramel a rocks glass, add 2 ounces of vodka and garnish pickles and roasted sesame seeds, garnished and vanilla. Those warm elements work with with hot sauce. with a pickled onion and green beans. Guests the layers of smoke and heat while basil keeps pop the top and pour their own bloodys, adding it bright.” an interactive element, and making it quick for For the bloody mary base, Costello prefers servers to get the drink from fridge to table. a subtly spiced tomato juice, so the complex barrel-aged vodka can shine. Glassware also stays straightforward: a tall, unrimmed Collins glass, garnished with seasonal pickled vege- tables (radishes, green beans, even squash) plus an olive and a lime wedge. The Bonne- ville even offers a “stripped down” version of the drink that’s simply heirloom tomato water ice cubes, a shot of the barrel-aged vodka and dash of hot sauce. n

16 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 THROW OUT OLD NOTIONS OF BAKERS. THE HEARTH OF THEY’RE CARVING OUT A CONCEPT TO CALL THE MATTER THEIR OWN. Chef-driven bakeries—rooted in bread CHEF-DRIVEN BAKERIES or pastry programs at concepts that typi- cally serve only breakfast and —are SCORE A SWEET SIDE OF gaining traction, as these commanders in flour strike out on their own. THE BUSINESS Think of Stephanie Izard, James Beard award-winning chef, who opened diner-bakery Little Goat in Chicago. BY LIZ LOGAN Or Matt Tinder, a former pastry chef of Proof Bakeshop makes breads and pastries but also PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN GAMBLE Michelin-starred restaurants in the San Spicy Shrimp Chef-owner Stephanie Izard offers a breakfast and lunch Francisco area whose bakery is slated to Little Goat Diner, Chicago menu to maximize potential open this month in metropolitan Seattle. sales as a chef-driven bakery. Much like Tissa Stein’s Tabor Bread in 2 cups cabbage, shredded Portland, Oregon, Tinder’s model fea- ¼ cup red wine vinaigrette, your choice tures bread and other baked goods made 1½ pounds medium shrimp with locally grown ingredients, including ½ cup rice bran oil freshly milled grains for flour. 3 tablespoons sambal olek The hyper-local, slow food ethos is 1 tablespoon garlic, minced ½ cup spicy mayo, your recipe at the core of what defines chef-driven 2½ tablespoons Spanish onion, diced bakeries. 4 teaspoons mayo “There’s a public need to recognize 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce where our food, and our grain, is com- 4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided use ing from,” says Evrim Dogu, co-owner ½ pound cream cheese of Sub Rosa Bakery in Richmond, Vir- 2 avocados ginia. “We want our products to have ¼ teaspoon salt 4 brioche buns integrity, not as a cliché but as a real tie Pickled peppers, your choice to the farmer.” Masa chips, as needed

Slow Your Roll Toss cabbage with vinaigrette; set aside. Peel, Artisanal bakers like Dogu and Stein devein and butterfly shrimp and toss with rice invest in more than ingredients for the bran oil, sambal olek and garlic; marinate 1 hour. Cook shrimp in a sauté pan over high heat, 5 sake of a better product. Specialized minutes. Cool and toss spicy mayo. equipment and slowing down the bread- making process dramatically are par for Combine onion, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, the . 2 teaspoons lemon juice and cream cheese to Dogu uses local grains milled on-site make schmear. Mash together avocados, remain- with an Osttiroler, a $10,000 stone mill ing 2 teaspoons lemon juice and salt. imported from Austria. “The idea is to To compile sandwich, spread each brioche top create a bread from the ground up, from with cream cheese schmear. Divide avocado our area’s unique terroir,” he says. among the bottom buns, add shrimp, cabbage Sub Rosa’s signature bread is a local and pickled peppers. Add masa chips and top hard red wheat, which is sifted. “It’s our with bun. Make 4 sandwiches.

18 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 19 Quiche changes with the seasons at Cakes & Ale.

Using local grains can help establish a chef-driven bakery. Doughnut muffins are a favorite at Tabor Bread. Chocolate chip meringues are ready for the oven. version of a white bread, but it’s really brown,” such a great response to the bakery programs each day. “Bread is the soul of our business, but as with bread, he’s reinvented the classic by Spring Pea & Carolina Dogu says. “It with people’s sense of at their two restaurants that it warranted its pastries keep the lights on,” he says. using natural, unblanched almond flour to what a white bread is. Our breads really high- own concept. A year ago, the Allins partnered temper the sweetness. “Our almond crois- Rice Soup Chef-owner Billy Allin light the grains.” with their bakers, David Garcia and Abigail Show Off Them Loaves sant is not syrupy and heavy. We bake it dark, Cakes & Ale Cafe, Decatur, Georgia All of the grains Stein uses at her bakery—red Quinn, to open Proof Bakeshop in Atlanta. It’s Offering items wholesale can also increase so it has a nice crunch.” wheat, rye and spelt—are grown in Oregon; she the central baking for the other restau- profitability when a bakery has space and labor, Some chef-bakers tradition by 5 cups chicken stock knows the farmers and deals with them direct- rants, but Proof has an identity of its own. says John Kraus owner of Patisserie 46 in Min- using innovative flavors like Neil Rob- ¼ cup white wine ly. The flour is milled on-site with an Osttiroler Like other chef-driven bakeries, local flour neapolis. He cautions that wholesale delivery ertson’s Crumble & Flake in Seattle. The 2 stalks green garlic as well, but there’s no sifter, so the bran, endo- and organic produce are the staple ingre- and labor costs aren’t worth the effort without former fine dining pastry chef’s menu Zest of ½ lemon sperm and chaff remain in the flour. The bak- dients for pastries and other baked goods. a long list of clients to support it. He has 30. includes items like smoked paprika and 1 cup English peas, shocked 1½ cups Boston bibb lettuce, shredded ery’s signature bread is a red wheat boule that’s Buttercream made from European butter Location is important for any restaurant, cheddar croissants, a Danish filled with 1 cup cooked Carolina Gold rice half hard-red winter wheat and half red-fife fill layers of cakes, while croissants involve a perhaps more so for a chef-driven bakery be- goat cheese and housemade jam, and pink 1¼ cup spring onion, finely sliced wheat, an heirloom grain that’s been cultivated three-day process. cause Americans culturally do not shop daily peppercorn shortbread. A housemade ¼ pound prosciutto, sliced in the northwest for centuries. “We respect the old French traditional ap- for bread. Selling baked goods at farmers mar- Patisserie 46 offers a Provençal break- at breakfast ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded “The red wheat is deeply flavorful and hearty, proach of making bread and pastries,” Garcia kets can help and reinforce a brick-and-mortar fast bread that only started popping up on works double duty Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and the heirloom wheat is tannic and bold, so it says. “Our products go through an extended location. U.S. menus in the last decade. His version as a lunch item. Black pepper to taste adds backbone,” she says. fermentation which develops flavor, helps Runner & Stone in Brooklyn, New York, used features Spanish anise, orange peel, olive 4 mint leaves, thinly sliced with digestion and caramelizes beautifully.” farmers markets to gain a following for their oil and local flour. The flavor combination Simmer chicken stock, wine, green Make More Dough To be the most profitable, however, chef-driv- baked goods while the bakery-restaurant was “takes a little getting used to, especially for garlic and zest for 45 minutes; strain. Chef-driven bakeries often evolve from restau- en bakeries use bread as the foundation for still under construction. breakfast,” he says, though the anise is sub- rants that start baking bread in-house, like Iz- breakfast and lunch service. “It’s a great advertisement for us,” says baker tler than customers expect. Add peas, simmer 5 minutes and add ard’s Girl & the Goat in Chicago. Not long after For example, Proof uses their housemade Peter Endriss. Runner & Stone has maintained Like his contemporaries, Kraus says it’s all lettuce, rice and spring onions; simmer amping up the bread program, she opened a English muffin to sandwich together a baked that relationship to sell the same housemade about bringing something new and different to 5 minutes. diner-bakery concept called Little Goat. The local egg, ham and Gruyere. Local eggs also fill breads and pastries that line its entry at the the table. Add prosciutto and ladle into warm bakery’s takeout sandwiches and have a seasonal quiche while sandwiches include local farmers market twice a week. “Customers are excited when it’s something bowls, garnishing with Parmesan, become so popular that they’re premade each framani soppressata on housemade ciabatta local and there’s a direct line from the farmer,” olive oil, black pepper and mint. morning for a quicker lunchtime service, like with chard, preserved lemon ricotta and Dijon. Shake and Bake he says. n Makes 4 servings. her shrimp sandwich on a housemade bun with “Offering breakfast and lunch gives our bak- A chef-driven bakery often starts with the clas- spicy mayo, avocado mash with cream cheese ers a chance to cook savory food,” Garcia says. sics. The almond croissant is the best selling Liz Logan is a Brooklyn-based freelance writ- and masa chips. “I love savory cooking so I enjoy it.” pastry at Patisserie 46 and Runner & Stone. er whose work has appeared in The New York Billy and Kristin Allin, owners of Cakes & Ale Dogu estimates that his bakery sells 80 “An almond croissant is a no-brainer be- Times, The Wall Street Journal and other and Cakes & Ale Cafe in Decatur, Georgia, had breads a day and between 100 and 300 pastries cause people love them,” Endriss says. But, publications.

20 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 21 STRANGE AS IT MIGHT with Punjabi baingan bharta (roasted eggplant SOUND, INDIAN FOOD IN puree) and paneer. Speaking directly to her Houston diners, INDIA IS “BLOWING UP she puts a local riff on the popular street RIGHT NOW.” known as . Texas shrimp is pick- That’s according to Anita Jaisinghani, led in a mustard seed, fenugreek and fennel chef-owner of Houston’s Indika and Pondi- brine then tossed with avocado, pomegranate cheri. In the old country, chefs are reclaiming seeds, market greens, cilantro and crunchy regional recipes with seasonal ingredients and chickpea noodles called sev. “Essentially it’s new techniques. Indians are falling in love with half , half chaat with a lot of foreign in- their food again. So why hasn’t the Indian food gredients,” she says. revolution emerged stateside yet? A love of beer and Indian food led Chef “Indian food today is what Italian food was Maneet Chauhan to open Chauhan Ale & 30 years ago,” says culinary director Floyd Masala House in Nashville, Tennessee. Chau- Cardoz of Bombay Canteen in . “Most han melds worlds, pairing her signature people thought Italian food was red sauce and spice-infused brews like a saffron cardamom pizza. Similarly people think that Indian food is IPA and milk chai stout from her new brewery only nan and chicken masala.” Mantra Artisan Ales with dishes that speak to Inroads, however, are being made. By draw- locals. A riff on Frito pie combines lamb kee- ing upon the country’s vast library of spices, ma and crunchy spicy Kurkure brand corn cooking techniques and regional , puffs while an Indian version of the clas- some U.S. chefs with strong ties to India are in- sic southern “ ,” features a troducing diners to the possibilities of this deep protein and three signature sides. and ancient cuisine.

The Southern Way passage In the search for authenticity, it might seem daunting to tackle such a massive cuisine. But don’t sweat it. “There is no wrong way to do anything,” says Jaisinghani. “Every family does their own version of each .” The lack of formal structure gives her the freedom to combine Indian and southern cui- É india sines at Pondicheri, like her chai spice-infused custard pie or lentil and rice (crepe) filled is all about mapping your own adventure

BY MIKE SULA

22 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 Chauhan’s hot chicken are an ode with mango chutney and a vinegar based vin- to the famous Nashville hot chicken served daloo sauce ($15). at legendary joints like Prince’s and Hattie “You get all the flavor, but you get a complete- B’s. Cubed chicken is marinated in buttermilk ly different texture experience,” she says. seasoned with garlic, ginger, salt, asafetida Chef K.N. Vinod of Indique in Washington (indigenous Indian root), cayenne, black pep- D.C. looked to a dish favored in his home state per, chili powder and paprika. The meat is of Kerala to create a new twist on Irish shep- then dredged in flour then dipped in a chick- herd’s pie. He braises boneless lamb with pea and wheat flour batter with red chili pow- fennel, shallots, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, der, more asafetida, garlic, ginger and soda cardamom, cloves, chili powder, coriander water before it hits the deep fryer. At pickup powder, turmeric powder and salt. Then he it’s seasoned with a spice salt of jalapeno, cay- fries it in coconut oil with mustard seeds, enne, chipotle, dried mint and chaat masala. A curry leaves and garlic before topping it off hot sauce of habanero, yellow peppers, orange with mashed potatoes seasoned with more peel, champagne vinegar and honey accom- mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chili and panies the appetizer ($11). shallots. The dish is baked until browned.

New Wave Anglo-Indian Familiarity Opens Minds During a trip to , Jason Vaughan, direc- For Indian food to reach more diners, the menu tor of culinary development for Chicago’s Pub needs create a comfort zone. Jehangir Mehta, Royale noticed an interesting Indian influence chef at New York’s Graffiti and Mehtaphor, goes on British gastropubs: Bold sour beers and ci- for the American favorite: a burger. His version ders stand up to assertively seasoned Anglo-In- blends 60 percent ground beef and 25 percent dian flavors. Working with Chef Patrick Harri- chopped portabello and shiitake mushrooms son, he created familiar dishes that sometimes with onions, tomatoes, green chilies, coriander, take a surprising turn like stuffed with mint, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and turmer- salt cod brandade or gobi Manchurian that ic. The menu’s biggest seller marinates for 48 Milk-Braised Lamb tastes like kung pao chicken. hours before it’s grilled and served with ketch- The restaurant’s saag paneer resembles a up on a brioche bun. Shanks with Cracked steakhouse-style creamed spinach. House- “When people ask how do you define your Wheat made cheese retains its soft, lush texture cuisine, we say it is like a white woman wearing by avoiding overstraining or cooking it too Chef Floyd Cardoz an Indian sari,” says Mehta. “We are so white Bombay Canteen, Mumbai hard. At pick up, it’s added to lightly sauted with our focus, and we have enveloped it and spinach started with onions fried in ghee, adorned it with Indian flavors. To make it more 4 lamb shanks tied with butcher twine bay leaf, tomato, ginger and garlic. Turmeric, mainstream you have to sell the idea through 2 tablespoons kosher salt chili powder, ghee, cream cheese and fenu- an identified product.” n Olive oil as needed greek leaf compound butter are also swirled 4 shallots, peeled and halved 1 leek, washed and cut into half in. Housemade nan accompanies the appe- Mike Sula is a James Beard award-winning tizer, making it easy to eat at the bar or share 4 celery stalks, halved writer and restaurant critic for the Chicago 1 quart chicken stock with the table ($12). Reader. Follow him on Twitter @MikeSula. 1 quart half and half Rules to 1 chili, split Beyond Borders 2 tablespoons coriander, pounded coarse Certain regional Indian foods can reinter- 1 tablespoon black pepper, pounded coarse Never Break in Indi- pret dishes from other cuisines. “What some 6 green cardamom chefs are doing in America is showcasing how 4 black cardamom an Cooking (and one the basic spice blends and masalas of Indian 2 cloves 1 stick cinnamon cooking work in just so many applications,” that’s debatable) 1 piece ginger, pounded says Chef Akasha Richmond of Sambar in 1 bay leaf 1. Grind whole spices as you use them. Culver City, California. 3 cups cooked cracked wheat 2. Do not overuse chilies. Indian food Pork vindaloo, a specialty of the Indian doesn't need to blow your head off. state of Goa, inspired her to take Italian por- Salt lamb shanks; let stand for 45 minutes. Heat oil and sear shanks. Combine remaining ingre- 3. Always cook onions thoroughly. chetta to the Indian spice pantry. Richmond dients, except cracked wheat, in a large pot and  or bloom spices in oil before rubs a pork shoulder with chili, coriander, 4. add lamb shanks. Bring up to a boil and simmer using, say most chefs. Sometimes, the A milk braise with Indian spices for lamb, cumin, black cumin, black pepper, mus- above and previous page, makes for until tender. Remove lamb; strain broth and spices are used raw if that’s the flavor tard, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic and curry a tender and deeply flavored entree. degrease. Reduce broth to a coating consisten- you’re after. Mustard seed gives asparagus, opposite leaves, rolls up the meat and lets it sit over- cy. Coat shanks in sauce and plate with cracked page, a nod to Indian flavors. Get this night. The pork is slow cooked, sliced and wheat. Makes 2 servings. Go to FoodFanatics. Floyd Cardoz recipe at FoodFanatics.com. then crisped in the pizza oven. It’s served com for the cracked wheat recipe.

24 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 25 Palak Paneer Chef Jason Vaughan FOR MORE RECIPES Pub Royale, Chicago go to FOODFANATICS.COM 1 cup ghee or clarified butter 1 tablespoon whole cumin 1 onion, chopped 3 bay leaves 2 green finger chilies 5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 knob ginger, minced 1 teaspoon asafoetida 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon salt 2 tomatoes, chopped 12 ounces spinach Lessons in Indian 2 tablespoons garam masala 2 tablespoons compound butter 2 cups paneer Food Trends with Nan or chiapatti for dipping

Floyd Cardoz Heat butter and toast cumin. Add onion and bay leaf; saute 5 minutes. Add green chilies, garlic and ginger; saute. Floyd Cardoz has pioneered Indian Add asafoetida, chili powder, turmeric food in the since open- and salt; saute. Add tomato, then spinach and cook off the excess water. ing New York’s Tabla in 1998 (it closed 12 years later). Author of several Finish with garam masala and chill over , including Floyd Cardoz: ice; remove bay leaves. At service, heat Flavorwalla due out later this spring, palak and stir in compound butter and Cardoz knows how to make Indian food paneer. Serve with nan or chiapatti. resonate with diners. The chef-partner Makes 6 servings. A riff on a re- at Mumbai’s Bombay Canteen who has gional favor- a New York restaurant in development, For paneer and compound butter ite, crispy hot recipes go to FoodFanatics.com. chicken, plays shares his insight. out as a pakoras appetizer at :: Indian food is much more than Chauhan Ale & you think. Masala House “If you ask 90 percent of the people in Nashville, who eat Indian food what Indian food Tennessee. is, they’ll say chicken tikka masala, which is not even an Indian dish."

:: Indian food should be The Essential user-friendly. “One of the most important things we Ingredients for have to do as Indian chefs is make our food user-friendly. It’s all about balance: Indian-Inspired Food spicy, sour, sweet, bitter and salty in a dish. You don’t see that very often.”

:: Indian food is regional, but you’d Ginger-garlic paste never know it. Garam masala “Most restaurants make this murky mix of ingredients that most people don’t Turmeric recognize. It’s too spicy. It’s too greasy, and most people either love it or hate Chilies it. Unfortunately more people hate it Mustard seeds than love it, but that whole trend is changing. People are realizing more can be done.”

26 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 27 TREND TRACKER The heat index on what’s happening

Year of the roll? Cinnamon rolls burst onto the scene. Diners don’t really sandwiches Vegetables move notice the effort behind will get a cool revamp to the center of tweezer plating. this summer. the plate. From nutrition to sourcing, No reservation diners demand policies just Low over- transparency incense your head, high on menus. customers. foot traffic— what’s not to Chefs warm up love about to the possibil- food halls? ities of Indian cuisine.

WARMING UP ON FIRE COOLING OFF

Edison bulbs are over, It’s no shocker The guys. Just deal with it. that tacos are trend comes to taking over. the bottom of Lobster the bowl. rolls are clawing to make a come- The burnt back. food trend is still hotter than ever. Could 2016 mark the end Chef-driven fast of tipping at casuals pave the restaurants? next wave. PHOTOGRAPHY THINKSTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 29 ING THE S WE BR TEAK

YOU BRING the SIZZLE.SIZZLE.

THE MOST AMAZING DISHES BEGIN WITH THE FINEST CUTS OF MEAT. At Stock Yards®, we’ve been providing chefs with expertly cut and portioned steaks and chops for over 120 years. Our master butchers meticulously prepare every quality aged cut so that when it arrives in your kitchen, it’s 100% prepped and ready for your next masterpiece. Let us cut something special for you. Contact your US Foods®

Sales Representative to learn more. © 2016 US Foods, All Rights Reserved.

16_006usf_stockyards_cnpts_0126_11.indd 1 1/27/16 3:20 PM 16_006usf_stockyards_cnpts_0126_11.indd 2 1/27/16 3:20 PM talk of the town FOOD PEOPLE Insiders on the industry No matter what part of the country you call home, tacos are certainly the talk of the town. Over the last two years, this Mexican street food has truly evolved. Incorporating both authentic inspiration and global infl uences, chefs around the country are redefi ning classic fl avor profi les and creating exciting dining experiences.

At US Foods®, we love uncovering trends like this and sharing them with chefs and operators, but we know great food is only part of making your businesses successful. You also need to be up-to-date on what’s happening in the industry and mindful of new ways to approach running your business. Luckily, we have you covered. In the pages of this issue, we take a closer look at the unprecedented growth of food halls, delve into the issue of workforce shortage and hear some advice from seasoned veterans on how to handle diffi cult customers.

Lastly, make sure you spend a minute reading about the winners of our fi rst Food Fanatics® Awards program. These talented and inspiring individuals have some tremendous Lean in and Learn stories to share, and we are honored to have them join Make the most out of mentorships the Food Fanatics movement.

Until next time,

Pietro Satriano President and Chief Executive Offi cer US Foods PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

© 2016 US Foods, Inc. 01-2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 33

SPE-2016012501_FFL_Pietro_Letter.indd 1 1/27/16 2:16 PM FEED THE STAFF

of patience, more listening than talking,” says talking about,” Dady says. “Take the time to Andrew Curren, executive chef-partner of Elm make sure you explain it, so they get a good DEAR MENTOR Restaurant Group in Austin, Texas. comprehension.” Chefs sound off Humility Helps Take Time to Process on their mentors. No one likes a know-it-all, so practice what Set aside time to recap what you’ve taught after STOP LOOKING AT you preach. “No one has all the answers, shadowing. “When you’re cooking, you don’t MENTORSHIP AS ROUTINE and what worked for me might not work for have time to tell them, ‘Hey, when we were BOBBY PALMQUIST JOB TRAINING OR A ONE- my mentee,” Cusack says. “Rather than just rolling that omelet, did it make sense why I Chef at The Walrus and the answering a question that I’m asked, I’ll go made the curds really small with the eggs and Carpenter in Seattle DAY STAGE. TO GET THE with more of a discussion than a question- the spatula over medium heat?’” Curren says. “I started working for Renee MOST OUT OF MENTORING, and-answer.” “That (time) outside, away from the heat, is Erickson at the now-closed IT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING ultra-important.” Boat Street Cafe when I had no A Discerning Eye professional cooking experience. RELATIONSHIP THAT CAN Realistically, not everyone is looking to mentor Balance Compliments and Critique I basically learned to cook with LAST ANYWHERE FROM or be mentored, says Jason Dady, chef-owner Positive reinforcement balanced with her teaching me along the way… of Jason Dady Restaurants in San Antonio, constructive criticism pushes mentees Marie Rutherford, the chef at WEEKS TO A LIFETIME. Texas. “It’s about taking the time to find the to improve. “We use a lot of compliment the Whale Wins (where I used “You can go to school and learn facts or three, four, five key people who are interested sandwiches,” Curren says. “‘Hey, you did this to work as sous chef), also process ... but I think one unique benefit to the in making the next step.” gnocchi great, the portion size was good. I taught me a lot. The biggest mentor-mentee relationship is the chance to feel like the pan was too hot ... the garlic was a thing I've learned…techniques teach them how to think,” says Chris Cusack, little burnt, but the consistency of the sauce aside, is patience.” CEO and co-founder of Houston-based GET TO WORK was perfect.’ You give them something to restaurant group Treadsack. So, you’ve found a mentee. How to make your work on, and you give them some positive JESSICA VAZQUEZ Striking the balance between a structured training stick: reinforcement.” program and organic development is an art. But Pastry Chef at Bohemian House in Chicago done right, mentorships can create rewarding Set Clear Goals Lead by Example “I've been working with Chef A good mentor benefits everyone, long-term careers for employees who give back Find out what motivates your mentee, and The best way to instill mentees with pride Jimmy Papadopoulos at Bohe- including other employees. BY THINKSTOCK PHOTOGRAPH in meaningful ways. Here are some guidelines offer challenges for professional development. and dedication is leading by example. “When mian House for about a year to making a mentorship count. Dady asks his mentees to list 10 things they’d your employees see someone working hard now, and ... I was blown away at like to learn, whether it’s breaking down whole constantly, they are pushed to work harder,” how kind, down-to-earth and fish or management skills such as purchasing, Palmquist says. passionate he (is) about food. THE CANDIDATE TEST finances and customer service. Just make sure Not only does Chef Jimmy con- Who makes a good mentor? The obvious goals are specific and measurable. Carve Outside Opportunities tinue to teach me the impor- choice might not always be the best one. Look A good mentor extends opportunities outside tance of being a great cook, he for these qualities: Communicate Clearly and Often of the workplace. “When you run a successful also teaches me the impor- Ongoing personal interaction should be business, you have a lot of friends that cover a tance of being a great person. taking the underscored, says Shelley Menaged, manager lot of different areas,” say Dady, who will pair I will forever be grateful to him Plenty of Patience Practice makes perfect, which means mentors of special projects and student programs at an employee interested in breaking down for that.” need to take the extra time to teach and the James Beard Foundation. For example, whole animals with a fish company to learn be patient with a learning curve. Chef de regular check-ins with participants in the butchering. Cuisine Bobby Palmquist of The Walrus and Women in Culinary Leadership mentorship ANDREW CURREN the Carpenter in Seattle says he uses every program provide insight for both sides. “You Keep in Touch Chef-partner at The Elm LEAD opportunity in the kitchen for learning. “Every really (have to talk) to get the inflection, to get Mentorships don’t have to end when the mentor Restaurant Group in Austin, Texas time I do something new, I try to get someone the energy, to get your point across, to actually or mentee moves on to another job. The best “My first job in New York was else involved, whether breaking down fish or hear and sense if they’re actually receiving it,” praise a mentor can receive is seeing a mentee the Danny Meyer family at Tabla Get schooled in the making aioli.” she says. move on to a new opportunity, Dady says. restaurant. (Chef-partner Floyd “You’re only as good as the springboard you Cardoz) is an amazing chef but Listening Skills Don’t Assume provide for the rest of your staff. If they’re not also an amazing father and hus- . Sometimes the best student really can become art mentorship Young staffers can be embarrassed to going on to do great things, then you haven’t band. What I took from him was the best teacher or, in this case, mentor. “You admit there’s something they don’t know done your job.” n the important balance of family can’t just take your best cook and create a or understand, so make sure to reinforce and work, being healthy and mentor. You can almost take your best student your points. “They roll with the punches, Lisa Arnett is a Chicago-based freelance writer taking care of yourself … and turn that individual into a very good mentor and then you get weeks down the road and and former dining editor of Chicago Tribune’s so that you can execute at a BY LISA ARNETT because he or she is going to exhibit qualities realize that they had no idea what you’re RedEye. Follow her on Twitter @lisamarnett. high level.”

34 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 35 HERE’S HOW TO ENSURE BIG APPETITES GET THEIR FILL RAVENOUS. VORACIOUS. THE INSATIABLE HEARTY. HOWEVER YOU DESCRIBE THEM, DINERS WITH BIG APPETITES ARRIVE AT RESTAURANTS LOOKING TO BE FED—A LOT.

They’re the same diners who look askance at For every health-conscious diner who’s rated staggered portions as an important dainty portions of protein, who ask about the hoping for a half-portion, there’s a bigger value-driven consideration over large BY KATE ROCKWOOD size of a special before placing an order, who appetite that doesn’t mind paying a premium portions. Younger diners dig the appeal of embrace the breadbasket with gusto. to fill up. To balance hearty appetites against creating a customized meal: 65 percent of It’s easy to assume that insatiable the bottom line: Think beyond one-size-fits- 18- to 34-year-olds are willing to pay more diners only frequent and all-you- all portions, and deploy simple strategies for large portions, and 46 percent are willing can-eat deals, but that thinking would be that help hungry diners get truly fed. to splurge for more protein. off base. “What we’re seeing more of is staggered This means satisfying these hungry diners “Consumers today are looking for a portions on menus nationwide,” says Mary can also feed your bottom line. variety of options on menus, so they can Chapman, formerly of food research firm “Someone should be able to come in, get get exactly what they want depending on Technomic Inc. fed and leave full,” says Kelly Whitaker, chef- the occasion and customize their Eighty-six percent of diners in a owner of Denver-based restaurants Cart- meal,” says Annika Stensson, director of Technomic survey said they’d be more likely Driver and Basta. “You don’t want a guest research communications at the National to visit a restaurant with substantial and paying a $150 bill and then asking where the Restaurant Association. filling portions. Yet nearly as many diners closest In-N-Out Burger is for the drive home.”

36 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 37 FOOD FANATIC ROAD TRIP! Get a mouthful from our resident expert WITH THE RIGHT MENU KNOWLEDGE, SERVERS CAN Dare to Share CUSTOM FIT ANY PART OF Shared plates may feel so 2011, but their flexible format appeals to more than one demographic. THE MENU TO SOMEONE’S At Basta, the $82 scratch-made lasagna re- APPETITE. —Matt Selby, former Denver chef quires 24-hour notice but still gets ordered turned-consultant. THE HIGHLIGHTS multiple times a week. Though the menu sug- gests the dish for “four to six people,” Whita- Empire Chinese Kitchen A reincarnation of the famous Empire Chop Suey, ker’s seen tables of two order the mammoth which stood in the same location from 1916 to 1953, dish. “Some people know they want to bring serves up authentic versions of Chinese dishes. Go most of it home for lunch the next day; others for , and don’t miss the wok-tossed are just hungry,” he says. bread these days, or they want more of the food and lobster stir-fried Hong Kong style. Diners aren’t the only ones satisfied. Share- instead of the filler. But for others, they really able plates are a back-of-house boon. “With Portion Perception have to have it.” large format, one serving of beef takes care of Make a serving seem Offer up top-notch bread, and you can Street and Co. bigger—even when it’s not. Sam Hayward and Dana Street’s casual concept fea- four guests, instead of four individual servings,” charge for it. At Tremont 647, in Boston, tures a Mediterranean-centric menu showcasing local Whitaker says. “That really offsets the load of Chef-owner Andy Husbands replaced the 1. Downsize your plates. Researchers ingredients, and simple, yet well-prepared fish.. the line.” complimentary baskets of with $7 at Cornell University have found that skillet cornbread. It helps slash food waste people tend to underestimate Beef It Up without shrinking the average check order. Otto the portion size of larger plates, thus Batali may have called these guys “d-bags and In Duluth, Minnesota, hundreds of made- eating more and feeling less satisfied “We see people ordering it as an appetizer from-scratch diner are served daily at sometimes, but mainly as an accompaniment thieves” for allegedly copying his restaurant by the with a meal. same name, but with 10 storefronts in metro Boston The Duluth Grill. To avoid overwhelming an al- with their ,” he says. and Maine, the local pizza chain turns out some seri- ready bustling line with staggered portions, the 2. Brag before you serve. Diners ex- ous pie. Meatballs are a hit, too. restaurant relies on add-ons like a half-pound, pect smaller delicacies, not dump trucks The Art of Selling grass-fed beef burger, lamb shank gyros, grilled of food, with premium ingredients like “Portion sizes are different everywhere, and kale and bacon-blue cheese coleslaw. “We locally raised protein or heirloom vege- guests are becoming more savvy about asking,” Gorgeous Gelato Don’t get the name? You will when you meet husband don’t title anything hearty or lighter, but that’s tables. Set expectations before they see Whitaker says. For restaurateurs, that means and wife Milanese transplants, Donato Giovine and an easy way to adjust your portion size,” says the portion size to shift their perspective arming the front-of-house staff with the prop- Mariagrazia Zanardi. Try traditional Italian flavors like co-owner Tom Hanson. and minimize disappointment. er intel to help hungry diners order appropri- bacio and zabaione, as well as Americanized favorites. Bulk doesn’t always have to be served on the ate portions. side, either. When Matt Selby was the chef at 3. Go tall and slim. Here’s a reason “As soon as a new menu is typed up, the sous Portland Denver’s Central Bistro & Bar, he created a pro- to rethink your short, squat barware: chef does a class with the servers and goes over Who would have ever guessed that a sleepy seaside sourced menu after his inaugural year. Twenty-seven- tein menu for those looking to beef up a meal. People perceive tall-stemmed glasses as the ins and outs of each menu item,” says Sel- town in Maine would rival San Francisco for the year-old Cara Stadler of Bao Bao House has “People add seared salmon or housemade ba- larger, food researchers have found. by. The debrief goes so far as to offer the exact most restaurants per capita? taken what she learned from her mom in Shanghai to con or grilled steak to everything,” says Selby, ounces of the protein or amount of pasta served Portland, a modest community of 66,600 that turn out authentic soup . You’d do anything who recently launched a restaurant consulting 4. Intensify the flavor. Food that’s with each dish. more than triples during the summer, is becoming for those dumplings. And I mean anything. business. “The protein add-on increases check smoky, spicy or intensely flavored can “With the right menu knowledge, servers can known as one of the most restaurant-dense cities in Over the past few years, newcomers, such as Taco have a greater impact on a diner’s palate averages, and it helps the guest feel like they got custom fit any part of the menu to someone’s America. This culinary boom is shifting convention- Trio, East Ender and Slab Sicilian Street Food, have and cause them eat more slowly, even if enough to eat.” appetite,” he says. al thinking that it only has lobster and a good-look- introduced international fare, furthering Portland’s the portion is somewhat modest. If a diner is hungry and eyeing the primi FOOD FANATIC ing shoreline. position as an innovative food destination. Show Me the Bread Basket , for instance, a server might suggest the 5. Plate with circles. The Delboeuf Craig Peck, a Food Fanatics Twenty years ago, James Beard award-winning The arrival of creative chefs comes with new takes Waist-watchers know to avoid the breadbas- entree pasta instead. If a diner asks about the illusion causes us to perceive something chef for US Foods, says think chef Sam Hayward and Dana Street opened Fore on our local classics. At Eventide Oyster Co., lobster ket’s siren song, but offering that mountain , the servers know that one as larger when it’s surrounded by a tight Maine instead of Oregon Street in the Old Port District, laying the ground- meat is tossed in warm browned butter and served of carbs can be a win-win for everyone: It fills is an ideal snack, while three work as a starter circle. Keep that in mind next time you’re when you hear Portland. work for the local and sustainable food movements. on a housemade bao bun. Hake is battered, fried and diners up without dramatically driving up finishing a plate with a garnish or sauce. for a table of eight. The partners have since doubled down, opening slathered in housemade tartar sauce for a fish sand- food costs. “It’s really all about reading the guests,” says two more concepts: Standard Baking Company and wich. You can’t eat another bite, but you do anyway To reduce wasted money on tables that aren’t 6. Stretch it out. If $40-per-pound Selby. “Solid communication can be the differ- Street and Co. because the housemade whoopie pie will knock your going to touch it, Chef-owner Christy Hayes morel mushrooms are killing your food ence between someone leaving disappointed With over 500 restaurants in 21 square miles, Port- socks off. It’s the perfect ratio of vanilla buttercream of Woodland, California-based Mojo’s Kitch- cost, consider cutting the recipe with a and someone feeling fed well.” n land is drawing chefs with major street cred. Stand- to devil’s food cake. @CraigMPeck en428, has a simple solution: Ask first. “We ask less expensive variety. You’ll still get the outs include Chef Chris Gould who left Boston’s Uni With so many options, you might as well own Follow the Food Fanatic on every table if they want bread, after they order,” flavor and balance costs without shrink- Kate Rockwood is a freelance writer and insa- Twitter for more insider tips. Bar at Clio to open Central Provisions and up to the fact that you’ll eat several meals a day— she says. “A lot of people are staying away from ing the portions. tiable diner. became a James Beard award finalist for his locally more than once. n ILLUSTRATION BY TIM MARRS ILLUSTRATION

38 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 39 TALK SHOP WHEN COLLEEN HAWS Owner of Grandview & Grille, Fort BY MIKE SULA Mitchell, Kentucky Backstory: Spent more than 30 years in custom- er service in the airline and travel industry before IS THE opening Grandview in 2007.

“You definitely want to make repeat customers, but there comes a time when customers feel entitled, and they dis- rupt the business flow. You always want to correct any EDDIE LAKIN problem—that’s the first rule of thumb. But sometimes CUSTOMER Chef-owner of Edzo’s Burger Shop, Evanston, Illinois you’re not going to make them happy. I had a couple sitting at a high top dining for over two Backstory: Worked in fine dining for 20 years before opening his counter-service hours. I approached them and said I had a reservation for burgers and fries joints in 2009. 8:45 and [asked] could I move them to another table and offered to buy them a drink. The husband said, ‘Why don’t “We often discuss the idea of ‘firing’ a customer, whether directly saying, ‘Your you move that table?’ and pointed to the group next to business isn't welcome here anymore’ or indirectly, by saying, ‘No,’ to everything NOT they ask for politely. We have done both. Most of the indirect ones are done sim- them. I made the mistake of saying ‘Well, they’re regulars,’ instead of pointing out that it’s harder to move six people ply by conscious choices we make—we don’t offer reservations, the ‘no table grab- than two. They just went off. They took it so far—social me- bing’ policy, etc. For some people, that is enough to turn them off of us, so they dia, Yelp. They even took it to the Better Business Bureau. don’t come once they’re aware of the situation. They wanted me to pay the check, which was over $120. I I try very hard to assume goodwill from every customer, even the ones who seem ALWAYS sent her an apology and offered to buy them a drink. We ask difficult or gruff upon first impression. Extending caring hospitality to those who people to do these things all the time, and 99 percent of the make it harder often leads those folks to soften and become great customers. That time people are cooperative. And you just get that 1 percent said, some people are just not going to be happy with the level of product or ser- of people, that’s when you make the decision, ‘I really don’t vice that we offer. So in some cases it really does make sense to ‘fire’ the ones who RIGHT? care if you come back to my restaurant.’” don't have the good sense to realize that they should stop coming.” ELIOT WEXLER Owner of Nocawich, Tempe, Arizona HOW TO PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN Backstory: Ran James Beard Award-nominated Noca for six years before retiring from fine dining. Now runs Nocawich, his three fine fast casual sandwich shops.

WITH DEMANDING DINERS “I always looked at it as if I had invited someone to my house…(and) want them to have a good time. If you want ketchup with something that should not have it—fine. You ordered your steak medium and to your PENNY PINCHERS, OPPORTUNISTS, ENTITLED REGULARS. THESE ARE THE eye it is not—no problem. We’ll remake it. I always felt that I was better off comping something to make SORT OF CUSTOMERS THAT MAKE YOU QUESTION YOUR COMMITMENT sure everyone felt good. But if this guest in your house acted poorly, then would you invite them back? TO LONG HOURS AND SHORT MARGINS. OPERATORS EXPLAIN IN THEIR There are a very small percentage of guests that no matter what happens, they will not be happy. The manner in which the guest presented the issue was key: Abuse to the staff or bad behavior changed ev- OWN WORDS HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT GUESTS GENTLY AND erything. Those are the ones that you remember. When things went off the rails past the point of fixing, I DIPLOMATICALLY (OR NOT). would buy the meal and let them know that this was their last meal at the restaurant. I called it the ‘Marco Pierre White.’ At the point I could not salvage it, then I would have the server assistants completely clear the table except for the napkins in their lap. After a bit, the guests got the message and left.”

40 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 41 KELLY CHAPMAN

Owner of Mac-o-licious, Los Angeles Backstory: Transitioned from a serving upsale to brick and mortar in five months. Prior to foodservice, Chapman led a corporate life in recruitment at Microsoft and Lightworld Enterprises. “Occasionally a customer will complain about our prices. It's usually in two areas: drinks or mac ’n’ cheese. They ask, ‘Why don't I get a ?’ I gen- tly show them the kitchen area where we personally squeeze our lemons for our fresh lemonade. I explain that, ‘A bottle is a lot cheaper, but that’s not what we do here. May I offer it to you at half price as we do ap- preciate your business?’ The response usually is ‘Oh? Well it is delicious.’ Often a consumer may not understand the factors involved in setting a price, especially a small business that shops locally wherever possible. They don’t un- derstand the difference in wholesale pricing for a chain versus a small brick and mortar. We find when custom- ers gain an understanding of the factors involved in set- ting a price, they appreciate what we do more. ”

RICK STEWART General manager of Barnie's CoffeeKitchen, Winter Park, Florida Backstory: Started his job 14 years ago, gaining plenty of experience resolving issues with the affluent and sometimes demanding Winter Park clientele.

“Whether or not the customer is right, you should always make them feel like they are. A few regular guests come across as entitled. Guests have demanded food items that are not on the menu. I’ve heard things like, ‘Do you know how much money I spend in here? I come here all the time!’ The most important thing when dealing with enti- tled guests is to listen. Most of the time they just want to be heard. I’ll respond with, ‘I understand how much you fre- quent Barnie’s, and you are a valued guest.’ I let them know they are the core of our business. Having said that, I explain that we try to accommodate everyone’s tastes, but every time we deviate from the menu, the rest of our guests have to suffer.” n

WHETHER OR NOT THE CUSTOMER IS RIGHT, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY ARE. —Rick Stewart, General manager of Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen, Winter Park, Florida

42 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 43 Zpizza’s school-based efforts that combine acts of kindness with a reward have caught on because they feature elements that go together: kids and pizza.

Chef Ken Tominaga shares the “Happy Spoon,” which fea- tures a raw oyster, sea urchin, salmon caviar and ponzu creme fraiche. Recipients of the first Food Fanatics Around the Awards share their secrets

Winner’s Circle ZPIZZA also provides a guide with talking points, BY KRISTIN EDDY classroom posters and certificates. Big Heart and the “If it’s extra work for the school, it’s not some- Winners, left to right: Chef Ken Tominaga for Best Bite; Chef Manuel thing they’re going to want to get involved in,” Verney-Carron for Culinary Genius; Sally George representing Zpizza for says George. It needs to be “free and turn-key.” Big Heart and the Ultimate Food Fanatic; and Robert Vick for Hero. SUCCESS IS SWEET, BUT EVEN BETTER? Ultimate Food Fanatic Award Based in Newport Beach, California, with locations in 15 states WINNING AN AWARD FOR IT. Work with a good fit: Pizza fits into the every- Enter the Food Fanatics Awards, day lives of the participants and the “prize” (a honoring the foodservice champions Kids and pizza are a natural fit. Unfortu- free slice of pizza and a certificate of acknowl- nately, sometimes kids and bullying also go edgment for acts of kindness) is appropriate who often go unrecognized. hand-in-hand. So when Zpizza chain set out to the audience. “There’s a lot of competition Some 1,000 entries vied for six to create a community partnership program, for their attention,” says George. “They have it found inspiration close to home, says Mar- to believe in your product.” categories: Best Bite, Big Heart, Culinary keting Director Sally George. Genius, Hero, Epic Turn-Around and Top Nice Zslice, a school-based kindness Give the tie-in a twist: Zpizza chose to recog- Crew. Once judges picked the winners campaign that runs during National nize positive behavior, not preach about the Bullying Prevention month in October, consequences of bullying. “We believe kind- in each category, the public got the has been successful because it intersects ness is contagious,” George says. chance to decide among those who with the needs of schools, students and the would be named the Ultimate Food company’s brand. Build those blocks: Don’t rush to replicate the success somewhere else. Rather than Fanatic. ZPIZZA’S LESSONS LEARNED expanding to other civic or nonprofit groups, A few of the winners share what it Make it easy: When partnering with a school, Zpizza is focused on going “deeper and civic group or nonprofit, have materials ready wider in schools,” says George. Zpizza and took to nab the prize. like online registration forms, social media schools are no longer an October one-off, but links, a website with detailed information a year-round relationship, including other

FOR ZPIZZA ALLEN TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY / FOR TOP CREW COURT LEVE PHOTOGRAPHY CREW COURT / FOR TOP PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ZPIZZA ALLEN TAYLOR and a dedicated point of contact. Zpizza sponsored events.

44 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 45 Executive Chef Willy Carroll (with the award, lower center) attributes his Top Crew win to treating his staff like his best friends. Go to FOODFANATICS.COM/ AWARDS Real business for to learn about all ALEX POZANTIDIS the winners. MONEY & SENSE every operator Epic Turnaround Award Zoe Restaurant, East Amherst, New York

Owner Alex Pozantidis has watched disas- ter come along quickly (in a fast-moving kitchen fire that closed down one of his restaurants­) and approach slowly (during Jump the Line the harshly contracting economy that shut- tered a second restaurant). In his current Get ahead on the setup, he feels better equipped to keep the restaurant going even when challenges explosion of food halls come around again.

HIS LESSONS LEARNED Read the fine print: Pozantidis would have spent more on attorney fees to delve deeply into the leases and contracts. When it was too late, his investment in the businesses and op- tions in getting out of them weren’t as solid as he’d thought. “I would have definitely made sure we’d be better protected all around,” Pozantidis says. WILLY CARROLL family friendly. So Carroll honors vacation re- Avoid borrowing money: “When business isn’t quests, even during busy times. good, it seems like there’s nothing to do other Top Crew Award Keep the mood light: Even in the weeds, the than go back to the bank,” he says. But you can’t Tahoe Mountain Club, Truckee, California borrow your way out of a financial crisis. staff is always listening to music and fun. “I’ve worked in too many kitchens where there was Never forget it’s not personal: Tough decisions Conventional wisdom says that being close screaming and yelling, and I don’t want that,” must be made, such as cutting back on staff. friends with your staff isn’t the best manage- he says. “It’s the opposite of motivation.” Don’t let personal feelings cloud your judg- ment approach. ment, he says. But conventional isn’t the norm for Exec- Stay professional: Know the difference be- utive Chef Willy Carroll. Take the working tween a relaxed environment and a lax one. The Roll up your sleeves: “A lot of people want the conditions at the mountain resort during ski staff is dedicated to helping each other, cov- luxury of being an absentee owner,” Pozantidis season. The staff faces operational hurdles ering shifts and carpooling. The workspace is says. But you need to jump in and help out. unique to an alpine location, such as loading clean and organized. “We make sure they have supplies on ski lifts and sleds, often in blizzard everything they need to do their job,” he says. Seek an expert: “Have someone come in that conditions. All that happens at dawn before “This is a place for people who are self-motivat- will break down your business and say, ‘Your the lifts open for guests. Then there’s the rush ed and have a positive attitude.” food costs are at this percent, or your supply to break down the kitchen at night before the costs are too high. Why are you doing it this lifts close. Ensure parity: “We give raises no matter what way?’ It’s too easy to lose perspective on your The hard work wouldn’t happen, Carroll the season,” Carroll says, because they make business model when you’re deep down in it,” says, if the vibe wasn’t respectful, responsive the staff feel valued and motivated to return. he says. and often flat-out fun. “I treat my crew like I’m The raises are across the board. Giving a bump their best friend,” Carroll says . to only a few people would be too hard to keep Obsess about your inventory: “We do invento- secret, he says. n HIS LESSONS LEARNED ry every single day,” Pozantidis says. “We con- Ponce Market in Atlanta is stantly stay on top of our product, so there are Respect personal time: The workplace is re- Kristin Eddy is an award-winning food writer among the growing number of no excessive orders and no waste.” mote and seasonal with housing that’s not based in California’s Napa Valley. GAMBLE BY K ATHRYN PHOTOGRAPHY food halls across the country.

46 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 47 hail the Food Hall THE FUTURE OF DINING IS HERE BY KATE LEAHY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN GAMBLE

Ponce City Market, all photos, brings together some of Atlanta’s most prominent chefs, for a social, one-place-for-all dining experience.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, A Market by Any RESTAURATEURS AND DE- VELOPERS HAVE FOOD HALL Other Name…

FEVER, OPENING GIANT Some food halls are called markets; some CULINARY MECCAS AT AN markets are called food halls. And other places call themselves market halls. Is UNPRECEDENTED RATE. there a difference? New York alone lists Eataly, Gotham West Market, Hudson Eats, and, within the next Technically, yes. If a place is composed years, Anthony Bourdain’s 155,000-square-foot mainly of vendors selling fresh produce and foodstuffs that need further preparation, it’s namesake market. That’s just the beginning. probably a market. If the majority of vendors Spaces where multiple food vendors share are serving hot food designed to eat on loca- a roof are nothing new in Europe or Asia. So tion, it’s most likely a food hall. why all the stateside interest now? Part of it stems from the evolution of The economics vastly favor food halls—selling modern dining: giving people innova- vegetables can’t generate the same revenue as selling on the half shell—but some tive options in a casual environment. The places take a stand to support local farmers. crowds that gather at food truck parks in Organized as a not-for-profit, the Boston cities like San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Public Market subsidizes rent for vendors to and Portland, Oregon, prove that putting a ensure local food producers and farmers can critical mass of local food businesses with- afford a city presence.

48 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 49 in a space where people congregate is a winning formula. While interest in food trucks exploded during recession years, today’s rebounding economy has introduced opportunities for entrepreneurs to get in on brick-and-mortar places. For real estate developers, a food hall is like offering a new building amenity, and many are willing to make terms more favorable to at- tract restaurant operators. A prolonged wait for building permits on a depressed block of Market Street in San Francisco prompted Tidewater Capital & Warhorse Development, a private invest- ment and real estate development firm, to WE WANTED SOMETHING WHERE THE use the space as a temporary food hall in the interim. After partnering with Mercer Latest Food Halls by City COMMUNITY COULD COME IN AND Restaurant Group to manage vendors, the The number of food halls in the LEARN HOW TO MAKE IT AT HOME WITH developers opened The Hall in October 2014. works is extensive, from Port- land, Oregon, to Portland, Maine. In the first year, 150,000 people visited the FAMILY AND KIDS —Dalton Wilson, co-owner of DW Some deals have been inked, Kitchen & Market in Las Vegas, on offering cooking classes. operation. like one in Dallas, but a build-out Restaurant operators and startup food ven- hasn’t started. Here are some of dors benefit from the increased foot traffic and the latest. lower overhead. “The shared economy is a growing trend that Atlanta: Ponce City Market. transcends the food world,” says Matt Sem- Local foodstuff purveyors popu- late a renovated Sears distribu- melhack, owner of Mercer Restaurant Group, tion center, creating a centralized adding that the food hall may find a perma- place to eat and hang out. nent home nearby. “The idea of having a criti- cal mass of options in one place, that won’t go Boston: The Boston Public Mar- away. That’s not a newfangled trend. It’s a prov- ket. In contrast to nearby tourist en idea.” shopping center Faneuil Hall, this not-for-profit consists of entirely Curated food options can raise the profile of New England-sourced foods. retail spaces. Flagship Commons, a food hall with farm-to-table concepts, replaced the dat- Denver: Union Station. Ten ed at Westroads Mall in Omaha, Ne- restaurants from local chefs braska, to give shoppers more reasons to visit anchor this new $54 million reno- the mall. vation project, which bills itself as “The whole angle here is to create a more Denver’s new living room. social experience,” says Nick Hogan, CEO of New Orleans: St. Roch Market. the Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group, Re-launched in 2015, the historic How Does Rent Work? which runs Flagship Commons. “[The mall food hall offers a collection of owners] are making terms more favorable to vendors specializing in local food restaurant guys. It is a shift. It’s surprising that traditions, old and new. You want in, but how do food halls work? It depends. As it’s taken so long to happen.” n a tenant at Union Market in Washington, D.C., Rap- New York: Gotham West Mar- pahannock Oyster Bar pays rent for its space, plus a ket. With outposts of hotspots like percentage of sales. Spaces at The Hall in San Francisco Kate Leahy is a San Francisco-based writer Ivan Ramen, the popularity of this are designed to be temporary, with one-year license and author who would never pass on new late night food hall proves contracts for vendor stalls. Warhorse West Hospitality an opportunity to eat at a food fall. Follow her that there is plenty of room in then pays for utilities, upgrades and plumbing. If there’s on Twitter @KateLeahy. New York for more like it. a clog in dish room, it’s on management to fix it.

50 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 51 The Guts of a Food Hall No single formula provides the success to food hall, but these components keep operations running and people coming back for more.

Centralized Bar Communal Seating Food halls encourage people to hang Decades-old food halls, like the Ferry out, so a bar can help draw crowds. Building in San Francis- At San Francisco’s The Hall, the bar is co, require vendors to provide seats staffed by the management team, War- for guests. Newer food halls have a horse West Hospitality, which tailors range of private and communal seating the wine and beer menu to comple- options. Friends can buy food from ment the vendors’ menus. different vendors but eat together. Elbows In Vendors need to be prepared for operating in tight spaces, like 300 square feet Local Reach with limited appliances. A communal kitchen can help ease prep pressure. Kitchens as Classrooms Food halls are all about a sense of Drawing customers into the kitchen place. A defining characteristic of the can get people more excited about Boston Public Market is to offer food Shared Resources food and build a community of cooks. grown or made in Massachusetts Food halls often require vendors In Las Vegas, DW Kitchen & Market, or the rest of New England. Market to share large appliances like ice a food-hall offshoot of restaurateurs organizers work with prepared food machines. Cooperation becomes Bryce Krausman and Dalton Wil- vendors to find ways to source locally. key. When the machine goes down, son’s DW Bistro, reserved part of its Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Wash- 7,721-square-foot space for a hands- ington, D.C.’s Union Market has a fix: on teaching kitchen. Its manager orders a truck of ice for other vendors.

Vendor Mix Market Manager Diverse options and homegrown ideas Delivery issues? Leasing questions? draw customers for multiple visits. At Cleaning crew oversight? These are the newly opened Central Food Hall at some of the matters that a market Ponce City Market in Atlanta, (pictured) manager, such as Tiffani Emig of the concepts by James Beard award-win- Boston Public Market, juggles daily. ning chefs from the South, such as Lin- ton Hopkins and Sean Brock, headline the options.

52 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 GOOD HELP IS HARD TO FIND? PERHAPS MORE THAN YOU KNOW. The labor pool is likely to become more shal- low thanks to ongoing job growth. The end of 2015 marked the fifth consecutive year in which restaurants added at least 300,000 jobs, according to the National Restaurant Association. Because industry growth is expected to con- tinue, securing good workers will only become more taxing. What can you do? Understand the cause and take action. Every new foodservice opportunity means workers have a place to go. In big cities, the problem is that these employees are often choosing to go somewhere else. It’s just as much an issue of labor distribution as it is a la- bor shortage. “Take for example,” says How- ie Velie, associate dean of culinary specializa- tion at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “It’s a pretty expensive place to live when you typically can’t make that “We have much more demand for trained In this environment, it’s more important much as a cook.” cooks than we have alumni. And there’s a than ever for owners to court their pro- Many CIA graduates may be gravitating to difference between talent and help. I have spective candidates, according to Laurie “ancillary” cities such as Atlanta, Birmingham, friends in catering who at some points Ballow, product manager at iHire Chefs, an Alabama, Austin, Texas, and Seattle, he says. spend more time just people wrangling,” online job board and database in Frederick, “These are great food cities too, and in New Patterson says. Maryland. Employers need a compelling York, that’s hurt the high-end restaurants.” sales pitch. Alumni of L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethes- Where’s Everyone? “You need to let the candidate know why da, Maryland, also head to other points on the The West Coast’s famed tech sector is also this is their dream job. What’s in it for them? UNDERSTANDING THE WORKFORCE swallowing up talent, according to Gwyneth What will it be like to work here? Be sure to map such as North Carolina and Pennsylvania, says Brian Patterson, director of the school’s cu- Borden at the Golden Gate Restaurant As- talk about your company culture and let can- SHORTAGE CAN BRING linary program. “The ones who are completing sociation. “These companies have multiple didates know why they should consider join- extra educational levels are commuting from , and to fill the cooking staff they ing your team,” Ballow says. BY KRISTIN EDDY places like Charles Town, West Virginia, and offer amazing packages of work-life balance “Chefs might be attracted to your job be- that include stock options and 401(k)s. “They cause they’re given a lot of creative leeway or PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY ALLEN then finding opportunities working in small but innovative restaurants or in bed-and-break- often have so much freedom of expression,” because there’s opportunity for recognition. fasts in rural areas of Maryland and Virginia Borden says. “The chef at Dropbox said he Benefits can be a differentiator for hourly that are having a culinary renaissance. It’s eas- never cooks the same thing twice. Who employees,” she says. “Be honest about the ier to make a splash as a big fish in those places. wouldn’t want to work like that?” work environment to attract the right appli-

54 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 55 Every restaurant has its ups and downs with labor but Mike Crownover, owner of Lurra Cocina in Des Moines, Iowa (all photos), has been savvy about management and reten- tion (see sidebar).

When it’s a seller’s market the tendency is to grab the first available employee who comes along. It’s a relief to fill that position. But experienced operators know that hiring is just the first hurdle; employee retention is the real key to success. What can you do to ensure a new hire sticks around?

Don’t rush into the rela- tionship. Eagerness doesn’t tell the whole story. Foodservice employees frequently move around, but does their resume history look like serial monogamy or resemble a series of bad speed dates? Do the legwork­—call references and conduct cants. Employees who align with your culture looking to make extra money, Ballow says. background checks. are likely to stay longer.” In big cities, the competition for new hires Outside the Kitchen Bring other employees into brushes up against a lot of other elbows. Culinary schools like the CIA have figured the interview process to get their take on There’s no getting around it, people come to out, as many would-be professional cooks the potential hire. Conduct a tryout to see San Francisco to eat, so there’s never a short- have, that entree to the food world isn’t al- if collaboration comes naturally. Unless age of positions in the food scene there, Bor- ways through the kitchen. you’re dealing with a high-level talent with den says. With the surging economy, “We There’s an appeal to having fewer burns on a proven track record, don’t bother with a have a lot of money flowing in from private in- your forearm from a brush with the griddle, talented but tortured genius know-it-all. vestors, opening up lots of restaurants. Some and instead having a broad skill set that works The trade-off for bringing in one worker of them have had to delay opening because of across the food industry. might result in losing two others. the labor shortage.” Think sales, marketing, teaching, menu Work out problems early development, food science and research, to prevent walkouts later. Excessive ac- Blame in on the Kids? and many other fields tied to food and hos- commodations can turn into blowups when You may not have noticed fewer young people pitality. matters stay unresolved. Depending on working in restaurants, but their number say Still, some employers are just bumping up how sincerely you hug it out, relationships otherwise. The restaurant industry is the larg- against a generation gap. and respect could get a little dinged. est employer of teens but the percentage of “The rise of reality TV and cooking shows 16- to 19-year-olds working in restaurants has glamorizes the food industry and makes it look Rewards are often the real key steadily declined from an all-time high of about easy,” Ballow says. to loyalty. If a raise is out of the question, 58 percent in the 1970s to 16.6 percent in 2014, “ Young people often don’t realize that a ca- try one-time monetary rewards or a paid according to the NRA. reer in hospitality may begin with washing day off. When a better position opens up, Restaurants typically look to teenagers but dishes or bussing tables. Let them know that aim for promoting in-house. It not only re- owners should consider other demographics these jobs could be the first step to learning the wards hard work, it makes the others work for help, such as seniors, veterans, or Gen Xers business, the first step in their career path.” n harder for future possibilities.

56 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 57 iHELP Be efficient and tech savvy at the same time

like wastewater reduction all their “Most people think when you lives,” says Michael Oshman, CEO talk about ‘sustainable,’ you’re of the nonprofit Green Restaurant talking about food,” says Crista WE’RE IN YOUR CORNER Association, which helps restau- Martin, director of strategic ini- rants implement sustainability tiatives and communication for initiatives. “It’s just become nor- Harvard’s dining services. “We’re mal, and from an ethical stand- talking about operations as well. point, they also want to become In traditional kitchens, you fire responsible stewards.” up the oven just so it’s ready. Does Fortunately for the green-mind- it really need to be turned on at 7 ed, the cost gap is closing between a.m., or do you not really need it sustainable technology and con- until 11?” ventional products and equip- As exciting as the technologies ment. With the upfront costs are, many operators are still re- involved in conversions or new luctant to invest financially. Yet build-outs, operators can feel good maintaining the status quo no about being green while simulta- longer makes sense. Oshman says neously saving money. the return on investment is rela- Some noteworthy examples: tively swift. US Foods® is your partner in the cleaning • Available in High Density, “Restaurants are getting the ® Linear Low Density and Reprocessed Resin Where? message, why wait a year? What’s and disposables category. Monogram Lucy Restaurant and Bar, really become mainstream is that Can Liners are the best in the market, with Yountville, California there are no more arguments star seals, premium resins and easy-to-use • Many thicknesses and colors for any need LEED (Leadership in Energy & against using sustainable technol- dispensing boxes. Talk to your US Foods Environmental Design)-certified in ogy,” he says, “The conversation representative today and ask about the best • Multiple sizes to fit any container the Bardessono Hotel has shifted, the tipping point has passed.” n can liners in the USA. Green Is The What’s green? • Equipment is Energy Star rated. • Solar-powered garbage compac- tor reduces number of weekly GREEN SAVINGS New Normal pickups. • Triple-filtered water system elimi- BY THE NUMBERS Sustainable tech just makes sense nates bottled water. BY KRISTIN EDDY Where? 20-30 Harvard University Dining Ser- PERCENT Like a new car driving off the lot, such as converting cooking grease vices, Cambridge, Massachusetts The reduction in waste with exciting cutting-edge technology into biodiesel and reusing graywa- 30 foodservice locations composters that dehydrate to save water eventually becomes everyday and ter in the plumbing. The restau- reliable. Solar panels, automatic rant opened in 2011 with the goal What’s green? faucets, motion-sensor soap dis- of stretching sustainable efforts • Melink Intelli-Hoods (over stove- pensers and energy-saving light beyond the menu ingredients. “We tops) are equipped with optical 6 temperature sensors that monitor GALLONS PER MINUTE bulbs are so commonplace that reduced air conditioning costs, for smoke and fumes, so that they even the latest models no longer for instance, by painting the roof The amount of water expended don’t run continuously all day. by older model sink spray valves feel new. white to deflect heat,” says General Energy costs were cut by half; life But that’s exactly the goal of sus- Manager Doug Zamensky. of the fan motor extended. tainability and green operations: More so than ever, sustainable • Sensors in refrigerators and Make energy-saving elements the technology is becoming the core freezers signal when temperatures 0.6 GALLONS PER MINUTE norm, and welcome the innova- of modern restaurant construc- are off register. Self-management reduces likelihood of spoiled food. The amount of water high- tions ahead. tion and design. It’s no longer just • Heat-capturing technology in pressure sink spray valves use Pizzeria Mozza in Newport a fashionable feature. the kitchens converts existing Beach, California, for example, “People buying restaurants now ambient heat into power that takes advantage of technology have been hearing about things preheats water. Source: the Green Restaurant Association BY MIGUEL MONTANER ILLUSTRATION

58 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 © 2016 US Foods, Inc. 01-2016

FOF-2016011903 Hertiage Bag Monogram AD Spring FF-v3.indd 1 1/26/16 11:29 AM State Fair® Corn Dogs PR MACHINE Sharp ideas to get butts in seats Hillshire Farm® Chicken Apple Split

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® ™ Tyson Red Label Get Moving * All Natural Crumb ® BONICI Toppings Every major social media channel now offers Coated Tenders The State of Social Media Doughs/Crusts the option to post moving images. Focus your Its evolved. Have you? energy on videos and GIFs (image files that BY GLORIA DAWSON support animation), Hawley says. A quick video of your chef plating a meal can help you stand out in the sea of static images or text on any platform. “Moving pictures is the latest hack in SOCIAL MEDIA IS GROWING UP. Be Authentic getting people’s attention for a longer period of Facebook came bursting into our lives 12 years Do you really care what your followers are time,” says Brandon Hill, co-founder and chief Household ago, followed by Twitter a few years later. Ins- doing this weekend? Open-ended questions, creative office of Be The Change Revolutions, ® tagram is entering middle childhood. Just a few such as “What’s everyone up to this week- a social media agency that works with restau- Bistro Collection Tyson® Crispitos® Individual Filled Tortillas years ago, these platforms seemed like a cheap end?” can feel inauthentic, Hawley says. In- rants and food brands. and easy way to boost business. Today, it’s not stead: Think about what is interesting about your restaurant and which posts you’re drawn Be Realistic Names. quite so simple. to on social media. Use that to inspire you. Many social media platforms provide access to Tyson® “I still (don’t have a) metric that says, ‘If Bosco Sticks® Ground Chicken Crumbles you do this on the Internet, people will come analytics, such as page views and search terms. Filled Breadsticks into your restaurant,’” says Kristen Hawley, a Be Consistent It can be tempting to draw a line from a great digital consultant and curator of Chefs+Tech, If you plan to amp up buzz before you open, keep post to an increase in diners, but the restaurant a weekly newsletter that covers restaurant that same level of momentum going. “I cannot business is far more complex, Hill says. Consid- technology. believe how many Facebook pages show the er exposure as the larger goal, which is brand There’s no silver bullet to social media suc- construction of a restaurant, maybe even photos building. Chef Pierre® Luxe Layers® of an opening party, but when the restaurant is Tyson® Red Label TMAll Natural* Pre-sliced Pies cess. Still, customers expect you to be on the Crumb Coated Boneless Wings three major players: Facebook, Instagram and fully up and running, there are no photos or no Social Aptitude ® ® Bistro Collection Twitter. And they expect you to be posting, re- content,” says Amanda Spurlock, senior social Sure, there are other social media platforms. Wright Brand Individual Cakes acting and getting creative. Stay connected with media manager at Zagat. Whether you post once But experts agree these platforms are best for Bacon these tips. a week or once a day, make a plan and stick to it. restaurants. n

Sara Lee® Muffins INSTAGRAM TWITTER FACEBOOK Launched: 2010 Launched in: 2006 Launched in: 2004 Tyson® Red Label TMAll Natural* Users: 400 million monthly active users Users: 316 million monthly active users Users: 1.55 billion monthly active users ® Ingredient Chicken Hillshire Farm Old Thinking: Filters. “Filters used to look cool, and Old Thinking: #Hashtags. A few years ago, the motto Old Thinking: Free advertising. Chicken Sausage people would go nuts with them,” Spurlock says. for hashtags seemed to be the more, the better. Best It used to be easier for operators to “Now we’re letting the photos speak for themselves. to use them sparingly, strategically and make sure reach potential diners organically. Today, the site is they accurately represent the content. saturated, and you should expect to pay to push New Thinking: Crowdsourcing. Using images from the some posts out, Hill says. community is the smartest way to leverage content New Thinking: Customer service. Just like Yelp, many for your feed, Spurlock says. Ask customers if you can guests use Twitter as a platform for shout outs—good New Thinking: Concierge. In addition to its value as a repost great shots that your restaurant is tagged in. and bad. They often happen while a guest is at the conversation platform, Facebook is also the new Yel- “By doing that, you’ve not only flattered your custom- restaurant so dedicate a staff member to respond to low Pages. Customers look to restaurant Facebook er, but you’ve also got content very quickly and easily Twitter interactions. “People are typically impressed pages for the same basic information they would find Our well-known house of brands represent delicious foods and quality ingredients you can use for your channel (giving credit, of course!). by a restaurant taking the time to reach out and com- on your website. Be sure it’s current. to build your entire menu from the fi rst bite of breakfast to the last bite of a late night snack. ment,” Spurlock says..”

Gloria Dawson is a New York-based writer. She’s been known to post photos of her meals on Instagram at @gloriacdawson Contact your Tyson Food Service or Distributor Sales Rep or visit TysonFoodService.com for more info. 60 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 *Minimally processed. No artificial ingredients. ©2015 Tyson Foods, Inc. Trademarks and registered trademarks are owned by Tyson Foods, Inc. or its subsidiaries.

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INTERIOR INTEL

WHAT’S TRENDING RUSTIC RESTAURANTS WITH BARN WOOD ACCENTS MAY STILL HAVE SOME LIFE, BUT THE IN RESTAURANT INFLUX OF NEW STYLES, MATERIALS AND DESIGNS COULD SHORTEN THE RUN. DESIGN? The latest trends incorporate custom fixtures Designers like Sarah Carpenter, a partner at from a bare bulb yet still simple and give off a and seating, larger bars with extended areas, the New York-based architectural design firm warm glow while casting an interesting array industrial materials, and brighter, lighter walls Carpenter & Mason, say that the trend is influ- of shadows.” conducive to the power of Instagram. enced by Instagram and the current photo-ob- sessed culture. Customized Seats Bar None “It’s becoming such a heavy Instagram cul- Restaurants are hiring design firms to create a Where’s the bar? It’s the first question clients ture in restaurants that doing a more neutral more cohesive aesthetic, which includes cus- ask Karen Herold, principal of Chicago-based or a brighter, lighter palette allows the food tomized seating, Anderson says. Metal accent- design studio, Studio K, when a project starts. itself to become more prominent in the - ed wood chairs are popular, like the Exchange Cocktail culture and the increased emphasis tographs,” says Carpenter, whose bright, sunlit Chair, which Aizaki designed and customizes on the bar as a moneymaker has evolved, which work can be seen at Seamore’s in New York. for his restaurant clients. means allotting more real estate for it. Herold Customized booths and banquettes are also is building her bars a bit deeper, often by 6 inch- Light the Way popular, Robson says. “People are trying to es, she says. Why rely on a string of bare lights to create a create interesting spaces for people to sit,” she An extended high top attached to or near mood when you can go a step further? Bulbs says. “You’re seeing a lot of banquettes that the bar is also preferred, says Herold, a tac- encased in an industrial looking custom fix- curve at the corners, which is a much better use tic she took at The Betty and Embeya in ture offer utility and style, says Stephani of the corner.” Chicago. “Instead of everyone sitting next Robson, a professor who teaches restaurant to each other [like at] a lot of restaurants, design at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Pourable Surfaces we end with a communal table,” she says. Administration. Concrete, stucco, and plaster are replacing “It creates a nice dialogue where you’re in “The cage fixtures evolved from that relation- barn wood in many restaurants. These mate- between dining and hanging out at a bar. I ship [with the Edison bulb],” says Jun Aizaki, rials give the space an industrial vibe and are call it a peninsula.” founder and principal at the New York-based also durable, says Carpenter, who created a design firm, Crème, best known for their work concrete bar at Seamore’s. Bonus: They’re less Shoot in Style at Jose Garces’ restaurants in Philadelphia and expensive than many other materials and can “A sparse, more minimalist design seems to Atlantic City, New Jersey. be turned around on a tight timeline. have replaced some of the more ornate or “Sometimes [the fixtures evolve] because it “Concrete bars are great because the con- anachronistic interiors that became popular has an industrial feel. Sometimes it invokes a tractor can just pour on site,” she says. n BY GLORIA DAWSON in restaurant design,” says Nicole Gates Ander- basket, sometimes a fishing net,” says Aizaki, son, editorial manager of Modern Magazine, a who created fixtures in this style at New York Gloria Dawson is New York-based writer who design publication. newcomer, Lupulo. “They are a departure loves a well-lit restaurant. PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

62 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 63 Seasoned advice on the NEVER REACH your DEAR FOOD FANATIC front and back of the house My restaurant is pretty nice but we just can’t afford a pastry chef. How LAST STRAW can we put up chef-driven desserts without Monogram’s wide selection of straws and stirrers offers multiple options for actually hiring one? your beverage needs. Whether wrapped or unwrapped, flexible or straight, clear or striped, or as a solid red, black or white, there’s a Monogram straw As a pastry chef, this question makes me want to cry that meets the size and style specifications you require. into my a little. But I won’t because I under- stand the quandary. Think about simple but high quality desserts like panna cotta and fruit crisp. jumbo slim Consider items that can be partially purchased and finished at service or during the day’s prep such as purchased pound cake straws straws grilled to order with a scratch apple compote and whipped creme Smaller diameter drinking straw, Standard drinking straw, ideal for juices and kids drinks fraiche. Let a quality ice cream melt and use as a makeshift creme ideal for beverage service giant anglaise. Un-iced purchased cake works for a “scratch” parfait straws GAMBLE BY KATHRYN PHOTOGRAPHY with whipped cream, liqueur and macerated berries. Larger diameter drinking Q. I don’t get farm to table. Our family business overall support among staff. Don’t be surprised if a straw, ideal for frozen delights has been buying from a local farmer for years. chronic complainer is less vocal after experiencing a A. People love to know where their food comes shift in someone else’s shoes. Staff members that can from and chefs see many advantages to buying hop into another role seamlessly will lead to better local, such as lower pricing. Do yourself a favor and customer service and happier diners. highlight seasonal produce on your menu, or create stirrers specials that allow you to credit the farmer. Consider Q. Do I really need an expeditor in the kitchen? A. If your budget allows for it, a good expeditor Stir stick, ideal for of just vegetables so guests can try a greater variety. Customers will appreciate the effort. can work wonders for creating a smooth relationship coffee and cocktails between front and back of house. Expeditors can be Q. One of the biggest challenges right now is a member of the host or serving staff, but they should FOOD FANATIC getting all my staff out of the winter doldrums and ideally understand back of house operations. This Melissa Trimmer is a Food focusing on spring. How can I better coach my staff? role serves as a buffer between the kitchen and the Fanatics chef for US Foods A. Spring is the most opportune time to retrain waitstaff, so the individual needs diplomacy skills and from Chicago who’s always staff and refresh the menu. Think about which the ability to sustain grace under pressure. down for dining out and improvements you want and prioritize. Reaffirm your discovering hidden gems. values as an operator and your goals for staff and Q: How can I use more sustainable fish and still the restaurant. Consider ways to incentivize staff (gift keep my margins? cards, pick of the shift) and try to generate some A. There’s a saying that “There’s no such thing friendly competition on the line (new dishes) and in as cheap fish,” but you can make the most of what’s the front of the house (wine and beverage sales). available. Take advantage of seasonal catches. Prices are lower certain times of the year. Also consider bycatch, Q. How can I improve front and back of the house also known as trash fish (don’t use that term on the For more tips, follow relations to ensure customer satisfaction? menu). These are less desirable fish caught when fishing the Food Fanatic on A. Cross-training allows your staff to develop new for another seafood. They include parrot fish, golden tile, Twitter @MelissaTrimmer. skills and empathy. This can help build teamwork and dogfish, trigger fish and even lion fish. n

Got a question for the Food Fanatics? Send your challenges, comments and suggestions to [email protected]

foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 65 I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

COCKTAILS AND CRAFT Keep it Simple of wine no longer makes sense for the food Don’t go over the top in the quest for differenti- or season. BEER PROGRAMS MIGHT ation. A high concept wine list featuring bottles For your bottle list, there’s no need to pur- BE THE BEVERAGE TRENDS from the Canary Islands, for example, would chase a whole case, though that won’t yield the OF THE MOMENT, BUT WINE be difficult to execute and could turn off diners best pricing. It’s also likely you’ll get hit with a unfamiliar with the region. Instead, devote a split case fee, which can range from 60 cents to STILL PLAYS AN IMPORTANT small section of the wine menu to an obscure $1.50 per bottle. Negotiate with your sales rep ROLE ON MENUS. varietal you feel passionate about, and use it as to get a free sample bottle to offset the charges Sure, it’s easy to throw a chardonnay and a way to engage guests. or offer a three-case bottle placement commit- malbec on a list and call it a day, but that would ment in exchange for better pricing and no split be a wasted opportunity. A bit of research and Negotiate Aggressively case fee. a few minor tweaks can elevate your wine list Want to score a deal? Buying in volume tends into a unique point of sale. to score the biggest price breaks, but more Check That Inventory often than not, space is at a premium for There’s no need to buy the farm your first Consider Your Concept restaurants. To make pricing more attractive time out. Opening inventory can be quite Make sure your investments fit the bill for your to restaurants where purchasing tends to be modest in most markets since many dis- concept. Does your restaurant offer foods from in smaller drops, but larger volume can be tributors offer flexible weekly ordering. a particular region? Look to that as a guide achieved over time, many distributors offer Go a little heavier on BTG selections, and when making your selections. A small plates by the glass, or BTG, pricing. order conservatively in three- or six-bottle or concept, for example, isn’t the place to It’s possible to grab a deeper discount by lots for bottle placements. A 65-seat, busy roll out pricey bottles. Tapas bars in Barcelona committing to pouring a specific wine BTG restaurant with two turns per night could typically use local Catalan wines, so use this as until a certain number of cases have been easily run on $9,000 worth of opening wine a starting point. Then, dig a little deeper. Wines purchased. Be careful, though: Smaller inventory. n GRAPESof math that use Catalan varieties (Macabeo, Garnacha, restaurants are often “married” to the larg- Tempranillo, etc.), but come from other regions er placement negotiations for much longer Shebnem Ince is a Chicago-based sommelier HOW TO BUY SMART FOR YOUR WINE MENU and countries, provide a wealth of possibilities than bigger restaurants. This becomes a has- and consultant whose present obsession with sle when you get menu fatigue, or the type Gamay borders on unhealthy. BY SHEBNEM INCE while keeping a tight, conceptual framework.

WORDS OF WINE-DOM / POLISH YOUR LIST WITH THESE PRO TIPS

GO OFF-THE-BEATEN PATH STOCK WHAT YOU CAN STASH SPELLING COUNTS Want to offer provocative, unusual The sad truth is most wine Nothing screams amateur hour selections without alienating storage in restaurants is not more than misspelled words or your clientele? Consider familiar optimal. Reds need a cool, dark inaccurate geography on a wine varietals like sauvignon blanc place; whites can survive in the menu. Verify the listed producer, from a unique area like ’s walk-in but not long term. If type of wine and origin. Resources Touraine region or Slovenia’s storage will severely compromise such as the Guild of Sommeliers Primorska region, which have quality, buy in very small lots—just (guildsomm.com) can increase your ideal climates for producing fresh, what you would use in a week knowledge and help with accuracy affordable versions. or less. and education.

66 FOOD FANATICS | SPRING 2016 foodfanatics.com | FOOD FANATICS 67 BY THE NUMBERS Mine the math for a smarter menu

WANT TO BUILD A BETTER BRUNCH? START WITH BETTER BASICS.

Your customers couldn’t love your brunch more. That’s the best time to give them more to love on your menu. Take a new look at brunch with brands you trust: Pillsbury and Puff Pastry, Gold Medal Baking Mixes and Yoplait Yogurt. For more enticing brunch ideas, visit GeneralMillsFoodservice.com.

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Route# Date: Prod AD Proofer/Writer AE CD Studio Billing # LAMB29484 Tracking # SAME Cr. Director S. Martineau File Name Bleed 9.25– x 10.75" Publication: Art Director M. Sullivan LAMB29484_LatticeChip_FoodFanatics_Ad.ai CMYK Trim 9" x 10.5" Copy Writer M. Brownell Initial Keyline Date: 10.5.15 Food Fanatics Account L. Rubio Live 8.5" x 10" 1 RO 10.21.15 Production A. Wood Product: SIZE TEAM

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