NO. 54 FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS : SETTING AMERICA’S TABLE

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The Art Best Beverage of Kitchen Programs Design Creative Booming Financing Shrooms Strategies

Pasta Principessa

How former ‘Top Chef’ contestant Sarah Grueneberg built her pasta kingdom. Most In-sync and Menus Iron Gate Washington, D.C. With a wine list focusing on small producers making sustainably grown and harvested from Greece and southern Italy, wine director Oliver Meade showcases curated varieties that are acces- sible to everyone. And, like spir- its manager Nick Farrell’s cock- tail menu featuring seasonal, local southern Italian and Greek spirits, Meade’s list is on brand with Iron Gate’s food menu, pulling influ- ence from the same regions. Pairings, then, come natu- rally. “You may start your meal with a cocktail made with [Amaro] Averna and sparkling wine, sail across the Aegean next trying grilled octopus paired with Assyr- tiko, and be further transported by finishing your meal with a des- sert of loukoumades (fried Greek honey dumplings) paired with a digestif of Amaro Lucano,” Farrell says. “Every touch of your experi- ence is going to convey a sense of place, as though you’re bouncing from island to island in the Medi- terranean.” OuP Gr t AN ur

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Best izakaya Oysters and chaMPagne at Frank’s Kemuri Tatsu-Ya Oyster hOuse a u S tin, t exaS & chaMPagne ParlOr. At Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, a carefully curated selection of 30 Japanese whisky variet- ies meets a just-as-extensive sake list and a cocktail program that matches daring new tastes with a heavy dose of fun to inspire guests to try new things. All this then pairs with a food menu that playfully moves between Japanese and Texan influences to offer exciting, umami-rich small plates. When asked what people love about the beverage program, assistant gen- eral manager and beverage director Michael Phillips says they enjoy being tricked into liking things they normally shy away from, offering the Matcha Painkiller cocktail as an example. As the name suggests, this cocktail marries matcha tea with the classic tiki cock- tail, but Phillips throws in a surprise here, too, with buckwheat shochu—an nd

A ingredient he describes as “so funky it’s Br polarizing.” The key to making this unique potion Dorothée a best-seller? A ceramic lucky cat mug, Best sparkling Wine selection which Phillips calls his Trojan horse. “Even now I’m shocked on the volume of Frank’s Oyster House & shochu we’ve moved for just one menu Champagne Parlor item,” he says. Seattle Steal it: Inspire guests to order exper- The restaurant’s emphasis may be on Champagne, but Frank’s cer- imental by reimagining their tainly sells more than sparkling beverages. Like the dynamic neigh- presentations. borhood it is in, Frank’s food and beverage menus are approach- able, yet thoughtful and distinct. There’s snacking options like goat cheese deviled eggs to pair with original cocktails from the Parlor. There’s seafood and oysters that cuddle up to a host of bubbly and still white wines. And there’s big, bold dinner options like steak and burgers that find their match in a range of domestic reds. “In spite of me offering lots of crisp options, Seattle is a red wine town, and customers love our Bordeaux-style blend from local wine- maker Fall Line by the glass,” says Sarah Penn, owner/beverage director. And while she might not win against the steak and red wine–crav- ing customers, she does find herself often recommending a fried chicken and Champagne pairing. “Together [they] are divine,” she says. on T

Steal it: Know your customers. Even if the aim is to expand their Hor Matcha Painkiller. Y palates, offering drinks in their comfort zones is a must. Jod

50 MAY 2018 FooDNeWSFeeD.com Jody Horton F oodn EWSFEE cocktails by by cocktails experimental Kemuri Tatsu-Ya presentations. guests to order guests reimagining their inspires its its inspires d .com Whiskey May 2018 May Flight

51 Best Beverage Programs

Best Whiskey selection Husk Restaurant Charleston and Greenville, s outh Carolina; n ashville, t ennessee; and s avannah, GeorG ia

At Husk, the cocktail menu is seasonal and rotating. Southern are on draft, and there are nonalcoholic cocktail options, drinking vinegars, and wine. But the star of the restaurant’s beverage pro- gram is its selection of 175 whiskeys, including American, Scotch, Irish, and Japanese varieties. “We have lots of people come in wanting to learn more about whiskey,” says Husk Charleston manager Justin Simko, who finds himself recommending the spirit more often than not. But, with all and infusions made in-house using fresh ingredients from the kitchen, cocktail lovers are very much in luck. A break from whiskey, one of Husk Charleston’s best-selling cocktails is the Charleston Light Dragoon’s Punch featuring rum and black tea and based on an old Charleston recipe from the late 1700s. “It checks all the boxes of what we want to provide: a simple

rouge e but tasty cocktail with a good story,” Simko says. tomate’s OMAT

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colada. uge Steal it: Check out historical cookbooks and documents for cock- RO tail-spiration. Best health-forWard cocktails Rouge Tomate n ew York CitY “If we are what we eat, then we are also what we drink,” says Cristian Molina, beverage director at Rouge Tomate. The restaurant’s guests love his exper- imentation with health-driven ingredi- ents. Take the restaurant’s nonalcoholic kale cocktail, for instance. Fresh kale juice meets house-made ginger and Bolivian pink salt. Or, for a more classic cocktail option, consider the Penicillin cocktail composed of house- blended whiskey and barrel-fermented honey—produced in an apiary on the restaurant’s rooftop—and finished with a jasmine-infused mezcal. Making good use of seasonal ingre- dients in the restaurant’s kitchen, along with a good dose of natural sweetner— the bar goes through 200 pounds of honey a year—Rouge Tomate’s cock- tail, beer, and wine programs offer the best of what the seasons and the mar- ket have to offer.

LL ey Steal it: More customers are reaching Ke eL the Bar area for nonalcoholic cocktails. Learn about at husk. ICHA

M incorporating this trend on Page 54.

52 MAy 2018 FOODNEWSFEED.cOm A Cebulk Andrew

Syrups and infusions are made in-house using fresh ingredients from the kitchen at Husk Restaurant.

FOOdnewSFeed.COm MaY 2018 53 BEST BEVERAGE PROGRAMS

enjoys liberating non- says. “I fi nd that they drinking guests and bring the mocktail expe- enhancing their experi- rience to another level. I Mock ences at the restaurant defi nitely look forward to with his menu of fi ve sea- experimenting with them sonally inspired mock- more and creating our tail offerings. “Our goal own in-house.” No More is to offer an elevated With Pritz’ favorite cocktail experience for mocktail, Get Smashed, our guests, without the he brings together Whether they’re giving NONALCOHOLIC booze,” he says. “Hav- lemon, sage, hibiscus up alcohol for good or ing a selection of nonal- , ginger shrub, and just need a break right COCKTAILS HAVE coholic beverages that a local soda. “I had all of now, consumers are dig- A PLACE OF THEIR have their own complex, these syrups and shrubs ging nonalcoholic bev- OWN ON THE unique fl avor profi les can left over from a previous erages. And beverage make their experience event and had to fi nd a experts are responding BEVERAGE MENU. more enjoyable.” use for them,” he says of in kind, creating mixtures Rebranding the mock- his invention process. “I that are complex and tail menu to be called thought the fl avors would satisfying to the palate, Temperance, Pritz orig- work well, and the addi- GET and come at a price SMASHED inally built out the res- tion of an aromatic herb that boosts nightly taurant’s nonalcoholic like sage just seemed like sales. beverage offerings in the right fi t. Not only is The fi rst page response to Dry January, it delicious, but it is very of the beverage a trend where people pleasing aesthetically.” menu from one of our start the new year taking “Bars and restau- Sip Superlatives honor- a break from alcohol. rants are fi nally acknowl- ees, Rouge Tomate in Pritz’ approach to edging that some peo- New York City, is ded- mocktail creation is ple don’t drink,” says icated fully to nonal- essentially the same as Sean O’Brien, mixolo- coholic choices, from his approach to cocktail gist at Coastal Provisions house-made cola, tonic, creation, starting with a at Wild Dunes Resort in or lemonade soda to foundation based on his- Isle of Palms, South Car- a creative list of mixed toric families of cocktails. olina. “They can attract drinks incorporating But it can be diffi cult these patrons by catering fresh juices, shrubs, and not relying on a spirit as to their needs in a more other natural, high-end the backbone of a drink. serious fashion.” ingredients like pink salt “Finding a way to make a By taking time to cre- spritz or bee pollen. Bev- well-balanced drink with- ate well-balanced, excit- erage director Cristian out having that founda- ing drink options for Molina likes providing tion can be tricky but non-drinking guests, res- a fun, diverse range of also allows us to be more taurants not only have options for guests. creative,” he says. the opportunity to make “People shouldn’t feel Pritz’ creativity shines guests feel appreci- obligated to drink alco- in his use of ingredients ated but also to increase hol and, if they don’t like fresh juices, syrups, check averages, as an drink alcohol, to only fruits, herbs, and—one almost-cocktail price per drink water,” he says. of his favorites—shrubs, pour can start replac- Ken Pritz, beverage which are essentially fruit ing the lower-priced ROAST

director at River Roast RIVER vinegars that date back water, soda, and iced tea in Chicago, agrees. Pritz to the Colonial era, he options.

54 MAY 2018 FOODNEWSFEED.COM Best AgAve-BAsed (And CAnnABis!) CoCktAils Gracias Madre West Holly W ood, California To design a cocktail program based entirely on agave, bev- erage director Maxwell Reis travels periodically to Mex- ico to participate in the spir- it’s production and bring back ideas for the bar menu, along with knowledge to share with guests. As one of the first restau- rants in California to serve cocktails with cannabinoids, Gracias Madre prides itself on expanding its customers’ hori- zons. “People can come here and try something completely outside the normal realm of drinks,” Reis says. The restau- rant has more than 80 mez- cal varieties on offer—serving the spirit in traditional gourd cups—and sells an average of 1,000 margaritas a night. The best-selling cocktail on the menu is Purista, which exemplifies the restaurant’s mission to honor agave spirits in its simplicity and quality. “It uses only fresh-pressed lime juice, agave, and homemade orange bitters to accentuate the base spirit we love so dear,” Reis says.

Steal it: Get educated on Gracias interesting ingredients, then Madre’s teach and intrigue guests by cornstar

Re cocktail. incorporating that knowledge

Mad into the bar menu. as CI GRa

FOODNEWSFEED.cOm May 2018 55 Best Beverage Programs

Most Playful cocktails Area Four Boston and c amB ridge, m assachusetts Maybe you’ve seen Area Four’s best-selling beverage on Instagram? It’s large beach glass stuck in a seashell- and-sand-filled bucket with a cocktail umbrella and Bar- bie doll. That’s the restaurant’s large format version of its Malibu Beach Barbie, a riff on the classic Sex on the Beach cocktail. Not only does it give guests a laugh, but it also tickles their taste buds with a house-infused peach vodka, dry curacao, cranberry, and lemon. “My goal was to make serious-tasting cocktails while not taking ourselves too seriously,” says Tainah Soares, Boston bar manager. She takes inspiration from Area Four’s decor. “We have such a beautiful retro look that reminds me of the ‘70s,” she says. Her cocktails, then, are Malibu odes to that era. beach ARD B barbie ey cocktail. SHL Look for classic cocktails to playfully repurpose. A Steal it:

Best Beer selection Montreal’s dieu du ciel Holy Grale beer on tap at louisville’s LouisviLLe, KentucK y holy Grale. Besides enjoying the world-class beer selec- tion and choice , wines, and diges- tifs, guests love visiting this Kentucky-based bar and restaurant for the knowledge and helpfulness of its “beertenders,” says Lori Beck, Holy Grale co-owner. “Regardless of whether it is a local ale or international brew, our staff always strives to find the perfect beer for each person,” she says. Pulling from classic beer cultures like Bel- gium, the Netherlands, and Germany, Holy Grale has developed a food menu that is locally sourced and goes perfectly with a few cold ones. The experience of a visit, too, is reminis- cent of the old world, as Holy Grale’s build- ing is a 1905-built Unitarian Church. Sur- rounded by the history of the space, guests can tour across the pond by sipping on a Belgian favorite, like Beck’s choice of De La Senne from Brussels’ Zinnebir, and digging into a plate of Fritjes.

Steal it: Think about experience and how the restaurant space and menu can heighten Fey SSICA

a guest’s visit. Je

58 MAy 2018 FOODNEWSFEED.cOm The NighT RideR CoCkTail aT aRea fouR.

“My goal was to make serious-tasting cocktails while not taking ourselves too seriously.” —Tainah SoareS rd A Ashley B

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Best Rum CoCktails Rum Club Portland, o regon “Too often rum drinks are just known as bad resort beverages,” owner Michael Shea says. His goal in designing the Rum Club bever- age menu was to create cocktails his friends would want to drink. The bar’s focus on just one has not only led Shea to offer high-end choices—the bar has received multiple pri- vate barrel selections from Plan- tation Black Label—but it has also helped guide Chef Devon Treadwell’s food menu, which draws influence from the same regions that the cocktail menu does. Shea’s best-selling and most recommended creation is the Rum Club Daiquiri, which he says reintroduces people to a drink that is often mischaracter- ized and gives guests the chance H ig E

to try a “real daiquiri” with añejo L

rum, fresh lime, maraschino, HA n demerara , angostura bitters, MEg and absinthe. Best BRewpuB Steal it: Take a look at the rum Band of Bohemia cocktails on your menu. Are they ChiC ago bad resort beverages or the real deal? For this self-proclaimed “culinary brewhouse,” it all begins with the beer. Only after it is brewed to perfection does the Michelin-star-wor- thy food pairing begin. The Possible Dreams For the fan-favorite Jasmine beer, for example, brewer and co- cockTail aT owner Michael Carroll and his team first dreamed up a delicate brew rum club. nuanced by jasmine rice and jasmine green tea. The result is a lightly floral, great all-around beer that can stand up to serious food. “Cur- rently we have it paired with our ribeye with maitake and soy beurre monte,” Carroll says. What customers love most about this unique concept is that noth- ing is an afterthought for Carroll and his team. “Every element has purpose and a place to interact with other ingredients,” Carroll says, whether that be in the food menu, beers brewed, wine selection, or cocktail creation. These days, Carroll is pairing specific beers and spir- its, creating playful tastes that are not only fun for his guests, but chal- lenging to the palate. ung4

O Have a favorite local brew? Build a dish that highlights its Y Steal it: i AR K best features.

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