LOCAL UPROOTED LOCAL UPROOTED - US Foods...LOCAL UPROOTED FOOD FANATICS Sharing the Love of Food—Inspiring Business Success FOOD Vegging Out Produce nails center of the plate, page

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Sharing the Love of Food—Inspiring Business Success

FOOD

Vegging OutProduce nails center of the plate, page 7

FOOD PEOPLE

Ending Sexual HarassmentHow meaningful and lasting change can happen, page 46

MONEY & SENSE

Always On The perks of all-day dining,

page 57

PLUS

I’ll Drink to ThatThe draw of natural wines,

page 70

FOLLOW THE NEW FRESHUPROOTEDLOCAL

Fo o d Fa n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 1

Spring 2018FoodFanatics.com

TREND TRACKER

Be in the know @FoodFanatics

FOODVEG WITH EDGEPlant matter muscles its way to the center of the plate. 7

JUST PLUCKEDThe new handle on fresh.15

JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEYThe sweet evolution of Israeli cuisine.22

KALE, CAESAR!Switch up ingredients for some serious green.29

FOOD PEOPLEORDER UPEarly bird diners are a solid choice for more profits.41

TALK SHOP Can the restaurant industry end sexual harassment?46

ROAD TRIP! Give it up for Charleston, South Carolina, the Holy City. 54

MONEY & SENSETIME WELL SPENTAll-day dining makes profitable sense.57

OUTSOURCING IS INHow external experts can lower some costs and improve operations.62

IN EVERY ISSUETREND TRACKERWhat’s hot and what’s not. 34

FEED THE STAFFWhen chefs trade the big cityfor quality of life.50

IHELPMaking the shift to single credit card transactions.64

PR MACHINEWin with branded merchandise.65

BEYOND THE PLATEBig or small, equipment can do more than meets the eye.66

ASK THE EXPERTSAdvice from the street. 69

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!A toast to natural wines. 70

BY THE NUMBERS The lure of sustainable seafood.72

Check out FOODFANATICS.COM

for more menu inspiration and

business solutions.

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Rediscover roots, page 7

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, 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.

PUBLISHING PARTNER

PublisherElizabeth Ervin

Chief Content OfficerLaura Yee

Contributing EditorsCarly FisherPeter Gianopulos

Contributing WritersLisa ArnettKate BernotMegan DawsonAmber GibsonJodi HelmerRoderick KellyMatt KirouacKate LeahyMegan RoweMike Sula

Cover PhotographyPaul Strabbing

PhotographersSean McGillPaul Strabbing

Prop StylistJohanna Lowe

CHEF AND RESTAURANT OPERATION CONSULTANT CONTRIBUTORS Steve Affixio, Tampa, FLJeff Bland, Roanoke, VADwight Drake, CincinnatiAlex Kaulbach, Denver

Joel D. Kent, La Mirada, CABo Marianowits, Corona, CA

Tim Warnock, Albany, NY

US FOODS ADVISORY BOARD

President and Chief Executive OfficerPietro Satriano

Senior Vice President of MarketingMarshall Warkentin

Vice President of Product Development and Innovation Stacie Sopinka

Vice President of Corporate MarketingDiane Hund

Program Sales and SponsorshipsJennifer Paulson

FeedbackWe welcome your comments.

Contact Food Fanatics at: [email protected]

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Unless otherwise specified, all correspondence sent to Food Fanatics is assumed for publication and becomes the copyright property of US Foods.

Advertising InformationFor rates and a media kit, contact Jennifer Paulson at 847-268-5176 or email [email protected].

Food Fanatics is the go-to source for the foodservice industry and anyone truly passionate about food, food people and improving the bottom line. Issued quarterly and hand-delivered to readers, the magazine is a US Foods publication produced by Bite Me Media.

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About US FoodsUS Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 chefs, restaurateurs and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With nearly 25,000 employees and more than 60 locations, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., and generates approximately $23 billion in annual revenue. Discover more at www.usfoods.com.

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Increase your profi t potential with every plate. 80% of consumers are willing to pay more for USDA Certifi ed Organic1 chicken and 76% are more likely to buy meat made with No Antibiotics Ever.2 Elevate your menu with these powerful clean-label attributes, and enhance your signature recipes with chicken and turkey you can be proud to serve.

1. Proprietary consumer study, June 20172. Datassential, The New Healthy, April 2016©2018 Perdue

Today’s diners are looking for more than just a great meal. They’re looking for local and sustainable dishes they can feel good about eating. In this issue of Food Fanatics®, we explore how the farm-to-table movement has transformed our industry, and how chefs and operators can deliver on customers’ expectations for a fresh, local approach.

Our cover story delves into the evolution of farm-to-table, and how chefs throughout the country are capturing the essence of “California-style” cuisine – epitomized by fresh, local, sustainable ingredients – and incorporating their own styles.

Vegetable-centric dishes are also edging their way to the center of the plate, and many chefs have found surprising, inventive ways to put the spotlight on beets, carrots and other vegetables instead of animal proteins. With plant-forward cuisine continuing to rise in popularity, now is the time to embrace this trend.

Sometimes taking a fresh approach simply means updating a cherished classic. The Caesar salad is ubiquitous – but very versatile. You can easily set yourself apart from the crowd by upgrading this ever-popular menu item. Take inspiration from the chefs featured in this issue; they’ve found ways to renew a classic while also driving the bottom line.

Spring is an ideal time to test new ideas on your menu and in your business, as well as take advantage of fresh, seasonal ingredients.

I hope this issue inspires you to do just that.

Pietro SatrianoPresident and Chief Executive OfficerUS Foods®

Fresh Inspiration for Your Menu

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SETTING THE STANDARDFOR SUSTAINABILITYAt US Foods®, we’re committed to leading the way with sustainable, responsible solutions. Through initiatives like our Serve Good® program, we work with vendors to ensure responsible food sourcing, develop products that help reduce waste and have established strict packaging standards. Because we’re dedicated to serving well and serving the greater good.

For more information, ask your US Foods representative about our Serve Good brochure or visit usfoods.com.

Fo o d Fa n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 7

FOOD

EDGE

VEG WITH PLANT MATTER MUSCLES ITS WAY TO THE CENTER OF THE PLATEBY MIKE SULAPHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL STRABBING

Aunt Jake’s in New York City gives housemade pasta a vegetable twist by adding beets to the dough.

G2 By Chef’s Choicewww.g2bychefschoice.com

8 F O O D FA N AT I C S | S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 Fo o d Fa n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 9

Beet Pappardelle BologneseCarmine Di Giovanni,

Aunt Jake’s, New York

350 grams durum flour

150 grams flour

1½ tablespoons salt

9 egg yolks

250 milliliters beet juice

5 ounces chicken breast

8 ounces chicken thigh

2 ounces shallots

1 ounce garlic

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon thyme,

chopped

1 teaspoon rosemary,

chopped

2 tablespoons oil

2 ounces white wine

1 cup rich brown

chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

Chives, sage and chili

flakes to garnish

Combine flours and salt in

a standing mixer bowl and

whisk in yolks and then

juice to create a dough.

Roll out dough and feed

through a pasta machine into

pappardelle. Cook in salted

water until al dente, about

4 minutes while preparing

the chicken.

Grind together chicken,

shallots, garlic, seasonings

and herbs.

Heat olive oil in a saute

pan until smoky and saute

chicken mixture. Deglaze

with wine, reduce by half,

add chicken stock, simmer

to thicken and swirl in butter.

Finish with basil, chives, sage

and chili flakes. Toss with

pasta. Makes 4 servings.

imagine all the benefits we’d be reaping today. Lower food costs. Greater respect for farmers. And the big bonus: You wouldn’t have to cram a burger onto every single menu.

These days, you can live out that fantasy, as it’s become clear that guests don’t always want fat slabs of animal protein front and center—not to mention bacon—on every plate.

Instead, chefs are positioning vegetables as the main ingredient, and often with “steak” attached to their description (think carrot, beet or cauliflower steak). They’re satisfying the growing numbers of vegans, vegetarians and healthy eating omnivores with vegetable-centric dishes plated attractively and bursting with flavors.

Get at the root Which spring vegetable has more heart than

beets? Chioggas, Goldens, Detroit Dark Reds that practically bleed. At Boka in Chicago, charcoal roasted beets with pumpkin seeds, bitter greens, feta and licorice is a $23 entree, sandwiched between roasted chicken and seared scallops options.

Last summer, the demand for vegetable dishes was so high that BOA Steakhouse in Los Angeles added a section for produce, offering choices such as beet poke with jalapenos, ginger and root chips.

Los Angles Chef Ricardo Zarate developed 10 vegetarian dishes for the menu at his new Hollywood spot, Rosaline, including a vegan tribute to the Peruvian national dish, lomo saltado.

“A lot of people are becoming vegetarian and vegan—especially in the area where I am—so when I opened I put a lot of thought into my vegetables,” he says.

Zarate marinates beets in a cumin-spiked gochujang sauce and dehydrates them, subbing in the resulting beet jerky for traditional slices of filet mignon. He then stir-fries it with onions and tomatoes, saucing the mix with roasted tomato coulis and soy, vinegar, garlic and ginger, before topping it off with a fried egg ($29).

When beets aren’t an entree, their juices can take the lead. Chef Carmine Di Giovanni uses fresh cold-pressed beet juice to make his guests feel a little less guilty about eating pasta at Aunt Jake’s in New York. Kneading it into his house dough and rolling it into

pappardelle, he thinks it goes best with a chicken Bolognese, which he starts by searing off garlic and herb-seasoned ground chicken, deglazing with white wine and finishing with shallot confit, butter and pecorino cream ($16-$36).

“It’s really bright, vibrant, made-to-order and the earthiness of the beets comes through,” he says. “Whereas if you were to pair it with a tomato sauce, the pasta wouldn’t shine as much.”

Dangle the carrotBeets can be a love-it-or-leave-it vegetable, but

love for carrots seems universal. As many chefs have learned, it can do just about anything.

On his tasting menu at San Francisco’s Commonwealth, Executive Chef Jason Fox serves a candied carrot jerky with coconut and kaffir lime pudding, and orange granita as an occasional dessert course. He achieves the carrot’s chewy meatiness by soaking it in pickling lime, a treatment that works equally well with beets, sunchokes or squash.

“It basically helps to form a little bit of a skin on the outside so that way you can you can really cook it where it won’t fall apart,” he says.

Just like chefs who follow a whole animal ethos, Fox believes using every part of the carrot can improve on an already low food cost. “We’re making the carrot jerky, we’re pureeing it, we’re shaving it raw, we’re using the greens to make a pesto or to make a salad. There are so many more things you can do with a carrot.”

Chef Tony Conte of Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana in Darnestown, Maryland, subs carrots cut between a julienne and matchstick for eggplant in an otherwise traditional caponata appetizer served under burrata. The carrots marinate for a day with golden raisins, capers, chili flakes, pickled jalapenos, cinnamon, white grape juice, rice vinegar and dry vermouth. At the pick-up, they take on some color in the wood-burning oven before finishing with olive oil and fresh herbs ($13).

Meat becomes the garnish on the final course of the tasting menu at Vicia in St. Louis, where Chef Michael Gallina roasts and grills whole carrots, drizzling them with a reduced pork stock and a shower of ash made from the roots’ peels. It’s served with a family-style bowl of polenta with carrot and beef or pork Bolognese, reduced with carrot juice and cream.

“If it’s edible, its usable; nothing goes in the garbage,” he says. “We’re juicing the carrot, using the peels and the tops.”

Paint the PlateVarieties of colorful veggies can imbue striking hues and springtime charm to even the drabbest of presentations.

BEETS› Detroit Dark Red: a deep, almost bloody, purple› Golden: brilliant stripes of sunshine› Chiogga: pink and white stripes, like a Starlite mint

SQUASH› Zephyr: long and yellow with a green tip› Round de nice: squat and green with white stippling› Pattypan: starburst-shaped in various shades of green, yellow, and white

CARROTS› Atomic Red: bold color explodes onto the plate› Cosmic Purple: like an eggplant with an orange interior› Lunar White: glows like the moon› Solar Yellow: shines like the sun

CAULIFLOWER› Romanesco: green fractals› Purple of Sicily: vibrant like the color of royalty› Cheddar: think beta carotene› Snowball: creamy

Chef Carmine Di Giovanni makes his pappardelle with cold-pressed beet juice, which infuses his chicken Bolognese dish with a rosy pink and a healthy edge.

If our ancestors hadn’t figured out how to eat meat a few million years ago,

1 0 F O O D FA N AT I C S | S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 Fo o d Fa n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 1 1

Cauliflower Sandwich with Vegan Lemon Aioli and Pea Shoot SaladChef Philip Pretty

Restauration, Long Beach,

California

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon smoked

paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold sparkling water

1 small head cauliflower

Lemon basil aioli,

recipe follows

4 slices ciabatta, grilled

2 slices tomato

2 slices jalapeno

Pea shoot salad,

recipe follows

Combine flour, paprika,

cayenne, garlic and onion

powders and salt; set aside.

Add ice to sparkling water

and whisk into 2 cups

seasoned flour, adding more

sparkling water if necessary

to attain nappe consistency.

Remove florets from

cauliflower, cut into thick

slices and toss in remaining

seasoned flour. Gently pat

off excess, dip in tempura

and fry in oil preheated

to 350 F for about 1 to

2 minutes per side until

golden brown. Season with

salt; drain on paper towels.

To plate, place aioli on

both sides of ciabatta bread.

Build from bottom to top

with tomato, jalapeno,

4 tempura cauliflower florets

and pea shoot salad. Makes

2 servings.

To make lemon basil aioli:

combine 1½ cup lemon

basil, 4 juiced limes, ¼ cup

coconut milk, 4 tablespoons

Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon

coconut cream, and salt

to taste. Slowly drizzle in

1 quart neutral oil while food

processor is running.

For the pea shoot salad:

combine 1 cup pea shoots,

½ cup sliced cucumbers,

5 sliced pickled carrots,

5 torn mint leaves, 5 torn

cilantro leaves and 5 torn

basil leaves. Season with

salt and lime juice.

Piling locally sourced veggies, such as cauliflower, onto a sandwich from Restauration in Long Beach, California, can be an alluring lunchtime draw.

No need to stay rootedAny vegetable can push animal protein to the

side—or even off the plate—and provide a satisfying bite for your guests.

Chef Philip Pretty of Restauration in Long Beach, California, always serves a seasonal sandwich for his hungry vegan guests. Made-to-order ciabatta bread is split and toasted on the plancha, while florets are deep fried in tempura batter. They’re topped with jalapenos, cucumber, carrots, basil, cilantro and parsley, as well as a lemon basil emulsion ($14).

“The people that come into our restaurant understand that we get almost 70 percent of our produce from our farm and that outside of that we get everything else from the farmers market,” he says. “They see a cauliflower sandwich; they know we’re not opening up a plastic bag. We call it ‘The Trustworthy’ because it’s a seasonal sandwich that you can trust is going to change with the season.”

When Chef Josh Keeler of 492 King in Charleston, South Carolina, inevitably finds himself with 10 or more varieties of squash and zucchini, he doesn’t want to muddle their different colors and subtle variations in flavor by cooking them. Instead, he looks to Italy.

“We’re shaving them very thinly, very reminiscent of Italian-style crudo, and dressing it really simply,” he says. “Just a little bit of acid and really good olive oil.”

Keeler’s cooks sort and slice them by size so guests can get up to five varieties on the plate, dressed with a vinaigrette made from pistachio butter, olive oil and Meyer lemon vinegar. It’s topped with shaved clothbound cheddar, microplaned pistachio, mint and a pair of fried squash blossoms battered in tangy sourdough starter.

“I feel like vegetables have become a better selling point than raw fish,” he says. “This whole idea of using vegetables as a main course or at the center of the plate—there is definitely a perceived value involved in that.”

VEGETABLE FORWARD CUISINESOURCE: 2018 National Restaurant Association culinary forecast.

ON THE TOP 10 CONCEPTS FOR 2018:

VEGGIE CENTRIC

1 2 F O O D FA N AT I C S | S P R I N G 2 0 1 8

Zucchini and Squash CrudoChef Josh Keeler

492 King, Charleston, South

Carolina

1 romanesco zucchini

1 De Nice zucchini

1 tatuma squash

1 zephyr squash

1 cousa squash

Extra virgin olive oil,

to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Lemon juice, to taste

Pistachio vinaigrette,

recipe follows

½ cup mint leaves

¼ cup pistachios,

grounded to a powder

¼ pound clothbound

cheddar cheese, grated

Shave zucchini and squash

into rounds and ribbons

or slice no wider than ¹⁄8-inch thick.

Submerge vegetables in ice

water for 3 minutes to crisp.

Drain; dry completely.

Dress vegetables until just

coated with olive oil and

season to taste with sea salt

and lemon juice.

Drizzle 4 plates with

pistachio vinaigrette. Divide

and layer the dressed

squash onto each plate,

adding additional pistachio

vinaigrette. Build height by

stacking and layering the

different squash varietals.

Garnish with mint,

pistachios and cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

To make the pistachio

vinaigrette: Puree 1 cup

raw pistachios, ½ cup cider

vinegar, the zest and juice

of 2 lemons, and a pinch

of salt in a blender until

smooth. Slowly add ½ cup

grapeseed oil and ¼ cup

pistachio oil to emulsify into

a vinaigrette. Season to taste

with salt. n

OPERATORS SAY THEY'RE ADDING VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DISHES TO THE MENU Source: Datassential 2017 Keynote Report: New Healthy

Chip away at the seasonal bounty of zucchini by slicing it thin and serving it raw.

70%

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Meet your menu MVPs

©2018 Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

Popular, poppable and profitable, Lamb Weston Tater Puffs® are perfect as a side, in a shareable appetizer, or topped and loaded. Plus, they make it easy to deliver all the fun and flavor your guests want now.

Find recipe ideas and see what’s possible with Puffs at LambWeston.com

Fo o d Fa n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 1 5

PLUCKEDThe new handle on farm-to-table

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©2017 Tyson Foods, Inc. Trademarks and registered trademarks

are owned by Tyson Foods, Inc. or its subsidiaries, or used under license.

48374 Tyson Red Label® All Natural Golden Crispy TendersChicken Raised With No Antibiotics Ever, No PreservativesMinimally Processed, No Artificial Ingredients

Continuously improving.

That’s just how we’re built.

— Discover how our commitment to sustainability is enhancing

our product offerings.

At Tyson Foods, we get up every day thinking about tomorrow. That’s why we

are passionate about sustainably providing delicious food. We’re raising chickens

with No Antibiotics Ever, adding products made with no artificial ingredients and

no preservatives and offering more low-sodium options. Just to name a few.

Learn more about what good food can do at tysonfoodservice.com/sustainability


1. Get more global.Locally-grown chilies, such as guajillos, gochujang and garum can coexist in your pantry.

2. Be transparent.Consumers more than ever want to know the origin of their food. Share details on the menu or through your servers.

3. Make feel-good food.More chefs are adding local ingredients high in nutrients to their menus, such as grains and probiotics to aid digestion and boost flavor.

4. Keep it green.Think of ways to use produce scraps or leftover mise en place for new dishes. Also educate staff on composting and ask for ideas on cutting waste.

4WAYS TO HIT REFRESH ON

FARM-TO-TABLE

When chanterelles are in season, they’ll find their way onto roasted bone marrow with pink peppercorns, opposite page, and made into an aioli at State Bird Provisions in San Francisco.

Farm-to-table is fueling a new dimension of fresh and local.

Call it a California revival, multi-ethnic inspired or hyper local. It’s a way of thinking about ingredients that has evolved since Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse more than 40 years ago in Berkeley, California. She woke the nation with the premise that fresh, organic, locally grown and ecologically sound farming produced cleaner and better tasting food.

The seasons started to drive menus and chefs began sourcing locally, which gave rise to the farm-to-table movement. Farmers markets exploded, quadrupling over the last 20 years according to the USDA, a trend that has led to greater interest in fresh, local and organic foods. Such factors greatly influence purchasing choices, according to various surveys including 69 percent of consumers in a Nielsen survey.

Today, the concepts of seasonal, fresh and locally grown is commonplace, a starting point that has given way to a new handle on farm-to-table. Chefs across the country are zeroing in on deceptively

simple, healthful, globally inspired and sustainably grown seasonal food that the golden state laid claim to years ago—but in an image that reflects their own style, from the vibe to the menu.

You are your food Chef Justin Smillie made a name for

himself in New York City under the tutelage of Jean Georges Vongerichten and Jonathan Waxman, among others. But when restaurant impresario Stephen Starr approached him to open his own place, Smillie reached back to his roots. Growing up in southern California, backyard grills and simple, fresh produce played crucial roles in many family meals. If a meal had steak, it would be sliced to share and served with a big green salad.

The chef interprets this casual style of eating at Upland, the concept he developed with Starr and the name of the town where he grew up.

“We wanted to have a place that people felt was their place, where they could spend quality time,” he says. But it’s also casual, where you can dress up or down and feel welcome. “It’s come as you are.”

At the New York location, murals of California produce, such as figs, artichokes and citrus along with natural oak and copper accents support the casual and

fresh vibe. The Miami location is similar with gallon jugs of preserved lemons stacked on shelves in the dining room, acting as storage and decor.

Dishes take a similar casual approach, highlighting some of the ingredients California is best known for, such as avocados, little gem lettuce and walnuts. But Smillie also showcases local foods. In New York, duck from Long Island is paired with local apples, kohlrabi, labneh and root chips.

Smillie’s approach also aligns with his home state’s fondness for lighter foods. For example, he cuts the richness of ingredients such as short ribs by changing the texture and how they’re served.

Instead of braising the meat, it’s steam- roasted, giving the beef a texture that is “a cross between a pastrami and a churrasco,” Smillie says. The meat is smeared with a rich paste of black peppercorns slow-cooked in olive oil, an elevated nod to the seasonings of classic grilled Santa Maria tri-tip. It’s sliced and served in a salad, often little gem lettuce, instead of root vegetables on a platter to share between two for $82.

“The short rib is not meant to be for one person. It’s to sit down and share together. And share a couple of salads, which is how we build that California table,” Smillie says, referring to a convivial setting that features dishes that convey simplicity and freshness.

A localized melting potFrom Wolfgang Puck’s goat cheese

pizza to Roy Choi’s Korean tacos, chefs in California reach for local and sustainable ingredients first but have always played fast and loose with cultural identity.

Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quinonez Denton of OX in Portland, Oregon, can trace their culinary lineage back to Puck. He brought Hiro Sone, a chef from Japan, to Spago. Sone met his wife, Lissa Doumani, at the Los Angeles restaurant and the couple later opened Terra in St. Helena, California. That’s where the Dentons met, cooking on the line while executing Sone’s blend of French-Italian-Japanese flavors on the menu.

“It’s utilization of more global flavor profiles,” says Quinonez Denton, referring to how their experiences have impacted their cooking preferences.


When they developed the menu for OX, they started with Quinonez Denton’s memory of growing up eating Argentinean barbecue in Southern California. But they also knew they wanted to highlight vegetables—a departure from classic Argentinean barbecue, but something deeply ingrained on the West Coast.

The answers came in carrots prepared with the same respect as meat, glazed with maple syrup and seasoned with salted pistachios, tarragon and a dab of goat cheese, as well as roasted cauliflower florets paired with a soy-garlic golden raisin vinaigrette, which the Dentons say tastes like a cross between Chinese sweet-and-sour and Italian agrodolce.

A self-defined brandIn 2011, when Stuart Brioza and Nicole

Krasinski launched State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, they had no idea whether their no-menu, dim-sum style of serving ever changing small bites from carts would work. They also had no allegiance to a specific cuisine. They did, however, know that the basic tenets of farm-to-table—local purveyors, such as the farmer who supplies the signature state bird dish (quail), cooking seasonally and acting sustainably (canning surplus produce and using scraps or leftovers to inspire other dishes) and incorporating global flavors—would be the cornerstone.

The lack of a menu and unconventional delivery of the food in confined quarters posed challenges. But once the method became known, customers came specifically for their way of developing and serving dishes. Today, lines form each evening.

“State Bird has become a place where ideas come from other ideas, where rabbit holes are frequently dug and explored, where food is always evolving,” Brioza writes in “State Bird Provisions,” a cookbook he and Krasinski published last year. “Where we can cook whatever we want and a fried game bird over stewed onions can share the table with soy glazed sea urchin pancakes and duck liver mousse with duck fat financiers.”

More meatless miraclesAt Big Star, music—specifically the

“Bakersfield sound” of the 1950s and 1960s—was the original Golden State inspiration point. Lately, the Chicago restaurant from Chef Paul Kahan’s One Off Hospitality Group has also warmed to Southern California’s vegetarian and vegan culture.

While working an event at the Coachella music festival last year, Julie Warpinski, chef de cuisine of Big Star, fell for yuba (tofu skin), which she saw in everything from vegan ramen to sandwiches.

“Paul Kahan and I were looking at each other and saying, ‘Oh my god, we have to try this in a taco,’” she says.

The yuba tacos ($3.50 each) debuted in November. Warpinski treats the soybean product like meat, marinating the sheets overnight in a tomato-guajillo chile salsa.

The sheets are seared on the plancha, seasoned with salt and lime juice, and then sliced. For pickup, the sliced yuba is seared on the plancha again.

Far from sunsetFarm-to-table will always be home

base for chefs; its most recent outtakes, from lighter cooking styles and vegetable-centric menus to global mashups and greater emphasis on homegrown menus continue to spread. Restaurants that share a similar culture have already opened in New York at places like Dimes and Bar Bolinas, in Las Vegas at Herringbone, and in Atlanta at Muchachos. Yuba isn’t the only thing that Kahan’s One Off Hospitality has brought back from California. The restaurant group’s newest project, Pacific Standard Time, is a menu inspired by—what else—the West Coast.

To Smillie, opening a restaurant inspired by his home state wasn’t necessarily intentional. But it may have been inevitable.

“I wanted to open something that was central to what I like to eat. I like lemons, avocado, nectarines with pork—beautiful, simple ingredients.”

State Bird Provisions’ cast-iron quail eggs that are locally sourced play off of the restaurant’s signature fried game bird. Th

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Chicago's Farmhouse can covey their commitment to local by serving a roasted chicken grown in nearby Indiana.


Maple-Glazed Heirloom Carrots with Chevre and Truffle-Salted PistachiosCo-owners Greg Denton and

Gabrielle Quinonez Denton

Ox, Portland, Oregon

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup maple syrup,

preferably grade B

¼ cup water

1 pound baby heirloom

carrots, peeled

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground

white pepper

3 ounces chevre, crumbled¹⁄3 cup truffle-salted pistachios

(recipe follows)

20 tarragon leaves

Flaked sea salt

Bring butter, maple syrup, and

water to boil in a large pot or pan

wide enough to hold carrots in

one to two layers. Add the carrots,

kosher salt and white pepper and

bring to a simmer. Steam carrots

until firm-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Uncover and reduce liquid to a

thick glaze. Adjust the seasoning,

if necessary.

Divide the carrots among four

plates or place on one large platter.

Garnish with the chevre, pistachios,

tarragon, and sea salt to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

To make the truffle-salted

pistachios, spread 1 cup raw

shelled pistachios in a single layer

in a baking dish and bake in a

preheated 325 F oven until roasted,

up to 10 minutes. Transfer into a

bowl and add the 1 tablespoon

extra-virgin olive oil and 2

teaspoons good-quality truffle salt;

toss to combine and cool.

Adapted from the chefs’ cookbook,

“From Around the Fire: Recipes

for Inspired Grilling and Seasonal

Feasting from Ox Restaurant”

(Ten Speed Press, 2016). n


Hed: Milk and HoneyDek: The evolution of Israeli cuisine

By Carly Fisher

On The MenuWant to make Israeli flavors work on your menu without reinventing the wheel? Check out these cool riffs.

❱ The “Not Kosher” BBQ with pork short ribs, potato wedges, za’atar and labanehGreen Fig, New York

❱ Grilled lamb kebab with stuffed poblano chili, kale, feta, potato and pistachioThe Exchange, Los Angeles

❱ Shawarma fries with garlic and jalapenoRay, Portland, Oregon

❱ Yogurt-tahini massaged kale with cucumbers, herbs, grapefruit and crispy chickpeas27 Restaurant, Miami

❱ Marinated feta with roasted onions, grapes and poppy seedKismet, Los Angeles

JOURNEY TO

THE LAND

OF MILK AND

HONEY

THE SWEET

EVOLUTION OF

ISRAELI CUISINEBY CARLY FISHER

TREND TRACKER

LAST SEENLos Angeles is buzzing with new Israeli-inspired openings at The Exchange, Kismet and Mh Zh. Jenn Louis is getting rave reviews for her Israeli joint, Ray, in Portland, Oregon.

Michael Solomonov, chef-owner of Zahav, gives tabbouleh a seasonal riff with asparagus. See recipe on page 26.

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has been reduced to a catchall term for Middle Eastern dishes like falafel, shawarma or hummus. But the Israeli table—the product of a multiethnic state with a population of 8.5 million people and perpetually moving borders—is much broader and more complex than chickpeas and spit-roasted meats.

In Israel, regional natives and nomadic tribes are joined by swaths of immigrants transporting culinary influences from as close as Palestine and Yemen to as far as the Balkans and Ethiopia. The country’s diverse terroir spans from the coastal Mediterranean in Tel Aviv and Haifa to the lush greenery of Galilee and arid, rocky deserts of the Negev. Together, Israeli cuisine is more of a mixed bag than most might realize. Strengths lie in these differences, which offer incredible versatility and freedom for enterprising chefs.

“Everyone’s into small plates, fresh eating—and Israel has all of those things,” says Chef-owner Michael Solomonov of the award-winning Zahav in Philadelphia. “You have hundreds of different cultures in one place, so there’s always new and old, but the way that it forges ahead makes it super exciting.”

Pioneering chefs such as Solomonov, Yotam Ottolenghi of London’s Ottolenghi, and Einat Admony of New York’s Balaboosta have become de facto culinary ambassadors for Israeli cuisine. Shareable plates packed with bright, acidic preserved lemons, aromatic spice blends like za’atar and baharat, and dishes heavy with seasonal vegetables are becoming impressive lures for health-conscious consumers.

Diners are hooked, as 80 percent of U.S. consumers are already familiar with hummus according to a June 2017 report from food research firm Datassential. That learning curve opened the door for the Israeli spice za’atar to grow 300 percent on menus over the past four years, piquing 50 percent consumer interest in the dishes and flavors found on Israeli menus.

❱ For far too long Israeli cuisine

This isn’t a flash-in-the-pan trend, either. Israeli cuisine continues to proliferate, as a second wave of chefs open up fast casuals, fine casuals and mash-up concepts from coast-to-coast.

Staking new territoryBefore the awards, cookbook deals and

spin-off concepts, Solomonov opened his Philadelphia restaurant Zahav 10 years ago with business partner Steven Cook. On family visits to Israel, Solomonov frequented the area’s spice markets, falafel stands and emerging gastronomic destinations, which helped him pick up quirky historical culinary practices he wanted to share.

“This isn’t a familiar cuisine, so it’s not an easy cuisine to pick up,” he says. “But people are dedicated there. The Spice Trail is like the Silk Road: It’s diaspora. It was so many different things.”

At Zahav, Solomonov began cooking dishes that conveyed his background and memories of his time spent in Israel as well as the region’s seasonal approach.

“It’s so easy for us to roast a piece of meat in beurre monte but what about marinating in meat and onion juices? That relationship makes me think of being on a beach in Israel,” he says.

Some of Solomonov’s offerings lean on tradition, like the laffa fired in a wood-burning oven. Others are contingent upon local availability: His amba, a pickled condiment traditionally made with green mangos, is made with persimmons. Brussels sprouts might replace eggplant in the baba ganoush, peppered with hazelnuts and smoked shiitake.

Pushing the boundaries of tradition and experimentation helped put his restaurant and Israeli food into the spotlight. "Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking" has become something of a culinary bible for chefs, picking up two 2016 James Beard Awards for “International Cooking” and “Book of the Year.”

“We’re limited in the things that are limited to us and what makes sense,” he says, “and those limitations are freeing because that is how cuisines evolve. I’m not trying to change things or make

24 F O O D FA N AT I C S | S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 Fo o d Fa n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 2 5

Falafel-Spiced Soft Shell Crab Lettuce WrapsChef Ayesha Nurdjaja

Shuka, New York

2 cups chickpea flour

2 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon chili flakes

1 tablespoon salt

4 soft shell crabs, cleaned

4 egg whites, beaten

Neutral oil, as needed

Kosher salt, as needed

2 small heads of baby

bibb lettuce

Tahini sauce, recipe follows

½ cup mint leaves,

chopped

½ cup parsley, chopped

Zhoug, recipe follows

Mix chickpea flour, cumin,

chili flakes and salt together.

Dip crabs in egg whites and

then dry ingredients. Place

in saute pan heated with

oil, shell side down, for 4

minutes per side. Transfer to

sheet pan lined with paper

towels and sprinkle with salt.

Separate bibb lettuce

leaves into cups using

two leaves. Drizzle with

tahini, add crab, herbs and

drizzle with zhoug. Makes 2

servings.

To make tahini sauce:

Blend 1 cup tahini with

½ cup water, ¼ cup olive

oil, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1

minced garlic clove and ½

tablespoon salt.

To make zhoug: Puree 2

bunches cilantro, 2 cloves

garlic, 1 jalapeno and ¼

teaspoon ground cardamom

until smooth. Stir in 2

tablespoons olive oil.

YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES IN ONE PLACE, SO THERE’S ALWAYS NEW AND OLD, BUT THE WAY THAT IT FORGES AHEAD MAKES IT SUPER EXCITING.—Chef-owner Michael Solomonov of Zahav

fancy food, but I’m also not an Israeli grandma or part of a dynasty falafel family. I’m a chef, so I’m doing what I do naturally—and it’s working.”

Post-ethnic is the new authenticIn the never-ending search for

authenticity, some chefs are no longer looking to duplicate indigenous dishes but rather put their own personal stamp on them.

While abroad in Israel, Chef CJ Jacobson noticed the similarities between the year-round accessibility to produce he grew up with in California and the abundant freshness found in the Mediterranean and Middle East. He fuses both, along with Japanese and other global flavors at his restaurant Ema in Chicago, creating intricately balanced dishes like white miso hummus with castelvetrano olives, fresno chilies and shaved celery.

“I’m not from Tel Aviv or Istanbul, so I like the idea of using my take on it because it’s not going to be authentic, and that’s where a lot of people go wrong,” says Jacobson. “I don’t have much allegiance to Israel or North Africa or anywhere else. I just like this cuisine. What I bring is more acid, herbs, and brightness. That’s what California cuisine is anyway.”

Although born in Israel, Tomer Blechman’s French training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, followed by gigs at Italian restaurants like New York’s Gramercy Tavern, Maialino, and Lupa Osteria Romana, have allowed him to rethink the dishes of his childhood, which he now cooks at Miss Ada in Brooklyn, New York.

Like Solomonov, Blechman finds the American culinary scene to be more open to chefs hoping to take a global approach to their cooking. He’s not constrained by a kosher menu, which means he can baste meats or fish with a French anise butter or salmon with labneh.

“It was always inside of me, this kind of cuisine,” he says. “I’m not obligated just to do Israeli over here. I just get creative. I’m open to do everything.”

More than a mealPrior to opening New York’s Shuka,

Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja mostly worked at Italian restaurants. She developed an interest in Israeli cuisine after visits to the Middle Eastern markets of Brooklyn Heights as a child and identifying commonalities between Israeli and Sicilian cuisine: big braises, chickpeas, and fresh, flavorful ingredients.

She’s now committed to demonstrating that Israeli cuisine is more than just the food—it’s a different cultural experience eating.

“I think the way people eat hummus as a meal can’t be translated, but other dishes have been,” she says. “As far as small plates, it’s family style. When you eat out in an Israeli restaurant, rarely are people ordering for themselves; they share.”

Blechman says this is an essential missing cultural component he’s brought to his table at Miss Ada—a play on the Hebrew word for restaurant, “missada,” the root of which roughly translates as “bringing people together to the table.”

“The name is very simple, but it stands for everything we do: bringing people together to eat and share,” he says. “There’s all these little plates and pita. You don’t have to wait so long for the food; it usually comes as soon as you sit there and order. For me, just sharing food and bringing family and friends together is Israeli.”

Spice blending is somewhat of an art, offering countless variations. Spice expert Lior Lev Sercarz of New York’s La Boite spice shop, is an Israeli native who has made custom blends for restaurants such as Zahav in Philadelphia, The Exchange in Los Angeles and 27 Restaurant in Miami. Here’s his primer on the Israeli spice rack.

❱ Za’atar: Blend of sumac and sesame (pictured above). Variations include a fine to coarse texture, toasted or untoasted sesame, additions of oregano, thyme or rosemary.

❱ Baharat: Used for cooking meats or fish, with variations found throughout Israel, Turkey and Morocco. Generally includes allspice, cinnamon and black pepper.

❱ Hawayej: A Yemenite blend that typically includes turmeric, cumin and black pepper.

❱ Amba: Usually a blend of turmeric, green mango powder, salt and fenugreek, with additional variations; diluted with water to make a thick sauce for falafel stands.

❱ Shawarma: Infinite variations from savory with cumin and turmeric to sweet and floral with allspice, clove and nutmeg. Both are common, depending on the cut of meat.

The Spice Rack


Seasonal peas meet up with sumac and mint at Zahav.

English Peas with Grapes, Mint and SumacExecutive Chef CJ Jacobson

Ema, Chicago

1½ cups English peas, blanched

1 cup grapes, halved

6 to 8 mint leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon

¼ teaspoon sumac

Salt, to taste

Add all the ingredients together

and toss. Check for seasoning.

Plate in a shallow bowl. Makes

2 servings.

Asparagus TabboulehChef-owner

Michael Solomonov

Zahav, Philadelphia

2 bunches asparagus

¼ cup olive oil, divided use

3 tablespoons lemon juice,

divided use

Kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup freekeh

1 medium red onion, diced

1 cup Bulgarian feta,

crumbled

2 bunches dill, finely

chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Remove asparagus tips and

toss with half of the olive oil,

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

and salt. Roast in a single

layer on a sheet pan in a

preheated 350 F oven for

5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile,

slice asparagus stalks

as thinly as possible into

rounds; set aside.

Heat the remaining olive

oil in a Dutch oven over

medium-high heat to saute

garlic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add

freekeh and cook 1 minute,

stirring to coat grains in oil.

Add 2½ cups water, bring to

a simmer and bake covered

for 45 minutes at the same

temperature as the tips.

Remove and fluff.

Combine freekeh, all of the

asparagus, onion, feta, herbs

and remaining lemon juice.

Season to taste with salt and

additional olive oil, if needed.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. n

Deliver a Great Impression with

For more information about Sabert® products, please visit www.Sabert.com or contact your local US Foods representative. © 2017 US Foods, Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality packaging seals the deal for a great experience. Make sure your delivered food maintains the same quality your customers expect when dining in house. Sabert packaging is designed to protect and preserve the quality, taste and appearance of your culinary creations throughout the delivery process.


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KALE, CAESAR

SWITCH UP INGREDIENTS FOR SOME SERIOUS GREEN

BY PETER GIANOPULOS PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL STRABBING


Ever since the mid-1920s, when Caesar Cardini created his eponymous salad for Southern California elites in Tijuana, Mexico, it has proven to be a low-cost, high-price salad all-star.

The NPD Group’s CREST foodservice research estimates that 85.9 million Caesar salads were served as main courses in U.S. restaurants between September 2016 and September 2017, and it’s ranked as the second most popular salad in the country according to Datassential, trailing only the catchall garden salad.

To stand out in a crowded field—and turn a solid profit—stay true to the spirit of the salad but give it a little more love. Try upgrades such as changing up the crouton or spiking the dressing with some heat. Swap out romaine for kale or other greens. Rethink your cheese. Add some beer. Just don’t serve a Caesar that diners can buy in a bag or whip up at home.

At Fusco in New York, Chef Scott Conant tosses truffled seasonal vegetables in a Caesar dressing and rings them around burrata topped with brioche croutons. Chef Troy Guard of TAG in Denver dresses romaine with togarashi vinaigrette and a thick Caesar puree before crowning his mix with grated cured egg yolk, avocado and grilled shrimp.

The great thing about a Caesar is that its base flavors are versatile enough to tap into whatever’s on trend, as evidenced by these two riffs on the classic.

The venerable Caesar salad isn’t just a survivor; it’s a conqueror.

SER Caesar Salad Executive Chef Mike Shetsky

SER Steak + Spirits, Dallas

2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup Parmesan, grated

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

6 grams sosa gluconolactat

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 liter aqua panna water

5 grams sodium alginate

Olive oil, as needed

1 head of romaine, cut into two

round wedges

Parmesan sbrisolona, recipe follows

Meyer lemon zest, to garnish

Fried anchovies, to garnish

Neutral-flavored pop rocks, if desired

Mix mayonnaise, Parmesan, Worcestershire,

fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic and sosa

gluconolactat in a robo coupe to make

dressing. Season with salt and pepper;

set aside.

Combine water and 5 grams of alginate,

then place in a shallow pan. Drop a table-

spoon of dressing into the alginate-water

mix. Let sit for 90 seconds, flip over using

a slotted spoon, and let sit for another 90

seconds. Remove sphere from liquid, rinse

in water and store in olive oil.

To plate, slice romaine hearts width-

wise into 1-inch slices. Place 2 spheres

of dressing on top of salad and

2 tablespoons of sbrisolona. Garnish

with lemon zest, neutral-flavored pop rocks

and fried anchovies.

To make the sbrisolona: Combine 1 cup

flour with 1 cup grated Parmesan,

2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon

kosher salt. Work in 5 tablespoons softened

butter and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. If mix

is too dry, add more oil. Place in shallow

pan and bake in a preheated 325 F oven

for 20 minutes, breaking up the mix into

crumbles after 10 minutes.

Play with your food At SER Steak + Spirits in Dallas, Executive Chef Mike Shetsky’s dressing pulls umami notes from fish sauce. Then the sauce is encapsulated into jiggly spheres by leaning on some simple molecular gastronomy techniques to produce a yolk-like film around the dressing. Instead of croutons, bread and Parmesan get baked into Italian shortbread called sbrisolona and crumbled atop romaine leaves. Shetsky also adds preserved lemon zest, fried white anchovies and neutral-flavored pop rocks, though the latter is optional.

The Appeal: The sheer novelty of the dish, including the fun of breaking open gooey spheres of Caesar dressing, has made it the most-talked about offering on the menu. “We have our servers tell guests, ‘You’re going to get a nice little ‘pop’ with the dish,’” says Shetsky. “It’s a dish that creates a dialogue.”

The Payoff: No one has ever complained about the $14 price because diners want to say they’ve tried SER’s Caesar. It’s become a bucket list offering, a salad guests know they aren’t likely to find elsewhere. “We explain the process so they know how labor intensive it is to make the spheres and the sbrisolona,” he says. “They can see and taste that value.”

Menu price: $14Food cost: 7 percent


Chipotle CaesarChef Ben Diaz, Toco Madera, Los Angeles

1 cup organic baby kale1 cup Boston hydro lettuce, torn¹⁄3 cup romaine, chopped 3 ounces chipotle dressing, recipe follows½ cup talera croutons, recipe follows1 Roma tomato, diced¹⁄3 cup white beans, cooked 2 tablespoons spiced pepitas2 tablespoons vegan mozzarella

Toss toss kale, hydro lettuce, romaine and dressing and

divide among 2 plates. Garnish with croutons, tomatoes,

white beans, spiced pepitas and vegan mozzarella. Makes

2 servings.

To make the chipotle dressing, whisk together

5 cups vegan mayonnaise, ¹⁄3 cup vegan jack cheese,

2 ounces chopped garlic, 1 ounce pureed chipotle,

½ ounce chopped capers, ½ ounce red wine vinegar,

1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard,

½ tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

To make talera croutons, toss together 1 cup diced

talera bread with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon

salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked

paprika and ½ teaspoon ground cumin until evenly

coated. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes

or until golden brown.

[ Make things saucy ]The Caesar dressing at Mr. Brown’s Lounge in Chicago is spiked with a housemade jerk sauce, creating a spicy Jamaican riff on the classic.

[ Step up the croutons ] At FarmBloomington in Bloomington, Indi-ana, Chef Daniel Orr cools stoneground grits and cuts them into squares, adding a chewy texture to his endive Caesar.

[ Apply some fire ] Tufts of romaine are roasted in a wood-fired oven at Treno Pizza Bar in Westmont, New Jersey, creating a charred Caesar with a smoky accent.

[ Pour some beer ] Chef Jay Mitchell of Tennessee Brew Works in Nashville, Tennessee, incorpo-rates the brewery’s floral 1927 IPA to the house Caesar dress-ing, along with beer bread croutons and shaved cured egg yolk as a way of cutting the salad’s richness.

Go veganInspired by the Caesar’s Mexican-California roots, Toca Madera in Los Angeles fuses flavors from Mexico with a health-conscious approach that West Coasters demand. Vitamin-rich kale and Boston lettuces get tossed with a chipotle Caesar made from vegan-mayonnaise, paprika, chipotle, cumin and white vinegar. Paprika-dusted pumpkin seeds and croutons made from talera bread add extra crunch, which give the dish “sweeter flavors that pair well with the spice,” says Chef Ben Diaz.

The Appeal: It’s as customizable as a burrito, including vegan options. Since the Caesar dressing is already egg- and anchovy-free, the kitchen adds cashew-based mozzarella to appease vegan diners. For those who want to add protein, premium add-ons include sea bass, tofu or skirt steak, which can increase the price as much as $9 and transforms it into a standalone lunch or dinner entree.

The Payoff: Not only has it remained one of the kitchen’s most popular menu items since the restaurant opened, it also reaps big profits with its low food cost. “It’s recognizable as a Caesar, but it feels modern and locally inspired,” says Diaz. “Diners want simple familiar flavors but new ingredients.”

Menu price: $14Food cost: 11 percent

IT’S RECOGNIZABLE AS A CAESAR, BUT IT FEELS MODERN AND LOCALLY INSPIRED. DINERS WANT SIMPLE, FAMILIAR FLAVORS BUT NEW INGREDIENTS.—Chef Ben Diaz

REPLACE AND CONQUERBoost profits with creative swaps


TREND TRACKER The heat index on what’s happening

f o o d f a n a t i c s . c o m | F O O D FA N AT I C S 3 5

Find the flame to see

what’s hot.

#TrendTracker

Don’t forget about Gen X.The ongoing marketing wars between baby boomers and millennials and the debate on how to court Gen Z have left one forgotten demographic prime for tapping: Gen X.

MESS AROUND

WITH MEZCAL.

No doubt you’ve seen bottles of mezcal glowing brighter than ever behind the bar, as bartenders position the

smoky stuff as an appealing alternative to tequila.

HEALTHY GETS HEALTHIER.More than just a passing fad, chefs recognize the appeal and transformative benefits of fresh and lacto-fermented vegetables, unique roots and powders, while they cut back on oil and sugar.

LAST SEEN: 2Nixons in Charleston, South Carolina, harnesses mineral-rich binchotan charcoal cooking and lacto-fermented vegetables for a healthier take on Asian-inspired flavors.

THE RISE OF POST-ETHNIC CUISINE.As cultural influences converge around the world, menus abandon defined labels and borders, pairing unique ingredients and techniques to create a new wave of “multicultural” cuisines.

LAST SEEN: General Tso’s chicken makes a cameo in tacos with lettuce, carrots and wasabi blue cheese at Blue Duck in Philadelphia; Opus Co. in Seattle serves up expectation-defying fare like bonito-rubbed lamb with grilled cucumber tzatziki and Thai basil.

GOLDEN STATE REVIVAL. California cuisine born in the ‘70s inspires a new generation of chefs across the country by redefining fresh and local. See more on page 15.

LAST SEEN: The East Coast is finally showing the West Coast some love, thanks to restaurants such as Dimes and Upland opening in New York.

More than milk and honey.Nearly a decade after first making waves in the U.S., Israeli-American cuisine is still evolving and more popular than ever. Discover what’s new on page 22.

LAST SEEN: Los Angeles is buzzing with new Israeli-inspired openings at The Exchange, Kismet and Mh Zh. Jenn Louis is getting rave reviews for her Israeli joint, Ray, in Portland, Oregon.

No tipping restaurants. Tip-inclusive bills were meant to ease the pay gap between the front and back of the house, but many staff members aren’t enjoying the experiment.

TRY THIS INSTEAD: To ensure a fairer split, consider pooling tips with a weekly payout. Equitable sharing ensures those who work slower nights aren’t punished, while cultivating a team mentality that everyone can benefit from.

GRAMMABLE FADS.

Jumping on Instagram food trends like mermaid toast and unicorn shakes might land you 90 seconds of internet

fame, but at what cost?

TRY THIS INSTEAD: No matter the concept, make sure to have adequate

lighting for quality pics, use fresh ingredients with eye-popping colors,

and stick to what you do best.

COOKIE CUTTER FAST CASUALS. Fast casuals aren’t down, but a lack of differentiation could leave some operators out.

TRY THIS INSTEAD: For those who want to scale up, there’s a temptation to lean toward corporate branding. Adding a sense of personality with design, topped with unique and quality ingredients, plus a build-it-yourself structure will help you stand out.

DOWN WITH THE BOY’S CLUB. As sexual harassment becomes a more pressing issue than ever, restaurants need to address the long-ignored issues of “back of the house culture.” For a further discussion, see page 46.

TRY THIS INSTEAD: Bump up your HR department, diversify your staff and develop a protocol for creating a safe environment head on. If you see something, say something.

Marketing: It takes a village.Want to ensure your concept makes an opening impact that lasts? Restaurants are beginning to invest in entire marketing teams that handle everything from branding and strategy to launching forward-thinking campaigns.

ALL OF THE DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT.Intent on maximizing returns during off-peak hours, restaurants are opening earlier and closing later to appeal to breakfast lovers and late-night diners. Learn how they do it on page 57.


How grass-fed beef is better for the planet and the bottom linegreener pastures

SPECIAL SECTION SPONSORED BY

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STR-Adv-USF-FoodFanatics-WeBelieve_1-18_OL-p.indd 1 1/25/18 2:46 PM


For the past decade, the Strauss family and its network of family farmers have

been raising beef exactly the way nature intended. No antibiotics, hormones or fertilizers. No grains. And definitely no feedlots. The 100 percent grass-fed cattle are given free reign to graze on natural grasses for the entirety of their days. “The only confinement we believe in is the stars above,” says CEO Randy Strauss.

The Strauss way has been winning over restaurateurs just as simply: providing a superior tasting product that diners see value in, and more recently, satisfying the public’s growing interest in transparency and sustainability.

Strauss partners with grass farmers who tend tracts of alfalfa, clover and nutrient-rich native grasses. Under their care, specific breeds of cattle—whose genetics ensure their all-grass diet translates into well-marbled beef—are rotated through different pastures, re-establishing a feeding cycle that’s good for the cattle, consumers and the earth. The Strauss family also has broadened

its understanding of grass-fed cattle’s positive environmental impact. Dedicated to American-raised cattle, they believe that if chefs and operators committed to just one case of grass-fed beef a week, it would create an impactful environmental ripple effect. It would help preserve thousands of acres of vulnerable pasture land where it matters most—the upper Mississippi watershed. This simple change has the potential to reverse the damaging ecological effects of chemical run-off, which today are harming the waters and seafood population of the Gulf coast. The environmental benefits of their products stay local, not half a world away.

“We can do an immense amount of good and make meaningful change for future generations.”says Lori Dunn, executive director of Strauss Brands.

the power of grass-fedConventional corn and soybean crops

require phosphorus and nitrogen to help ensure maximum yields. When strong rainfall sweeps over heavily fertilized

fields, chemicals can be carried away as runoff. This triggers a chain reaction (see sidebar) that leads to low-oxygen waterways called “dead zones,” which can cripple native seafood populations.

Pasture-raised products, such as Strauss’ Free Raised grass-fed beef not only inhibit the expansion of dead zones, it may also help shrink them.

This reversal is possible because properly managed pastures don’t require large amounts of chemical fertilizers. When rain falls on these grasses, the water is soaked up, not only preventing erosion but filling up the natural aquifers beneath the land.

To better support farmers interested in returning to pasture-based raising practices, Strauss has partnered with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, a nonprofit that educates farmers transitioning from conventional to sustainable production practices.

The hope is that this education will foster positive ecological change and help preserve sustainable land and family farms in the Midwest.

speaks for itselfConsistency and improved distribution from farms to restaurants have contributed to the growth of grass-fed beef. Grass-fed burgers, however, gets the credit as the game changer. The health benefits associated with grass-fed beef encouraged James Milkovich, the corporate director of purchasing for Hyatt hotels, to start sourcing the burgers. They’ve become a huge hit with high-end travelers who frequent his hotel restaurants. He conducted an experiment, placing Strauss burgers next to a more traditional “all-natural” Angus burger on his menus. “We found that the grass-fed burgers outsold the conventional one two-to-one,” says Milkovich. Another plus: the Hyatt kitchen team found that a traditional 7-ounce burger shrank to about 6 ounces when cooked, whereas the 6-ounce of the Strauss hamburger didn’t shrink much. Today, 6-ounce Strauss burgers are a mandated product at all 130 of Hyatt’s full-service restaurants in North America and have become so popular that the chain is also integrating them at 175 other properties across the continent. Initially, TJ Callahan of Farmhouse and Farm Bar, in Chicago and suburban Evanston, Illinois, began serving grass-fed hamburgers for ecological reasons. He wanted, he says, to play a small role in “leaving the world a little better than I found it.” He learned that diners hungered for humanely raised, ethically sourced meat as well, which provided a valuable competitive advantage over nearby burger joints. Callahan was also surprised that Strauss’ grass-fed hamburgers tasted better than traditional burgers. “It’s a richer flavor, a better texture,” he says.

Now, his grass-fed burgers are top sellers, in part because his servers educate diners on their backstory, while encouraging them to order their beef a little less well done than regular burgers.

“When you serve a product that tastes good and helps make the world a better place, you create a bond with people that’s (tough to break),” Callahan says.

Midwest farm fields use large tracts of land for row crops, requiring chemical fertilizers to grow abundantly. When heavy rainfall descends, excess chemicals and topsoil can erode into waterways as runoff.

This runoff, which is rich with phosphorus and nitrate, travels to the

Gulf of Mexico, where it pools and generates algae blooms that deplete the oxygen levels in the water, inhibiting marine life.

Today, the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico is wreaking havoc on the Gulf’s shrimp population and other seafood, impairing the livelihood of local fishermen.

100 percent grass-fed beef preserves pastureland, doesn’t require chemical fertilizers, regenerates valuable topsoil, absorbs rainfall and provides a sustainable food source for cattle.

ENVIRONMENT IMPACTEDThe Gulf of Mexico is home to a dead zone—an oxygen-deprived area of water that suppresses marine life. As large as Connecticut, it’s the biggest dead zone recorded since tracking began in 1985. Here’s a primer on its environmental impact and how grass-fed beef can help reverse the tide.

SPONSORED SECTION

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Grass-fed burgers are a No. 1 seller at Farmhouse and Farm Bar in Chicago.

Average higher percentage point that beef dishes command with animal welfare

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Monsieur Benjamin in San Francisco seats pre-theater walk-ins at tables reserved for later times.

Monsieur Benjamin offers a full menu at the bar, including options that can double as small meals, including shellfish, tartare plates and bone marrow with toast.

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or most operators, the term “early-bird diner” conjures bargain-seeking senior citizens and couples toting kids. These days another crowd is hungry for dinner

while the sun’s still out: diners looking for a good meal before heading out to a play, movie or concert.

“It’s a nontraditional dining hour, but I’m still paying the same amount of rent and the same amount for electricity,” says Ryan McCarthy, director of operations for Passion-Fish in Reston, Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland. “So, it’s about trying to maximize the space that we have at all times.”

Identifying pre-event diners and providing speedy service is key, but keeping pre-show patrons happy isn’t just about getting them out the door in time. Perks like parking, walk-in seating and whimsical specials can also be lucrative draws. Here are some tips on how to entertain the early-bird entertainment set.

VALET’S THE TICKET

Never underestimate the appeal of easy-in, easy-out parking. In Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, Summer House Santa Monica is a short distance to two popular theaters, Steppenwolf and the Royal George, where parking is notoriously tight.

As a result, Summer House offers diners extended valet parking for $14. Guests can enjoy a meal, walk to the show and then return whenever they like, avoiding the hassle of having to park again.

“As silly as it sounds, valet parking is really important,” says Corey Milner, associate partner at Summer House Santa Monica. “It’s great for guests to be able to park (once) and do many things.”

SAVE SOME SEATS

Although most pre-theater diners make dinner reservations, others prefer to survey their supper options on the night of the show. To cater to the last-minute crowd, Monsieur Benjamin, a French bistro in San Francisco’s performing arts district, reserves a communal table for walk-ins and offers cocktails or quick meals at pre-booked tables, provided they agree to finish up by a certain time.

“There is a little bit of negotiating for tables,” says General Manager Sue Lim. If the restaurant has a table booked at 7 p.m. and a walk-in party arrives at 6 p.m. hoping to eat before a 7:30 p.m. show, Lin will let them have the table for an hour.


The cocktail specials inspired by local headliners moving through Seattle has turned the Carlile Room into an Instagram sensation.

WE LOVE THE ENERGY AND BEING KIND OF SHOWY. (THE SPECIALS) RUN THE GAMUT FROM CUTESY TO KIND OF WEIRD AND SUBVERSIVE.—Chef and general manager Dezi Bonow of the Carlile Room

Monsieur Benjamin also serves its full menu at a standing bar, a popular perch for impromptu early birds. “People will just stand there and have some oysters, a steak tartare and a glass of wine, and that’s enough to get them to the show,” she says.

TO PRIX-FIXE OR NOT TO PRE-FIXE?

Traditional pre-theater prix-fixe dinner still holds up in some circles, but often sitting down for a three-course meal followed by a lengthy stage performance can prove too time-consuming for theater regulars.

Prix-fixe offerings never took off at Summer House in Chicago, so now the menu leans toward shareable appetizers and entrees, like spicy calamari, prime ribeye steak frites and mahi mahi tacos. Au Za’atar, a Middle-Eastern restaurant located near off-Broadway venues in New York’s East Village, offers a tweaked $29 three-course prix-fixe menu built around more manageable tasting portions. Served between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., the small-scale menu eases the navigation of the expansive Lebanese specialties.

“Prix-fixe gives (diners) a better taste of this cuisine,” says Chef-owner Tarik Fallous. “Some dishes we don’t recommend at the same time as others, and some appetizers don’t go great with some main courses.”

WATCH THE CLOCK

Diners closing in on curtain time may need extra attention when ordering. A couple arriving at Monsieur Benjamin at 6 p.m. for their 5:30 p.m. reservation, for example, could benefit from their server’s advice on cooking times.

“(We’ll say,) ‘The roast chicken or quail that’s cooked to order is going to take 25 minutes for preparation. It’s going to be a little tough; are you willing to wait?’” says Lim. “Then it’s up to the guest to say, ‘It’s OK, I gotta have this chicken!’”

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

The movie-going crowd tends to be price-conscious, so happy hour specials like $5 bar bites and cocktails have been well-received at Passion Fish. To appeal to regulars, he keeps eight to nine cocktail choices, and rotates the 10 bar bites often.

“When it comes to a movie theater, people tend to always go to the same one,” McCarthy says. “We want them to form that habit, and we want that habit to include us.”

TRY A THEME

The Carlile Room, located across the street from the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, has found success with themed specials. “We love the energy and being kind of showy,” says Chef and general manager Dezi Bonow. “(The specials) run the gamut from cutesy to kind of weird and subversive.”

When “The Book of Mormon” was in town, specials included a crab salad called Tabernacle and plates of creamy cornflake-topped “funeral potatoes.” An Iggy Pop concert led to the creation of a dill and aquavit cocktail called Pumping For Dill.

Working collaboratively to create and improve these specials has proven to be a bonding experience for both staff and guests. “It was like, ‘Hey, we’re having fun at the same time you’re having fun,’ rather than ‘We’re trying to capitalize on the fact that we know we’re going to be busy right now,’” Bonow says. n

Chefs know Sterling Silver. Each cut- carefully sourced and hand-selected. Flavorful. Tender. Juicy. That’s Sterling Silver.

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S T E R L I N G S I LV E R M E AT S . C O M


BRENDAN MCGILLChef-owner of Hitchcock Restaurant Group, which

operates six restaurants in the Seattle area Backstory: Worked his way up from a dish-washer position in Alaska to opening his flag-ship casual fine dining spot, Hitchcock, in 2010. Later, he expanded his portfolio to include a deli and pizzeria, while earning a James Beard semifinalist nod for Best Chef Northwest.

MCGILL SAYS

Watch The Kitchen Talk“I’ve thought about ‘kitchen talk’ a lot

more in the past few years than when I was younger. The common language shared by cooks across the world is vulgarity; I have cooked in kitchens from Ecuador to Iceland, and the jokes are ubiquitous and not PC. It’s like every object in the kitchen is viewed in its capacity to commit a sexual act. It came to my attention that a young cook wasn’t comfortable with some references I made to an oyster’s anatomy. ‘Labia’ is the technical term for the part of the oyster I was instructing her not to disturb, and, of course, I recognize the ‘joke,’ but when word made it to me that she found it offensive, I stood corrected. If it made her uncomfortable, I was failing as a mentor and teacher. My only goal was to show her how to open the oyster. I think it’s what they call a teachable moment. A word that seems innocuous, even technical in this sense, could make someone uncomfortable, and you’ve got to respect that. Bottom line: When someone raises an issue, we’re listening. Now I call it the mantle instead.”

LYNN BOUNDExecutive chef at cabaret venue/supper club

Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York City

Backstory: Former executive chef at MoMa’s Cafe 2 and Terrace 5 under Union Square Hospitality Group in New York.

Educate, Educate, Educate“Considering the current climate and

the fact that it is being discussed in the news so much lately, we’re in the process of reminding our staff of the details of our policy, and plan to bring in someone to retrain our staff on sexual harassment and what to do if you feel that you are a victim or uncomfortable.

There are varying degrees of what can be inappropriate in a work environment versus other environments. We think it is a good idea to enlighten all staff members about the implications of these comments and actions, what’s happening in the world, and why we wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone here. With everything going on, it is only responsible for every company to retrain and allow for questions and discussion.”

Restaurateurs are no exception. On the heels of industry-shaking allegations against John Besh last fall, revelations of sexual harassment leveled another powerhouse: Mario Batali.

A pattern of inappropriate behavior was alleged by numerous women, and as a result, Batali stepped down from day-to-day operations of his restaurant empire late last year. Within days, similar allegations were made against Ken Friedman, the restaurateur behind New York City’s Spotted Pig, which implicated Executive Chef April Bloomfield for knowing about the alleged “rape room.”

As allegations continue to surface, operators are swiftly reacting. Tom Colicchio published an open letter that challenged male chefs to “do more than pay lip service” to fixing the problem. The management team at Chicago’s Piece Pizza and Brewery sent a company-wide memo that urged its staff, “Please do not remain silent.” Even Batali’s namesake restaurant management company, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, said it will employ an independent agency for staff to report owner misconduct.

While operators take steps to head off problems, it remains uncertain if they can reform a legacy of crude kitchen culture. A 2014 report from Restaurant Opportunities Centers United indicated that sexual harassment was “endemic to the restaurant industry.” The following operators seek to create lasting change.

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FROM FILMMAKERS TO HIGH-PROFILE POLITICIANS, POWERFUL PEOPLE ARE BEING ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND, IN SOME CASES, BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.


PAUL FEHRIBACHChef-owner of Big Jones in Chicago

Backstory: Started his career in Indiana before relocating to the Windy City, where he opened his Southern-inspired spot, Big Jones, in 2008. Three-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef Great Lakes.

Demand Immediate Accountability“When we had an incident of sexual

harassment, the offender was ordered to stop and did stop, and an apology was given. Nip it in the bud. It’s not hard and does not threaten your business. But the key is being available and open so that employees will feel empowered to come to you if they are experiencing poor treatment from someone else on the staff. It can make one feel weak or threatened to report incidents, so management must be very proactive in creating an environment in which employees know that they not only have the right to a safe workplace, but a responsibility to report any incidents in which they or another employee’s well-being is threatened. It can be easy to let isolated incidents slip by, and we have to work tirelessly and relentlessly to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

WHITNEY ARISSCulinary director and co-owner of The Preservery

in Denver

Backstory: Worked her way up at Whole Foods and Marczyk Fine Foods before opening The Preservery, a seasonal restaurant, market-place and music venue with business partner and husband, Obe, in 2016.

Establish Structure “As a woman in the restaurant industry

and a restaurant owner, I have always felt a strong sense of responsibility to create a safe work environment for all our team members. (Recent incidents) provoked a lot of reflection on how we can do better as we grow as a business. We have a zero tolerance policy, which remains the same, but we are re-evaluating our reporting procedures and making sure we identify easy, safe ways for team members to report issues. We are a very small team of 15, so we don’t have an HR department, but we do have HR policies and practices.”

JOSHUA LEWINExecutive chef and owner of Bread & Salt

Hospitality in greater Boston

Backstory: Opened Juliet, Bread & Salt’s first permanent restaurant, in 2016 after a series of pop-ups in Boston, Chicago and Manhattan.

Start A Conversation“Sexual harassment is a rampant issue in

the restaurant industry. And as we are now seeing daily, we aren’t alone as restaurants. It’s everywhere. Acceptance of it is apparently endemic to the way business is conducted in this country. We want to see change industry-wide, so we are hosting a public panel to discuss this issue and possible courses of action. One of the things that I am really hoping to discuss on that day, and in the future, is what people should do if they don’t know who to report to or how. This could be because of a lack of training and communication, or as we are seeing over and over, because the harasser is your manager or the owner of the restaurant.” n

FEHRIBACH SAYS

ARISS SAYS

LEWIN SAYS

THE KEY IS BEING AVAILABLE AND OPEN SO THAT EMPLOYEES WILL FEEL EMPOWERED TO COME TO YOU IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCING POOR TREATMENT FROM SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAFF. —Paul Fehribach, Chef-owner of Big Jones in Chicago

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LESS IS THE NEW M O R E

Shuai had been chef de cuisine for four years at Chez Sardine (now Bar Sardine) in the West Village, while Corrie worked long hours as a nightclub manager and then a bartender in the city’s East Village. Their careers were on track, but their lifestyle didn’t feel healthy. So in 2015, they headed south.

They had planned to help a friend open a restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, but when his plans fell through, the couple had to improvise. Three weeks after landing in a city in which they had no roots, the couple opened a Japanese-leaning food truck called Short Grain. Since then, Shuai has been nominated for a James Beard Award, appeared on Zagat Charleston’s 30 Under 30 list and landed on Bon Appetit ’s Best New Restaurants list. He has also been dubbed an Eater “Young Gun.”

“We moved down here because we thought it was pretty, but so did everybody else,” Corrie jokes. “We’re all moving out of the big cities because we can’t afford it. Everyone’s testing out these new places.”

The Wangs moved to improve their quality of life—and they know they’re not the only ones. Chefs from New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and other major dining cities are realizing the possibilities that smaller markets offer. But the restaurant business remains tough, and operating outside a major metropolis presents its own set of challenges.

What’s on the menu?Developing a menu in small town Narrowsburg,

New York, isn’t like planning a menu in Brooklyn. “We knew that this town needed a restaurant,

but we weren’t quite sure how people were going to respond,” says chef Paul Nanni, who co-owns The Heron in Narrowsburg with his partner, Marla Puccetti. Nanni had worked at Aquavit and Maggie Brown in New York City, while Puccetti was an executive producer for TV shows. The couple left the city in 2011.

BY KATE BERNOT

When chefs trade the big city for quality of life

❱On the verge of burning out from 80- to 90-hour work weeks in New York City, Shuai Wang and his wife, Corrie, had to get out of dodge.

Curate brings the look and tastes of a tapas bar to Asheville, North Carolina.

After leaving New York, Shuai and Corrie Wang found success with Japanese fare in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Their restaurant has a core menu of about eight dishes, but Nanni has gradually worked in more adventurous offerings, such as tripe, tongue and octopus. Customers are on board when such ingredients are prepared perfectly and sold confidently by front of house staff, Nanni says.

Sourcing, however, can be tricky. Narrowsburg is surrounded by farms that supplement what Nanni can grow in his home garden, but finding purveyors for specific ingredients took time.

“Coming from the city, you get a delivery every day,” Puccetti says. “Up here, the delivery schedule is crazy. The reps for beer and stuff don’t come around at all.”

Making phone calls and personal visits to local farms has helped. But for Indian spices, the couple drives two hours back to the East Village to see their spice guy.

For Curate, chef Katie Button had to ask suppliers to carry certain products, such as iberico de bellota and boquerones for her Spanish tapas restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina. She does the legwork to find the importer, then tells the distributor.

But chefs considering a move to a smaller city shouldn’t assume that their customers will be unadventurous or averse to new ingredients.

“We can be as creative as we want. People are there to eat your cooking; you don’t have to stick to this rigid menu,” says Short Grain’s Corrie Wang. “There’s a lot more creativity than a smaller scene allows for.”

Staff it upSmall towns can make for a thin labor pool, but

they can also tend to yield a loyal staff. “Very talented cooks are hard to find,” says Shuai

Wang. “Everyone’s trying to open a restaurant here, so they’re offering really competitive rates, starting people off at $16 an hour. Small businesses can’t keep up with that kind of thing; big restaurants with a lot of money behind them can.”

The current staff is solid, but labor for front and back of house has been their primary struggle, says Nanni and Puccetti.

Nanni’s brother moved from Detroit to work at The Heron, and the restaurant takes chances on younger, less-experienced servers.

“They’re the best ones because you can get them before they have bad habits,” Puccetti says. “It’s been exciting to see kids experience some of our food. They try chicken liver mousse for the first time, or lamb. You see them taste it, love it, and then when they’re servers, you hear them talking about it.”

Make an investment“I envisioned success as having a restaurant that

was profitable and enough to give our family a salary that we can live on and enjoy,” says Button, whose Heirloom Hospitality Group also owns Nightbell in Asheville. She’s been either a finalist or semi-finalist for James Beard awards on numerous occasions and named a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2015.

Part of securing that success was the result of purchasing the building that houses her restaurants.

“It’s a safety net for you. If things don’t work out, the bank has more than just your business to lean on,” she says. “That to me was the biggest benefit to moving.”

After stints at El Bulli, Jean Georges and Bazaar by Jose Andres, Button says owning the building more than makes up for what she misses about larger cities.

“I miss all the possible things to do, even though you maybe never did them all,” she says. “In fact, I did really little because I was always so busy.”

Embrace communityThe most common and perhaps least tangible

benefit that chefs cite in moving to smaller cities is the cooperative nature of the industry. Relationships can pay off when the unexpected happens.

When the computer system at Button’s restaurants double-booked a private party room, she immediately called neighbor John Fleer of Rhubarb restaurant. His private room was empty, so he hosted the party, supplied two servers and allowed Button to walk her food down the street to Rhubarb.

“Make friends. Go be a regular at a couple places in the city,” says Shuai Wang. “When it comes to small towns, you have to come really humble and not with a big city attitude.”

“We’ve seen some big names come down and leave within the year because they didn’t check their ego at the door,” Corrie Wang adds. “You came for a reason, right? So just be nice.” n

BRIGHT LIGHTS, SMALL CITYRestaurateurs who have made the move

Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee From Las Vegas: Chefs at Andre’sTo Traverse City, Michigan: Co-chefs and co-owners of The Cooks’ HouseRecent acclaim: Awarded Wine Spectator Award of Excellence (2014-2017), published Cooks’ House: the art and soul of local, sustainable cuisine (2009)

Vivian HowardFrom New York City: Intern at wd~50 and chef de partie at Spice MarketTo Kinston, North Carolina: chef-owner of Chef & The Farmer and Boiler Oyster RoomRecent acclaim: Named a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast five consecutive times (from 2011 to 2017); Howard’s ‘A Chef’s Life’ TV show won a Peabody Award in 2014, a daytime Emmy in 2015 and earned her a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Personality/Host in 2016

Ryan PoliFrom Chicago: Executive chef-partner, Tavernita Group; executive chef at Perennial and ButterTo Nashville: Chef at the Catbird SeatRecent acclaim: Named to Wine Enthusiast’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants, Standout Tasting Menu Experience (2016); The Diners Club 50 Best Discovery Series

Joe KindredFrom San Francisco: Delfina then to Chicago’s Tru and The Pump RoomTo Davidson, North Carolina: Co-owner-chef of the KindredRecent acclaim: Named to Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants list (2017), Wine Enthusiast ’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants, New and Noteworthy (2016)

Cara StadlerFrom Shanghai: Opening chef at 12 Chairs and Gordon Ramsay Au Trianon in Versaille, FranceTo Brunswick, Maine: Chef at Tao YuanRecent acclaim: Nominated for James Beard Foundation Award Rising Chef of the Year (2017), named a Food & Wine Best New Chef (2014)

Chef Katie Button purchased the building that houses Nightbell in Asheville, North Carolina, giving her a safety net, while urbane dishes like mushroom pate from The Heron, bottom, have wooed diners in Narrowsburg, New York.

IT’S A SAFETY NET FOR YOU. IF THINGS DON’T WORK OUT, THE BANK HAS MORE THAN JUST YOUR BUSINESS TO LEAN ON. THAT TO ME WAS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT TO MOVING. —Chef Katie Button, Curate


THE HIGHLIGHTS

Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.Sure, you can go Edmund’s Oast restaurant or Edmund’s Oast Exchange, but here you can sample a crazy number of beers and well- executed everyday foods, from a housemade hot dog to a wood-fired veggie gyro.

Halls ChophouseGot meat on the brain? It’s no wonder with all the fuss over vegetables and focus on seafood in the coastal community. Chef Matthew Niessner will do right by you.

The MacintoshResist the urge to comment on how Jeremiah Bacon’s last name makes him a natural chef. Just focus on your plate: local ingredients at the hands of a native trained at Per Se, Le Bernadin and the River Cafe, all in New York City.

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BarbecueDid you think you could eat your way through Charleston and not try barbecue? You have many choices, but you’re sure to go right with this pit master’s namesake joint.

Page’s Okra GrillJust two words: Redneck Rolls. Imagine the signature wood-smoked barbecue with pimiento cheese fried in a spring roll wrapper.

Waffle HouseDotted across the southern landscape, this chain is a must visit during the third shift.

Get a mouthful from our resident expertFOOD FANATICS ROAD TRIP!

Jason Scarborough is a Food Fanatics chef for US Foods based in Columbia, South Carolina, who has a soft spot for hard working, committed people serving excellent food. Find him on Instagram @chefscarborough

FOOD FANATICS

CharlestonGrowth in the tech sector, a spike in quality Southern ingredients and the

laid-back appeal of this historic city has sparked a burgeoning dining scene that extends beyond its downtown arteries. More than a dozen chefs have migrated here while food critics nationwide have anointed Charleston, South Carolina, as one of the most exciting food destinations in the country.

When you head to this peninsula, it’s important to check out old and new to fully grasp Lowcountry cuisine, from its humble beginnings to modern interpretations. You’ll taste the influences from the early settlers of Europe, West Africa and the West Indies, and classic dishes or renditions inspired by them, such as shrimp and grits, okra soup and Lowcountry boil. Add seafood, including blue crab, boiled peanuts, pimento cheese and whiting fish to the list of what you’ll encounter on menus.

Sean Brock deservedly gets the credit for drawing the spotlight to Charleston, first at McCrady’s and then for developing a farm dedicated to preserving heritage seeds. Honoring and elevating the roots of Southern cooking has served as the backbone of Husk, the restaurant he opened in 2010, the same year the

James Beard Foundation recognized Brock with the Best Chef Southeast award. To experience this chef’s range, visit McCrady’s, Husk and Minero; the latter shows Brock also can do Mexican.

Don’t think you can just check out Brock and be done with the forerunners of Charleston’s restaurant renaissance. Others include Mike Lata’s Fig, a bistro take on Southern ingredients and the Ordinary, his ode to seafood. Lata’s executive chef at Fig, Jason Stanhope, should get credit, too. Like Lata and Brock, he also won a James Beard Best Chef Southeast award.

Southern-inspired cooking, though, isn’t the only food that thrives here. Amalia Scatena at Cannon Green is proving that local ingredients also play well with Mediterranean cuisine, while Michael Toscano knows southerners and tourists equally dig Italian food. Both are transplants.

The dining scene has gotten so big that restaurants have crossed the bay to Mount Pleasant, creating its own enclave of must-visit restaurants, from Grace & Grit and Nico to Shellmore—all seafood-centric spots.

Be sure to visit some stalwarts. For the last 33 years, Hannibal’s Kitchen in Charleston’s Eastside neighborhood has been serving straightforward local fare, such as crab rice and fried whiting, while Bertha’s Restaurant has been cooking traditional soul food for 39 years in North Charleston.

Wherever you go, take a few minutes to ask about the secret to the restaurant’s popularity and success. You’ll leave with a true sense of Southern hospitality along with inspiration to apply insights back home. n

Give it up for the Holy City. The restaurant scene is on fire.

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Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

@edmundsoast

The Macintosh@macintoshchs

Rodney Scott ’s Whole Hog Barbecue

@rodneyscottbbq


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TIME TO MAKE PROFITABLE SENSE

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SUCCESS.

Contact your Cargill Foodservice Sales Representative today or call 800-227-4455.

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ith snacking becoming its own meal category and restaurants popping

up as makeshift offices and social gathering spots, the appeal of all-day

concepts is growing. If time is money, then keeping your kitchen closed for

breakfast, midday snacks or even late-night bites may be leaving potential

profits on the table. In a 2017 Datassential study that asked

respondents what college-town concepts interested them, 41 percent chose 24-hour diners and 30 percent selected late-night dining options. Add customers’ growing interest in breakfast after 11 a.m. and the rationale to extend your hours becomes rather compelling. Three operators share their formulas for success.

Think like a hotel, operate like a hybridWhen In Good Company Hospitality opened

Trademark Taste & Grind in Manhattan’s Executive Hotel Le Soleil in 2016, it didn’t function like a typical hotel restaurant. It operated as a hybrid coffee bar and New American restaurant that focused on serving two things diners crave all day long: good coffee and classic comfort food staples.

From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., the concept’s boutique coffee bar, Trademark Grind, pairs daily pastry selections with brews from Four|Coffee. Down the hall, Trademark Taste, In Good Company’s 84-seat New American restaurant, serves a full breakfast until 11 a.m. in an intimate, clubby space, which draws in the power breakfast crowd, hotel guests and tourists alike.

Instead of creating a division between lunch and

dinner, Trademark Taste offers a single all-day menu of steaks, seafood, sandwiches and salads. During lunch, a special $21 three-course prix-fixe special gets Manhattan’s business crowd in and out the door quickly, while providing value in a city known for high-ticket dining. To cater to guests visiting during a sporting event or concert at Madison Square Garden, the kitchen stays open until 11 p.m.

A single kitchen fills orders for both Grind and Taste, along with room service orders, which puts cross-training to use. Food runners can handle room service orders, while pastry chefs can fill in on the line as needed. Between the peaks, the staff has a chance to restock and reset.

The approach is faring so well that Sean Dillon, In Good Company’s director of operations, says the concept of Trademark could be replicated anywhere. “This concept has the ability to fit in a small boutique hotel or large-scale standalone venue,” he says. “We have found ways to connect with every type of demographic and do a pretty good job of keeping them happy.”

Create a boozy diner One of McGuire Moorman Hospitality’s

latest creations, June’s All Day in Austin, Texas, may be a true first: a wine bar-cafe hybrid that pairs eclectic all-day offerings with wines and cocktails curated by restaurant namesake and master sommelier June Rodil.

True to its name, June’s All-Day stays open from 8 a.m. to basically midnight Monday through Friday, acting as a one-stop shop. Breakfast until 11 a.m. Light lunch in the afternoon. Craft cocktails or a glass of wine after work. And dinner when the sun begins to go down. But to reduce food waste and allow for more flexible kitchen scheduling, June’s offers only a single menu.

WE HAVE FOUND WAYS TO CONNECT WITH EVERY TYPE OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF KEEPING THEM HAPPY.—Sean Dillon, In Good Company’s director of operations

Brewing memorable coffee from Trademark Grind, (top), can lure caffeine-seekers all day, while transforming the mood of a space with smart lighting strategies and a carefully curated beverage list can generate repeat business, as evidenced by the constant traffic to June’s All Day in Austin, which keeps things sunny in the morning (middle) and appropriately atmospheric at night (bottom).

A single menu that pairs well with alcohol—like the matzo ball caldo, fried chicken sandwich and bone marrow Bolognese at June’s All Day in Austin—can keep check averages high all day and night.


“Our spaces rely on easy walkability and succeed in historic established neighborhoods,” says General Manager Alice McGinty. But unlike a traditional cafe, June’s highlights its beverage list, which hits every price point from inexpensive draft beers to pricey bottles of wine. Menu staples such as smoked salmon Nicoise salad, bone marrow Bolognese and matzo ball caldo upend tradition and were created specifically to pair with Rodil’s beverages, instead of the other way around.

In terms of logistics, the front- and back-of-house staff is roughly divided into a.m. and p.m. shifts. “We train our staff to ensure guests at all price points and occasions feel well provided for,” McGinty says. “We have many guests who visit our restaurant more than once a day or a few times a week.”

Sometimes, it takes a neighborhoodBeloved Atlanta Chef-entrepreneur Shaun Doty

didn’t commission a feasibility study when he opened his first Bantam + Biddy, a casual family-style diner that dishes up chef-caliber roasted chicken and classic Southern blue-plate specials. He simply saw a need, and filled it.

Two B+Bs later, with a fourth on the way in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Doty says looking out for gentrifying neighborhoods with a dearth of affordable, dependable eateries is a good place to start. Whatever the location, it’s critical to give diners “a lot of reasons to go there,” especially if you stay open from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Unlike many old-school diner operators, Doty understands the value of saving customers time. His takeout menu includes convenient $52 family meal packages, which come with a whole roasted chicken or meatloaf, sides and iced tea.

Reconfiguring the all-day diner model to fit modern tastes, he provides guests the flavors and personal attention they expect, along with money-makers like a full-bar, espresso drinks and gluten-free options. “It’s a convivial, accessible, all-day meeting place that I see as an amenity for the neighborhood,” Doty says.

His biggest challenge is staffing, specifically finding enough team members who are willing to start early. Fortunately, servers have learned how to quickly cover large stations and hustle to earn healthy tips, which average about 80 seats and rely on high volumes to profit.

When one Bantam + Biddy proved too casual for an affluent neighborhood, he replaced it with The Federal, a pocket-sized bistro and traditional American steakhouse that’s open virtually all day, closing only a few hours to reset the tables. “I’m very committed to the idea of all-day (dining),” he says. n

Adopt multiple personalities. Neighborhood hangout, a takeout spot, power lunch destination or a romantic dinner option? An all-day restaurant might need to take on all those roles to attract a steady flow of traffic.

Take small, manageable bites. Try debuting with breakfast and lunch, adding dinner service later. “Open with what you can manage,” says Stephen Lipinski, president of Stephen Lipinski Associates in Ithaca, New York. “People will come in with expectations, and they don’t care if it’s your first day or week.”

Beware of all-day breakfast. Consider how all-day breakfast profits match up with your price points on the lunch and dinner menus. “If you need to run a $35 check average at dinner, and you sell breakfast for $9, you’re giving up too much margin,” Lipinski says.

THREE WAYS TO ALL-DAY PROFITS

At Trademark Grind & Taste, an ever-evolving list of pastry selections and clever cocktails has made the Hotel Soleil an all-hours destination in Manhattan.

TREND TRACKER

LAST SEENPerla in New York City went from nighttime hotspot serving Italian fare with hip-hop in the background, to an all-day neighborhood cafe opening at 8 a.m., replete with comfy sofas, full dinner menu and wine bar.


The results were positive, but pricey. “The decision to outsource was simple

math,” he says. “As we grow, we might take (social media and marketing) in-house, but for now, we’re a small company, and it makes more financial sense to outsource.”

Outsourcing social media and other marketing duties, however, don’t negate all of an owner’s marketing responsibilities. The agency that’s hired can only promote what it knows, so you’ll need to devote time and effort to sharing information, such as events and promotions.

It’s also important that you are in control of the voice of your business. That tone and voice must be consistent to what the outsourcing produces.

Oftentimes it’s worthwhile to pair staff with your outsourcing.

Determine which up-and-coming manager or servers are adept at Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and develop a plan to work with the outsourcing firm. Management still needs to direct the plan but setting expectations is paramount.

If managers enjoy handling social media but may not be the savviest marketers, it might be worthwhile to bring in a marketing coach to keep you up to date on trends and best practices.

HAPPY STAFF, HAPPY CUSTOMERS ➜Kevin Jennings credits outsourcing

his cleaning crew for low turnover at his Denver restaurant, Avelina.

“Servers don’t want to do that kind of work,” he says. “It would be way more work for me to talk servers into dusting, vacuuming or mopping the floor—and making sure it was done right—than hiring a cleaning crew. It makes ours servers happier.”

Beyond the hard sell on unsavory busy work, asking servers to take on cleaning duties can dig into their take-home pay. In Colorado, servers must clock out and clock back in when roles change, earning the state minimum wage instead of the more profitable combination of an hourly wage plus tips.

ACCESS EXPERT KNOWLEDGE ➜Some outsourcing needs are more obvious

than others, says Doug Roth, founder and president of Playground Hospitality in Chicago. An accountant who understands the tax code, for example, can help reduce tax liabilities or offer support during an audit, while HR companies ensure paperwork is compliant with federal and state guidelines and provide access to comprehensive training programs.

Roth worked with a national hotel chain that wanted to reduce average ticket times in one of its restaurants from 35 minutes to 10 minutes. Boosting efficiency required investing in new kitchen equipment—and an expert who could make the right recommendations.

“When you want to operate at a high level of efficiency, you need to outsource other tasks,” says Roth. “You have to understand your strengths and weaknesses and where you can benefit from outside expertise.” n

OUTSOURCINGIN

How external experts can lower costs, boost morale and improve operations

The difference between a decent and a robust profit is often finding efficient ways to tackle non-food matters that eat up so much time and energy.

If your staff is constantly pulled away from their stations to handle busy work—whether it’s managing payroll and preparing tax returns or cleaning the restaurant and managing social media—it’s worth considering outsourcing.

“Outsourcing frees up time to focus our attention on our core business: making great food and providing great service,” says Chip Ladigo, owner of a Tacos 4 Life Grill franchise in Concord, North Carolina. “If there is a cost-effective option to outsource things that are outside that focus, it makes good business sense.”

Hiring external companies is not a magic bullet for cutting labor, but it offers significant advantages.

LET SOMEONE ELSE WORRY ABOUT LIABILITIES ➜Hiring professional cleaning crews at his

Tacos 4 Life franchise offered the bonus of reduced liabilities, says Ladigo. “Yes, we could clean our own windows, but from a safety standpoint, do I want staff climbing 12-foot ladders? It’s smarter to outsource the job to someone who is bonded and insured,” he says.

The peace of mind also led Ladigo to hire an outside company to handle his human resources needs. “Someone who knows their stuff is managing our paperwork and monitoring (Affordable Care Act) laws to make sure we’re in compliance,” he says. “We’re not in the HR business; their expertise gives us checks and balances, so we stay in compliance with the continual changing of laws and regulations.”

SHARE DIGITAL MARKETING ➜When Ivan Iricanin opened Ambar in

Washington, D.C. in 2012, he hired an in-house social media coordinator to shoot photos and craft posts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. BY JODI HELMER

INVOICING

CLEANING

DIGITAL MARKETING

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND WHERE YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM OUTSIDE EXPERTISE. —Doug Roth of Playground Hospitality in Chicago


Be efficient and tech savvy at the same timeiHELP

The Good Batch Making the shift to single credit card transactions BY RODERICK KELLY

Before closing for the night, the task of sending credit card info to a processor for remittance awaits.

To eliminate the drudgery, some operators have adopted single-batching—often set up automatically in POS systems—to run at the end of the day or up to three times throughout the day. If you haven’t made the switch, saving time and money should get you to reconsider. Here’s why.

Save some stepsSwitching to single-batch transactions was a game

changer for 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky. For more than 30 years, General Manager Lindsey Ofcacek says the restaurant used an outdated card reader that proved to be a major headache and waste of time for servers.

“The card reader was in the attic, so our five servers would manually write down all the costs of the meals, pull out a calculator to add them up and then run up 12 stairs to the attic to get authorization and later process the final bill,” she says.

In August 2016, the restaurant shifted to iPads and Square, a credit card processing and POS system. The change streamlined service and lowered costs.

“We pay no annual fee and a 2.75 percent flat transaction fee. It’s a time saver for the servers who can process all transactions on the floor and not have to go up and down stairs,” says Ofcacek.

Pay to playWhile batching is convenient, it’s not without

its flaws. Mainly, problems may occur between the card authorization and the payment period if a transaction is not batched on the day the purchase was made. That said, most transactions usually go through without a hitch.

Processing rates can also vary. Square, for example, advertises a 2.75 percent flat rate on each swipe, dab or tap. But the service charges a 3.5 percent rate plus 15 cents per transaction when

Batch processing is part of a larger system that ensures restaurants get paid for a credit card transaction. Here’s how it works, according to Raymond Siffel.

1. When a credit or debit card is used in a POS system, it receives bank authorization that money is available and the card is in good standing.

2. At the end of the day, all credit card transactions are batched and sent to a processor.

3. The processor contacts each bank and requests payment, which is made to a Federal Reserve account of the restaurant’s bank.

4. The processor sends the batched funds to the Federal Reserve and marks them for deposit into the restaurant’s deposit account at its bank.

5. The restaurant’s bank sweeps the Federal Reserve account several times a day and collects whatever money is in the account. This usually occurs within 24 to 48 hours from the time of purchase and is credited to the restaurant’s account.

credit card numbers are manually keyed in—a slightly higher rate that’s applied to offset the risk of fraud or a lack of funds.

For restaurants on a wholesale or cost-plus pricing model—which is a more cost-effective option for mid- to high-volume restaurants—net effective rates range from 2.75 percent to below 2 percent depending on volume and customer demographics.

Restaurants pay three fees to accept payments by card, according to the National Restaurant Association. Besides processing fees, merchants pay interchange fees (adjusted every April and October) and assessments directly to the card brand.

Unexpected bonusesThanks to savvier processing, operators get the

benefit of more than just streamlined accounting, says Raymond Siffel, managing partner for Calibr Merchant Solutions LLC.

“It’s already adding more value by providing critical data metrics that restaurants can use to improve their top and bottom lines,” he says.

Those data figures can include the number of dishes served, cost per item, as well as the most- and least-popular menu items. Additionally, most deposit setups are now on a gross monthly system where the processor invoices the restaurant at the end of each month rather than the more archaic way of deducting fees from each transaction.

By charging on a gross monthly basis, restaurants can reconcile their payments with the transactions, more easily, which all adds up to more money in your pocket faster. n

PR MACHINE Sharp ideas to get butts in seats

Say It with Swag Merch can make you bigger and betterBY AMBER GIBSON

Restaurants are figuring out what concert and theater promoters have known for a long time: Themed merchandise is as much about marketing as it is profitability.

Operators are moving beyond the requisite T-shirt, generating revenue from all types of branded gear, while turning customers into walking brand promoters. Diners now can buy knit ski caps from Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts, bandanas from Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue in New York and Asia, and candles and apothecary sets from Dimes in New York City.

But before you slap your logo onto a cap, think strategically. Success lies in coupling creative merchandise with smart brand positioning.

Put it all on the tableKiira Mancasola of San Francisco-based

design firm Puccini Group has helped with branding efforts for everyone from the Four Seasons and Aviara to the Waldorf Astoria Chicago. To maximize authenticity, she says guests should use items during the meal that they can purchase, such as oyster shuckers or salt-and-pepper sets.

“These elements bring your story together,” Mancasola says. “The branding within the restaurant supports theatrical elements, such as the uniforms, cuisine, menu design and service style. The full concept has more power than the sum of its parts.”

Wear what you sell In Orlando, Florida, the wait staff at

Pizza Bruno dons limited edition T-shirts designed by local artists.

Predicting sizes that people will want can be challenging, especially with limited-run items. The popular shirts, however, tend to sell briskly, which allows Zacchini to give away odd sizes at special events as free promotional offers.

Offer something uniqueMake the merchandise fit your

brand. Breakfast Republic in San Diego, California, is known for its quirky decor, including egg-shaped seats and whisk-styled light fixtures, which is why curiosities like bacon socks stamped with “I ❤ BACON” and #BREAKFASTREPUBLIC are a huge hit.

“It has (also) helped us tremendously on social media,” says owner Johan Engman, whose coffee cups regularly make cameos in Instagram posts.

Let them order from homeHospitality group CH Projects sells

irreverent merchandise with hand-drawn graphics for its 11 San Diego-based concepts through an online store. Oyster-centric seafood destination Ironside Fish & Oyster and Polite Provisions, each have their own cheeky stickers and T-shirts, along with ceramic tiki mugs, coloring books and skateboard decks.

“We try to speak to the brand without having to be blatantly promotional,”

co-founder Arsalun Tafazoli says. “It’s a worthwhile opportunity to be creative with the brands and carry out their stories in unique ways.”

Take-home F&BThere’s no better restaurant branding

exercise than giving diners a taste of your concept that they can store in their own pantries. Whether it’s a housemade hot sauce, secret hot cocoa or Bloody Mary mix, these items keep memories of past dinners alive. San Francisco’s Presidio Social Club sells made-to-order bottled cocktails for guests to take home, including a barrel-aged negroni, cosmopolitan, boulevardier and Old fashioned. The restaurant also offers branded T-shirts, pint glasses and sunglasses, but it’s the take-home cocktails that guests get most excited about.

Ways & Means Oyster House in Huntington Beach, California, offers a collection of private-label items on its menus, including best-sellers like oysters, wine, rum and beer.

“We had a huge fear that they would be perceived as house items and therefore less desirable,” says owner Dena Mathe. Carefully choosing high-quality local artisan partners, like Santa Monica Brewing Co. and Papa’s Pilar Rum, have proven that’s not the case.

Let them stealSometimes the most marketable items

are the ones customers steal. A stolen curio can be a priceless conversation-starter—provided they are inexpensive to replace.

The “hardcover book” check-presenters at The Big Four in San Francisco were pricey to replace. “But it was an indication we were on the right track,” Mancasola says. The Puccini Group took the idea to a San Francisco concept, Tratto, and created inexpensive branded notebooks for people to draw in or write a note in when the check is dropped. “We were thrilled to see how quickly these books filled up. And if one goes missing, it’s inexpensive to replace.” n

How It Works


Embrace the new, but don’t think everything can be solved or improved with the latest gadgetry. Here, restaurant chefs and other experts share their favorite equipment that lends itself to consistency, saves time, reduces labor and gives their menu an edge.

SOUS VIDE After several years as the on-trend way

to turn out a dish, cooking sealed food immersed in a water bath has become commonplace in innovative kitchens. Its most significant contribution, however, has been large volume. Proteins can be cooked sous vide and immediately served or seared off in minutes and then leave the kitchen.

“A smaller labor source is where we’re headed today,” says Jason Wilson, executive chef of Millers Guild and the Lakehouse restaurants in the Seattle area, as well as culinary director of the El Gaucho Hospitality Group. “The thought is that you will always need creativity. But if your human messes up on cooking anything, that product is automatically lost.”

ROBOT COUPE 2Gadgets that chop, slice, dice and puree

have flooded the market, but chefs remain loyal to the Robot Coupe, an industrial food processor that debut in the 1960s and can withstand heavy use. It also reduces injuries: Accidental cuts from chopping with knives are no longer a problem for Chef Cameron Thompson, culinary director of Farm Burger, a grass-fed, locally sourced burger chain with nearly a dozen locations. “It’s the one piece of equipment that pays for itself in a week,” he says.

Chef Chintan Pandya of innovative Indian restaurant Rahi in New York City, agrees, “Once I found this machine could process five to 10 pounds of onions in 10 minutes, it has been saving me labor for years.”

WOOD-BURNING OVENMore than a decade ago, wood-burning

ovens became a game-changer for making pizza. Today, they can also give other dishes similar wood-charred flavor and reduce cooking times thanks to their high temperatures.

“We roast cauliflower, asparagus, and carrots for the pasta sauce. The hot fire takes out the step of blanching that prep cooks used to spend time on and gives it better flavor,” says executive chef Federico Comacchio of Coco Pazzo in Chicago. “Fish like branzino can cook in the fire in under five minutes.”

BIG OR SMALL, EQUIPMENT CAN DO MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Technology and innovation are poised to transform restaurant kitchens, but the wizardry of robots or smart equipment doesn’t mean abandoning the tried and true.

LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

The wood-burning oven at Coco Pazzo in Chicago, opposite page, has uses far beyond pizza.


FISH SPATULAThe tool is designed to easily slip under

and flip delicate fillets of fish. But the fish spatula has many other uses. Imagine a short-order cook, who is a marvel to watch. Give him or her a fish spatula and it could up their game in terms of pancakes, french toast and eggs. Also try it for poaching: It lifts foods efficiently out of water.

“This tool has saved a lot of money over the years,” says Dwight Drake, a Food Fanatics chef who assists restaurateurs on menu planning and operational efficiencies in Cincinnati. “The thicker, bulky spatula will cut into the flesh or leave half of the most important flavored part of the fish stuck to the bottom of the pan. “

“Don’t forget about quesadillas, enchiladas and flipping tortillas on the griddle,” Drake says, not to mention handling grilled cheese, lifting lasagna out of a pan or sliding tiramisu from a dish.

MICROPLANEThe microplane has changed “the way

we grate, grind and garnish like no other piece of equipment,” says David Phillips, executive chef at Copeland Oaks, a senior health care facility in Hanoverton, Ohio. Originally considered as a zester, chefs find its use extends far beyond citrus.

His list for the microplane include whole spices, hard cheeses, chocolate and any solid that can be grated.

PEPPER MILLIf there’s an overlooked gadget in the

kitchen, it’s got to be the pepper mill, the tool reminiscent of the old school tableside offering, “Would you like freshly ground pepper on your dish?” Dissing it, however, is shortsighted.

“Dump the standard cracked black pepper and repurpose it for spices such as coriander, star anise, pink peppercorns, larger coarse kosher salt, fennel seeds, dried herbs and any other variety of spices that can be ground,” says Bo Marianowits, a Food Fanatics chef who oversees restaurants for US Foods.

GAS COMBI-STEAMER OVEN, GENIUS T MODEL

It’s easy to laugh at infomercials demonstrating devices that can do just about anything, but some high-tech equipment can come close. The Eloma defrosts, poaches, stews, steams, bakes, roasts and grills, reaching over 600 degrees, according to Timothy J. Warnock, a Food Fanatics chef based in Clifton Park, New York. It has 2,300 computerized settings for all kinds of combination cooking techniques, he says.

“I can call it on my cellphone and give it cooking instructions from anywhere. Its design is for multi-language kitchens where it uses pictures instead of words. And it can cook one and a half times faster than a convection oven and three times faster than a conventional oven,” he says. n

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

Food Fanatics chefs and Restaurant Operation Consultants help fix everyday industry issues.ASK THE EXPERTS

Problem: Product waste from making protein bars in disposable aluminum pans. After baking, workers trimmed the bars and then packaged into individual containers.

Solution: Bake in single-serve containers.

Benefit: No trim loss or repackaging required, which saves 16 hours of labor per week and an additional savings of $8,000 each year on disposable baking pans.

Problem: Your menu has become too big to manage.

Solution: Reduce the number of total menu items according to bestsellers and items that are tied to your brand. Make use of cross utilizing ingredients in more than one dish.

Benefit: Eliminating items can help you focus on business growth and dishes that perform. It also reduces the number of hands that touch the plate, while keeping food costs more consistent.

Problem: Diners complain about prices.

Solution: Explain that quality food is not cheap, especially beef and seafood. Explain where the food is from and any special measures that growers and purveyors are using to produce a superior product. Tell them to watch the new Netflix series, “Rotten.”

Benefit: You bring customers into the fold and deepen brand awareness.

Problem: Staff hates working brunch.

Solution: Entice staff to volunteer for the shift by rewarding servers with prime shifts and stations later in the week. Give cooks a get-out-of cleanup pass for each brunch shift worked. Use remaining ingredients from the prior night’s dishes for brunch specials to reduce morning prep.

Benefit: Incentivize staff and presumably engender happier workers.

Problem: Delivery services mess up orders.

Solution: Do whatever you can to satisfy the customer and accept blame by comping an order or offering a complimentary item on the next visit. Make sure your system allows for the promo code. Be super nice.

Benefit: You’re building customer loyalty in an ever-increasing takeout space. n

PROBLEM: Small doughnut shop is losing $5,000 per month.

SOLUTION: Close at 3 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. because sales did not offset labor costs.

BENEFIT: Eliminated monthly loss and provided the owner two to three additional hours a day to spend on other matters such as social media and its new breakfast sandwiches. The shop was in the black for the first time in six months.


Unlike conventional wines, natural winemakers adhere to non-interventionist production methods that eschew chemicals, sulfites or filtering so that the inherent characteristics of the grapes truly shine. For fermentation nerds who were early adopters of sour beers or shrubs, this could be the next beverage money maker. According to a 2015 report from Nielsen, 65 percent of wine drinkers aged 21 to 34 expressed interest in natural wines.

A stateside boom has prompted the arrival of specialty natural wine bars like Four Horsemen in Brooklyn, New York, Terroir in San Francisco, and cameos at concepts like the Italian restaurant Alimento in Los Angeles or the cross-cultural Entente in Chicago. So why is natural wine suddenly so hot in the states? When you think about the back-to-nature philosophy that has popularized grass-fed proteins and local produce at farmers’ markets, it’s not a far stretch.

“Some people just want to drink something that hasn’t been tainted,” says Caleb Ganzer, managing partner at Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels in New York City and founder of Vknow, a wine education app. “Natural wine is that movement in a nutshell.”

What exactly is a “natural” wine? Stemming from a long-ingrained

farmhouse winemaking tradition in southwest France that dates to the turn of the 20th century, natural wine became a full-fledged movement in the late ’80s largely due to French pioneer Jules Chauvet, a renowned wine maker and taster with a background in chemistry.

Today, natural wine is being produced in regions throughout Europe and as far as Australia, Africa and South America, as well as by a handful of emerging domestic

producers. These wines tend to yield wild, earthy and brambly flavors thanks to the unfiltered live yeasts inside the bottle, which boast a funk not dissimilar from another trending beverage: kombucha.

“Typically, they have a stronger ‘yeasty’ element. They also tend to have lifted fruit profiles and a pleasant funk that balances that out,” says beverage director Matthew Dulle of two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear in San Francisco. “They evolve from the first sip to the last. The most interesting element of wine is that it is a living, evolving thing.”

Just because a wine is labeled “natural” doesn’t guarantee consistency and quality. It remains a nuanced term, requiring careful vetting of trustworthy producers and distributors. But there are a handful of common traits you can count on.

“Everybody has their own definition for what that means,” Ganzer says. “I have five tenets: I don’t think you can call it (natural) without organic or biodynamic farming, hand-harvesting, indigenous yeast, no additives to the actual juice and very low sulfur.”

Do Your HomeworkDiving into small-production natural

wines does demand extra research, as a lot can go wrong—even if you source from an established producer.

Yields can change annually; poorly packed imports can damage the quality en route; and once on-site, active yeast in the bottle makes proper storage even more important. “You can’t leave it out at room temperature,” Ganzer says. “You wouldn’t want to keep fruit on your counter, so you should refrigerate it.”

Ganzer admits entry-level natural wine can be more expensive than generic labels, but not prohibitively so. “You can still find great bottles around $10, so they’re not by any means out of reach,” he says.

Regular tastings with a trusted distributor and staff education are key to ensure the product lives up to your standards. Lindsay Martinik, sommelier at Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, Michigan, says getting feedback from industry friends is key. “Buy a few bottles and test them with the staff, chef and cooks. Take a bottle home and eat different things with it. Ask

your distributors to bring you samples or make sure your rep tells you when a representative from certain wineries or winemakers is coming into town,” she says.

Closing the DealDespite all the unfamiliar terminology,

weaning customers onto natural wine doesn’t have to be a hard sell. At Mabel Gray, Martinik finds that natural wines from cooler climates pair well with the spicy, pickled and fermented dishes found in Chef James Rigato’s tasting menus.

“I find that once people try these wines, they are more interested in them and may then seek them out,” she says. “I tend to do it as a by-the-glass special or use them on the tasting menu, and then maybe on a guest’s second visit, they will buy a bottle.”

Dulle of Lazy Bear also slides it onto the pairing menu and offers it by the glass but doesn’t specifically call it out to customers.

“The most important standard that must be met is that the wine is good. If that stipulation isn’t met, then I really don’t care about how it was made,” Dulle says. n

JAUMA: South Australian producer just outside of Adelaide, farming organically without sulfur and secondary fermentation in the bottle. A little cloudy, unclarified, funky and fun.

DOMAINE DE L’HORIZON: Small producer in French Catalonia in Calce, working with indigenous grapes and minimal sulfur. Brambly and juicy with fresh flavors that make great entry-level wines.

CASA CATERINA: Biodynamically farmed and wild yeast fermented grapes from Lombardy, Italy, with a focus on sparkling wine.

ERIC TEXIER: Minimalist winemaker from Brezeme in northern Rhone in France produces a unique portfolio that runs the gamut in terms of offerings.

BOTTLED IN NATURE Unadulterated wines are making headway.

You can, too.BY CARLY FISHER

The word “natural” gets slapped onto everything from eggs and dairy to soft drinks and ice cream, so it’s no surprise the term has been growing on wine lists around the world.

SIP ON THISSommelier approved natural wines to check out.


Play these numbers for a bigger payout

Does sustainable seafood matter to diners? Only 16 percent of consumers and 21 percent of operators consult sustainable seafood guidelines before purchasing. But prognosticators believe it’s just a matter of awareness and education before it becomes as important to diners as locally grown produce and product. You decide.

SIGN OF THE TIMES*Growth of environmentally friendlyterms on seafood menus

TROLLING TO SEEWhat operators seek...

36%Want sustainably sourced

21%Ask whether it’s locally caught

39%Consumers want the info

29%Inquire about mercury levels

20%Ask is it dolphin safe?...and why?

43%Conveys higher quality

55%Shows operator cares about sustainability

SOURCE: Datassential Keynote Report on Seafood 2017.

*Growth from2007 to 2017.

LOCAL122% increase

LINE-CAUGHT188% increase

SUSTAINABLEMore than 300% increase

WILD-CAUGHTMore than 300% increase

55%WILD

CAUGHT

27%LINE-

CAUGHT

11%NET-

CAUGHT

9%FARM-

RAISED

FISH OUT OF WATERPreferred origins among diners

SEA LEVELS Sustainable seafood know-how

Consumer knowledge15% Very knowledgeable

43% Somewhat knowledgeable

14% Not very knowledgeable

7% Not knowledgeable at all

Operator Knowledge17% Very knowledgeable

46% Somewhat knowledgeable

13% Not very knowledgeable

7% Not knowledgeable at all

BY THE NUMBERS


ILLU

STR

ATIO

N R

OB

WIL

SO

N

Harbor Banks® brings a complete selection of the best wild-caught and farm-raised fish and seafood to your kitchen. Expect consistency, quality and integrity from Harbor Banks, including many products within our Serve Good® program. Contact your US Foods® representative or visit usfoods.com to learn more.

CATCHING QUALITY AROUND THE WORLD

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OCEAN VIEWS

From finding ingredients that inspire you in the kitchen to managing inventory, planning your menu, scheduling your staff and connecting to customers online – the demands of your restaurant can be hard work.

We have the innovative food products, industry expertise and business tools you need to make it all easy.

WE HELP YOU MAKE IT. Find out how at www.usfoods.com© 2018 US Foods, Inc. 02-2018 EB-2017120607

US Foods® CustomerJennifer Gillie – owner NanaTacoDurham, NC

LOCAL UPROOTED LOCAL UPROOTED - US Foods...LOCAL UPROOTED FOOD FANATICS Sharing the Love of Food—Inspiring Business Success FOOD Vegging Out Produce nails center of the plate, page

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