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IN OU COMMUNR ITIES New Engla nd – Rich in Historical S ignificance , Natural Be auty & Culinary D istinction p. 10

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• Details on your local Reinhart division, including events, contacts & more!

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R E S TA U R A N T I N C

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©2014 Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C.

VOL

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It's been an exciting ride since we launched in the summer of 2013 — and the best is yet to come!

ISSUE

pg. 10

ISSUE 04: 2014

We're also excited to share that next year, we are exploring a from "Best of Reinhart" issue in which we take another look at some ofour farmers´ hands to yours the most unique and successful customers from across Reinhart country. While we will be surveying our employee base, we also invite you to submit your restaurant for consideration! Email us at corporatecommunications@rfsdelivers.com and tell us why you deserve to make the cut.

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Pizza recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner!

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Would You LikePairings a Side & More!

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of Fries With That?

Spotlight On Regional Burgers

ARE YOUR BURGER BUNS REAL BREAD WINNERS? The Veggie Burger Comes of Age T o p B e v e r a g e s T o C o m p l e m e n t B u r g e r s

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Eric Cronert VP of Marketing and Communications Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

Seafood for Thought

In Our Communities

Over 5,000 gourmet and specialty products

Since our inception, our team has been lucky to work with ESSENTIALS an incredible team of chefs who have produced a number of Everything delectable dishes for Food Fight. No matter the challenge, they for your bar Now in one place.

Introducing... have managed to come up with some awe-inspiring plates and this issue is no exception. We’ve dared them to take some of Boston’s most tried-and-true ingredients and dishes, and This program gives turn them upside down. How can you make lobster more YOU everything you want. approachable? What’s a Southern twist on baked beans? Take a look through this issue and you’ll find out.

Looking back at our first issue, Restaurant Inc has truly evolved and expanded. Now our industry-leading publication is circulated to upwards of 40,000 to cover our customer base across our 29 divisions. And we're excited to announce that we've launched a digital hub for Restaurant Inc on our newly updated website, www.rfsdelivers.com. There, you can read more articles, browse through recipes and peek at beautiful food photos. Make sure to visit the new site now and let us know what you think.

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We've toured across Reinhart country from La Crosse, Wisconsin to the bayous of Louisiana to historic Boston in this issue.

Hearing firsthand from more than a hundred operators on what success looks like for them and how they stand apart in each of their markets. Every operator is unique, but it's clear that each Reinhart customer we've spoken to since day one has a huge sense of pride when they speak about their business. And that passion is what fuels this publication.

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The Rise of Craft Beer, Reconsidering the Pint Glass & more.

TRACS Direct makes any kitchen run smoother and more efficiently. We have

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ISSUE 03: 2015

Give your menu a Mexican twist with this Mexi-Cali Burger.

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TRACS Direct To Go syncs up with your existing TRACS Direct account. Must be a Reinhart Customer to utilize TRACS Direct and TRACS Direct To Go. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 08 Quick Bites 10 In Our Communities New England 23 Feast for the Eyes, As Well as the Palate 26 From Dashers to Caviar, with a Touch of Maple — The Newest Meals on Wheels 29 (Self) Serv it Up! 32 Packaged Goods EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Cronert COPY EDITOR Sophia Venetos ART DIRECTION & LEAD DESIGNER Jenn Bushman DESIGNERS Drew Frigo, Lauren Jonson, Morgan Johnson PHOTOGRAPHERS Dan Coha ADVERTISING SALES & INFO Andrea Wilson andreaw@newhallklein.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS/WRITERS Ari Bendersky, Min Casey, Mary Daggett, Mindy Kolof, Audarshia Townsend

38 Transparency ...

To Be or Not to Be? 40 Product Placement When it's Time to Package Your Goods 44 - 53 Food Fight Recipes: Boston Reimagined 56 Lobster 101 57 Breaking Down the Variations of Clam Chowder 58 Yankee Culnary Ingenuity 60 Winning the Shell Game 62 Tap the Sap, Go Wtih the Flow

Cover Image | Dan Coha Reinhart® Foodservice, L.L.C. welcomes letters and comments. Mail should be directed to: Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C., Attn: Marketing, 6250 N. River Road, Suite 9000, Rosemont, IL 60018 or magazine@rfsdelivers.com

64 Join the Breakfast Club

©2015 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered FA L L 2 or 0 1otherwise) 5 R F S D of E Ltheir I V E respective R S . C O Mowners.

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TOC co n t in u e d 68 Where's the Beef?

Now is the Time to Make Veggies the Star on Your Menu

Bever a g e A r t icle s 77 Samuel Adams A Pioneer, Leader in the Craft Beer Revolution

72 More Mosaic, Less Melting Pot The New Latin American Cuisine 86 The Art of Prep

80 Brewers Feast

88 Meals of Mercy

82 Small-Batch Distilleries Put Micro-Local Spin On Craft Liquor

92 Hire Purposes

84 How to Hire a Better Bartender

95 Rewards and Recognition How to Ensure Your Employees Get Their Just Desserts 98 Who’s Monitoring Your HVAC/R Systems?

100 - 113 Reinhart Direct Spotlight Interviews, Insights, Recipes & More!

114 Calendar of Events 116 Sneak Peek Great Places in Door County & Green Bay 118 | 119 Operator Index | Ad Index 120 Commodities Tracking

6 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

©2015 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners.

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FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 7

T R E N D I N G

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QB Quick Bites for Your Brain

Before we dive into all the goods of this issue, here’s a look at what’s going on in foodie culture as we speak!

Five Different Dishes,

One Unique Ingredient HALLOUMI CHEESE Halloumi cheese hails from the beautiful island of Cyprus and is described as a semi-hard, unripened and brined cheese that is traditionally made from sheep's milk and a smaller amount of goat's milk. Halloumi is unusual in that no acid nor acid-producing bacteria are used when it’s prepared.

Halloumi has a very high melting point, and many restaurants will fry or grill it as a Mediterranean appetizer. Find out how chefs across the country are using this trendy delicacy.

Nando’s Peri Peri Maryland

Cava Mezze Washington, D.C.

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CHEFS FEED: Learn where and what the top chefs in your neighborhood eat when they're out and about. This app features reviews from more than 1,000 chefs in 24 cities.

LEFTOVER SWAP: A new app for trading and giving away food, which dubs itself a “Craigslist for leftovers”, allows users to post food to a map of their local area, enabling others to meet up with and take that food.

8 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Interested in recommending a book, app or Twitter account?

Email us magazine@rfsdelivers.com with your suggestion.

Five Horses Tavern Massachusetts

Antique Garage New York

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GRILLED HALLOUMI CHEESE SALAD

Moroccan Lamb Merguez Ragout, Harissa, Poached Egg, Crispy Halloumi, Green Chile Sauce, Grilled Flatbread

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For Your Nightstand

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

NEW ENGLAND Rich in Historical Significance, Natural Beauty & Culinary Distinction here aren’t enough superlatives to describe autumn in New England. It is vibrant and enchanting – with the crisp chill in the ocean breeze, campfires and clambakes on the Atlantic shore, inland forests ablaze with crimson and gold, cheers emanating from football stadiums.

10 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

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The New England states include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The region is fairly bulging with feasts for the eyes and the palate -- from tantalizing seafood to lip-smacking maple syrup to fine artisanal cheeses; from historic monuments to dense forests to seashore. Harvard and Yale are here, as well as several fine culinary schools, including Johnson & Wales and the New England Culinary Institute. Inhabitants take great pride in their region, and tourists flock here to see the rugged cliffs of Maine, Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, the fabulous fall foliage in Vermont, Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, the majestic granite mountains of New Hampshire and the mansions of Newport in Rhode Island. And, people come just to spoil themselves with seafood.

Boston is New England’s largest city, replete with historical significance, cosmopolitan sophistication and some of the finest seafood available anywhere.

The Freedom Trail is a two-mile walking tour that passes 16 historically significant sites in one fell swoop, including Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church and the Bunker Hill Monument – just to name a few.

America’s oldest restaurant is here -- The Union Oyster House, which began operation in 1826.

Boston is beloved for its Boston Pops on the Fourth of July, Red Sox games at storied Fenway Park, the Cheers bar where everybody knows your name, the USS Constitution in the harbor and so much more.

IN

OUR

COMMUNITIES

Flagship of the De Pasquale Empire in the Historic North End

BRICCO Frank De Pasquale wants to do for Boston’s historic North End what Eataly did for New York’s Gramercy Park and Chicago’s River North. But with a twist, of course.

His De Pasquale Ventures is similar to Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s famed Italian-focused behemoth featuring various eateries serving Neapolitan pizzas, handmade pastas, gelato, gourmet coffee, salumi, wine and more. What sets them apart, however, is that while Eataly is all under one roof, De Pasquale’s many establishments are spread throughout a few blocks of each other.

by Audarshia Townsend photo: bricco.com

This, of course, is deliberate. De Pasquale, who’s operated and owned large-scale nightclubs and restaurants since the late 80s, grew tired of traveling along the East Coast to check up on his businesses, so he sold so he sold most of them to concentrate on his burgeoning North End empire.

“My motto is ‘take care of this neighborhood,’” he says. “If I cannot walk to it, I don’t want to go. It’s because I also live in the (North End). It’s easy and accessible for me to get to any of the restaurants and I have peace of mind.”

Each establishment is a completely different concept. For example, Quattro serves up brick-oven pizzas and roasted meats.

Then there is Gelataria, known for whipping up more than 50 different flavors of gelato. Bricco’s Salumeria & Pasta showcases hard-to-find Italian specialties. There are many, many more, but Bricco — an award-winning, “boutique-style” eatery — is the flagship of the group. Its modern Italian fare and dining room flair have been highly recognized by the likes of Bon Appetit, Esquire and Wine Spectator.

What sets Bricco apart from other Italian restaurants in Boston is its triple threat of offerings. In addition to its upscale Italian fare, there is also Bricco Suites for luxury, extended-stay accommodations, and Bricco Panetteria, which cranks out freshly baked ciabatta, baguettes and other artisan breads on a daily basis.

De Pasquale indeed has a lot going on, and he says that without his family and a staff of more than 450 people spread throughout his businesses, he would not be able to attain his goals.

“My children help me out,” he says proudly. “My son is the general manager. My daughter is the comptroller. My wife does bookkeeping. Success is hiring the right people and having the right team to back you up. I have great chefs (at every restaurant).

People enjoy their jobs and everyone is treated like family. Most of my employees stay with me 20 or 30 years. We put out a lot of love and a lot of passion in these restaurants.”

That passion, he believes, is not lost on customers, many of whom are repeat diners and Hollywood A-Listers like Gisele Bündchen, Andy Garcia, Sandra Bullock and Mariah Carey. De Pasquale also credits his chefs’ commitment of staying on top of trends by traveling frequently to Italy as a big draw. Yet, he is still drawn to perennial menu favorites, from zucchini “flowers” stuffed with truffle ricotta cheese to the fontina and pancetta stuffed veal chop.

12 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Boston's Oldest Restaurant Keeps Making History

WARREN TAVERN

by Ari Bendersky photo: warrentavern.com

When you have a restaurant with origins that stretch back to 1780, you can claim bragging rights. Add to that some of the best clam chowder in Boston and you have more to boast about. And when you're one of the most popular spots in historic Charlestown with locals and tourists, well, you have a winning combination. Welcome to Warren Tavern.

The tavern, which originally opened in 1780 five years after the British destroyed Charlestown in the Battle of Bunker Hill, was named for Dr. John Warren, who famously instructed Paul Revere to ride with a warning the British were coming.

Revere and George Washington reportedly were patrons at this Revolutionary War-era tavern, as were so many politicians and others who would often gather to discuss business of the day.

It's not so different from today, but instead of discussing war, patrons might be talking about a play date for their kids or a deal they just made at work.

General manager John Harnett said Warren Tavern is often packed with young families and up-and-coming professionals who live in the surrounding area. Sure the history is a draw — the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution both sit within walking distance — but so is the well-priced food where nearly everything on the menu rings in under $20.

"A family of four can come in and feel like they're not breaking the bank to have a good meal," Harnett said. "You can watch a ball game, have a burger and a beer and not feel like you're getting charged ridiculous amounts for what you're getting."

And what you get is quality. Sure, the Warren Tavern's menu boasts a wide variety of burgers, salads and appetizers like onion soup, wings and Fenway egg rolls (sweet Italian sausage with peppers, onions and provolone), but being in Boston, it's all about the seafood. They offer a number of local dishes like crab cakes; fish and chips; lobster rolls and, of course, New England clam chowder.

"We have award-winning chowder and daily haddock specials," Harnett said. "Our fish is delivered fresh daily. It's important to maintain a high level quality of seafood."

Harnett said the owners, Tom Devlin and the Superior Dining Group, which owns five other Boston-area restaurants and bars, treat the staff well. That last point shines through in that many staffers have been there for years, some more than 20, allowing them to get to know customers, many of whom have become longtime regulars.

"There's not a high turnover in staff so the customers have a rapport with the employees," he added. "We see kids grow up. That goes a long way, especially these days." Warren Tavern stays in touch with its client base through social media, posts daily specials and other promotions to Facebook and will also distribute coupons to local hotels to help drive in more business. They'll offer $1 oysters from 3 to 6 p.m., give away raffle tickets to the sold-out Newport Folk Festival with the purchase of a Lagunitas IPA or entice people in with a spicy Bloody Mary to help nurse a post-Saturday night hangover.

But the key to keeping that business? Harnett said it's all about the front door.

"You have to meet them at the door, ask how they're doing, say goodbye," he said. "You have to be on hand for whatever they need and that starts at the door. You want them to come back."

After 235 years, it looks like that will happen.

FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 1 3

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COMMUNITIES

A Business Built on Family Pride

KOWLOON RESTAURANT For four generations and 65 years, Kowloon Restaurant has been serving and entertaining residents and visitors of the Greater Boston area. Known to many as an iconic landmark and a destination location for the region, the premiere dining and entertaining complex holds 1,200 seats, is open seven days a week until 2 a.m., and serves up the area’s best Chinese, Cantonese, Szechwan, Thai and Japanese dishes to a vast and diverse customer base.

by Mindy Kolof photo: kowloonrestaurant.com

“This business emulates our family’s personality,” said Bob Wong, one of six Wong siblings who own and operate the family business.

Wong says his father, who passed away four years ago and was instrumental in the establishment and success of the restaurant, was an extraordinary man. Each of his five siblings has worked hard to maintain his father’s level of professionalism and pride. “We started the restaurant as a reflection of my father’s incredible personality, and now we hope it is a reflection of ours.”

Kowloon’s is a go-to spot for Boston diners, offering a seemingly endless array of menu items, settings and entertainment. Upon opening the doors to this massive establishment, customers are greeted immediately by an almost marketplace atmosphere. From that point, the experience is as varied as the menu. There’s entertainment that changes nightly: a comedy show, a celebrated band, visits from famous athletes and personalities.

Many are drawn to the Polynesian area, a more intimate, 50-seat space comprised of two rooms: the Volcano Bay Room, complete with a 70-foot volcano mural, and the Tiki Lagoon Room, decked out with a centrally located Tiki god and pool of water. A totally different vibe is found in the restaurant’s lounge, with a state-of-the-art sound system, live DJ and televisions. Others gravitate to the open kitchen concept at the Thai Grill, watching skilled chefs create sushi feasts. For private parties, Kowloon’s opens up a spacious room with banquet seating for up to 500 diners. And a full catering menu allows the Kowloon’s experience to be transported all over Boston.

It wasn’t always the #1 Asian restaurant and entertainment complex in America, however. Bob’s grandparents started the restaurant in 1950 armed with nothing more than 50 seats and an intense desire to please their customers. After a decade of establishing the location, Bob’s parents took over the restaurant, the name was changed and the evolution was in full swing. “We expanded five or six times over the years, and the menu and entertainment options have developed and changed with every addition,” explained Bob. Growing slowly over time was the key to their long-term success in a demanding marketplace, he believes. The other key: satisfied employees.

“Growing up in the restaurant business, I have learned that our real purpose is to make people happy, and in order to do that we have to start with our employees,” said Bob. At any given time, 220 to 250 employees are on the Kowloon’s team, and Bob considers them the restaurant’s most important ingredient. “You can always find ways to make more money, but I’m more concerned with how I am impacting people’s lives. To me, that’s a more important measure of success.”

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At 189 Years Old, America’s Oldest Restaurant

UNION OYSTER HOUSE

by Mary Daggett photo: unionoysterhouse.com

Talk about a place steeped in history! Union Oyster House began operation in 1826, in a building that was already then over 100 years old. In fact, this year the building is celebrating its 300th birthday. It is the oldest standing brick building in the U.S., registered as a National Historic Landmark. General George Washington and his troops came here to receive their pay. Once it became a dining establishment, Daniel Webster frequented the place, as did many statesmen and influential people of the day. More recently, John F. Kennedy read his Sunday newspapers here while dining on his favorite menu item, lobster stew. He always sat in Booth 18, which is now dubbed “the JFK Booth.”

What’s the secret to 189 years of continuous dining operation? Wes Hagin, one of the managers, says it’s a combination of consistency and serving traditional New England fare. “You won’t find the latest fads and trends. What we do here is the same as we have always done. We have it all down to a science. Our employees stay for decades. We are truly a living history museum — just down the street from historic Faneuil Hall.”

Union Oyster House has 565 seats and can accommodate 400 for dining in six different rooms. The specialty of the house was, is and probably always will be oysters. “We get fresh deliveries every day from local oyster beds, including Cotuit and Duxbury on Cape Cod,” said Hagin. “We still use the original soapstone oyster bar from 1826. We serve oysters freshly shucked on the half-shell, grilled with butter and Parmesan cheese and as Oysters Rockefeller. Our lobsters come in every day from Northern Maine and Canada. Our clam chowder is legendary, and is served with hot corn bread, baked in our upstairs bakery.”

Diners can select from a plethora of fish and seafood options including shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, scrod, haddock, salmon and more. The Shore Dinner is a New England feast of clam chowder, steamers or mussels, lobster, native corn, red bliss potatoes and gingerbread or Indian pudding. The American Bouillabaisse is chock full of lobster, steamers mussels, shrimp, fish, littlenecks and scallops poached in a saffron seasoned broth. It’s served with garlic bread to sop up every drop of broth. There is also a meat and poultry section on the menu.

If the walls could talk at Union Oyster House, what a historic story they would tell. These tales would certainly provide provocative entertainment to enjoy along with the same exceptional New England specialties served today as they have been for nearly two centuries.

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A Splendid Destination

THE TAVERN AT QUARRY HILLS The Tavern at Quarry Hills is a splendid destination for anyone seeking a fine meal in an incomparable setting — just minutes from Boston. The Tavern s found at the Granite Links Golf Club, a 27-hole links course in its 12th year. It has already made Golf Digest’s “100 Best Courses in America.” The Tavern sits within the shingled Nantucket-style clubhouse, as does the 500-seat ballroom, where floor to ceiling windows provide breathtaking views of the Boston skyline and harbor. Over 100 weddings take place here each year, as well as civic and corporate events galore.

by Mary Daggett photo: granitelinksgolfclub.com

The Executive Chef overseeing this vast enterprise is David Todisco, who opened the Tavern eight years ago. Todisco had decided upon his culinary profession by the age of 14, and was named an executive chef at 23. “To say that I am self-taught is only partially true. My father is Italian, and he taught me all the basics. I just love to create with food.”

The chef changes the menu at the Tavern on the first Thursday of every season. “In the fall, I like to feature comfort food and use as much local produce as I can get my hands on.”

For example, in the Roasted Beet Salad, beets share billing with butternut squash, Vidalia onions, candied pecans, Gorgonzola, baby arugula, crisp tortillas and cider vinaigrette. And what vegetarian wouldn’t love Eggplant Napoleon, in which layers of grilled eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, tomato, spinach, Mozzarella, jasmine rice and tomato sauce are topped with a balsamic-port drizzle. Brie Fondue is served with local apples, candied pecans and crostini for dipping.

Todisco grew up near Boston, and he knows his demographic. “What’s familiar is what sells here. We keep it simple with traditional classics, and a few trendier selections added from time to time. One of our runaway menu favorites year-round is our Shrimp Cocktail. It’s actually a loss leader. For $11, we tuck 12 jumbo shrimp in a martini glass with a grapefruit/tomato cocktail sauce. We sell 100 orders a day. The best-selling entrée is fresh haddock. We bread the fish with Ritz cracker crumbs and serve it with a Lobster-Sherry Cream Sauce, seasonal rice and asparagus.

“Our Thanksgiving celebration is spectacular,” said Todisco, who lives in Plymouth, just ten miles from the site of the very first Thanksgiving in 1621. “We serve at least 600 tableside turkey dinners in the ballroom each year. Each table gets a whole turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, vegetables and pumpkin pie. As a bonus, we send our guests home with a to-go box filled with fresh leftovers.” Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftovers?

Just like his father before him, Todisco has passed his love of the industry on to his 17-year-old son. Josh Todisco is already Kitchen Manager at Crossing Nines, the club’s “turnshack” at the junction where the three nine-hole courses cross paths. Golfers and other guests linger over cocktails here, perched in Adirondack chairs to watch the sun go down. After sunset, a blazing fire pit provides the glow.

The menu offers apps, pizza, salads, sandwiches, plus a raw bar with oysters, shrimp, littlenecks and lobster — after all, this is Boston.

The Tavern is open all year, while the Crossing Nines closes after Thanksgiving.

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Homestyle Italian Fare Right Down To ‘Momma’s Meatballs’

STREGA WATERFRONT

by Audarshia Townsend photo: stregawaterfront.com

Order a plate of Rosetta’s Famous Meatballs and you just might get in good with the owner of Strega Waterfront. That’s because they’re made from an original recipe — a blend of beef, veal, parmigiano and house-made pomodoro sauce — created by Nick Varano’s mother, who once showed one of the executive chefs how to perfect them.

The meatball appetizer is the only dish you’ll find on all of the menus at Varano’s six restaurants, which includes an Italian steakhouse, coffee bar and traditional Italian café. It’s his way of paying homage to his Italian-American upbringing.

“My mother made them for (my family) all the time when I grew up,” Verano recalls. “Right before she passed away, she went into the kitchen and showed my chef how to make them. They’ve been a big hit ever since. Two things are staples at every one of my restaurants: the meatballs and a photo of me and mom on one memorable Mother’s Day.” Verano is a cheerful, big personality type of restaurateur who welcomes guests into Strega Waterfront as though they’re entering his home. The venue is contemporary in exterior and interior design, which is in sharp contrast to the old-school dishes you’ll find on the menu. In addition to Rosetta’s Famous Meatballs, popular options include a Milanese-style, double-cut pork chop; chicken breast sautéed with limoncello, butter and caper sauce; and fettuccini Strega — a signature dish of shrimp, scallops, baby spinach and a secret creamy sauce.

Verano says he decided to offer more traditional than modern fare because it felt authentic to him. “It worked so well for me at the Original Strega on the North End (of Boston),” he says. “We wanted to be traditional, with home-style cooking away from home. We just wanted something that was real.”

It doesn’t hurt that Strega Waterfront is located at Fan Pier in Boston's upscale Seaport District. That prime real estate property includes oceanfront views, well-heeled residents, luxury retail stores and hotels, and the occasional celebrity clientele. Since its establishment in 2010, Strega Waterfront has hosted the likes of legendary singers Lionel Richie (who Verano says is a regular patron) and Frankie Valli, high-profile politicians and professional athletes. The restaurant has also been the site for about 100 wedding proposals.

“It’s always energetic. It’s who’s who in the city. They’re smiling and laughing. Every night it’s like showtime in there. (The clientele has) built up since we first opened. Everyone’s feeling excited to be there and they don’t want to leave.”

According to Verano, Strega Waterfront is bustling from happy hour to the last call. He credits his staff for cultivating an atmosphere that’s created a loyal following of revelers and diners.

“My staffers get all the credit because they go out of their way to make everyone feel special,” he says. “That’s why they keep coming back.

It’s pretty simple. You treat everyone the way you want to be treated.

My customers never have to worry about being embarrassed for asking questions. It’s like you’re going to a family member’s home.”

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The Four's Always Roots for the Home Team

THE FOUR'S Just like the Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come.

At least that's what the owners of The Four's, named the No. 1 sports bar in the country by Sports Illustrated, believed when they decided to expand their successful concept. The first bar opened across the street from the Boston Garden (now the new TD Garden) in 1976 and became an immediate hit when the Celtics and Bruins would have home games.

photo: thefours.com

Eighteen years later, owner Tim Colton, Sr., and new partner, Ed Morris, who started as an employee in Boston, took a chance and opened in a somewhat desolate area in Quincy, Mass., about 12 miles south of the city. "We had an opportunity to expand our brand and see if it was worth expanding," Morris said. "We were busy from the day we opened the door. People were intrigued that The Four's came down into the South Shore and wanted to see if we could do what we were doing in Boston. We did it very well."

And if you want to know about something you see on the wall, chances are a staff member can talk about it. "Some of the photos are vintage from Boston history and the staff knows a lot of the people in the pictures," Morris said. "We encourage staff to be knowledgeable in sports and we have a daily trivia question that sparks a lot of conversation." Sometimes, they'll post the question to social media to get more people involved and every so often will give out a gift card when someone answers correctly.

They then followed that success with a third location in Norwell, Mass., in 2009, also going into an area that was underserved.

"The area was starving for a restaurant like ours," Morris said. "It was all chains or highend, white tablecloth restaurants. We filled a wide-open niche."

While people come for the sports and camaraderie, they stay for the food and drink.

Some of the more popular items from the sports-themed menu are their award-winning clam chowder, half-pound Angus burgers, buffalo chicken nachos and the Bobby Orr steak sandwich (hand-cut charbroiled steak tips with melted cheese on a braid roll). Between the appetizers, sandwiches named after popular sports figures, seafood entrees like; Boston scrod with a Ritz cracker crust; or crab-stuffed baked haddock; and pastas, "if you can't find something, you're probably not hungry," Morris said. That said, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, Morris said, they likely "can accommodate you and make it."

Now with three restaurants under their belt, The Four's, named for hockey legend Bobby Orr's number when he played for the Bruins, draws crowds on game nights as well as serving as a destination. "With sporting events, especially if there's a big one, if people can't be at an event, they want to be at a place you almost get that feeling," Morris said. "Like when the Red Sox are in the World Series and there are three people deep at the bar, it's quite a vibe."

The vibe is supported by a dark wood interior with flat-screen TVs everywhere you look, large wraparound bars where everyone can get into the action, big leather booths and, of course, one of the largest collections of sports memorabilia you've ever seen, including framed signed Jerseys, baseballs, bats, vintage photos, magazine covers and playing cards.

"We have collected over the years and some things are given to us," Morris said. "We'll pick things up at flea markets out in Western Massachusetts. We were good friends with [legendary sports photographer] Dick Raphael.

He helped us out a lot with photos. Sometimes you buy things online or players will give you jerseys. We have things from different teams."

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by Ari Bendersky

That sense of customer service comes from nearly 40 years of giving diners what they want and treating their staff like family. The Four's was started by Colton. Sr., who is now the president of the company's five restaurants (they have two other spots). His brother, Pete, is the principal owner/operator of the Boston location. His son, Tim Colton, Jr., is the general manager in Quincy. "We all may not be blood relatives, but we feel like family," Morris said. "We have a lot of employees who have worked here a long time and don't want to go anywhere. There's a lot of continuity."

Which is why, whether you go to Boston, Quincy or Norwell, you'll pretty much get the same experience, especially if everyone's watching the World Series or Super Bowl.

Let's just hope the home team wins. With The Four's, it already has.

Let Us Be Your Jewish Mother

ZAFTIGS DELICATESSEN

by MIndy Kolof photo: zaftigs.com

Robert Shuman has cooked for crews of hungry sailors, worked for a well-respected restaurant group and co-created two Italian restaurant concepts in the competitive environs of Boston. But it wasn’t until the 1997 opening of Zaftigs, the ‘non-deli deli’ in Brookline, MA that Shuman answered his calling. Nothing was going to deter his dream — not the mounting costs of doing business or the inevitable comparisons with New York delis, or opening in a space where several restaurants had started and failed in the last five years.

Shuman knew the time was right and the town ripe (literally--‘zaftig’ is a Yiddish word meaning ripe, juicy, luscious) for his vibrant offering of a neighborhood eatery with mass appeal. At its core would be Jewish comfort food like noodle kugel, matzo ball soup and corned beef sandwiches. But Shuman went further than that, piling up a menu of more than 200 items, almost all made in-house, to win over every type of diner … Jewish, singles, seniors, families, late night noshers, early morning workers, breakfastall-day fans, ala carte menu hoppers.

Known just as Zaftigs at first, Shuman ensured his meat loaf dinners and banana stuffed French toast received as much play as the beloved potato pancakes and stuffed cabbage.

A hit from the start, Shuman carved out a family-friendly niche with meals ringing in at just shy of $15 per person, offering a “much better value than a fast casual concept for $10. We’re not the cheapest game in town, because we’re offering a high quality product — seven-bean dark roast coffee; freshly baked, locally sourced breads and bagels delivered daily; smoked fish brought in from New York; premium brisket meat.” It’s the reason, he says, that second-time customers become regulars.

There’s also that banana stuffed French toast, which has rightly become one of Zaftigs’ signature dishes. Using a base of brioche, Shuman pipes in mascarpone and banana, freezes, and then cuts slabs with the rich core prominently displayed.

That’s dipped into a bourbon-vanilla batter, fried on the flat top grill and topped with a date butter and berry compound for a “super sweet treat that’s ordered day and night.”

By the time Shuman opened a second location in Natick four and a half years ago, he again gauged the local appetite

correctly and used the ample square footage to offer a takeout and catering market with fish, meats and desserts. He realized the very different energy of each, with the suburban Natick packing in the crowds on weekends, at more defined mealtimes, while Brookline’s urban location, including a dense cluster of colleges, continued to draw in groups of ravenous diners all day.

Shuman continues to add fun touches – an online store with Zaftigs t-shirts that “sell better than any item on the menu!” and a tricked-out catering van that builds the brand everywhere it goes. He generously credits the next-gen Shumans, his son and daughter, for “helping infuse new life into the business.”

They join a core group of employees who have been with Shuman since the beginning, as well as the shorter-term but equally enthusiastic staff of college students. All are motivated to exceed guests’ expectations, he says, and learn quickly that there’s a protocol and a fix for every customer issue, from peanut allergies to a slightly cooled off cup of soup. “There’s a sense of urgency and responsibility behind every plate,” he says. The guest experience must be stellar throughout, beginning with fresh bagel chips and herbed cream cheese to munch on, and careful attention paid to every part of the order. “If an order’s not interpreted correctly, or we don’t exceed expectations, we always make it right,” he says. “When a customer contacts me with an issue, I send them a warm note, taking full responsibility, and enclose a gift card.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to earn back their trust.”

And that makes Shuman a real ‘mensch,’ Yiddish for a person of integrity and honor.

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300 Years in Sudbury, Massachusetts

LONGFELLOW’S WAYSIDE INN Yes, indeed, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow not only slept here, but he wrote about the Inn and the characters he met during his stay in his "Tales of a Wayside Inn", published in 1863. Longfellow made his home in Cambridge, and came to the Inn as it was a popular resort for parties from Harvard College.

by Mary Daggett photo: wayside.org

“When Longfellow published his Tales, this was quite a boon to business,” said current Innkeeper Steve Pickford. “The Inn has been on this spot for 300 years. We have an enviable history.

"Many" notables, including George Washington, passed through here.

We are designated as a Massachusetts Historic Landmark and are part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We’re also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Way back in 1716, a gentleman named David Howe opened a tavern on one of the first mail routes in this country — the Boston Post Road.

His business thrived due to his fortunate location — a thoroughfare for coach traffic to and from Boston, Worcester and New York. From that time until 1861, the Howe family owned and operated the Inn — each generation expanding the main building. This was the genesis of the Wayside Inn. From 1923 to 1960, the Inn was part of Henry Ford’s Historic Preservation. Today, it is run as a non-profit historic landmark.

The Inn has ten overnight rooms, a post-and-beam colonial-style dining room with wood-burning fireplace that seats 250, private dining, a ballroom and a tent in the garden for weddings. The property has 125 acres, many historic buildings and notably, a white chapel with an imposing steeple — a big draw for brides and grooms. Another big draw for tourists is the quaint stone gristmill, its waterwheel painted bright red. “We grind all our own flours here for use in our bakery,” Steve Pickford said.

Pickford was the chef at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn for 12 years. He left to pursue other opportunities, including hotel/restaurant management with Sheraton and Marriott, and a stint as a center-of-the-plate specialist with Reinhart. He returned to the Inn as food and beverage manager before being named innkeeper.

Obviously, Pickford knows his way around a menu, and he knows his demographic. “We cater to traditionalists, for the most part. An older clientele comes in for lunch, and for many of them, this is their main meal of the day. That’s why we include some heartier selections on our lunch menu.” Prime Ribs of Beef, Yankee Pot Roast with whipped potatoes, and Oven-Roasted Breast of Turkey with cornbread-sausage stuffing are favorites. The lunch menu also features oysters, baconwrapped scallops, soups, main dish salads and sandwiches. The wellnamed Nantucket Lunchbox contains a lobster slider and clam chowder.

At dinner, Prime Rib is the best-seller. Broiled Boston Scrod, Roast Duckling and Lobster Casserole share billing with seafood and steak options. For dessert, guests are tempted with Deep Dish Apple Pie a la Mode, Baked Indian Pudding (made with cornmeal from the gristmill and molasses) and Pecan Chocolate Chip Bourbon Pie. For a blast from the past, “Old Bar” libations are available, including the Coow Woow, said to be America’s first mixed drink, with rum and ginger brandy; and the Stone Wall, a Revolutionary War favorite made with gin and apple jack.

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The Perfect Seafood Storm from the North Atlantic

YANKEE LOBSTER COMPANY

by Mary Daggett photo: wayside.org

The Yankee Lobster Company was founded in 1950 as a seafood wholesaler. In 2001, the company expanded with a fish market style casual restaurant. “We are right next to the water in the Boston Seaport District, an area full of hotels and tourists,” said General Manager Lee Pinto. “Everyone here is an expert on fish and seafood. I come from a family of fishermen. We get the freshest seafood for our wholesale operation, our market and restaurant from the day’s catch of the North Atlantic Fishing Fleet.”

Pinto estimates that the customer ratio at the restaurant is 70 percent tourists and 30 percent locals. The convention center is within walking distance and there’s a music venue nearby, which can mean a perfect storm of customers lined up outside. There are 35 seats indoors and another 40 on the patio. The place is open seven days a week, year-round.

The main attraction here is, of course, lobster. “We serve Maine lobster in July, August and September, when they are molting. The rest of the year, we prefer the larger Canadian lobster.” A direct draw system in the restaurant’s aquariums holds the lobsters in a constantly circulating natural seawater environment, which ensures peak flavor.

The bestseller is the Lobster Roll, an easy way to get a substantial lobster fix without any shell cracking or picking. It’s basically just chunks of sweet lobster meat moistened with a minimum of mayo.

The lobster spills out of a hollowed-out roll. Overall, the menu is packed with New England flavors: whole lobsters, buckets of crabs, clams, crab cakes, scallops, shrimp, fish and chips, Lobster Mac and Cheese, New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque (cream sauce laced with sherry wine and chunks of lobster), seafood combo platters, salads topped with lobster, crab, salmon and tuna and lots more.

“We serve a great Indian Pale Ale, brewed right next door at the Harpoon Brewery,” Pinto said. “It’s the perfect beverage to drink with seafood.” Of course, Sam Adams is also available.

The retail market sells various sizes of lobster, bulk lobster meat, shrimp, scallops, clams (steamers, littlenecks and cherrystones), Blue Point oysters and a vast selection of fish fillets. In less than 24 hours, the Yankee Lobster Company can deliver the “Taste of New England” to your door. This traditional New England Clambake includes live lobsters, fresh steamers, shrimp and creamy clam chowder — all in its own pot. n

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BY MARY DAGGETT

You procure the best ingredients you can get your hands on. You take great care to ensure that your food preparation is well-executed. Be sure to do your finished dishes justice with a beautiful plate presentation. It’s a fact, food that looks appetizing actually is perceived to taste better. While no amount of camouflage will save a ruined dish, a little artistic flair will go a long way in taking your

fare up a notch or two. Your customers will be impressed, and you will get compliments and return visits.

What elements comprise a pleasing plate? There should be a variety of colors, textures and shapes on the finished plate, and all of the elements should come together cohesively and aesthetically into appetizing, edible art.

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Architectural Digestion Chefs have tried to outdo each other with architectural food towers that sometimes resemble a Jenga game. Diners must be artful dodgers to carefully remove a morsel without the whole thing tumbling down before they have the chance to taste it. Layers are lovely, but rather than taking things to dizzying heights, it’s safer to restrict your creation to three or four stories. That “whew” sound you hear is your wait staff collectively sighing in relief. Interesting designs can be created horizontally as well as vertically.

I Want What She’s Having When a server walks through the dining room with a gorgeous dish, heads turn and diners remark: “I wonder what that is. Maybe I’ll order that.” Here are several ideas that will provide food for thought when punching up your plate presentations.

1 Space Invaders: Depending upon the size of whatever sits in the center of the plate, you’ll want to adjust the portions of side dishes to a pleasing balance. A little space between items will ensure that one item won’t invade the space of another.

However, too much free space, and the portions will appear skimpy and diners may feel short-changed.

2 Finger Paint: Get your hands on one of those plastic squeeze bottles with a writing tip. A few squiggles of flavor-packed colorful sauce that compliments the entrée swirled on the rim of the plate not only looks good, it provides a flavor profile of its own. If your patronage includes kids, use ketchup to write their names on the plate. They will be delighted, and so will their parents.

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3 Grow Your Own: Plant a kitchen herb garden and use the harvest in your recipes and as a fresh, gorgeous garnish.

For example, present a chicken entrĂŠe containing chopped, fresh rosemary with a long sprig of fresh rosemary on the side of the plate. A pack of basil seeds will yield enough leaves for house-made pesto, and lovely minced greenery to top tomato sauce and salads.

4 Get Shapely: It’s relatively easy to achieve different shapes with foods. Use molds, garnishing utensils and tiny cookie cutters to make fast work of edible art. A side of julienned zucchini and summer squash looks smashing on the plate. Use a starshaped cutter to shape cheese for your burgers, then serve them open-face.

5 Consult the Color Wheel: A plateful of all white, beige and brown food will do nothing to elevate your presentation. Thus, use a variety of colors to draw the eye and whet the appetite. Rice is a great side, but infinitely more appealing with the added color from minced red onion, slivered carrots and fresh peas. Everyone loves mashed potatoes, but they become more interesting tinted with hue from spinach, roasted red peppers or Cheddar cheese.

6 Use your imagination and hone your technique. With a little practice, you can create a masterpiece time after time.

Stamp Out Vessel Violations: Not only should food be beautiful, it should be presented on beautiful dishware or other vessels. Use your imagination to elicit "oohs " and "aahs" from diners with unusual vessels to carry your specialties. For example, a cast-iron skillet is the perfect carrier for a one-dish meal such as paella or jambalaya. A seafood salad entrĂŠe will look fetching in a shell-shaped bowl.

Religiously replace cracked, chipped and faded dishes and bent utensils. n

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From Dashers to Caviar, with a Touch of Maple

The Newest Meals on Wheels are Delivering with Speed and Style

By Mindy Kolof

Hot Food

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W

hat if you could be part of a $70 billion business that has the potential to improve your restaurant’s bottom line by 20 to 30 percent* while driving new customers to your menu — and do it all without capital investment?

An abundance of start-ups built on localized networks of sophisticated technology platforms and smartphone apps is determined to make good on the promise.

They’re cultivating and capturing the growing diningon-demand audience, delivering new sales to existing restaurants, and in the process, revolutionizing the entire practice of foodservice delivery. From quickservice chains, to independent lunch hubs and even fine dining establishments, delivery partners are driving new opportunities to maximize back-of-the-house efficiencies without impacting front-of-the-house operations. There may be a limit to how many guests you can serve in your restaurant, but connecting with an online delivery service can boost your total numbers considerably.

It’s almost expected in an “on-demand economy that makes it easier than ever for customers to get what they want at the push of a button,” according to Catherine Ferdon of Caviar, an online delivery service started in 2012.

For restaurateurs, partnering with an established delivery service eliminates the obstacles of hiring, insuring, training and managing a fleet of delivery personnel. The online marketing offered by most of the companies adds to the value proposition, helping operators tap into the growth opportunity and earn an introduction to a few new techsavvy customers along the way.

“Our restaurant is constantly busy. We don’t have the time to deal with the logistics nightmare that is delivery,”

says Evan Bloom, owner of Wise Sons Restaurant in San Francisco. “Since we started offering delivery through Caviar, we’ve seen a huge increase in sales. We’ve become better at our takeout operations as well, since we’re now used to the increased volume of orders.”

While quick-service food delivery has been around for decades, the combination of smartphones, outsourcing and Uber-ing has led to a perfect storm in today’s choices, making meals at home a lot more appetizing for both restaurants and consumers. Depending on location, market niche and willingness to scale BOH operations, there is a full menu of delivery partners. Restaurant Inc. checked in with a few.

At this time, most of the larger, more established delivery experts (GrubHub, Seamless, OrderUp, DoorDash, Postmates) are regionally based and in most cases specialize in a specific restaurant market, bringing the operator expertise and tools for managing online ordering.

Even smaller markets are seeing an uptick in independent start-ups, armed with a stable of trained drivers ready to go. Each service offers an app and website to market and capture hungry customers. The majority charge the customer a flat fee for delivery; some add a service fee, others take a flat rate commission from restaurants.

Even smaller markets are seeing an uptick in independent start-ups, armed with a stable of trained drivers ready to go. Each service offers an app and website to market and capture hungry customers.

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CAVIAR Since 2012, Caviar (trycaviar.com) has partnered directly with the high-profile fine dining restaurants to offer quick and reliable local delivery of some of the best foods in major market cities. In 2014, the company joined Square, using its considerable operational and engineering expertise, along with a customized mobile app, to grow even faster. The strategy has paid off beautifully, with Caviar racking up 10 times the order volume in the past year.

“We focus on the food; our restaurant partners are our highest priority, and we ensure that customers have a high-quality meal and delivery experience every time,” explains Ferdon. “We work closely with each partner through every step of the process, helping them select the best items to feature for delivery, taking into account prep times and temperatures, and that we’re not bringing in more orders than they can handle. We even run delivery tests on certain dishes before adding them to the menu to make sure they deliver well and delight the customer every time.”

In addition to its focus on the more upscale restaurant and high-touch partnering model, Caviar differentiates itself with technological features: pre-order options, shared carts, beautiful photography of specific menu items and GPS to allow customers to track their delivery progress. Caviar is currently in 15 markets, including Atlanta, Brooklyn, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Manhattan, and has nearly 1,000 restaurants on the platform.

DOORDASH DoorDash (doordash.com) touts its sophisticated algorithms that match a driver with a restaurant to ensure speedy delivery and exceptional customer service. The “Dashers” grab the steaming food, wrap it in a space blanket inside the company’s iconic red bags and hit the road. Within 40 minutes, and usually sooner, the meal arrives at the door — fast, fresh and hot. Already one of the most popularly downloaded apps, its most recent big win was the alliance announced in July with national behemoth, Taco Bell.

Delivery service was the chain’s number one request, said Prahar Shah, head of business development for DoorDash.

That’s destined to keep the company on pace for phenomenal growth. Now in 250 cities, DoorDash plans to double its footprint by end of year.

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That growth will also result from expanding partnerships with smaller, local restaurants, thousands of which already reside on the DoorDash platform. “We built our business with the independent neighborhood restaurants, and they are like family to us,” says Shah. “We provide all our partners with highly effective marketing by featuring them on our website; we don’t charge a fee for this, although some companies do. It’s a huge win for the local business owner.”

The DoorDash model continues to open all the right doors, with no sign-up fees for restaurants, or service fees to customers. Instead, a flat rate delivery fee is charged to the customer and DoorDash takes a commission from each order the company processes.

As a value-add, DoorDash also manages the customer service and refunds for restaurant owners.

MAPLE Taking the concept to the next level is Maple, a fascinating hybrid of upscale meal delivery. More of an app than a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, Maple is a delivery-only model, built on a high-quality menu concept that serves up a unique dining experience in the highly populated areas of Manhattan. Launched in April 2015, Maple is an upscale dining delivery option worth watching, creates a restaurant based solely on delivery excellence. Heavily backed by Wall Street investors, Maple combines the country’s top culinary talent with some of the brightest minds in technology and logistics to make food delivery exceptional at every point.

The company’s sole focus is strategizing and outsmarting delivery challenges through technology, and then building the best mobile menu and dining experience based on delivery times and presentation.

“We’ve worked really hard to create a new answer to simple and consistent food delivery,” says Maple CEO Caleb Merkl, who co-founded the company with Akshay Navl, COO. “We feel strongly that it shouldn’t be hard to get a wellbalanced meal made from high-quality ingredients at an accessible price. People are cooking less, but expectations around quality and experience are only pushing it higher. This is a perfect time for Maple.”

And it may be the perfect time to consider taking your menu mobile.

Source: DoorDash

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aving constant long lines of customers waiting to order is the dream of any quick-service restaurant.

It means you’re doing your job right. You offer quality food at good prices and customers can’t wait to get their hands on it. But wait they do. And sometimes they get frustrated if they wait too long. What can you do to alleviate that problem? Add a self-service kiosk.

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Kiosks, those standalone machines with interactive screens, have popped up everywhere from airports for check-in to the USPS to send packages. So why not restaurants? Whether you have a fast-casual spot or a quick-service store that offers freshly made food, adding kiosks can speed up the ordering process and cut down on ordering mishaps.

Survey Says: Kiosks Work In fact, 54 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Software Advice said they would use a selfservice point-of-sale system for various functions at a restaurant.

Customizing orders is a big reason customers want to use a POS system. Of the nearly 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed, 47 percent said they would use it to tweak an order to meet their specifications, while 26 percent said they like using a kiosk for the photos used to showcase food.

“From an operator standpoint if you have a kiosk doing a certain job, it allows your staff to do another job and take care of customers in other ways,” said Travis Bryant, regional manager at Jason’s Deli, which has 254 stores across 29 states. “One of the hidden advantages [of a kiosk] is the accuracy. The customer is putting in their own order. An order taker could forget to ask if you want a protein, an iced tea or soda. The kiosk will always ask. It’s an up-sell.”

Will adding self-ordering kiosks to restaurants replace workers? Probably not, but many restaurants have found it helps increase sales and customer satisfaction. Bryant does say the kiosk removes some customer interaction and that’s why Jason’s Deli limits the kiosk orders to drink, soup and salad bar preparation and keeps the sandwich ordering a live act.

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While kiosks are growing in popularity across hospitality, currently they're mostly used at restaurants. In fact, the two most preferred restaurant types that individuals use self-service systems are at casual (45 percent) or fast casual restaurants (35 percent). Casual restaurants have started to implement handheld POS systems allowing diners to use self-pay functionality, which includes the ability to split checks.

This adds security at a time when more and more people are concerned about their personal information being stolen. If given the option, 50 percent of people would use a self-pay system at casual restaurants, with about 29 percent wanting that option at fast casual. No matter the locale, nearly 90 percent of people would want the convenience of using a self-service POS at their table versus a standalone kiosk. So it looks like when people go out to dinner, they still want to be able to sit down and be serviced at their table. Some things may never change.

Survey source: http://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/ industryview/self-service-pos-report-2014/

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Sheetz, a Pennsylvania-based quick-service convenience chain with 500 locations across six states, added kiosks to all their locations in the mid-90s and saw an immediate impact.

Sheetz offers full made-to-order menus with everything from sandwiches, salads and burgers to burritos, pizza, smoothies and specialty coffees. Everything can be custom ordered through their interactive, picture-based kiosks.

“We wanted to make the ordering process easier for the customers because when you offer like 60 toppings and have high volume, you can’t put up a menu board with all those options,” said company president and CEO Joe Sheetz. “Everything is customized. It allowed us to make the ordering not be the bottleneck. All of our stores have a minimum of four kiosks.”

Chicago-based Native Foods Café, with 26 restaurants across six states offering plant-based menus, recently launched their first Native Foods Express. While they haven’t yet added kiosks, CEO Craig Grimes said they’re considering it, especially for the Millennial market. For now, however, the Express concept, with four categories — sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls — allows customers to bypass the in-store lunchtime lines by ordering ahead and picking up their order from a built-out cubby section.

This helps workers in the city’s business district get in, eat and back to work in less time. “Lunch is about quick service,” Grimes said. “This gives business people a great fresh lunch so they can get back to their desks.”

Using machines manufactured by NCR, Sheetz can customize the front end to better market new items, add in a Spanish interface and even track sales across the company. “You can track from a foodservice management perspective and it helps track margins,” Sheetz added. “From a cost accounting standpoint, you can deplete your inventory on your books and it allows you to put an actual cost on each sandwich. It helps with ordering and we do our own distribution so that helps with ordering on a per-store basis.”

The bottom line? Kiosks are all about convenience and efficiency. Sheetz said there are three key points to consider: Kiosks make it easier for customers, improve order accuracy and allow you to put more labor in the kitchen. Sheetz said they had concerns in the 90s whether people would take to the kiosks, but because they have such an easy, intuitive interface, most people caught on quickly. But there is always someone to walk you through the process if need be.

Other restaurants are slowly dipping their toe into the kiosk business by offering online and mobile app ordering.

“We train people to watch if someone looks confused at the kiosk,” Sheetz said. “There’s always someone to talk to.”

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Packaged Goods

by Min Casey

Although salary stands supreme as the most important part of the compensation package, other benefits factor in as employees decide where to hang their workday hats.

Health insurance and paid vacation are highly desired while some workers continue to look for — and get — more.

In the go-go era of the restaurant industry, when the economy hummed and big growth was practically a given, job perks were given freely.

A company-leased BMW for unit managers?

Check. Fully covered gym memberships?

Absolutely. Signing bonuses? But of course.

“You won’t see many cars anymore. Those days are definitely over,” insists Geordy Murphy, founder of Cypress Hospitality, a Jacksonville, Florida-based consulting and executive placement firm.

Indeed, extravagant gestures to lure and retain a first-rate workforce were a sign of the times: strategies cooked up to be competitive amid low unemployment and red-hot growth in the 90s. Today’s playing field has changed, however, and with more people looking for work and growth rates clipped to a more moderate pace, excessive packages have been stripped out for all but the highest C–level positions. For the rest, benefits packages are a grab bag of sorts, wildly disparate among companies, segments and job titles. And that’s if they even exist at all. Across the industry, many part-time, entry-level staffers don’t have wide access to company-supported benefits.

But change may be afoot. In June, Chipotle announced plans to significantly amp its benefits for its workers, adding paid sick time and vacation pay at all levels and making tuition reimbursement available. In doing so, it stirred conversation around the topic both at large chains and independent restaurants.

Picking up the tuition tab has Chipotle following in Starbucks’ footsteps; the Seattle-based coffee giant announced a similar program in 2014, aiming to be more competitive and to help provide career paths for its workers, rather than just a paycheck. Along with its tuition program, it also offers other benefits including stock options and free coffee.

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“Today, benefits packages are all over the map,” says Murphy.

“Companies like Starbucks and Chipotle are enhancing their offerings in order to attract people who will stay longer. How else will they convince someone to wait around to be named a unit manager when thousands of other workers at the company have the same dream? It helps them, but there are other ways that may be more suited to a company’s needs.”

Murphy, a longtime industry veteran who started working in chain restaurants before transitioning to executive search,

believes that today’s workers are more informed and keen on landing positions that will offer career nourishment and growth but not necessarily at the expense of benefits. “More so than six or seven years ago, today’s job candidates ask a lot of questions — not just about the job, but what comes with it. That’s especially true for someone who has worked in the industry for a while. They’re older, maybe starting to have health issues or there’s a pregnancy in the family,” he says.

“They come in knowing what to ask about.”

Think creatively. Benefits exist beyond health insurance,” suggests Ken Spahn, president of Restaurant Placement Group, a Boca Raton, Floridabased recruiting and placement firm. Salary is the main draw, but today’s workers are drawn to other job benefits as well. “Especially for someone who is weighing two or three job options, the perks can make the difference.

Independents Day Large chain restaurant groups are more likely than independents to have the structure and resources to cobble together enticing benefits packages. But Murphy believes that independent restaurants often attract employees due to other, less tangible offerings. “Some people are more concerned about what they’ll learn and where they’ll go next. This is especially true for workers on the culinary side,” he says.

When Robert Merrifield opened Polo Grill in 1983, he was keenly aware of the industry’s rampant turnover. He also knew that without incentives, most of his kitchen staff would be short-lived at best. “When I worked in Los Angeles, I had one foot in the door and the other out,” he says, “Here, I knew we had to do things differently. Somehow, I had to figure out a way to keep them in our market and a competitive salary along with benefits would be the start.”

Along the way, as the success of the fine-dining restaurant has grown, so have the benefits he extends to workers. “From the beginning, I noticed that during the holiday season, the workload for our culinary team far exceeded that of other times of the year. It did for the service staff, too, but they benefitted from the increased business through tips and that just wasn’t true for the back of the house.”

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He instituted a program in which front-of-the-house team members voluntarily contributed any amount they wanted for the culinary team; he then matched it. The total take was divided among the kitchen workers. “It was great for morale and we’ve done it ever since.”

Merrifield also offers health insurance and, in a creative alliance with area dentists, offers dental care for all workers.

“We trade full service at the restaurant for full service at their dental offices,” he explains.

In keeping with Polo Grill’s upscale look and feel, service staff members are required to wear suits in the dining room. A stipend helps with the purchase while a monthly allowance helps to ease the dry-cleaning tab.

“You have to keep people happy to keep them around and that requires conversation around what is right for them,” Merrifield says. “You give to your people, work experience and otherwise, and let them have freedom to do their thing.

That has worked well for us.”

Here are some of the perks offered by various restaurants across the industry: ´´ Paid sick days ´´ Paid vacation time ´´ Paid time off to participate in volunteer activity ´´ Tuition reimbursement as well as reimbursement for certain collegelevel tests such as GRE & GMAT. ´´ Relocation packages ´´ Paid attendance to food and wine conferences and events ´´ On-site child care ´´ Free flu shots ´´ Reimbursement for gym or health club memberships ´´ Allowance for uniforms and/or dry cleaning ´´ Stock options ´´ Free meals while at work ´´ Free meal on birthday for employee and immediate family ´´ The best job perk, however, may be continued employment

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Soft Focus Not all benefits are tangible. Cypress’s Murphy firmly believes that some people are drawn to what he describes as the more creative, artistic environment of independent operations. “A certain type of person wants to be in an environment that’s constantly changing, where they think they’ll be on the cutting edge. For them, it’s a soft benefit, in some ways as important as more formal packages,” he explains.

Hala Habal, vice president of communications for the 350unit, Dallas-based sandwich chain Which Wich, might be described as hard evidence that larger organizations can also offer a goldmine of intangibles. “I am a direct beneficiary of soft benefits,” she says.

When she was approached by company founder Jeff Sinelli to join the company five years ago, she initially demurred. “I said to Jeff, ‘I love you and I love the brand but I had had five-year old twins and don’t want to drop them at the bus in the morning and then not see them until I come home at the end of a long day.’”

She told him that the ideal opportunity for her had to have built-in flexibility that allowed her to balance home and work lives; he had a simple answer. “You don’t need to be a butt in a seat to get the job done,” she recalls him as saying. “I almost passed out. He is very forward thinking,” Habal notes.

“Very rigid and strict policies make it pretty likely you’ll lose a lot of great people,” Habal says. She says that with a phone and an Internet connection, “I could do my job from the moon.”

What do Sinelli and the organization get from offering such flexibility? “I will tell anyone who will listen that it has bought my loyalty and passion forever. There’s nothing I would not do for Jeff,” she says. “Things sometimes get rocky — they do in any situation — but the bigger picture

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is always there: that this is someone who is invested in me. He’s not an overlord. Need me to do something on a weekend or take a call on vacation? That is the least I can do for him.”

Which Wich is a fairly young brand, founded 13 years ago. Habal says that at the start, benefits were slim but they have been layered on over time. “Of course we have health insurance and a 401K plan. But Jeff prides himself on being forward thinking and it is that aspect that makes it such a satisfying place to work. Every day, I get to see my handprint on the organization. That beats being a cog on a wheel,” Habal notes, adding that she believes such environments are increasingly important to Millennials. “It’s not just a few who have bubbled up to the top who have their voices heard. We all have a part in the company and that matters.”

The company has what it calls the Cinco Club, populated by corporate-office employees who have worked there for five years. At that milestone, they get a few more perks such as additional vacation time and valet parking. They also have a party thrown for them at the venue of their choice. “Some have picked pick a nice club and others have gone to Medieval Times,” Habal says.

“The point is, you get your party, whatever you want it to be.” At the 10-year mark, Sinelli encourages them to take off four consecutive weeks and do something to “feed their soul.”

As a franchise organization, Habal says that conveying the same values to franchise partners is essential. “We try to impart to the nth degree that the folks who work for them are so important to success. If they’re treated well, they’ll treat guests well and we all know how that positively impacts the bottom line. For an employer, it really all boils down to being a decent human being. And really, why would you do it any other way?” n

For more information o n our Reinhart Direc t Ship Program go to page 100.

888.543.7374 • rfsdelivers.com • tracsdirect.com gourmetfoodservicegrouprfs.com

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TRANSPAR To Be or Not to Be? Show and Tell or Go with the Status Quo? More than ever before, Americans want to make informed choices about issues related to health and wellness for themselves and their families. The obesity epidemic, concern about hormones and other food additives, and other health concerns related to diet have garnered top-of-mind awareness with consumers. This enlightened attitude poses a fundamental question for restaurant operators: How transparent should you be in terms of sourcing ingredients, nutritional composition of menu items and overall operational practices?

Some people take umbrage with the government dictating mandates on how a business operates. Others maintain that the Food & Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal organizations have contributed greatly to societal safety and environmental sustainability. It’s up to each independent operator and decision makers at multi-unit corporations to decide what is beneficial and appropriate for their particular circumstances. They will soon learn whether their customer base agrees with their decision.

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Alice’s Restaurant

It’s difficult to quantify the impact that the farm-to-table movement has had on the restaurant industry since its genesis. What began with the incomparable Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and other like-minded chefs in the 1980s spread like wildfire across the country, and shows no signs of diminishing all these years later. The public, for the most part, wants to know from where their food came. Mention of the word “local” is synonymous with quality and freshness. The term “locally sourced” represents supporting one’s own community. Though the term is not federally defined, it beneficially enhances a restaurant’s image. Thus, it’s likely quite a smart move to list local sources on your menu if you use them. People really do consider the source.

ENCY… Inquiring Minds Want to Know How many times have you walked down the aisles of your local supermarket, and seen shoppers reading the Nutrition Facts label on packages? People want to know what they are eating, and what they are serving to their families.

Nutritional labels were mandated on most packaged foods in the 1990s with the enactment of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. Food allergies, celiac disease and other health concerns have prompted food manufacturers to include more details on packaging than ever before. It could easily be a matter of life or death for someone with a severe nut allergy to miss the package disclaimer “Made in a facility that processes peanuts.”

More and more, responsible foodservice operators are paying close attention to potential health hazards, and use their menus to deliver important ingredient information to their patrons. A practice as seemingly benign as using peanut oil for food prep could have dire results, and could possibly result in costly litigation. We are seeing more and more menu options that are listed as “gluten-free,” “heart-friendly,” “vegetarian” and “vegan.”

Visit www.servsafe.com for The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s food allergen training course.

FDA Menu Labeling Rules Independent restaurants and chains with under 20 units are exempt from the Food and Drug Administration’s Menu Labeling Rules, which larger chains are MANDATED to comply with

by December 1, 2016. This begs the question: Should independents and small chains voluntarily comply with the new rules, even though they are not required to do so?

Hypothetically, here are some reasons to do so: • Restaurant patrons who frequent the larger chains will soon become accustomed to reading the menu nutrition facts, and expect to see this information wherever they dine.

• Restaurants can enhance their image by demonstrating to customers that they care about their health and well-being.

• Including nutritional information on the menu or as a menu insert will streamline the ordering process for waitstaff. n

The National Restaurant Association has information on menu labeling at http://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Food-Nutrition/Nutrition/The-rise-of-nutrition-analysis

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PRODUCT PLACEMENT WHEN IT'S TIME TO PACKAGE YOUR GOODS

by Ari Bendersky

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Think your sauce is the boss? If you find your customers constantly asking for more sauce to drizzle on their food or want to know if your spice mix is available to use at home, perhaps other shoppers may want to do the same. Maybe it's time to take your product from

But not everyone has the backing of a big company like Campbell's Soup to get their products out to the masses.

was the former culinary department manager at Sara Lee. He left to start his own company, Chef2Shelf, and wanted to help Kim bottle his sauces.

dipping sauce. How many sauces do you have in your refrigerator that you wish you could get rid of and have just one of two bottles?"

The Belly Sauce line was available in the Chicago market at Whole Foods,

bill kim

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the kitchen to the store shelves. But how do you make the leap?

Many restaurant owners have successfully packaged a product that you can now find in stores.

Hit places like Whole Foods and you'll see chef Rick Bayless' Frontera Foods or go to Safeway and Wolfgang Puck smiles back at you from his soup cans.

Bill Kim, the chef/owner of Chicago's BellyQ, Urbanbelly and Belly Shack restaurants, had made soy balsamic sauce for nearly 20 years. It wasn't until 2009, when one of his customers asked if he ever considered bottling it, that Kim realized he had something people wanted.

It turns out that customer

Kim now has four sauces for various uses.

"We really wanted it to be consumer-friendly and not just restaurant quality, with people actually using it," Kim said. "The whole idea for our food is we want to be diverse.

You can use it to make a dressing, a marinade and a

Mariano's and various smaller stores, as well as in London. Kim rebranded the line last summer and added recipes to the labels to make the sauces even more user-friendly before relaunching.

Being user-friendly is important when it comes to packaging your goods.

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Lena Kwak knows this.

When she was research development chef at the French Laundry, Kwak noticed more diners requesting gluten-free options. She and her boss, Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, worked to create gluten-free flour the restaurant could use. Then a light bulb went off.

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"When I started seeing gluten-free people crying over eating bread, I then realized," she said. What came next was Cup4Cup, a line of gluten-free, nonGMO flour blends and baking mixes, including a pizza crust mix, brownie mix and pancake mix. "I could have developed the bread or the brownies, but I wanted to give people that ingredient, that they could use to then re-create their memories."

Cup4Cup is now sold in about 3,000 retail locations around the country at stores like Wegman's and Albertson's, and about 35 percent of their business is direct with restaurants and industrial accounts.

At Chicago's Bread & Wine, owners Lisa Foster Kelly and Jennifer Wisniewski always planned to launch a line of packaged goods and wine even before opening their neighborhood restaurant. While they've

bottled red, white and rosĂŠ wines since 2013, working with a producer in California's Central Coast, they're just now working on artisan products like whole grain granola, house-pickled giardiniera and ginger blueberry jam.

The restaurant has a small marketplace, but their plan is to also branch out into larger grocery stores.

"We can't just sell out of our market and website to make it worth the while," Foster Kelly said. "We've been open almost four years now so we feel we can focus on something other than just running the restaurant. We want to diversify a little so we're not completely reliant on the restaurant since income varies so much from season to season."

Making money is always good, but having a purpose behind a product line is also important, according to Kwak.

"When you approach a project like this, it has to be mission-driven; everything else will come," she said.

"There has to be purpose as to why you want to release a tomato sauce.

When you build on it, the foundation is stronger when you have a mission." n

Eggs in Purgatory Made with Pace® Picante Sauce

What will you make of it?

SM

Make your place the place to be. With Pace® Picante Sauce, it’s easy to create countless crave-worthy dishes that keep patrons coming back – from a savory breakfast skillet to a fresh twist on fish and chips. Find menu ideas and inspiration at CampbellsFoodservice.com PREPARE TO BE AMAZING™

©2015 CSC Brands LP

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Lobster 101 Wrap your claws around new methods to prepare lobster p. 56

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Transforming Bean Town’s Traditional Delicacies Rather than dig into traditional Boston grub for this issue’s Food Fight, we challenged our chefs to step up their game and take Bean Town’s historical flavors up a notch.

In fact, we double-dared them to reimagine New England dishes to reflect their own unique culinary style or their regional flair.

From gourmet to Southern to comfort to modern, our Reinhart team members took lobster, chowder and baked beans beyond our wildest culinary dreams.

As you'll see in the following pages, we produced a litany of items to please

palates across the country. How can you take lobster and make it friendly for the youngsters in mind? Baked beans may be a staple in the Northeast, but how can you add it to your Southern style menu? How do you deconstruct chunky chowder or reinvent the traditional New England boiled dinner into a south of the border taco? It may sound puzzling and a bit off the wall, but take a glance through the next few pages and we’re confident you’ll get some zany yet delicious recipe ideas from our enthusiastic team of chefs.

Photography by Dan Coha Photography Food Styling by Carol Smoler

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SAM ADAMS DIDN’T BREW BEER Despite popular belief, the Founding Father never brewed beer. He did, however, work for his father’s malt house. The business simply made malt that was then sold to breweries. *MentalFloss.com

Reimagined New England Boiled Dinner AKA Yankee Tacos Chef Jeff Merry | Reinhart® Boston Division Food Cost: $4.66 Suggested Menu Price: $12.95 Profit: $8.99

INGREDIENTS APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

PREPARATION [servings: 1]

1/3 C

Apple cider vinegar

1-½ tsp

Dijon mustard

1-½ tsp

Sugar

Slowly incorporate oil, continue whisking until

􀀀¼ tsp

Cracked black pepper

sauce thickens. Add in coleslaw mix and diced

􀀀¼ tsp Sea salt 􀀀2/3 C

Olive oil

MUSTARD SAUCE

Apple Cider Vinaigrette: With a wire whisk, mix apple cider, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.

cooked potatoes, mix well and set aside.

Mustard Sauce: Whisk together all ingredients and refrigerate.

􀀀2/3 C Sour cream 􀀀¼ C Dijon mustard 􀀀2 Tbsp Horseradish 􀀀2 Tbsp

Olive oil

Tacos: Place 1 oz. of “slaw” into each taco shell. Top with 2 oz. of shredded cooked pork shoulder.

Drizzle taco with mustard cream sauce.

TACO 6 oz

Cooked pork shoulder (heated)

3 each

Soft tacos

3 oz

Shredded coleslaw mix

1 oz

Cooked diced potatoes

46 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Southwestern Lobster & Roasted Corn Casserole Scan here o r go to

RFSDELIVER

S.COM

to see more on th Boston area e !

INGREDIENTS 2C

lobster meat

3

fresh corn cobs

3 Tbsp

sweet butter

½ tsp

dry mustard

3 Tbsp

flour

¼ C

shredded pepper jack cheese

1 C

light cream

½C

cooked black beans

2 Tbs

chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

½C

corn bread crumbles

PREPARATION [servings: 4] Preheat grill to medium–high heat. Pull husks back, remove silk and pull husk back up. Grill corn until charred on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Remove kernels from cob and set aside.

TIMELESS TRADITIONS A New England boiled dinner consists of corned beef or smoked pork shoulder with cabbage and other veggies, including potato, carrot and onion.

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

While corn is grilling, melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in flour, dry mustard and stir until smooth. Add light cream and cook until thickened. Fold in roasted corn, black beans and diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Add shredded pepper jack cheese. Once cheese has melted, add lobster meat.

Take lobster mixture and place in a buttered casserole dish. Top with crumbled corn bread and bake at 350˚F until hot.

Serving Cost: $ 5.20 Suggested Menu Price: $18.95 Profit: $13.75 FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 4 7

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Lobster Roll with Parmesan Peppercorn Aioli

INGREDIENTS

1/4 oz

Celery Pascal Jumbo, diced

Chef Paul Young

1/8 oz

Chives Fresh

1 Each

Hoagie Roll, 8" sliced

Reinhart® Milwaukee Division

1/4 oz

Butter, melted

1/2 tsp

Juice Lemon

1/8 oz

Arugula

1/2 tsp

Coarse Black Pepper

1 tsp

Dijon Mustard Grained w/ Wine

1/2 tsp

Garlic, minced

Garnish with a pinch of paprika. Serve

1/8 tsp

Hungarian Style Ground Paprika

with waffle chips or fries.

1 tsp

Parmesan Cheese, Shredded

Food Cost: $4.16 Suggested Menu Price: $12.95 Profit: $8.79

48 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

2-½ oz

Lobster Meat, Claw/Knuckle

1 Tbsp

Extra Heavy Mayonnaise

½ Tbsp Kosher Salt, Coarse

PREPARATION [servings: 1] In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, mustard, peppercorn and parmesan cheese.

Mix the parmesan, peppercorn aioli with the lobster meat, salt, diced celery, lemon juice, and chives.

Brush the hoagie bun with melted butter and toast. Fill the hoagie with the lobster mixture and arugula.

Seared Scallop with Carrot Ginger Sauce INGREDIENTS 4 oz

1 tsp 2 Tbsp 1/8 oz

Sea Scallop Dry, 10-20 Raw Whole Shucked, Wild Caught Salt Oil Olive Petite Microgreens, Pea Green

CARROT GINGER SAUCE 8 oz Carrot, peeled and diced 1 Tbs Gourmet Chicken Base Paste 2 tsp Ground Ginger 6 oz Butter Unsalted, refrigerated & diced 2 tsp Salt

PREPARATION [servings: 1]

DID YOU KNOW? Every year almost $300 million worth of lobster is harvested in the U.S.

Place the scallops on clean paper towels to ensure they are as dry as possible. This will help create a great sear on the scallop. In a hot sautĂŠ pan, add the oil. Season the scallops liberally with kosher salt.

Place into the hot pan and sear for approximately 2 minutes per side or until they are golden brown.

Scallops should be medium-rare to medium. Plate over the carrot and ginger sauce. Garnish with the micro-greens.

Food Cost: $4.67 Suggested Menu Price: $13.95 Profit: $9.28

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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Deep Fried Whoopie Pie w/ Southern Pecan Praline Sauce Chef Demetrio Marquez Reinhart®

New Orleans Division

Food Cost: $3.26 Suggested Menu Price: $7.99 Profit: $4.73

INGREDIENTS FRY BATTER: 2

Eggs

2C

Milk

1 Tbsp Canola oil

PREPARATION [servings: 12] Mix eggs, milk, canola oil, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set to the side. Dip whoopee pies in the batter. In

1 tsp

Baking powder

1

Pinch of salt

deep frying oil, add whoopie pie in fryer

4 C.

Oil (for deep frying)

for two minutes or until golden. Remove

a preheated fryer at 350 degrees with

PRALINE SAUCE:

and place on paper towel until all pies

1C

Firmly packed brown sugar

are fried.

½C

Half-­and-­half

Next, combine brown sugar, Half-­and-­‐

½C

Butter or margarine

half and butter/margarine in a small

½ C

Chopped pecans

saucepan over medium heat. Bring to

½ tsp

Vanilla extract

a boil; cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Cool slightly. Serve warm over fried whoopie pie. Garnish with whipped cream and mint.

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Boudreaux’s Pig & Beans INGREDIENTS 3 slices 3 slices 2 links 1 2 tsp 1 ½ C ¼ C ¼ C 2 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 2 ½ Tbsp 1 Tbsp ¼ tsp 􀀀1 oz 􀀀3 ½ C

Slab bacon, chopped Salted pork, chopped Andouille sausage, coin sliced Onion, chopped small Creole seasoning Ketchup Molasses Brown sugar Apple cider vinegar Mustard Worcestershire sauce Ham base Fine black pepper Louisiana tabasco sauce Red beans - soaked

4 ½ C

Water

PREPARATION [servings: 1] WHOOPIE PIE DID YOU KNOW? The Whoopie Pie originated with the Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but is also a well-known comfort food in Maine, New Hampshire and Boston.

Sauté bacon, pork and sausage in a cast iron Dutch oven to render the fat. Remove and set meat aside. Add the remaining ingredients (except beans) to Dutch oven and cook for 2 minutes. Add beans and 4½ C water and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 80 minutes. Stir occasionally and add water, if needed. Pre­heat oven to 375˚F. Place the mixture in the oven without a lid for 45 minutes or until beans thicken. Add sausage back in. Place rice on plate and serve beans and sausage on top. Garnish with greens, serve with bread.

*foodreference.com

Food Cost: $4.37 Suggested Menu Price: $11.99 Profit: $7.62

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

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CLAM DID YOU KNOW? In 1939, Maine passed legislation to make it illegal to put tomatoes in clam chowder.

Deconstructed Clam Chowder Chef Lee Sepaniac Culinary Speciatlist, Gourmet Food Group Food Cost: $7.74 Suggested Menu Price: $17.99 Profit: $10.25

HERB VELOUTÉ

½ lb

Grated parmesan cheese

32 oz

Chicken stock

4 Tbsp

Fresh thyme and parsley

4 oz

Clam juice

4 Tbsp

Celery leaves

4 oz

Roux

½ lb

Breadcrumbs

4 oz

Heavy cream

Peel and split the celery root into quarters. Peel potatoes and reserve whole in water. Then slice on mandolin directly into the already-made bechamel after 45 minutes of simmering. Finish with the Parmesan cheese, celery leaves and fresh herbs. Portion into buttered gratins for individual service and finish with breadcrumbs.

4 Tbsp Fresh fines herbs Bring stock and reserved clam steaming liquid to a simmer and whisk in the cold roux. Simmer for 45 minutes, skimming it repeatedly. Finish with heavy cream and fresh herbs, reserve for service.

BRAISED PORK BELLY 1 each Pork belly, 9 lbs 8 oz.

Chicken stock

INGREDIENTS [servings: 1]

S/P

BEER STEAMED LITTLENECK CLAMS

Score each belly, season to your liking and sear. Then place bellies in roasting pan, loosely covered with foil and braise for 3-4 hours at 375 degrees. Cool and portion to 4 oz. To pick up for service, bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes, then

1 oz

Shallots

.5 oz

Garlic

4 oz

Beer

1 lb

Clams, in shell

Sweat shallots and garlic in oil then add the cleaned, whole clams and beer, cover and steam until opened, 6-7 minutes. Plate clams in the shell and finish with the herb velouté.

52 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

˚

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes for service.

BUTTER BRAISED FINGERLING POTATOES 5 lb

Unsalted butter

10 lb

Fingerling potatoes

S/P

crisp in the salamander. Slice for plate up.

CELERY HEART GRATIN 5 lb

Celery root

5 lb

Russet potatoes

2 qt

Bechamel

Place in a hotel pan with butter and cook uncovered for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from butter and reserve cool for service. This butter can then be used for mashed potatoes or clarified for sautée.

SCALLION SOUR CREAM 8 oz

Sour cream

1 oz

Scallion, sliced

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes is approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by division.

Braised Kobe Beef Brisket

tender, puree with cream while cooling. Rice the cooked potatoes once they steam off and combine with butter and parsnip cream puree, finish with fresh herbs and S/P.

INGREDIENTS [servings: 6]

BRAISED RED CABBAGE W/WALNUTS & CRANBERRIES 4 oz.

Bacon 2 oz.

Sliced Shallot 1 oz.

Garlic 1 each Red Cabbage 8 oz.

Red Wine 1 oz.

Red Wine Vinegar 1/2 C. Brown Sugar 1 each Bay Leaf 1 each Juniper Berries 1 each Clove 2 oz.

Dried Cranberries 2 oz.

Toasted Chopped Walnuts

12 lb Kobe Beef Brisket S/P Water Season and sear the whole brisket on all sides until browned. Transfer brisket to a roasting pan and fill with water half way up the height of the brisket. Loosely cover in foil and braise for 8 hours at 375 degrees. After cooling, portion the brisket and reserve cold for service. Reheat to order and slice for plating and finish with whole grain demi glace.

WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD DEMI-GLACE 0.5 oz Reduced Braising Liquid 1 oz Whole Grain Mustard 0.5 oz Demi Glace PARSNIP POTATO PUREE W/PARSLEY & THYME 10 lb Idaho Potatoes 4 lb Peeled Parsnips 4 oz Heavy Cream 1 lb Butter 4 Tbsp Parsley & Thyme Peel potatoes and cut into cold water. Cook until tender, drain and allow to steam off. Peel parsnips and blanch in salted water, cook until

Cut bacon into lardon and render, then add the shallots and garlic, and sweat until translucent. Deglaze with red wine and vinegar, then add the sugar and a sachet containing the spices. Braise cabbage at 350 degrees loosely covered with foil or parchment and finish with the chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to order.

Food Cost: $8.60 Suggested Menu Price: $15.99 Profit: $7.39

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CRAVADO SALAD

Keep your seafood fresh with Good Roots.

54 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

[advertorial]

INGREDIENTS Crabmeat Salad

Good Roots Produce is proud to offer the “Always Fresh” and “Always in Season” Avocados From Mexico!

With 24/7/365 availability, these avocados make a great addition to your seafood entrées, all year long.

Trust AFM’s experienced growers and Reinhart’s state-of-the-art packing, grading and transportation systems to deliver these fresh fruits right to your doorstep.

Give your customers the flavor they crave with Avocados From Mexico and Good Roots Produce!

Avocados From Mexico–always fresh, always delicious and ALWAYS in season!

Crabmeat, lump

6 lbs.

Red bell pepper, diced

1 cup

Cilantro, chopped

1 cup

Green onions, sliced diagonally

1 cup

Toasted sesame oil

1 cup

Avocado Dressing (see below)

3 cups

Avocado Dressing Avocados From Mexico, pureed

4 each

Hot Chinese mustard

2 tbsp.

Rice vinegar

¼ cup

Garlic cloves, peeled

2 each

Ginger, grated

1 tbsp.

Fresh lime juice

2 tbsp.

Salt

1½ tsp.

DIRECTIONS Avocado Dressing

Cut avocado in half, remove pit and remove pulp using a spoon. Combine avocado pulp with remainder of ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed to make a dressing. Set aside.

Crabmeat Salad

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except Avocado Dressing. Toss gently to mix ingredients.

Add Avocado Dressing and gently fold into crabmeat salad. Chill in refrigerator.

Assembly

Remove the pit from the Avocados From Mexico.

Ladle 3oz. of crabmeat salad to fill avocado. Serve.

To learn more visit Foodservice.AvocadosFromMexico.com

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new und s aro lobster w a l c re your repa Wrap ods to p y dersk meth i Ben r

By A

ou know your way around Gulf shrimp. Can do a lovely sear on tuna. Know how to grill salmon to perfection. But when it comes to lobster, it can sometimes be a head scratcher.

What was once referred to as “poor man’s chicken” has proven itself quite the delicacy. Whether you serve it in your high-end restaurant or roadside lobster shack, there are many ways to prepare lobster.

“Don’t dry out the lobster or overcook it,” said Nate “Nick” Nickerson, the owner of Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar in Eastham, Mass. “Whether you steam, boil, broil or whatever, it’ll take trial and error to get to where the lobster meat is just cooked enough.” The 150-seat Arnold’s, which first opened in 1977, serves upwards of 1,500 pounds of lobster a week during their high season from mid-May through October.

While Arnold’s draws crowds for everything from fried clams to all-natural gourmet ice cream, it’s really known for its steamed whole lobsters served with warm drawn butter, and cold lobster rolls. The trick to a really great lobster roll? “Don’t use tail meat,” Nickerson said. “And the lobster meat has to be cooked perfectly so it’s tender.” He added you want to use hot dog rolls, not brioche, and grill the rolls on a flat grill to brown the bread on both sides. Add the best mayo you can, as well as a squirt of lemon and that’s it.

Beyond lobster rolls and steamed lobster, you can do a host of things to lobster 56 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Lobster Roll

Lobster Taco

Lobster Beignet

meat. The Lobster Pot in Provincetown, Mass., which has been owned by the McNulty family since 1979, will do upwards of 1,400 meals a day during the summer high season. For that reason, they diversify their menu and serve the freshest lobster possible.

“You can boil it, roast it, grill it, cook it and pick the meat out and do a thousand things with it,” said chef Tim McNulty. “Our most popular dishes are the boiled lobster, lobster salad rolls, lobster avocado and mango cocktail. I put a twist on arancini, do a lobster taco, lobster ravioli ... think about what you like and give it a little twist with lobster.”

Executive Chef Stephanie Cmar of Fairsted Kitchen in Brookline, Mass., did just that. She took the idea of a beignet, a favorite New Orleans fried pastry fritter, added lobster inside and served it with smoked corn and scallions. It’s not dissimilar to the arancini idea at the Lobster Pot, but it just shows you how diverse and creative you can get with this spiny crustacean.

And when you want to wash it down?

McNulty suggests popping open some sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or even a nice Gavi or a rosé. So no matter how you crack it, you can serve lobster in many ways. The one thing you don’t want to do? “Don’t cook a dead lobster,” McNulty said. “If they’re not fresh and right out of the water, the taste will suffer.” And so will your sales.

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Breaking Down the Variations of

CLAM

CHOWDER New England vs. Manh attan: Who Does It Best?

By Audarshia Townse nd

hen it comes to serving clam chowder, the majority of restaurants fall into two categories: New England style and Manhattan style. Both contain potatoes, onion and clam, of course, but the main component setting them apart is that the New England variety contains cream or milk for a thicker consistency while Manhattan’s offers a red broth and tomatoes.

Interestingly enough, there are many riffs throughout the country, based on regions and local ingredients, but these are the two you’ll find on most menus. We’ve rounded up some of the top restaurants serving chowder coast to coast, including the oldest eatery in continuous service in America.

GIGI’S SOTTO MARE OYSTERIA & SEAFOOD: Expect to wait up to an hour to be seated during peak hours at this familyowned restaurant based in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Gigi’s showcases Italian-focused seafood, and fish is flown in daily. The New England-inspired clam chowder is thick and rich with generous pieces of bacon in it.

552 GREEN ST., SAN FRANCISCO, 415-398-3181

GT FISH & OYSTER: Consistently named one of the country’s top seafood restaurants since opening in 2011, the Chicagobased GT has won several competitions for its New Englandstyle chowder. The secret weapon is the artisan bacon from Wisconsin-based specialty meat supplier, Nueske's, which is generously crumbled in the chowder. It’s accompanied by a house-made oyster cracker.

531 N. WELLS ST., CHICAGO, 312-929-3501

GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR: A major Manhattan tourist attraction since opening in 1913, the Grand Central Oyster Bar debuted the same year as the Grand Central Terminal. Its storied history has seen ups and downs throughout the more than 100-year reign, but one thing has been consistent: sales of the clam chowder. New Yorkers know to sidle into one of the counters and slurp a steaming hot bowl that’s overflowing with fresh clams and potatoes. New England- and Manhattan-style chowder are both on the menu.

THE OLD CLAM HOUSE: Yet another old schooler, The Old Clam House is San Francisco’s oldest restaurant. It opened in 1861, and one of its top sellers since day one is the chowder.

What makes it extra special is that it’s served in a sourdough bread bowl — that’s made daily, of course — making it the ideal comfort food when it’s chilly. There’s a nice ratio of clams to potatoes in the soup, but if you’re craving more, you’re also treated to a shot of clam juice as an aperitif. That’s an added bonus for all diners.

299 BAYSHORE BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, 415-826-4880 UNION OYSTER HOUSE: When this iconic Boston restaurant opened in 1826, a bowl of New England-style chowder would only set diners back a nickel. It’s now $8.50, and the recipe is exactly the same. Union Oyster House is also the oldest restaurant in continuous service in America, but you’ll see fans of all ages slurping this authentic chowder. Word is that the kitchen goes through more than 50 gallons on weekdays and up to 90 gallons on weekends. And that’s all year long — not just during winter.

41 UNION ST., BOSTON, 617-227-2750 n

GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL, 89 E. 42ND ST, NEW YORK, 212-490-6650 FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 5 7

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di

tions

by Mary Daggett

Early colonists were amazed at the plentiful oyster beds along the Atlantic shore, yielding year-round access to these nutrient-rich delicacies. Many different varieties of the same Atlantic species developed unique flavor profiles from their environment (See related oyster article in this issue). Most oyster lovers prefer to eat them raw, on the half-shell.

Folks will drive for miles to dine on their favorite clam chowder. Many restaurants in New England are renowned for their chowder reputation alone. Thought to have originated with Breton fishermen in Newfoundland, the dish migrated south to New England. The basic recipe contains clams, potatoes, onions, broth, cream, butter and seasonings.

Sometimes salt pork or bacon is added. It is a mortal sin to add tomatoes to chowder in New England, but Manhattan clam chowder is made with tomatoes.

Lobster is considered the chateaubriand of seafood. For lobster lovers who want a quick and meaty treat without the shell cracking and picking, there’s the Lobster Roll. There are several methods of preparation, both hot and cold.

Delectable chunks of cooked lobster are mixed with melted butter and/or a little mayonnaise. This mixture is heaped into a slit cut into the top of buttery toasted Frankfurt rolls.

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When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, there wasn’t a diner in sight. These immigrants arrived too late in the season to establish crops, and likely would’ve perished if not for the Native Americans. We all know the story of the bountiful harvest the next year and the communal thanksgiving meal they shared. In fact, some of the same foods the Native Americans shared became the mainstays of the New World diet; turkey and other fowl, game, pumpkins and squash, corn, clams, oysters, lobsters, crabs — all the makings of a modern New England feast.

All regional American cuisine came from a distinctive coupling of the indigenous foods available in the neighborhood, imported animals, plants and seeds, and recipes and customs brought from the Old Worlds of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Fast forward to the current culinary climate, and many New England favorites are descended from that first Thanksgiving. Other foods, such as beef, potatoes and vegetables, were introduced by subsequent generations. Today, New Englanders enjoy a varied and bountiful array of fine foods from land and sea.

Thrifty New Englanders utilized cooking methods that ensured lesser cuts of beef would be tender and flavorful.

Yankee Pot Roast begins with a chuck or other roast, which is seared in a heavy pot atop the stove, seasoned and simmered or roasted with onion, garlic and stock for several hours at lower temperatures. Carrots and potatoes are added to round out the meal. Chefs cater to tradition with this classic, sometimes jazzing it up with tomato paste, herbs and spices, parsnips, turnips and rutabagas.

American as Apple Pie? Although apple pie is considered an American icon, edible apples were not indigenous to the U.S. It took many years for colonists to obtain and plant seeds, then wait for their orchards to flourish. Apple pies were enjoyed in England as early as the 14th century.

Early American pies were sweetened with maple syrup or honey before sugar became readily available.

Also known as corned beef and cabbage, no self-respecting restaurant would be caught without this menu item on St. Patrick’s Day. Did you know that there is actually no corn in corned beef? The word “corn” in old English referred to grains or kernels. Since rock salt was used to cure corned beef, and resembled kernels of grain, “corn” was applied.

Traditionally prepared and eaten on the beach, this meal is an occasion in itself. A pit is dug, lined with flat stones.

A wood fire is built atop the stones. When the stones are glowing hot, the ashes are brushed in between the stones.

A layer of wet seaweed comes next, then lobsters, steamers, mussels, quahogs, potatoes, corn on the cob, carrots, onions and sometimes sausages. Alternating layers of seaweed and food are mounded up, and the entire pit is covered with canvas that’s been drenched in seawater. The food is left to steam for several hours. Some restaurants and caterers specialize in clam bakes. n

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Winning the

Shell Game

Bring Back the East Coast Oyster

by Mary Dagget

ysters have long been considered a culinary delicacy, and consumed for millennia the world over. But it’s New England and the Chesapeake Bay that grow some of the very best oysters in the world.

The first prehistoric person to pry open an oyster shell and consume the contents was either responding to a triple-dog-dare or extremely hungry. Imagine their surprise at the briny, silken delicacy they found inside what appeared to be a flat grey rock.

Chances are, he or she ate several more, shared with the clan, after which good old word-of-mouth advertising took over.

Some cultures consider oysters to be aphrodisiacs — possibly stemming from the burst of vitality derived from the vitamins and minerals they contain. These bivalve mollusks have an enviable nutritional profile — they are high in levels of zinc, vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids, and low in cholesterol and sodium. Oysters once grew in profusion along the eastern seaboard, from Canada to South America. However, disease, habitat loss, declining 6600 RRFFSSD DEELLIIV VEER RS S..C CO OM M IIS SS SU UEE 34,, 22001155

water quality and over-harvesting caused a steady decline in wild fishery harvest rates in the past half-century. Aquaculture efforts by groups such as the Oyster Recovery Partnership have been undertaken through cultivation to bring them back in force. Oysters are true friends of their environment, improving the quality of the water surrounding them by consuming phytoplankton. In fact, one oyster filters 30 to 50 gallons of water a day.

There are just four species of oysters in the United States: Crassostrea Virginica (Atlantic Coast oyster); Crassostrea Gigas (Japanese oyster grown along the Pacific coast of America); Ostrea Lurida (Olympia oyster indigenous to the Pacific Northwest); and Ostrea Edulis (flat European native, farmed on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts).

East Coast oysters belong to the Crassostrea Virginica species. Oysters pick up the flavor of their surroundings, and are usually named after the place in which they are harvested. Some of the more popular East Coast varieties include:

Malpeques - PEI Cultivated in the clean, deep water of Malpeque Bay off Prince Edward Island in Canada. Their shape is teardrop, they grow to three inches, and their flavor profile is light and tender, with high brininess and a subtle sweetness.

Wellfleets - Wellfleet Harbor, Cape Cod The fresh tidal waters of Wellfleet Harbor on Cape Cod produce these sought-after plump beauties, which have a clean, sharp taste. Wellfleets offer a good balance of creamy sweetness and brine.

Naked Cowboys® - Long Island Sound These oysters are wild bottom-grown, hand-harvested by divers off of Long Island Sound. Up to four inches long, Naked Cowboys are plump and firm, briny, with a strong mineral accent. They are named for the Manhattan street performer who plays guitar in Times Square, wearing just his briefs and cowboy boots.

Blue Points - Blue Point, Long Island The true hometown for these fan-shaped delicacies is Blue Point, Long Island.

They became immensely popular here and abroad, and in the 19th century, the name was bastardized by many — to the dismay of connoisseurs. A genuine Blue Point has firm texture, high brininess and a sweet aftertaste. They are bottom cultured and reach up to four inches in length.

Chincoteagues - Chincoteague Island, Chesapeake Bay This prized variety is indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay. Chincoteague Island is surrounded by both natural and man-made beds. The clean, salty ocean tidewater ensures the perfect environment for oyster growth. Chincoteagues grow up to three and a half inches, and possess a distinct brininess, with a sweet finish.

When to Eat Oysters The old recommendation that you should only eat oysters during months that contain an “R” is a theory that holds water. These are the colder months of the year, when oysters are at peak flavor.

In general, oysters grown in colder waters possess a sharper, brinier flavor, while oysters grown in warmer waters tend to be milder. n

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Sap,

Go with the Flow Massachusetts Maple Syrup is Hitting the Sweet Spot

By Mindy Kolof

F

or Craig Bero, owner of Pleasant and Main, nestled snugly in the Berkshire mountains, it’s all about the maple.

The canopy of majestic sugar maple trees outside his 100-year-old café and general store is packed with nature’s secret sauce — maple sap.

When tapped, evaporated and cooked, the result is a sweetflowing ingredient perfect for cooking, baking and mixing. But it’s the history tucked deeply into the branches that really feeds Bero’s spirit. He’s set up an old-fashioned sugar shack in the backyard, complete with a wood stove and evaporating pan, and invites visitors to go through the process during the sugaring season, as it was done hundreds of years ago. “People get really excited about the experience. They love the history and the fact that this is one of the most natural products we have,” he says. “They see the syrup transform by stages, first in the old copper kettles and then in the evaporating pans.”

A self-professed sommelier of maple syrup, Bero finds vintages and grades of maple (see sidebar) far more interesting than wine. He uses maple syrup all over the menu, providing a counterbalance to citrus or fish, or sweetening up blueberry

62 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

muffins without sugar. “It reacts well with all sorts of ingredients and you can control the sugar content in dishes much better since it’s already in a dissolved state,” he explains. “You can use it in a delicate way and pick up the unique robustness of the flavor.”

There’s the baked country ham with maple glaze, wild trout drizzled with brown sugar and maple syrup and his favorite — the “sugaring off” crepe. “We offer this at the beginning of every sugaring season, a classic French crepe made with maple syrup in the batter. When it hits the cast iron pan, that bit of maple browns the outer shell perfectly, and you just have to roll it up and eat it immediately … with a little more maple syrup on top,” he says.

Massachusetts Maple Producers Association’s (MMPA) Winton Pitcoff is not surprised by all the maple-flavored love; he lives it daily as the champion of the state’s maple producers. While wellaware of Massachusetts’s small footprint compared to maplecentric states like Vermont, New York and Wisconsin (which still pale in comparison with global maple giant, Quebec), he’s proud of the elevated profile of the Bay State. “2015 was a record year, with more than 75,000 gallons made here,” he reports. Partially a result of the growing ‘buy local’ movement, and another part attributed to health benefits — zero fat, no allergens, organic, antioxidant-rich — it’s evident that maple syrup’s profile is more elevated than ever before.

Making Maple “It’s actually a simple, but labor- and fuel-intensive process, not much changed from the way it was made 200 years ago,” says Winton Pitcoff, MMPA. He describes the journey from tree to bottle.

The short, four-to-six-week season begins in March or April with the arrival of “sugar weather,” when freezing nights and warmer days allow the sap to flow. Holes are drilled into the wood of the trees and tapped, with each hole yielding approximately 10 gallons of sap. The sap is collected in buckets or through a plastic tubing system, and transported to the sugar house (so named because at one time most sap was turned into sugar). There, the sap is boiled down into syrup — 40 gallons of sap are needed to make one gallon — in an evaporator, a large furnace covered with huge flat pans. The sap turns golden during the process, and when the temperature reaches 7½ degrees above water’s boiling point, or when drops along the bottom edge of a scoop begin to hold together like a sheet or apron, it’s officially become maple syrup, ready to be filtered and bottled.

“It’s used for so much more than just pancakes now,” he exults.

Indeed, during the MMPA-sponsored Maple Weekend each March, restaurants were pouring it on, and in, marinades, sauces, dressings, baked goods and cocktails! The Still Bar & Grill in Agawam mixed real maple syrup into a Peach Maple Kiss Martini, with peach schnapps and bourbon, and featured a Sugar Shack Mojito, with fresh maple syrup, mint leaves and vodka; Spoleto in Northampton shook up a New Beginnings cocktail of rum, maple syrup, fresh lime, dry curaçao and egg white. At West End Pub in Shelburne Falls, owner Paul St. Martin created a maple whiskey sour to accompany his popular maple hot buffalo wings and maple balsamic salmon. Going through about a gallon of locally purchased sweet syrup weekly, St. Martin says it’s been a fixture on his menu since he opened West End Pub a decade ago. “I use it for everything, maple balsamic dressing, maple Dijon sauce for sweet potato fries, maple bread pudding … I even use it in my coffee!”

At fine dining Sonoma Restaurant, chef-owner Bill Brady and wife Kim fully embraced Maple Weekend with an array of maple glazes, demi-glaces, crème brulee and maple brittle. The piece de resistance: corn muffin top apple and maple tart tartan, made

with maple syrup they carefully tended over a hardwood fire for three days, for a unique smoky flavor that wowed the maple crowd. “The limited time period in which it’s made adds to the specialness of maple syrup,” muses Brady.

THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE: corn muffin top apple and maple tart tartan! Find this recipe and more at rfsdelivers.com!

In Florence, Mass., Cup and Top Café owner Helen Kahn gives maple syrup full props year-round, in scones, soups, lattes and her signature carrot muffins. Sweetened with apple sauce, pineapple and maple syrup from a nearby sugar house, Kahn describes it as “all-natural, dairy-free with no refined sugar ...it’s one of the healthier muffins we serve.” Vegetables get the maple syrup treatment as well; chef Samantha Collins offers this easy-prep recipe for success: mix a bowl of cut-up Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper, roast on a sprayed pan for approximately 30 to 40 minutes (until brown around the edging and tender inside), cool for five minutes, and toss in bowl with fresh Grade A amber color maple syrup, just enough to coat.

“The flavor is so amazing that even people who don’t like Brussels sprouts love this dish,” says Kahn. n

Making the Grade Pure maple syrup is graded according to Federal USDA regulations, and is based on both color and flavor. All syrup available to the public is Grade A, and then further classified by color, according to the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association: • Golden color, delicate taste, usually made early in the season, has the mildest maple flavor.

• Amber color, rich taste, for a more full-bodied maple flavor.

• Dark, robust taste, for a substantially stronger maple flavor.

• Very dark, strong taste, made late in the season, ideal for cooking and baking.

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Join the

No matter what day part, breakfast

Club

could be the most important meal of the day for your bottom line

By Mary Daggett

M

om said breakfast was the most important meal of the day. She never specified what time one had to eat it. A growing industry trend is to offer patrons the opportunity to enjoy breakfast all day long.

And why not? People love breakfast entrées and sides. They are hearty, nutritious, delicious and certainly maintain a place in the comfort food hall of fame.

It used to be that people would eat out for breakfast at just two times of day: in the morning and in the wee hours of the morning after a night of partying. And, of course, Sunday brunch has enjoyed popularity as a special weekend or holiday treat. Now, there needn’t be any extraordinary reason to enjoy breakfast at any day part. Americans want the freedom to eat what they want when they want it. Breakfast anytime is an opportunity to break up one’s regular routine — always a refreshing and welcome change.

64 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Blurred Lines and Variations

This “breakfast a.m. or p.m.” trend is a great opportunity for chefs and operators to use their creativity. Breakfast foods lend themselves to so many interesting variations. Pancakes and waffles can transform from sweet to savory with minor adjustments. Omelets, quiches, benedicts, frittatas, hash, burritos and even soufflés are excellent carriers for current trends, unusual variations and local preferences. Seafood, fine meats and artisanal cheeses can transform ordinary dishes from basic to extraordinary.

Health food aficionados and vegetarians will applaud efforts to incorporate more depth into menus with breakfast offerings that feature whole wheat, ancient grains, cereals, and seeds such as flax, sesame, hemp, chia, sunflower and pomegranate. Fruits and vegetables are naturals for breakfast menu inclusion and help blur the lines between indulgence and healthful dining.

SUSTAINING

Breakfast All Day

Folks have to get up pretty early in the morning to get a table at some of the operations below.

Not to worry. They can sleep in because their favorite breakfast menu stars will be available to enjoy all day. Join the breakfast club and come up with your own fantastic fare.

Mike and Patty’s, Boston

Green Eggs Café, Philadelphia

• Fancy Breakfast Sandwich (two fried eggs, Cheddar cheese, bacon, avocado, red onions and house mayo on toasted multi-grain bread)

• Red Velvet Pancakes (chocolate morsels, strawberry mascarpone layers, maple syrup, Chantilly cream and fresh strawberries)

• Breakfast Torta (fried egg, Cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, potatoes, black beans, salsa and avocado on a sesame torta roll)

• Chicken and Waffles Benedict (southern fried boneless chicken thigh, two poached eggs atop buttermilk waffles, with maple syrup and hot sauce hollandaise)

• Goldmine (wild clover honey, whipped Ricotta cheese, crispy pancetta and soft egg on grilled brioche)

• Veggie Benedict (Portobello mushrooms, baby spinach, roasted peppers, two poached eggs on toasted brioche, topped with hollandaise)

JAM, Logan Square, Chicago

• The Kitchen Sink (three-egg scramble, sausage, Gruyere cheese, potatoes, peppers, onions, homemade jumbo biscuits, country style pork sausage gravy — served in a cast iron skillet)

• Quiche with Lemon-Cured Lake Trout (pickled red onions, bagel chip panzanella) • Malted Custard French Toast (macerated cherries, lime leaf cream, pink peppercorns) • Burrito Suizo (buckwheat crepe, braised beef, tomato crema, smoked Gouda, sunny side egg) • Egg Sandwich (pork shoulder, over-easy eggs, Ricotta salata, plum preserve, roasted fingerling potatoes)

Rustika Café & Bakery, Houston (Jewish/Mexican fusion) • Twenty different egg dishes • Latin American pastries • Breakfast Tacos (chorizo and cream cheese) • Cheese Blintzes with Crema

Stanley, Jackson Square, New Orleans • Eggs Stanley (cornmeal-crusted oysters, poached eggs, Canadian bacon, Creole hollandaise on English muffin) • Corned Beef Hash (pastrami and corned beef, poached eggs, toasted French bread and Creole hollandaise) • Bananas Foster French Toast (French bread, sliced bananas, Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, toasted walnuts, Foster sauce) n FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 6 5

FF OO OO DD &&

BB EE VV E E RRAAGGE E

Produce Partners: New England Seafood MARKON FIRST CROP

PAIR WITH:

Chowders, clam bakes, fried fish & chips, & mashed potato-crusted cod fillets.

Bay scallops, lobster, crabmeat, & oysters.

Prate zest into mayonnaise for lobster rolls & crab salad, squeeze juice over steamed mussels & raw oysters, & serve wedges aside fish & chips or crab claws.

Use to thicken seafood chowders & add tender texture; French fry & serve w/fried haddock; add to seafood boils with corn & shrimp; & steaming w/clams & chorizo.

Toss with seared scallops, top with cold-smoked oysters, fill cupped leaves with crab or lobster salads, & use to wrap cod for steaming.

Besides being low in calories & high of vitamin C, lemons boast bold, sour flavor that accents beverages, desserts, marinades, salad dressings, sauces—& especially seafood!

Although they get a bad rap, potatoes actually contain a high level of vitamin C as well as B6 & fiber. As much as 20% of the nutrients reside in the skin, so leave them on!

Boston lettuce is low in calories & fat, while boasting elevated levels of vitamins A can K, as well as potassium & folate.

Broil steam mussels with garlic, parsley, peppers, lemon zest, butter, & wholewheat breads; serve with micro-greens & edible petals (see photo link below).

Instead of a thick chowder, offer a clam-monkfish bourride thickened with chunky potatoes & garlicky aioli.

Arrange tender Boston lettuce leaves with boiled lobster tail medallions, pear tomato halves, & mint leaves; serve vanilla-honey yogurt as a dressing on the side.

Using gremolata (lemon zest, herbs, & garlic) is a healthy way to reduce sodium in a recipe without losing flavor? Or that a quick soak in lemon juice & cold water can make lettuce greens crisper?

Potatoes contain more potassium than bananas, broccoli, orange, or tomatoes?

Often called Boston lettuce, this tender, leafy lettuce with plum leaves is also goes by the names Bibb & Butter.

BENEFITS

Use in recipes for: crabs, deep-fried cod, lobster rolls, steamed mussels, & raw oysters

PREPARE

BOSTON or BIBB LETTUCE

USAGE TIP

POTATOES

MARKON FIRST CROP

DID YOU KNOW

LEMONS

MARKON FIRST CROP

66 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Think food in New England and you inevitably envision seafood. From clam chowder, to lobster rolls, to fish and chips, and stew, these recipes are tied body and soul to the region. But what would these classics be without their significant others? We’re talking about the tender potatoes that thicken chowders, the bright lemon that accents shellfish, and the crispy fries that pair with tender cod. From crunchy celery to zesty tomatoes, these traditional favorites owe a debt of gratitude to their humble, yet critical produce partners.

Seared Sea Bass w/Couscous Protein- and vitamin-rich, this delicious fish dish is ideal for spring and summer menus.

®

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS 3 Tbsp Canola oil 4/4 oz Sea bass fillets 2C Israeli couscous, cooked 1 Markon First

Crop Zucchini, chopped 8 oz Ready-Set-

Serve Baby Spinach 8 oz Ready-Set-Serve

Green Beans 8 oz Mushrooms, chopped 1 pint Markon First

Crop Cherry Tomatoes Garnish Markon First

Crop Baby Dill TT Salt & pepper

PREPARATION Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Sauté spinach, zucchini, green beans, and mushrooms until cooked, but still crisp. Add cooked couscous and mix until heated through; reserve.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in skillet. When hot, add seasoned fish. Cook until seared golden brown on one side. Flip and cook two more minutes.

To plate, arrange couscousvegetable mixture as the base. Top with fish fillet. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and fresh baby dill.

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Where's the

Beef?

Now is the time to make vegetables the star on your menu

by Ari Bendersky

Lulu cafe Charleston's 492

For years,

dinner just wasn't dinner without some sort of meaty protein. Whether it was a grilled steak served with steamed broccoli, chicken thighs cooked with shallots and lemon or shrimp tacos topped with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, the meat took center stage. But times are changing and meat now may start playing second fiddle to all those vegetables instead of the other way around.

More and more chefs across the U.S. and Europe have realized how wonderful showcasing vegetables can be.

There's vast diversity in vegetables, and they tend to cost less than most proteins. Plus, they're just healthier overall.

"We want you to leave here feeling elated and not destroyed," said Lula Café chef/owner Jason Hammel, who has showcased vegetables on the menu since they opened in Chicago 15 years ago. "If you are interested in that feeling that when you're finished eating, you're fulfilled, you're going to look for lightness and freshness and you tend to get that from vegetables, not protein."

Lula is by no means a vegetarian restaurant, but they're veggie-forward. They even offer a $45 six-course vegetarian tasting menu to show people that vegetarians can have something interesting and complex without spending a lot of money. That sentiment was shared in 2014 when Next Restaurant chefs Grant Achatz and Dave Beran offered a vegan menu for one of the oft-changing restaurant's quarterly menus. Word on the street it was one of their best and traditional meat eaters were wowed.

Meat doesn't have to go away, but many restaurants are using it as a flavor component in a dish instead of making it the star — and you can have fun with how you prepare vegetable-focused dishes.

Charleston's 492 breaks its menu into four sections, with two heavily focused on vegetables, the other on meats.

But sometimes, diners get confused with things, like the beet — not beef — tartare and chef Nate Whiting is OK with that.

"People still think it's beef and they love it," Whiting said.

"We do fun little things that can be whimsical. We like to get the best ingredients, so we can do our own interpretation. Taste is subjective, but quality isn't."

Whiting uses various techniques when preparing vegetables to get different outcomes, like braising leeks in olive oil and garlic, but then taking the tops and making a vegetable hash, or he'll puree some and make a leek granita to give it an icy effect. He also looks at culinary links between vegetables such as how lavender naturally grows below apricots and he'll pair those ingredients or he'll use strawberries in a risotto and tell guests it is tomato. "It's not to be deceitful, but to play with people's preconceived notions. It's fun," he said.

taste is subjective, but quality isn't.

You don't have to even get that creative. Sometimes just being simple and straightforward gets the job done.

Chef Jonathan Meyer of Chicago's Broken Shaker in the Freehand Hotel, offers many simply prepared dishes like grilled baby romaine skewers with anchovy aioli, cured egg yolk, parmesan and grilled lemon. Sound familiar? It should. It's his play on a Caesar salad, but with the limited space in their kitchen, it's easier to do a dish like this and the flavor goes a long way.

"Simplicity always drives it home for me," Meyer said. "We don't have the space to do composed dishes. It's more or less trying to find a unique way to convert cool dishes into interactive dishes and getting guests involved."

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flower Ave garden

Getting involved

is what farmers do when it comes to vegetables. Peter Klein, who owns Seedling Farm in Mich., makes it a point to work with chefs in Chicago to get them what they need, and that often means finding new seeds to grow for them.

But Courtney Guerra takes it to the next level.

The owner of Flower Ave Garden in Venice, Calif., actually partnered with now James Beard-nominee Ari Taymor and his Downtown LA restaurant Alma a few years ago to ensure he had enough greens and herbs for his menus. Now the two collaborate.

"I work with Ari and we plan at least three months in advance," Guerra said. "When I first started, it was me bringing my knowledge to the restaurant and now two years in, we have a collaborative relationship." She's able to grow things for the restaurant you can't find at farmers markets, "different esoteric herbs with really intense flavors that can really make a dish pop."

So while that's beneficial for a restaurant in LA with a year-round growing climate, most parts of the country don't have that luxury. So what should you do off season? Use what you have while it's in season. "You can pickle. Salt-cure vegetables. We do fermented mushrooms and carrots," Whiting said. "It's about preserving the harvest and stretching it out."

Because, that way, you have fresh vegetables all year round, no matter the season. And your customers will thank you for it. n

herbs with really intense flavors can really make a dish pop

70 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

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More Mosaic,

Less Melting Pot The New Latin American Cuisine is Truly Food without Borders

By Mindy Kolof

W

hile the rise of Latin food may not be surprising in an increasingly diverse America of daring diners, the defining characteristics of the cuisine might well be.

First are the attributes most prized in Latin cuisine — flavorful, simple, fresh, local. Sound familiar? Beyond that, however, there are no definitive traits that connect all Latin food, according to a cadre of industry experts.

Students of history and avid globetrotters will be rightly fascinated by the incredibly diverse sagas of each Latin American country. But adventurous eaters and the chefs who feed them may be the most intrigued of all.

“Explaining Latin cuisine is similar in many ways to describing Asian cuisine, and trying to compare Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese styles of cooking,” says Sergio Remolina, CHE, Director of Latin Cuisines Studies at the Culinary Institute of America. “They’re all completely different, and even within one South American country, you’ll find an enormous range of inspirations. Location plays a key role, with the Amazon region one of the richest places on the world in terms of food, plants, birds, reptiles; the coastal region reflects Spanish, Japanese and Chinese influences; the Andean region favors potatoes and foods that thrive in high altitudes; and as the world’s fourth largest country, Brazil’s food is extremely varied, including a unique African legacy.”

Millennials in particular, Abbott says, are driving the change, finding a genuine connection with Latin food culture that taps into their most cherished values — a non-binding set of rules for preparation, sociability, shared experience and co-creation at the table. “It’s the perfect storm,” she says, “because Millennials love to mix it up, but with authenticity.

Italy and France have very ingrained traditions for their cuisine, but Latin food culture encourages experimentation, and a real interaction with the food and your fellow diners.”

That conviviality is what sets the culture apart, placing paramount importance on celebrating the cuisine and people as one, says Abbott. “It’s one of the best lessons we can take away.”

And if you mention the frequent association with Mexican food, a collective groan is heard from our Latin American experts. “Many Americans think it’s all the same – rice, beans, chiles and tacos – and that there’s no real distinction between Mexican dishes and the many foods of South and Central America, although they vary greatly in terms of ingredients, techniques and origins,” says Melissa Abbott, Vice President of Culinary Insights for The Hartman Group. “Food media is doing a good job changing these perceptions, though, and consumers are hungry to discover the nuances and explore the differences.”

72 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Likewise is the respect for local, seasonal foods, prominent in Latino culture for years. “That’s paramount in Latin America, to buy what’s in season at the markets,” says Karen Hursh Graber, a food and travel writer with years of expertise on the subject. “The American palate is a little jaded that way. We’re learning, though, it’s better to not have everything exactly when we want it, but make use of the resources that are readily available.”

What’s next on the Latin American horizon? Abbott predicts we’re just beginning to see the surge of Peruvian concepts, with Argentina and Brazil on deck, all with an emphasis on sustainability.

Grab Your

Stir Up

Passport AND

Your

Appetite—

We’re Going Latin!

Brazil QUICK BITE

South America’s largest country, with 8 million square kilometers and an unprecedented mix of people, cultures and flavors.

EDIBLE INFLUENCES Portuguese, African, German, Italian, Syrian, Lebanese and Japanese. Today Brazil is home to the largest community of Japanese people outside of Japan.

DON’T MISS Street foods, including the coxhina, a deep fried teardrop shaped dough that will fill you up for the whole day, says Abbott. Churrasco is Brazil’s version of cowboy barbecue, invented by the gauchos; originally a method of spit roasting cuts of meat by the fire, the slow roasting and basting process has remained similar for the last two centuries. The national dish, feijoada, is a rich, smoky stew of black beans brewed with a variety of salted and smoked pork and beef products and served with rice, collard greens or kale, orange slices, and topped with toasted cassava flour.

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS THE AMAZON IN NORTHERN BRAZIL: home to the world’s largest river, replete with rare fish and exotic ingredients like pupunha hearts of palm and jambu, a green used in soups.

Super-fruits harvested from the depths of the Amazon include cajú, acerola, passion fruit, acaí and jabuticaba.

NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL: sun-dried, jerked, and salted meats form the foundation. Other indigenous ingredients include manteiga de garrafa, a Brazilian ghee; the cucumberlike maxixi; and specialty manioc flours called farinhas.

BAHIA: African traditions define this vibrant region, including fried farinha bean fritters, street food that’s peddled all day and night in the capital, Salvador. The moqueca is Bahia’s go-to comfort food, a clay pot stew featuring freshly caught shrimp, octopus or lobster thickened with coconut milk and seasoned with dende oil, yellow onion, tomato, green bell pepper and cilantro.

SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL: The Portuguese-influenced salted pork and beef products and manioc-based farinhas and tapiocas are mainstay ingredients, along with hot peppers. Rio street foods include barbecued prawns and codfish fritters, washed down with cold, fresh coconut water. Try Brazil’s national cocktail, the Caipirinha, made with fresh lime juice and a rum-like distillation called cachaça.

Sources: Culinary Institute of America, the Hartman Group, Smithsonian Magazine FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 7 3

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Boston ’ s Brazilian Barbecue S

ince 2012, traditional churrasco (barbecue) dishes have been sizzling daily at Oliveira’s Steak House in Boston.

Billed as bringing “the selection, spices and seasonings of Brazil to its skewered meats, pork sirloin, chicken, sirloin steak, sausages and more,” the concept proved successful enough to open a second location in 2014.

“This is fast food for busy Americans, but we offer a lot of choices, more than 12 types of beef, and you can choose ala carte, by the pound or rodizio (the traditional way of preparing fire-roasted meat and serving tableside),” says Edilson Oliveria, owner.

fried plantains, pork ribs, mashed beans, steamed chayote, baked chicken with potatoes, sautéed zucchini spaghetti with red sauce; and on Fridays enjoy codfish with potato, steamed cabbage and squash, Brazilian porridge, beef tripe cooked with white beans, pork loin with onions and roasted chicken. One of the most popular: the signature item is Brazil’s national dish, feijoada.

As in Brazil, fresh produce is the rule and seasonings are authentic and special. Beef is seasoned with sea salt and slow roasted/grilled over an open flame in the age-old tradition. Dishes change on a daily basis — on Tuesdays, you, you might dig into beef stew, sautéed collard greens,

Are American palates responding? “The time is right,” states Oliveira confidently. “People didn’t know much about Brazilian food before, but the concept has spread to nonBrazilian people in the last few years since we opened. Our food is fast, but it’s healthy.”

Argentina QUICK BITE

European-based culture, with globally renowned beef and wine. The Spaniards brought in cattle in the 16th century, sparking the beef-centric cuisine that still reigns today.

EDIBLE INFLUENCES Italian, sparked by the arrival of thousands of immigrants between 1850 and 1950. A new wave of immigrants from other Latin American countries is bringing Colombian, Bolivian, Ecuadorian and Venezuelan foods to the menu.

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS Beef is the main item; many types of pasta and ravioli; risotto; corn; yucca; dulce de leche (a sweetly satisfying sugar and condensed milk mix) in desserts.

DON’T MISS Asado, the Argentinian barbecue, popularized by South American cowboys known as gauchos, sided with vegetable-based salsas and salads. Also try picada, a plate of appetizing finger foods that can include preserved meats, cheeses, olives, pickled vegetables, french fries, slices of bread, and peanuts; empanadas, a pastry packet stuffed with meat, egg, potato, or dessert-style with dulce de leche; and choripan, Argentina’s favorite street food, consisting of grilled chorizo (meaty sausage), chimichurri (a spicy condiment of garlic, olive oil and pepper) on a crusty bread.

74 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Peru QUICK BITE

Peru is home to one of the most important civilizations on earth, the Incas, who were very sophisticated in terms of food process. In the 1840s, Chinese immigrants arrived, followed by the Japanese at the beginning of the 20th century. More than a century later, Peru’s Japanese and Chinese groups have established roots, forever altering the country’s national identity.

EDIBLE INFLUENCES Asian, Incan, European, African.

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS Cold and warm currents come together at the coastline, making fish and shellfish prominent. Corn, llama, guinea pig from the Andes; more than 3,000 varieties of potatoes; quinoa; manioc root, the base of the Peruvian food pyramid; peanuts; rice.

The Asian Flavors

of Peru

Important ingredients Introduced by the Chinese and Japanese include: - Aji-no-moto (MSG) - Algas (algaes) - Bonito (dried fish flakes) - Cebolla china (scallions) - Cilantro (Chinese parsley) - Kion (ginger)

DON’T MISS

- Salsa de Ostion (oyster sauce)

Pisco sours, in classic lime or with jungle or Amazon fruits; anitcuchos, or skewered meats; cancha, a crunchy toasted corn. This is the birthplace of ceviche, a dish of Incan origin, where raw fish was left to marinate and cook in acidic Amazonian fruits. Today’s ceviche is flash marinated in lime juice or leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), but as Remolina notes “every chef has their own special recipe and the act of making ceviche is almost sacred.” Common ingredients include highly acidic Peruvian lime juice, celery, garlic, ginger, red onion, aji limo and cilantro.

- Vinagre de arroz (rice vinegar)

“This cuisine is a real standout, not a lot of sweet flavors, more about fresh and acidic, a result of the native Indian culture.”

– Melissa Abbott,

- Sillao (soy sauce) - Ajonjolí (sesame seeds) - Tamarindo (tamarind pods) Nowhere is Peru’s Chinese influence felt more strongly than in Lima, home to Barrio Chino, one of the first Chinatowns in the Western hemisphere. In Peru’s more than 2,000 Chinese restaurants (chifas), Cantonese cooking is in great demand, with top sellers including fried wantons seasoned with aji dipping sauces and sweet and sour tamarindbased dishes. A favorite Peruvian-Asian fusion is lomo saltado, made with meat, tomatoes, red onion and potatoes, and served with a side of rice.

Peru’s Japanese restaurants, among the best in the world, feature Nikkei cuisine, merging traditional Japanese techniques with ingredients from Peru’s Pacific coast, the Andes, and the Amazon. The strong Japanese-Peruvian connection is seen in the popular tiradito, a cross between sashimi and ceviche.

Source: Culinary Institute of America

VP of Culinary insights for the Hartman Group

FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 7 5

MATCH FOOD AND DRINK. MAKE MORE MONEY.

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A Pioneer, Leader in the Craft Beer Revolution

by Audarshia Townsend

oston Beer Co.’s come a long way since it introduced Samuel Adams Boston Lager — considered the first-ever craft beer — 30 years ago. Just to give you an example of how hard at work the pioneering company’s been since its inception in 1984: In 2014, it brewed more than 60 different beers, from seasonal favorite Summer Ale to the outrageous Barrel Room Collection offering known as Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru. That’s a wild, funky and complex Belgianstyle ale that’s been aged for more than a year at the main brewery.

“It’s the heart and soul of our Barrel Room Collection beers,” beams Jim Koch, the founder and brewer at Samuel Adams, about the esoteric Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru. “A touch of Belgian candi sugar has been added to balance the beer’s tart acidity and lends a smoothness and sweetness to the finish.”

Koch’s enthusiasm doesn’t end there. When it comes to the many beers Samuel Adams produces, he gushes as though they’re all his children, and each child is on the Dean’s List.

He also continues to be very involved in the process, from beginning to end.

“One of the best parts of being a brewer is that the possibilities for experimenting with different recipes and ingredients are endless,” he continues. “As brewers, we have a lot of fun brewing with a variety of ingredients, and since 1984 we have searched the world for the best ingredients to use in our brews, whether they are hops, malt, spices, fruit or other ingredients like pumpkin, honey, chocolate or vanilla.”

In 2012, the company built a 10-gallon brewery called a “nanobrewery” within the walls of the Boston-based brewery.

That’s another opportunity for the brewers to experiment

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with recipes and ingredients on a daily basis.

The smaller scale allows them to test new beers, special ingredients and recipe tweaks in multiple, separate small batches, explains Koch.

“Over the past few years, we have brewed hundreds of beers in the nanobrewery as part of our constant exploration of brewing innovation and recently introduced our drinkers to three West Coast-style IPAs: Rebel IPA, Rebel Rouser Double IPA and Rebel Rider Session IPA,” he adds. “We continue to innovate and experiment to bring drinkers the highest quality, full-flavored craft beers possible.”

That’s important in an industry that’s rapidly evolving, as beer enthusiasts are more discerning about what they’re drinking.

Koch says today’s drinkers are always looking to explore different flavor profiles and styles of beer, and pair or cook with beer as part of their everyday lives. He believes that Samuel Adams plays a large role in educating consumers.

“We’re teaching things that elevate the beer drinking experience for everyone, for all craft beers, not just Samuel Adams because we’re hoping to improve the experience for all craft beer drinkers,” he explains. “Giving drinkers the best possible craft beer drinking experience overall is a shared goal amongst Samuel Adams, craft brewers and everyone involved in the craft beer industry, which is increasingly important as the industry continues to grow.”

Beer Bistro owner Bob McDermott calls Samuel Adams the “macro of micro beers” and respects what the company has done for the craft beer scene. “When they bring a beer to the market it is spot on of what a beer should be,” he says. “They make a very clean, quality product and you have to respect that. You don’t get off flavoring from their products at all.”

McDermott, whose Chicagobased Beer Bistro just celebrated its 10th anniversary, admires Samuel Adams’ largescale operation.

“From glassware to signage, they do a nice job as an organization

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in getting people to the beer,” he says. “When you go to Boston and you get a tour of the Samuel Adams brewery, it’s the same people you see in the commercials. That’s who and what they are. They’ve been teaching it for more than 25 years.

It’s a great adventure when you visit the facilities. It bonds people to that brand.”

Samuel Adams is also aggressively active in the community in which it serves. There are training programs for robust beer, brewing education and cicerone certification.

And in 2008, the philanthropic Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program launched to help small business owners in the food, beverage and craft brewing industries through micro-loans and coaching/mentoring.

“It’s had a significant impact on small businesses across the country,” says Koch. “To date, we’ve coached/mentored more than 4,000 small business owners, provided over $4.1 million in microloans to nearly 475 food, beverage and hospitality small businesses nationwide, including more than a dozen craft brewers, and helped create or retain more than 2,000 jobs.” n

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©2015 Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C. Culinary Secrets® BRAND is a registered trademark licensed by Independent Marketing Alliance FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 7 9

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BREWERS FEAST Adding beer to a recipe can add complexity to a variety of dishes, but not every beer works with every recipe.

by Ari Bendersky

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One of the most common ways chefs use beer on a menu is part of a steamed mussels dish or a basic beer can chicken.

But don’t you want to get more creative?

Cooking with beer can be surprisingly diverse and lends delicious flavor to numerous dishes.

“I have found that beer can have many uses and provide a host of flavors to an ingredient or overall dish,” said chef Matt Bolus of The 404 Kitchen in Nashville.

Bolus said you need to drink the beer before you think about adding it to a dish.

“Avoid anything you won’t drink,” he said.

“If you don’t like the flavor before cooking, it won’t taste better after.”

One reason for that is the flavor of beer will intensify as it reduces and sometimes the flavor profile will change altogether. “Beer takes on new characteristics,” said chef Shane Graybeal of Chicago’s Bin 36.

“Sometimes it gets bitter or sweeter. As you add heat or mix it with other tastes, it’s going to change.”

Graybeal said over the 20 years he’s worked in kitchens he’s been known to “spill my beer into a pan” and that has led to some experimentation. A dish he added to the menu this past summer was a play on a traditional crudité, which he constructed to look like a flower pot. He makes the rye “soil” for the base with rye flour, cocoa powder, hazelnut flour and Buffalo Sweat oatmeal cream stout. “The dark, heavy porter-style beer is right at home with all those ingredients,” he said. “It lends a coffee taste.” He added that using a different style of beer, like an IPA, would offer a different result and change the dish’s flavor profile.

Like Graybeal, 404’s Bolus experiments when using beer and, like his menus, changes the type of beer he cooks with seasonally. “The beer I use depends on what I am cooking and what I want the end result to be,” he said. “In the winter I may be more stout-heavy with beef or pork to make a heartwarming, soul-satisfying dish,

but in the summer I am looking for bright, crisp, clean flavors like you might find in a gose.” A gose is an old, German-style unfiltered wheat beer that is refreshingly crisp. Bolus also likes using pilsners in summer, like Nashville’s Jackalope Brewery Seven Cities Pilsner he used in a braised rabbit dish. The beer offered citrus, hay and fresh cut grass notes that blended well with the mustard, king trumpet mushrooms and Italian dandelion greens in the dish.

Nathan Sears, chef partner at Chicago German beer hall The Radler, includes beer in numerous recipes ranging from sausages to fish to vinaigrettes. He uses a black lager to craft a four-month-aged vinegar; adds a kolsch barley to a fried perch dish; and turned a barley wine into a glaze that accompanied a slow-roasted pork shoulder with whole wheat spaetzle and lima beans. While it seems like all these dishes work, Sears has had his stumbles, but doesn’t let that derail him. “I can’t think of a dish that has failed, it just sent me back to the drawing board,” he said. “Something may not have been the right beer flavor profile or [I realized] a reduced application would be better.”

With all the ways you can use beer, chefs do caution not everything works, even if you love a beer’s flavor when you drink it. “Be careful of really hoppy beers,” said Dennis Marron, executive chef of Pittsburgh’s The Commoner. “They are tricky to work with.

The more hoppy beers also become really bitter if cooked too long.” He added that some beers can become salty when cooked and reduced, and advised to taste a dish before adding more salt. Chef Graybeal also said that since most beers have lower alcohol, you don’t need to cook it too long or bring it to a full boil. “That’s when you start losing a lot of the subtle flavors and the bitterness and harness comes out.”

So however you want to cook with beer, don’t overthink it and be sure to test things out. And no matter what you do, save some for yourself to toast your delicious new dish. n

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Small-Batch Distilleries Put Micro-Local Spin On Craft Liquor

by Audarshia Townsend

Grain-To-Glass Trend Embraces Farming, Local Food Movement

During moments of downtime, Tremaine

Atkinson mastered the art of home brewing.

But as a spirits enthusiast, he wanted to also perfect another one of his favorite beverages, so he teamed up with longtime friend Mark Lucas to open a distillery to make vodka.

With the dozen or so distilleries popping up around Chicagoland, however, he needed to do something to stand apart.

Through research, training and exploring the small-batch distillery scene, he discovered the majority of the local distilleries were not, in fact, local at all. They outsourced a lot of their ingredients and much of the labor was not conducted in house. With CH Distillery, he wanted to change the game, up the ante and offer imbibers something they had never experienced before in Chicago: authentic grainto-glass products.

Fans of the grain-to-glass movement, such as Atkinson, believe that using local, seasonal ingredients has a positive effect on the taste of distilled spirits. Using crops grown onsite also allows distillers to create rum, gin, vodka and whiskey that reflect the unique flavors of the region.

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In the case of CH Distillery, however, the grain comes from Kane County, Ill., and is grown by small farmers. That’s 50 miles west of Chicago, and the grain used is a soft, red, winter wheat that only grows in Illinois because the seed must sit dormant in the winter in order to sprout. It contains high starch content and Atkinson likes it because it adds flavor and character to their vodka.

“Most vodkas end up tasting the same because they don’t use products from scratch,” explains Atkinson. “There are only a handful of us who make their vodka from scratch, and CH has control from grain to glass. There are a lot of handmade vodkas out there that are not truly from scratch. The only way you can do this is handle the entire process.”

The process starts with them making beer out of the wheat and rye. They distill 900 gallons at a time in large fermentation tanks, and from there the process gets complicated as it’s eventually made into the product that goes into the bottles.

The same process is also used to make their other spirits, including gin, limoncello, rum, aquavit and amaro.

But the key to CH Distillery’s success is the cocktail bar situated in front of the distillery.

Atkinson says it’s the best-possible marketing tool for their operation. “We wanted to have a full-on cocktail bar so people could really experience the brand,” he says. “At other facilities, people get a little plastic cup to sample the product as they get the tour. That’s just not enough. We also picked the West Loop because it’s a good combination of industrial, fine dining and good cocktail program appreciation.”

This effective marketing tactic has also put them face-to-face with beverage managers from some of Chicago’s top restaurants and bars. They can watch the distillery process from the comfort of their barstools, then taste the products in a number of cocktails made by CH’s bartenders.

“The beverage managers are receptive because the local aspect is very important to them,” says Atkinson. “Thus far, more than 250 places in the city and 300 places in the state of Illinois carry our products.”

California-based Spirits Works Distillery also boasts a grain-to-glass craft spirits program.

Engineered by an all-female distilling team, it’s led by co-founder Ashby Marshall, who puts out an updated version of sloe gin based on a generations-old recipe created by her British husband’s family. Timo Marshall is the co-founder of this distillery that uses local, whole, sloe berries instead of the syrup-based products typically associated with the gin.

It also incorporates a base of California red winter beans.

That gives it an added punch of flavor, and makes it a great substitute for sweet vermouth, says Ashby Marshall. “It brightens the cocktail,” she adds. “Our sloe gin is great with sparkling wine for a Kir Royale to create a Sloe Gin Royale.”

Overall she doesn’t feel as though the small distillery market is oversaturated —as long as they put out a good product. “Anything small is always better because of the quality,” she says.

“You can see who made it, how it’s made, and what it takes to make it, and we’re proud to be in an industry where people are proud to be thinking that way.” n

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H O W T O hire a BETTER

BARTENDER

by Audarshia Townsend

IT TAKES MORE THAN SKILL & MEDIA APPEAL TO WORK BEHIND THE STICK Bartenders are the “cool kids” of the industry. The darlings of the food-anddrink scene. They refer to each other as “star-tenders,” “bartendresses” and “defenders of the realm.” There’s a lot of back-patting when they win competitive mixology contests, and reality TV series glamorize the profession as the thing to do when you’re in your 20s and 30s.

But does having a “celebrity” bartender behind the stick really matter for the average bar or restaurant proprietor? It could help elevate a fledgling mixology program and generate media attention, but if that attention comes with a large ego, it could possibly cause a lot of tension between the front and back of the house, say experts. That’s why it’s important to hire someone who possesses not only great bartending skills, but other important attributes as well.

“If someone has an individualistic attitude, then it wouldn’t be the best fit here,” says Eden Laurin, a managing

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partner at The Violet Hour, an awardwinning cocktail lounge located in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.

“We are a really strong community, and the folks behind the bar and in the kitchen must be able to work with you.”

That’s why, Laurin adds, The Violet Hour is adamant about its policy of promoting from within the company.

That strict policy — combined with low turnover rates — is a contributing factor that helped the bar win the prestigious James Beard award for “Outstanding Bar Program” in 2015. “Our last three bartenders were servers first,” says Laurin, who started her career as a host with The Violet Hour’s parent company One Off Hospitality eight years ago and worked her way up to bartender and then managing partner.

Adam Robin, the director of operations at Mexican-focused, Florida-based Cabo Flats restaurants, is in agreement with this method. “Word of mouth and placing an ad are both excellent ways to find bartenders, but you should

never underestimate promoting from within,” he says. “A server who is energetic, has a great personality and is already comfortable with the menu and clientele can be a huge asset and can slide into a bartender position very easily (given that person has some bartending experience).

“Hiring new people is always a gamble; everyone can look good in an interview, but it’s hard to see if they will succeed on the floor. The best way around that is finding the best bartenders from local spots and being able to offer them something unique (such as a chance to grow within the company) in order to bring them aboard.”

As one of the most highly regarded cocktail bars in the country, The Violet Hour adheres to strict policies demanding the absolute best out of its employees. But these practices shouldn’t only apply to upscale establishments, stresses Laurin. All bar programs should strive to hire the best of the bunch.

“We look for someone hardworking because you’re working really long shifts,” she says. “What’s (also) really important for us is that the bartenders are comfortable talking to customers who sometimes sit there for hours.

They must know how to cultivate each experience for each customer.”

“Word of mouth and placing an ad are both excellent ways to find bartenders, but you should never underestimate promoting from within.”

— Adam Robin “Hiring new people is always a gamble; everyone can look good in an interview, but it’s hard to see if they will succeed on the floor.”

— Adam Robin

This all doesn’t mean, of course, that Laurin wants to suck out the creativity and all the liveliness of bartending.

She encourages hopefuls to attend enrichments programs (The Violet Hour regularly hosts such training programs for its staff as well as for bartenders who work elsewhere) and do as much research as possible on new techniques, new ingredients and the classic cocktails.

“These guys (who work at The Violet Hour) are cool because they’re really charismatic, but all of them are extremely hardworking,” she adds. “We have to teach them the business side of it as well. We are constantly looking at the potential of management (with them) because they will see the bigger picture and that’s really important.”

All those great qualities — charisma, skill, work ethic — go out the door if you don’t trust the bartender. Adam Robin maintains that every bartender who works for you must be dedicated and trusted.

“You need bartenders who are honest,” he points out. “They have unparalleled access to liquor and money. If you cannot trust a bartender, they cannot be behind your bar.”

“What’s (also) really important for us is that the bartenders are comfortable talking to customers who sometimes sit there for hours.”

— Eden Laurin “We are constantly looking at the potential of management (with them) because they will see the bigger picture and that’s really important.”

— Eden Laurin

But in the end, it all comes down to the bartender getting into the groove and making great drinks. “The reality is that every bartender has an opportunity to have fun, be very creative and put on a show behind the bar,” says Robin.

“You need to keep bartenders focused on creating and executing the simple items perfectly.” n

Fall 2015 RFSDELIVERS.COM 85

O P E R A T I O N S Electrolux TRK Combination Vegetable Cutter/Slicer/Food Processor This all-in-one kitchen apprentice has won numerous international awards for innovation and high performance.

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From blending and slicing to washing and rolling, these appliances are proven food preparation experts and are ready to serve as your chefartist’s best apprentices.

Fresh fruit, vegetables and leafy produce must be handled with care, and that requires laborintensive washing and drying to prepare the chef’s bounty and ensure a high level of food safety, without bruising or nutrient breakage. The electromagnetic device in this time-saving kitchen appliance can handle all the dirty work with three different washing cycles and two turbulence levels to keep your produce clean and dry. If sanitizing solution is required, a peristaltic dispenser is on board and every part is easy to clean and operate.

Robotcoupe MP450 Immersion Blender From the inventor of the Food Processor, this immersion blender puts power into the hands of your professional to blend, puree, liquify, mix and stir things up without changing pots or mixing bowls. Dressings, mousses, soups, batters, sauces, pate and even a fine puree are works of art in the hands of the chef’s apprentice. Unlike all other immersion blenders, this model can be completely disassembled to remove all food particles and avoid cross-contamination.

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Robotcoupe J100 Juicer If you’re climbing onto the rapidly expanding juicing bandwagon, this is one of your best choices in juicers. Commercial kitchen king Robotcoupe is fairly new to the juicer market, but its innovation is paying off for restaurants around the country. Centrifugally operated, this machine pulls every last nutrient and drop of moisture from produce, ensuring you get the most out of every slice of fruit and cut of vegetable. Additionally, unlike most other juicers, the J100 does not require a single tool for disassembly and all components are dishwasher safe.

Doyon DSA336 Semi-Automatic Divider-Rounder Dough is the artisan chef’s canvas and fresh baked bread, tortillas, pizza crust or rolls made-from-scratch are some of your restaurant’s most memorable creations. Keeping up with demand and maintaining consistency is paramount if you want critical acclaim without staffing an army of apprentices to roll, round and divide your fresh, signature dough. This DSA336 will take up to 6 pounds of dough and divide it into equal portions in seconds. The easy to exchange portion control units can be selected for 22 or 36 equal portions with minimal effort. Add a Doyon Sheeter to your line and your kitchen will be cranking up to 400 perfectly pressed pizzas, tortillas or pie shells every hour.

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MEALS OF

MERCY

by Min Casey

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There is no reason for restaurants to let good food go to waste. Donating it is the right thing to do and those who do say that the rewards are rich and deeply satisfying.

Like the brier and the rose, food waste and restaurants are bound together, so tangled that separating one from the other seems impossible. From day-old bread unsuitable for guests to overproduction of a menu special, most kitchens grapple with excess food that is still fit for consumption. Estimates are that 10% of food at quick-service chains is thrown away even though much of it is 100% edible. Independent restaurants tend to generate less edible waste but they accumulate enough to save and put to good use.

“Donating this food is a small thing that can have such a huge impact for people who are hungry,” says Laura Abshire, director of sustainability, policy and government affairs for the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association. “Restaurateurs are extremely busy and have a lot on their plates. Donating edible food is a wonderful and nice thing to do but operationally, it is not necessary. It can easily be thrown out, and often it is, because that seems like the most-efficient solution. There is a lack of awareness about the process and we’re working to change that.

As cornerstones of the community, it makes sense for restaurants to get the food to an agency that needs it,” Abshire says. “It can be a win, win, win.”

Stephanie Simpson, a partner in Blackwood BBQ in Chicago, acknowledges that both of its two locations used to toss out perfectly good food. “Obviously from an operational standpoint we do all that

we can not to waste food but there always is some. Before we had a formal program, we had a donation opportunity here and there but mostly we threw it out and never felt good about that,” Simpson says.

In January, Blackwood began working with Zero Percent, a Chicago-based company that coordinates restaurant food donations. “After we met with [Zero Percent founder] Raj, it felt like a total no-brainer,” Simpson says, describing the process as “100% turnkey — not much work involved at all.”

Blackwood’s menu is fairly simple, mainly consisting of three kinds of smoked meat and sides. Leftover beef brisket and pork are used in side dishes and in items that are on the breakfast menu. Simpson says that chicken, side dishes and bread, still entirely edible but not earmarked for guest use, are carefully packaged according to HACCP guidelines, labeled and placed in the freezer. Twice a week in a scheduled pick-up, a driver from a food bank swings by to pick up the leftover largesse. “We’re a for-profit business but when we can give back, we do.

This is a steady way for us to support the community.”

Zero Percent was pretty much inspired by bagels — or more precisely the wasting of them. Founder Rajesh Karmani, studying for a PhD in computer science at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, was a regular at the Einstein’s near campus.

He asked one day what happened

to leftovers; learning that they were pitched in the trash, he began to build a business in his head, marrying entrepreneurial instincts with his computer savvy. U of I was one of his first clients and it continues to use Zero Percent to distribute unused food.

“We act as an online donation marketplace, connecting those who have food to donate with nonprofits that need the food,” Karmani explains.

“In most restaurants, there is the will to do the right thing. We help on the back end so it’s easy for them.”

Waste is a pet peeve for Beth Montecalvo, marketing manager for Lincolnwood, Ill.-based Food for Thought. “There’s so much of it in restaurants and so much need,” she says. Donating extra food generated by the company’s mix of noncommercial clients located in universities, corporate offices and museums, seemed fraught with problems. “The work, potential liability issues, regulations, insurance, delivery, handling — it all seemed really difficult until we met with Raj,” she notes.

Since the partnership began, Food for Thought’s donations have accounted for 2,400 meals served to the hungry.

“We all have the same objectives — to help within our communities and have positive impact. It’s easy to say supporting the community is one of our pillars. But with our donations, we truly do walk the talk. Food gets to the people and you can see your impact.” >

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O P E R A T I O N S

HOW TO START

“Let nothing be wasted,” says Jim Larson, program development director for the Food Donation Connection, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based organization that connects restaurant food with charitable organizations that are more than happy to have it. Last year, its facilitated donations totaled 36 million pounds of food, most of it from large chains.

“A lot of restaurants tend to think that the small amount of food they may have on any given day is not worth donating. But small amounts add up,” he says. “Once a restaurant starts collecting food and holding it in the freezer for a few days until it is picked up, they are surprised by how much they’ve gathered.”

Larson offers simple ways to stop throwing away edible food and redeploying it to a food-donation program:

A D

If you have an existing relationship with a non-for-profit feeding organization, aim to schedule regular pick-ups so that it becomes part of your everyday business.

B

A web search will help to locate nearby nonprofits that have feeding programs. Alternately, there are companies that can assist.

C

Take advantage of the tax savings. This will make it a financially smart move.

If you don’t presently work with an organization, run a test pilot. Determine what can be donated by monitoring leftover food within a specific timeframe, noting volume as well as variety. Find freezer space that can be designated to hold the foods for a few days until it is picked up two to three times a week. Figure out how it will be packaged and ensure that procedures for proper holding are in place. Get the staff involved, too — they will feel good about being part of the donation process.

EPA FOOD WASTE RECOVERY HIERARCHY

Estimates are that as much as 60% of a restaurant’s waste is food (usable and scrap) and the Environmental Protection Agency says there are lots of ways to reduce the amount of it that ends up in landfill. It has released the Food Waste Recovery Hierarchy with recommendations from the most to least preferred options.

1

Source reduction: evaluate how to reduce waste before it is created.

2

Feed people: donate to food banks and soup kitchens.

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3

Feed animals: send food waste, especially scraps, to farms for use as animal feed.

4

Industrial uses: possibilities include providing fats and oils for use as fuel.

5

Composting: recycle food, turning it into a form that can be used as a soil additive. n

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O P E R A T I O N S

Hire Purposes

By Min Casey

See Pa ge

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for sam ple questio ns!

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F

or service staff, nailing the interview is just as important for the person doing the hiring as it is for applicants. It may take more time to find the ideal candidate but the payoff is worth it, according to many operators, leading to reduced turnover and greater guest satisfaction.

The worst time to look for restaurant workers is when you are short of help, says Bill Reynolds, owner of New Buffalo Bill’s, a barbecue restaurant in New Buffalo, Mich. “You’re pressured to find someone and that often means you end up hiring someone who is not the best, someone who probably is unemployed and not ideal for the position.”

Instead of acting in a panicked state when there’s a gaping hole on the staff roster, Reynolds prefers to keep a regular notice on the website, noting that the restaurant is always looking for good people. “It keeps a pipeline going,” he says. “You get good resumes from people who are employed but interested. It’s not two desperate people sitting in the same room.”

Reynolds’ strategy has been cultivated over many years in the restaurant industry and in culinary education as provost of the Washburne Culinary and Hospitality Institute in Chicago. In fact, his method might be the best way to start the hiring process, a preemptive action that improves chances of drawing from the best pool of candidates.

Armed with choices and freed from having to make a hasty decision, interviews can more specifically focus on how well applicants will jive with the business.

Hiring service staff is more of an art than a science, calling on intuitive skills, creative questioning and gut feelings as much as it does studying resumes, asking about skills and calling references. Ajay Walia recalls the go-go years when the economy was at full throttle and unemployment rates dipped almost as low as they could. “A decade ago, hiring was close to impossible. You looked at bodies to fill the room,” says the owner of two California restaurants, Rasa in Burlingame and Saffron Indian Bistro in San Carlos “Then,

you often had to hire pretty much anyone who applied. Now there is the opportunity to hire based on cultural fit. It is more precise,” he says.

Resumes sent in advance are carefully plotted out to look as good as gold, the successes carefully phrased and the job hopping presented as a whirl of great opportunities that came their way. “Everyone looks good on paper,” Walia notes. “It’s only during face-to-face discussion that you truly can figure it out. I’m looking for people who want to excel at what they do and who don’t necessarily think of the industry as a transitional stop. Their attitude has to be of service; that’s a mindset.”

Reynolds agrees that an innate predisposition to service is paramount. “Personality and attitude are what I look for. You can teach people how to use a POS system but the last thing I want is to hire someone who has to be told what to say, how to interact with guests,” he explains.

To that end, Reynolds looks for positive energy, a good attitude and a strong service mentality. “During interviews I give them situations to discuss, a list of ‘what would you do ifs.’ You can learn a lot about how they will interact with guests, whether they can be natural and concerned about the people they are serving.”

New Buffalo Bill’s is a limited-service operation and Reynolds is acutely aware that the frontline staff strongly influences the total experience. “Their job is not to serve mac and cheese. It is to make all of our guests feel comfortable and welcome. Whether they can do that is something you have to learn when you hire them.”

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O P E R A T I O N S

Ask

and You Shall Find

E

very job interview should touch on the basics but more creative lines of questioning can help to weed out candidates who may not be a good fit. “You really want to find out about their personality and their attitude,” says Ajay Walia.

“For me, it’s about discovering if they have a service mentality and work well as part of a team.”

Here are sample questions to pose during interviews for service team members.

Why do you want to work at this restaurant?

This will demonstrate whether they did a little homework to learn about your operation — its menu, chef, reputation, awards, reviews and so on. Saying it is close to home is significantly different from noting that it is known for providing the most hospitable environment to its guests.

What does good service mean to you?

This provides an opportunity for them to put the guest into the scenario. If it is too heavily focused on the mechanics of getting food out quickly and turning the table, they may not be attuned to the finer points of dining out.

When you have had guests who are unhappy with some aspect of their experience, how did you deal with it?

What aspects of restaurant work do you most enjoy and least enjoy?

It’s probably okay if they diss on side-work but moaning about guest interaction is never a good sign.

What is your greatest strength and biggest weakness as a server?

Lots of subtle cues can be found in their responses but don’t accept “I don’t have any weaknesses,” as a legitimate response.

What do you believe your co-workers like best about being on the same shift with you?

The ideal answer should reflect their willingness to work as part of a team, helping colleagues when things get tough. n

Learn if they truly have a guest-first orientation.

What do you do on a busy night when you get stressed?

Be wary of someone who says they never get that way — they’re likely either oblivious or not entirely honest.

How do you determine if guests are having a good experience?

If they say that they ask the guests at the table, they’ve probably missed the mark. Really good servers need to be adept at reading body language and looking for signs.

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Walia always concludes interviews by asking why they left or are considering leaving their position. “I’m never entirely certain I get the full truth but it’s an important question to ask. I look for honesty, not justification for why it didn’t work out.”

O P E R A T I O N S

Rewards and

Recognition How to Ensure Your Employees Get Their Just Desserts

A

By Mindy Kolof

good man or woman is hard to find, and in the restaurant business, even harder to keep.

A shrinking labor pool combined with hiring back to pre-recession levels means a buyer’s market for employees, and much extra attention lavished on recruiting, training and retention. Restaurant Inc. checked in with the pros to uncover the best R&R programs (rewards and recognition) for today’s most valuable players.

Phone it in Millennials and younger employees “use their phones for everything except phone calls and savvy operators are leveraging this to connect with them,” says Joni Thomas Doolin, Founder & CEO of TDn2K.com, a leading software provider for the foodservice industry. “Applebee’s has run a very savvy social media campaign with employees, giving them the chance to post selfies and new ideas, and be recognized

locally and nationally. Chili’s created a special hashtag to recognize employees all day long on Twitter and Facebook.”

At Cooper’s Hawk, an upscale casual eatery and winery with multiple locations in Chicago’s suburbs, a self-service portal allows for instant peer-to-peer recognition. “Any team member can send an associate a badge to recognize great work, and it will show up on the news feed for that location so everyone can see it,” reports Kristen Zagozdon, vice president of Human Resources.

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O P E R A T I O N S

Go Top Down

While cash

“One of White Castle’s most innovative programs involved corporate executives visiting every single restaurant in the system and inviting celebrities or local politicians to come and work with them,” says Doolin.

“Employees met and posed for pictures with everyone; they created a really memorable event.”

At Bluegrass, a popular suburban hotspot, longtime hospitality leader and owner Jim Lederer sits down with each member of his 25-person team regularly, and recognizes great performers daily at shift meetings.

Cooper’s Hawk CEO Tim McEnery regularly holds focus group with line cooks, servers, hosts and kitchen managers to find out what’s working well and what isn’t.

is always appreciated for stellar performance, material rewards

Spiffs Bring them on. While a tidy wad of cash is always appreciated for stellar performance, material rewards are also in the game, such

are also in the game.

Some of the key drivers of employee benefits programs have shifted in just the past few years, according to TDn2K’s Joni Doolin, who shares some compelling stats from her exclusive People Report™ 2015 Corporate Compensation & Benefit Survey.

Value proposition for hourly employees. Traditional benefits for health, dental, vision, disability, time off and vacation haven’t changed much, but other incentives are also proving meaningful to Millennials and younger.

2010

The management side. The average gap between top restaurants’ manager turnover and industry median rose from 9% in 2011 to 13% in 2014. “Getting this right definitely pays off, as there is consistent correlation between restaurant manager turnover and traffic growth,” she says. “Savings are significant as well – it costs about $11,000 to replace and train a new manager.”

Benefits for full time hourly employees

the Change

2014

Charting

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as fleece hoodies, high-tech quarter zip sweatshirts, logoed sports team t-shirts, bottles of wine. “Go bigger by partnering with your vendors to send star employees on vacation or to culinary school for advanced training,” advises Ed Doyle, 30-year veteran of the restaurant industry, now president of RealFood Consulting. “Remember, people don’t leave just because of a paycheck, but because they don’t feel the company has invested in them, or that there’s opportunity for advancement.”

Connect to the Core “No matter what your reward is, from monetary bonuses to ‘employee of the month’ recognition, it must connect to your restaurant’s core values and vision or it’s not sustainable,” says Debi Benedetti, CEO, Beyond the Possible, a leading provider of executive services to the hospitality industry.

“In foodservice, notorious for high turnover, it’s critical to develop the loyalty that makes people want to stay by building an emotional

65

47

Education Assistance

Professional Development

%

44

%

%

31

%

flex hours

connection … think Starbucks, with its emphasis on inspiring and nurturing the human spirit.”

to do.” Even better, he throws in a small cash incentive for the most discerning sippers.

Love Doesn’t Have To Cost a Thing

You’ll find

Cooper’s Hawk built its vision of creating community around values that include: ‘we care about people, we are committed to being the best, we are different and innovative, we have fun and celebrate.’ For instance, teamwork is encouraged with a creative cash incentive program. At the center is the waiter, needing to share the benefits of the restaurant’s wine club with guests, a coach who has already excelled at this, and cheerleaders from the kitchen team who provide reinforcement and spirit, all of whom share in the reward.

a big payoff on initiatives that take time and ingenuity, but

Drinking games keep it fun at Bluegrass, where Lederer asks staff to sample a glass of wine and match it up to the respective bottle. “It heightens awareness of the varietal differences in an intriguing way,” he says, “because it’s not always that easy

not money.

You’ll find a big payoff on initiatives that take time and ingenuity, but not money. Goofy contests abound at Cooper’s Hawk, with general managers offering to wash the staff’s cars or do 100 pushups when their goals are achieved. Doyle has seen training swaps work well, with restaurants switching staffs for a day. “That’s exciting when you’re a young cook, and changes it up; otherwise it becomes like the movie Groundhog’s Day!” he laughs.

“Quality of life is very important to Millennial employees; make flex hours something that can be earned by top performers.” Doolin agrees: “We’re moving out of the ‘me generation’ to the ‘we generation’ who are motivated by words like ‘authentic, purpose and love.’ It’s a dramatic societal shift in terms of employee values, and this new proposition will endure for at least another 25 years.” n

45

36

64

25

64

Childcare Assistance

Free Dining

Discount Dining (not during shift)

Flexible Scheduling*

Wellness Programs

40

32

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NA

%

26

%

%

%

%

%

%

48

%

* This is a benefit employees are most interested in receiving, but conditions have not improved industry wide, notes Doolin

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O P E R A T I O N S

WHO’S

MONITORING

YOUR HVAC/R

SYSTEMS? IDEALLY, IT’S A “WHAT” RATHER THAN A “WHO”

by Mary Daggett

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The “what” and the “who” sound as though they belong in a Dr. Seuss book. Actually, the “what” mentioned in the title of this article refers to the internet. And, fortunately for the foodservice industry, this story is non-fiction. There is no question that the internet has revolutionized our world and how things get accomplished, day or night.

An acronym being bandied about more and more is “IoT,” which stands for the “Internet of Things.” Smart technology is used to power these “things” (such as computers, smartphones, sensors and apps) in order to communicate with each other and potentially manage operations that used to require manual action. The IoT is basically a new buzz-phrase for internet-enabled automation.

And it’s actually been occurring for decades. Computers on earth direct what’s happening on a satellite in outer space. Huge sums of money can be transferred via linked machines. In the world of HVAC/R — heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment can be souped up with smart apps that automatically monitor and adjust settings, or deliver a warning in the event of an outage, gas leak or other issue. This capability can save operators bundles of money, time and trouble while ensuring the comfort and health of customers and staff.

Where do you begin to make sense of all of this?

Restaurant Inc called Troy Schwenn, founder of Automation Components, Inc. (ACI), for expert advice. Way back in 1991, ACI started producing high performance temperature sensors in Middleton, Wisc. Today, the company’s 150 employees manufacture an array of components to facilitate operational efficiency and more effectively manage the indoor environment. ACI was recently named “Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year.”

“Maintaining a comfortable and safe indoor environment while cutting operational costs are critical factors for foodservice operators,” Schwenn said. “The very nature of a restaurant or other establishment where food is prepared and consumed involves constant variations in temperature, humidity and air quality. Whether working with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) on a new building or updating HVAC/R systems in an existing facility, it is very important to select a company that understands the unique issues of the foodservice industry.”

The IoT marketplace has amazing smart technology apps that can augment existing HVAC/R systems to make a major difference in improving the overall quality of the indoor environment. For example, ACI makes a wireless sensor line that is used to control temperature and humidity, and to reduce the effects of bacteria and mold. It can be added to existing equipment without the mess and expense of rewiring. Current sensors and switches are an easy way to monitor the fans, pumps, compressors, lighting, ovens, coolers, etc. present in most operations. Gas sensors monitor pollutants from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, natural gas, refrigerants and other combustible and toxic gases. Carbon dioxide sensors monitor the occupancy of a space, and increase or decrease the amount of fresh air ventilation that is needed. During periods of lower occupancy, less fresh air is necessary, thus, less energy is required to heat or cool the air.

“In terms of saving energy, I recommend starting with an energy audit,” Schwenn said. “Energy audits can be used to make informed decisions when trying to reduce your overall energy operating costs, as well as to serve as a benchmark in monitoring your improvement after changes have been made to your systems.” And yes, there’s an app for that.

HVAC/R

CHECKLIST

FROM ACI Automation Components, Inc. put together a sustainability checklist to save energy, improve operational efficiency and extend the life of HVAC/R equipment.

Explore new internet technologies that will benefit your operation (temperature and humidity sensors, occupancy sensors, toxic gas sensors).

Continually collect data from utility bills for historical usage analysis.

Install power meters to monitor your progress with energy conservation.

Perform preventative maintenance on all HVAC/R systems, equipment and controls.

For quality control, Schwenn insists that every component the company sells is manufactured on-site in Wisconsin. “A reputable company will stand by its products with generous warranties, excellent customer service and technical support,” said Schwenn. “When you need answers in a hurry, you do not want to call a customer-service line only to reach a recording.”

Perform building updates -- add insulation, seal all openings, weather strip windows and doors, replace worn gaskets on refrigeration equipment, eliminate water leaks, etc.

As technology becomes table stakes for more of today’s operators, don’t overlook IoT and how it can positively impact your restaurant. n

Set achievable goals. Remember that energy savings is a long-term commitment. Return on investment will accrue over time.

Switch to LED lighting.

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Looking for that ultra SPECIAL menu item?

The next great product? Or the freshest fish in town?

GO TO THE SOURCE: REINHART® DIRECT

U

nleash your inner gourmet with Reinhart’s extraordinary program, designed to bring you special foods from every corner of the globe.

Reinhart Direct Chef Lee Sepaniac shares the details on how it works, what you’ll find, and why you just might develop a strong craving for truffle honey …

q WHAT IS REINHART DIRECT? It’s a program that makes available to Reinhart Sales Consultants (SCs) and customers more than 5,000 gourmet and specialty products from hundreds of smaller, artisanal companies.

Each product has an RFS code number to enable easy ordering online; orders are delivered directly to customers’ kitchens.

w WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR REINHART DIRECT? The vision of Reinhart Foodservice corporate leadership was to significantly increase the accessibility, volume and diversity of products available to customers, and Reinhart Direct is the result. The program has exceeded expectations, growing every single month since its October 2013 launch.

e WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOURCING THE PRODUCTS IN THE PROGRAM? The Reinhart Direct procurement team is comprised of chefs, culinarians, and foodservice distribution professionals who have been developing their culinary passion for decades … and they’re always looking for that next hot trend or product.

r HOW MANY COUNTRIES DOES REINHART DIRECT SOURCE FROM? Currently we source from more than 50 countries, a number that will grow as smaller countries with the ability to consistently produce and deliver unique products to the U.S. become part of the program. Seasonal variations in sourcing ensure customers always

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receive the freshest products. For example, black winter truffles are sourced from Italy or France in winter, but we shift to Australia during summer (which is their winter season).

t HOW ARE PRODUCTS SELECTED FOR REINHART DIRECT? Every month our procurement team samples and reviews a product or a potential vendors’ line before it is considered for inclusion. Our standards are exacting, and we approve only a small percentage of the products reviewed.

We are looking for truly unique, high quality products that we feel have a place in the market or can be the next trend in foodservice.

And we try very hard to avoid duplication in the product line.

y CAN CUSTOMERS ASK FOR PARTICULAR PRODUCTS TO BE SOURCED? Yes, with our sourcing capabilities, we have access to many more items than we can possibly list. We encourage all sales consultants to reach out to us if a customer is seeking a product not on our list, and we will make every effort to source it. For instance, Bijol, a Latin American seasoning, is currently available through Reinhart Direct as a result of a customer request, and we are in the process of reviewing a potential new vendor referred to us by a customer.

u HOW ARE QUALITY, SAFETY, FRESHNESS, AUTHENTICITY OF PRODUCTS GUARANTEED? We hold our vendors to very high standards in terms of quality and traceability, as well as how products are packed for shipping. At our own expense, we run quality assurance checks on a regular basis to ensure our standards are being met or exceeded by our suppliers. By shipping most of the ultra-perishable products directly from the source, we are able to deliver Hawaiian fish, or fresh lobsters that have only been out the water for 24 to 48 hours…it’s hard to get much fresher than that! We also have a partnership with FedEx, a company that shares

our commitment to customer satisfaction, with a 99 percent on-time delivery rate.

i HOW MANY ITEMS ARE STOCKED?

HOW

OFTEN DO PRODUCTS CHANGE? Currently over 5,000 items are listed, but in reality, we are handling many more products that are not stocked in a warehouse, but shipped complete and packaged directly to the end user. Many items are seasonal, and we have the flexibility and quick response capabilities to bring these products to market as soon as they’re available. For instance, soft-shell crabs from Chesapeake Bay are only in season for a short, unpredictable period, dependent on factors like water temperature and weather, and we are constantly monitoring the situation to bring these to customers at just the right time. And of course, we are constantly looking for new items to add to our portfolio.

o

HOW DOES THE ORDERING PROCESS WORK? Reinhart customers can order any of our items directly in the Reinhart online TRACS® system or through their SC or Reinhart customer service representative. Once approved, orders are electronically sent to us from all divisions on an hourly basis throughout the business day. We source the products through the appropriate vendor, and ship the order within 24 hours. As a rule, perishable products will be delivered to the customer within two business days, and non-perishables in three to five business days. We track each package from inception to delivery, and will notify the SC of any exceptions to a normal, on-time delivery.

a WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS? With so many choices, that’s a really difficult question! Two really stand out though. Truffle honey, for one, because it balances the sweet and savory with the depth and earthiness of truffle in a way that’s amazing even after a thousand tastes. It’s a product I keep

craving, especially on a salty blue cheese like Roquefort. I also love uni or sea urchin, referred to as the foie gras of the sea. It is complex, rich and incredibly delicious.

s WHAT ARE THE BEST SELLING PRODUCTS IN THE RD CATALOG? Interestingly, miso paste and curry paste are our best sellers — basic ingredients that don’t cost a lot but nevertheless enable chefs to differentiate themselves from the competition with distinct flavors.

d DOES REINHART DIRECT OFFER SUPPORT TO CUSTOMERS? Our chef consultants serve as a resource to customers on every aspect of Reinhart Direct. They’ll track a package in real time, offer advice on cooking techniques, specific preparations and ingredients, discuss new trends, help with upcoming menus or special creations … even suggest a wine pairing when needed. If your chef advisor doesn’t have the answer, we’ll tap into our wonderful supporting cast of experts — our partners who work with these items on a daily basis and can provide even more information.

shows, subscribing to gourmet food periodicals, and keeping up with the numerous new chef-focused TV shows. Our local chefs also play a key role, introducing us to new products made in an oldschool style or a unique way.

As we continue to grow and gain recognition as a leader in the specialty food space, more artisanal producers reach out and ask us to consider their products as well. n

f WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE NEXT GREAT PRODUCT? Our entire team is always on the hunt for that.

We cast a wide net in the industry, attending boutique, or international food

See Page

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e Reinhart for uniqu ipes!

Direct Rec

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by Mindy Kolof

They’ve given us maple syrup, Gala apples and poutine … could ice syrup be the next iconic Canadian food? If creator Steve Murdza continues to hit the sweet spot with adventurous American chefs, the answer can only be an unqualified yes.

Made from the juicy nectar of white Vidal and red Cabernet Franc grape varieties grown in the Niagara Peninsula, ice syrup packs extraordinary flavor and a plethora of health and taste benefits into each drop. The key is leaving the grapes on the vine after the first deep freeze, allowing the cell structure to break down and release the distinct, concentrated flavor. Filtered to a syrup-like consistency over a low heat — not caramelized like maple syrup — the sugar-acid balance is this product’s thoroughly unique hallmark. As Canadian wine pioneer and Ice Syrup partner Donald Ziraldo advises: “It should be used as one would use Balsamic vinegar. Modestly yet with great impact.”

While Murdza describes his product’s ascent as slow but steady, he’s made some significant inroads since debuting the intense elixir in 2009. Ice syrup has long since earned endorsements from the likes of celebrity master chefs Mark McEwan and Susur Lee, nabbed a prominent feature in the pages of influential tastemaker Wine Spectator magazine, and made its U.S. bow this year at Savor Detroit, a high-profile dinner series showcasing the city’s top chefs. Americans, says Murdza, loved the product, and were eager to embrace the concept. The top selling point for all is ice syrup’s extreme versatility, playing well as ingredient, condiment or flavor enhancer. Loaded with good-for-you attributes, ice syrup can find its home as easily in a gourmet health food store as behind a cocktail bar; glazing a thick grilled salmon steak or drizzling a fresh-from-the-oven apple pie.

“To taste ice syrup is to love it,” asserts Murdza. “Once people sample it, they understand its big taste profile and how it totally transforms the flavor of everything it touches.”

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Give credit to that fifth wonder of the taste world – umami – which gives ice syrup a long-lasting, mouth-watering presence.

Significant levels of glutamate, the amino acid responsible for umami taste, boost flavor and make dishes palatable even to the ill and the aged. A further boon to the health conscious are the simple sugars, fructose and glucose, that bring on the syrup’s sweetness naturally, not altered, processed or refined in any way. Need more? How about a heaping portion of beneficial antioxidants and resveratrol in every serving.

Arguably, ice syrup is one of the only completely original products introduced in the last decade. “Most introductions are variations on existing items, maybe hotter or spicier or sweeter, but not actually new,” says Murdza. “Ice syrup has about six different flavor profiles going on simultaneously, it just can’t be duplicated.” Vidal syrup begins with apricot and plum flavors and follows up with acidic notes of tangerine and citrus; Cabernet syrup’s mix of ripe raspberries and rhubarb has a strong dark berry finish.

That’s what makes it anything but a simple syrup, and why mixologists have been some of the most enthusiastic adopters of Murdza’s creation. “They love the complexity of it for craft cocktails,” he says. An ounce of Cabernet ice syrup makes an amazing Cosmo, or shaken and stirred into a non-traditional martini; Vidal syrup brings out the best in whiskey or bourbonbased drinks, with apple liqueur or mango and lychee juices.

About the only two applications not in its vast repertoire: ice syrup is not intended to be slathered on pancakes, or to sweeten coffee, as it accentuates the bitter flavor. Instead Murdza advises a delicious alternative — whip some ice syrup into the creamer and then add to coffee for a sip of pure java joy. n

Make Ice Syrup Your Kitchen’s MVP

Below you’ll find ways to wield the power of ice syrup on your menu and make every dish a sweet and savory standout … but we’re just getting started!

For more recipe ideas, visit www.icesyrup.com PERFECT PARTNERS

CABERNET

TRY THIS…

VIDAL

TRY THIS…

CHEESE

Cream brie, slightly aged cheddar

Drizzle over apple chips and old cheddar

Strong cheese— blue, goat, parmesan

Gorgonzola stuffed poached pear

SALADS

Drizzle on top

Mixed greens, cranberries, pecans and mild goat cheese

Mix with touch of olive oil

Vidal vinaigrette over mixed greens, grilled pear, walnuts and blue cheese

VEGGIES

Sauteed mushrooms

Mushrooms filled with sautéed sweet onions, bacon and chopped mushroom stem

Caramelized onions, roasted squash

French onion soup with a drizzle of ice syrup; Poppers with Jalapeno peppers and goat cheese

MEATS

Glaze or drizzle for lamb, elk, venison, salmon

Lamb loin with dried cranberries, fresh rosemary and Cabernet ice syrup

Glaze or drizzle for pork, chicken, duck, veal, scallops and shrimp

Peach-filled pork loin with ice syrup and carrots

FRUITS

Use with berries, or drizzle over desserts, crepes, ice cream

Apple strudel

Use with stone fruits; drizzle over finished pies, flans

Papaya with shrimp and curry mayonnaise

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RFS# KC460 RFS# KC458

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2/5# TUB 3.38 fl oz

POMEGRANATE SEEDS, IQF FROZEN A powerful antioxidant. The arils are selected from 100% California premium pomegranates, and individually quick frozen for ease of use.

RFS# LK140

2 oz

CAVIAR, OSETRA AMBER RFS# LK140

2 oz

CAVIAR, HACKLEBACK RFS# LK140

2 oz

CAVIAR, RAINBOW TROUT EUROPEAN We source a wide variety of caviars from small artisanal producers that practice sustainable farming methods.

Including these featured items, we offer diversity in country of origin, flavor, color and size, to be able to meet any chef's expectations.

RFS# KC460

2/8 oz

CHARISSA, MILD A uniques condiment or seasoning with a Moroccan twist on traditional cHarissa paste.

RFS# K6346

RFS# JC768

Hand picked from frozen wine grapes, at a temperature of at least 8Ëš below zero.

2/8 oz

CHARISSA, SPICY With a bold cumin flavor, cHarissa can complement menus from Tex-Mex to Middle Eastern, or as a component in chutneys.

3.38 fl oz

ICE SYRUP, VIDAL RFS# JC764

3.38 fl oz

ICE SYRUP CABERNET FRANC The complex flavor and balance lends itself to a wide variety of savory and sweet applications.

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RFS# KC968

750 ml

JUICE, YUZU 100% PURE RFS# KE256

750 ml

JUICE, KOBOSU CITRUS RFS# KC674 RFS# KG366

11 flowers

HIBISCUS FLOWERS IN SYRUP Imported from Australia, wild hibiscus flowers are sustainability farmed, hand picked and preserved in a neutral cane syrup.

They have a delicious raspberry/rhubarb flavor, working well in cocktails, as well as desserts, and savory dishes.

750 ml

JUICE, SUDACHI Yakami Orchards consist of a fourth generation family of growers, located in the picturesque prefecture of Japan. These unique citrus are processed in small batches to ensure quality and consistency.

RFS# KF466

20 lbs

AHI TUNA, ULTRA SASHIMI Fresh Hawaiin Ahi Tuna, fished from the local waters, and shipped within hours of being caught. The low water content and high creamy oil content make this most prized tuna in the world. Extra care is taken in the packaging to maintain the proper temperature, and quality from Hawaii to the kitchen. Well in cocktails, as well as desserts, and savory dishes.

RFS# KG524

RFS# KB010

6/8.45 oz

FIG JAM

OIL, OLIVE BLOOD ORANGE RFS# KH558

1.9Kg

Hand made by a small family business in Valnecia, Spain, by combining a touch of lemon blossom honey with the flavorful Pajarero fig. This is a must ingredient to any charcuterie or cheese-board.

6/6.76 oz

VINEGAR, CALIFORNIA PORT BALSAMIC O is an artisanal oil and vinegar producer. In creating their citrus oils, they crush the organic citrus along with the mission olives to fully incorporate the flavors. Their vinegars are a result of using premium varietal wines from Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

RFS# KB440

200 ct

Lollipops, Assorted Cheesecake RFS# KG146

6/34 oz

GLAZE, RED MISO RFS# KG804

A gourmet assortment of lollipops, with a decadent neutral cheesecake filling enrobed with three distinct coatings. They are accented with peanuts, pistachios and chocolate.

6/34 oz

PESTO, THAI CURRY Greek island Spice creates big bold flavored pestos, chutneys and marinades. They are carefully produced fresh, in small batches, with an emphasis on using the finest, fresh ingredients.Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

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WILD GAME MIXED GRILL OVER ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES w/LINGONBERRY DEMI GLACE PREPARATION: [Servings 1] Combine ingredients for marinade, mix and split in half, and place in two non-reactive bowls. Place flank steak and pheasant. Refrigerate and marinate for 5 hours.

Blanch sausage and set aside.

Combine vegetables and bacon in a bowl, toss with oil, salt and pepper. Place in a oven-proof baking dish, making sure vegetables are evenly spread out and put in a pre-heated 375 ˚ F oven, After 15 minutes, stir vegetables and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, in a saucepan place sugar and lingonberries and begin to heat them up.

Continue to stir for about 5 minutes. Add demi glace and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to medium to high heat. Remove pheasant and flank from the marinade. Cook to desired doneness (145˚ internal temperature for flank,165˚ for pheasant and sausage.)

Place roasted vegetables on plate and arrange pheasant, sliced venison flank and sausage. Top with lingonberry demi ghlace.

COST: $18.95 MENU: $42.95 PROFIT: $24.00

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INGREDIENTS: 4 oz 1 ea 1 ea

Venison Flank Pheasant Breast (6 oz) Rabbit /Veal Sausage (3 oz)

MARINADE 1/4 C 1/4 C 2 oz 1 Tbsp 3 tsp

EVOO Dry Red Wine Juniper Berries Fresh Thyme Chopped Garlic

ROOT VEGETABLE HASH 8 oz Root Vegetables (Potatoes, parsnips, carrots,

celery root, in any combination), peeled & chopped 1 Spanish Onion, medium (peeled & chopped) 4 oz Bacon (diced) EVOO

Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper LINGONBERRY DEMI GLACE 2½ C Demi Glace 1C Lingonberries 2 Tbsp Sugar TT Salt & Pepper

WILD GAME SLIDERS w/ TRIO SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

PREPARATION: [Servings 1]

2 oz 2 oz 2 oz 3 each 1 oz ¼ oz ¼ oz ¼ oz 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp

Preheat grill/flat top to medium/high heat. Cook sliders to desired doneness. While sliders are cooking, spilt and butter brioche rolls and grill.

Ground Elk Kobe Ground Beef Ground Bison Brioche slider rolls Spicy mix Micro-greens Southwestern Chevre Vermont Smoked Cheddar Maytag Blue cheese Chipotle Aioli Fig jam Sundried Tomato Ketchup

ASSEMBLY Arrange rolls on a plate: Elk Slider–roll, fig jam, micro-greens, protein, Maytag blue cheese. Kobe Slider-roll, sundried tomato ketchup, micro greens, protein, Vermont smoked cheddar. Bison Slider-roll, chipotle aioli, micro-greens, protein, Southwest Chevre.

COST: $12.25 MENU: $24.95 PROFIT: $12.70

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Wild Boar Osso Bucco PREPARATION: [Servings 1] For the Boar: Season the wild boar shank with 2 teaspoons of the salt and the black pepper. In a hot pan, add the oil and begin to sear the wild boar on all sides until GBD (Golden brown and delicious).

Add the onion, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the wine and the Demi Glace. Add in 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Set the pan in a 375 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours or until tender.

For the Polenta: In a sauce pot, mix the chicken base with 1/2 cup of water, add the polenta and 1/2 tsp of the salt, and stir until the mixture has thickened.

For the Swiss Chard: In a hot pan, add the Swiss chard and some of the braising liquid. Add the rest of the salt and cook for approximately 3 minutes on medium/high heat.

Set the Swiss chard on the plate next to the polenta. Top with the wild boar shank and garnish with fresh shaved slices of Grana Padano cheese.

COST: $15.14 MENU: $39.95 PROFIT: $24.81

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INGREDIENTS: 10 oz

4 oz 2 oz 3 tsp 2 Tbsp 1/8 oz

Wild Boar Osso Bucco 10-12 oz Delivers 2 Business Days RFS# KK382 Sauterne Cooking Wine Onion yellow, jumbo, diced Kosher salt Oil olive Coarse black pepper

8 ea

3 oz

1/8 oz

1 tsp 1 Tbsp

Chard Swiss Brightlight Delivers 2 Business Days RFS# KF798 Instant Polenta Flour, cooked Delivers 3-5 Business Days RFS# KB042 Cheese Grana Padano Quarter Refrigerated Delivers 2 Business Days RFS# KA506 Gourmet Chicken Base Paste Base Demi Glace Concentrate

CHOC MOUSSE w/BERRY RED CHERRIES INGREDIENTS:

PREPARATION: [Servings 3]

5 oz

1 oz

8 oz 3 ea 2 oz

1/8 oz ½ tsp

SERVING COST: $3.94

Chocolate Manjari Bittersweet 64.5% Disc Dry Delivers 2 Business Days, RFS# KA710 Sugar Trimoline Invert Syrup Tub Dry Delivers 3-5 Business Days, RFS# KH372 Cream Heavy 36% Whipping Refrigerated Eggs, Large Berry Red Cherry Natural Color Dry Delivers Within 3-5 Business Days, RFS# KK840 Fresh Mint Gourmet Pink Himalayan Salt Fine, Delivers Within 3-5 Business, RFS# KF030

In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, bring two inches of water up to a simmer. Place a steel bowl on top (to make a double boiler).

Add in the chocolate and 1/4 of the heavy cream into the bowl, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted through. In a separate bowl, add the remaining heavy cream and the trimoline, and whisk until stiff peaks are formed. In a third bowl, add the egg whites, and whip until stiff peaks are formed. Remove the chocolate from the heat and let cool down to room temperature. Slowly fold in the remaining whip cream and stiff egg whites until fully incorporated. Portion into 4 bowls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with the cherries in the center and a scant amount of pink salt.

MENU: $12.95

PROFIT: $9.01

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PHEASANT w/COUSCOUS & POMEGRANATE PREPARATION: [Servings 1] Cook couscous according to packaging directions, and let cool slightly.

Add the red onion, tomato, 1/4 tsp of salt and red pepper to the couscous and set aside.

Season the pheasant with the remaining salt and grill until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.

Let the pheasant rest at room temperature for 2 minutes, then slice on a bias.

Set the couscous onto the center 2/3 of a plate, then fan the pheasant around it.

Drizzle the pomegranate balsamic over the pheasant.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

COST: $9.97

MENU: $29.95 PROFIT: $19.98

110 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

INGREDIENTS: 7 oz

3 oz 1/8 oz 1/8 oz 1/4 oz 1/4 oz 1/4 ea 1/8 oz

2 tsp

Pheasant Breast Airline Split 6-8 Ounce All Natural Frozen Delivers Within 2 Business Days, RFS# KB958 Couscous Israeli, cooked Onion Red Jumbo, diced Red Bell Pepper Medium, small dice Cherry Tomato, sliced thin Premium Oil Olive Persian Lime, juice only Pomegranate Seed Tub, Frozen Delivers 2 Business Days, RFS# KC460 Kosher Salt

RED DRAGON BACON GRILLED CHEESE INGREDIENTS: [Servings 1] 2 oz 4 oz 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 2 slices 1/4 lb

Red Dragon cheese, RFS# LB270 Swiss cheese Mustard, Dijon, Maille, Whole Grain Fig Jam, RFS# KB010 Brioche bread Bacon, cooked crispy

Spread one side of the brioche with mustard and one side of the other slice with the whole grain mustard. Place Red dragon cheese on one side and the swiss on the other, then sandwich the bacon in the middle and griddle sandwich until golden brown on both sides, slice in half to serve.

SALAD 4 oz. Arugula 2 oz Granny Smith Apple, Small Diced 1 oz. Dried Cranberry 1 Tbsp Pepitas, RFS KC462 Combine all ingredients and toss in the vinaigrette.

VINAIGRETTE 1 oz. Bacon Fat 1 oz. Canola Oil 1/2 oz. Apple Cider Vinegar 1/2 oz Apple Cider Combine Cider and Cider Vinegar and then whisk in the oil and bacon fat.

COST: $8.58

MENU: $14.95

PROFIT: $6.37

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Sliced Duck Breast Prosciutto over Grilled Baby Romaine w/ Dried Fig & Blood Orange Vinaigrette PREPARATION: [Servings 1] Whisk together vinaigrette and set aside.

Split romaine and toss with oil and salt and pepper.

On a preheated, medium to high heat grill. Place romaine and slightly char. Remove and arrange on plate.

Take sliced duck breast over grilled romaine.

Drizzle vinaigrette over romaine and duck.

Garnish with chopped figs.

COST: $7.95

MENU: $16.95 PROFIT: $9.00

112 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

INGREDIENTS: 1 head 1 Tbsp 4 oz 1 oz

Baby Romaine EVOO Duck Prosciutto (sliced thin) Dried Mission Figs (chopped) Sea Salt / Cracked Black Pepper

Fennel Pollen Dusted Swordfish on a Maple Sugar Wood Plank, Ice Wine Syrup INGREDIENTS: [Servings 1] SWORDFISH 6 oz Swordfish Steak, RFS# LA874 1 Tsp Fennel Pollen, RFS# KB006

Maple Sugar Wood Plank, RFS# KB298 1/2 oz.

Canola Oil S/P Season swordfish with fennel pollen and S/P, then lightly coat with oil and mark on a grill at high temp.

Also rub the plank with oil and place on grill to lightly char and release the natural oils and flavor.

After marking the fish and plank, place the swordfish on the plank and finish in the oven or broiler. Plate up on the plank.

VINAIGRETTE 3 Tbl Blood Orange Infused Olive Oil 1 Tbl White Balsamic Vinegar 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUINOA SALAD 1/4 C Quinoa 1/2 C Water 4 oz Diced Roasted Butternut Squash 1/4 oz Sage, Fried S/P Cook and cool the quinoa in water. For service, pan roast the diced squash and then add the cooked quinoa to reheat, season with S/P, top with fried sage.

GREEN BEANS 4 oz Blanched Green Beans 2 tsp Meyer Lemon Oil 1 Tbsp Toasted, Chopped Hazelnuts S/P Blanch and shock the green beans. For service, flash the already cooked beans to reheat, then toss in the oil and hazelnuts and season with S/P.

COST: $11.20

MENU: $24.95

PROFIT: $13.75

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Future Events for Foodies Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo Nashville, TN 10/3/15 - 10/6/15

Michigan Restaurant Show Novi, MI 10/13/15 - 10/14/15

4th Annual Delray Beach Wine & Seafood Fest Delray Beach, FL 11/07/15 - 11/08/15

International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show NYC, NY 11/08/15 - 11/10/15

Food Network & Cooking Channel NYC Wine & Food Festival

Restaurant Finance & Development Conference

NYC, NY 10/15/15 - 10/18/15

Las Vegas, NV 11/09/15 - 11/11/15

Philadelphia Taste: Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits!

International Wine, Beer & Food Festival

Atlanta Foodservice Expo

Food & Spirits Festival

Big Sur Food and Wine Festival

Potato Expo 2016

Philadelphia, PA 10/16/15 - 10/18/15

Atlanta, GA 10/19/15 - 10/20/15

Carmel, CA 11/05/15 - 11/07-15

21st Great International Beer Festival Providence, RI 10/24/15

Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival Bethlehem, Conn.

10/10/15 - 10/11/15

1 1 4 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M I S S U E 4 w, 2 0 1 5

Grand Rapids, MI 11/19/15 - 11/21/15

Lancaster, PA 11/21/15 - 11/22/15

Las Vegas, NV 1/12/16-1/14/16

International Production & Processing Expo Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA 1/26/16-1/28/16

from

our farmers´ hands

to yours

Fresh produce is taking center stage

on menus across the country,

name to know. We work directly with the most reputable growers to bring you vibrant, versatile produce. Meeting stringent specifications for quality and food safety, from field to freshest delivery. The time is ripe for value and Good Roots is the

this fresh. Beginning with Good Roots.

FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 1 1 5

WINTER SNEAK PEEK

Great Places in

DOOR COUNTY & GREEN BAY W

e're headed up North for a blistering cold, yet incredibly hearty winter special in Wisconsin. That's right.

We're hitting up Green Bay (home of Packers) and nearby Door County - a vacation mecca for Midwesterners. From chunky cheese curd to bona fide brats to authentic Scandinavian fare, get your stomach prepared for some hearty American flavors for the winter edition of Restaurant Inc. If you’d like to contribute or be considered for content in the Winter issue or subsequent issues, email Team Reinhart at magazine@rfsdelivers.com.

THE PLACES LISTED ARE JUST A FEW WE HAVE OUR EYES ON FOR THE WINTER ISSUE:

Baileys Harbor Cornerstone Pub Baileys Harbor, WI

Casual affordable dining.

Lunch and dinner daily.

Homemade pizza served everyday until bar closes. Door County’s oldest fish fry, featuring pan-fried perch. Full service bar, non-smoking dining room and video game room. Enjoy Green Bay Packer memorabilia while dining. It’s conveniently located across from the marina.

To see more go to: baileysharborcornerstonepub.com

Al Johnsons'

Grazies Italian Grill

Al Johnson’s is an authentic Swedish family owned restaurant where you can find goats grazing on the sod roof. Inside the casual, carpeted dining room, young ladies in Scandinavian garb dish out limpa bread and Swedish meatballs. The menu consists of a variety of Swedish fare, from pancakes with lingonberries to Swedish meatballs, whitefish, sandwiches, salads, and a variety of hot and cold plates.

Casual restaurant serving traditional Italian favorites in rustic-chic environment.

Grazies is proud to say that we have been a strong supporter and staple in our community for many years. Our commitment to you at Grazies is simple: “Food is the Hero,” with signature recipes customertested and customer-approved over the years.

With no heat lamps or microwaves, and most everything you can think of “Made Fresh from Scratch” with better ingredients for a better you.

Sister Bay, WI

To see more go to: aljohnsons.com

Green Bay, WI

To see more go to: graziesitaliangrill.com

Greystone Castle Bar

Margarita’s of Green Bay

Plae Bistro

Door County's Best Prime Rib Steak Sandwich located In Sturgeon Bay, WI. The Greystone Castle sports a lively clientele always willing to give local information on hunting and fishing and definitely the place to hear the origin of the "fish story." Fun bar and eatery offering classic American fare, darts & TV sports in a hunting-and-fishing-themed space.

Mexican cantina serving traditional dishes, large margaritas & beer in a laid-back setting. Over 50 Margarita Varieties Made from the Best Ingredients! Try the Margarita Dip, their signature dip is slow-cooked to perfection, blending creamy white pepper cheese with our secret ingredients.

To see more go to: greystonecastlebar.com

To see more go to: margaritas-greenbay.com

Share a laugh, share a dish and share the intimate atmosphere that makes Plae, Green Bay's only neighborhood bistro. Enjoy the famous, contemporary American cuisine served with a healthy twist and a side of cozy ambiance. With a diverse menu of imaginative flavor combinations and additional daily features, you're sure to find that perfect dish for a quick lunch or a long romantic dinner.

Sturgeon Bay, WI

116 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Green Bay, WI

Green Bay, WI

To see more go to: plaebistro.com

S E RV E YO U R G U E ST S

L I B AT I O N S THEY CAN ENJOY

WITH A FORK.

GREENHEAD IPA ALMOND CAKE

On-trend booze-infused desserts add an extra air of elegance to your bar and grill. From co-branded creations to rum and bourbon inspirations, Dianne’s has crafted irresistible offerings to drive your dessert sales.

WIGLE WHISKEY SAUCY BUNDT CAKE

BUTTER RUM CAKE

BOURBON PECAN PIE ®

©2015 Dianne’s® Fine Desserts

Visit www.diannesfinedesserts.com or call 800.435.2253 FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 1 1 7

O P E R A T O R

I N D E X

The 404 Kitchen

Cabo Flats

Jason's Deli

Nashville, TN the404nashville.com [pg. 91]

Multiple Florida Locations www.caboflats.com [pg. 84]

Locations Across Country www.jasonsdeli.com [pg. 30]

492

CH Distillery

Kowloon Restaurant

Charleston, SC 492king.com [pg. 69]

Chicago, IL chdistillery.com [pg. 82]

Saugus, MA kowloonrestaurant.com [pg. 14]

Arnold's Lobster & Clam Bar

Chez Panisse

The Lobster Pot

Eastham, MA www.arnoldsrestaurant.com [pg. 56]

Berkeley, CA www.chezpanisse.com [pg. 38]

Provincetown, MA www.ptownlobsterpot.com [pg. 56]

Beer Bistro

The Commoner

Longfellow’s Wayside Inn

Multiple Chicago Locations thebeerbistro.com [pg. 78]

Pittsburgh, PA www.thecommonerpgh.com [pg. 81]

Sudbury, MA www.wayside.org [pg. 20]

BellyQ

Cooper's Hawk Winery & Rest.

Lula Café

Chicago, IL www.bellyqchicago.com [pg. 41]

Multiple Illinois Locations www.coopershawkwinery.com [pg. 95]

Chicago, IL lulacafe.com [pg. 69]

Belly Shack

Cup and Top Café

Mike and Patty’s

Chicago, IL www.bellyshack.com [pg. 41]

Florence, MA cupandtop.com [pg. 63]

Boston, MA www.mikeandpattys.com [pg. 65]

Bin 36

Fairsted Kitchen

Native Foods Café

Chicago, IL www.bin36.com [pg. 81]

Brookline, MA fairstedkitchen.com [pg. 56]

Multiple Chicago Locations www.nativefoods.com [pg. 31]

Blackwood BBQ

The Four's

Next Restaurant

Multiple Chicago Locations blackwoodbbq.com [pg. 89]

Multiple Massachusetts Locations www.thefours.com [pg. 18]

Chicago, IL www.nextrestaurant.com [pg. 69]

Bluegrass

French Laundry

The Old Clam House

Highland Park, IL www.bluegrasshp.com [pg. 96]

Yountville, CA www.thomaskeller.com/tfl [pg. 42]

San Francisco, CA www.theoldclamhousesf.com [pg. 57]

Boston Beer Co.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Oliveira's Steak House

Jamaica Plain, MA www.bostonbeer.com [pg. 77]

New York, NY www.oysterbarny.com [pg. 57]

Multiple Boston Locations www.oliveirassteakhouse.com [pg. 74]

Bread & Wine

Green Eggs Café

Pleasant and Main

Chicago, IL breadandwinechicago.com [pg. 42]

Multiple Philadelphia Locations greeneggscafe.com [pg. 65]

Housatonic, MA www.pleasantandmain.com [pg. 62]

Bricco

GT Fish & Oyster

Polo Grill

Boston, MA www.bricco.com [pg. 12]

Chicago, IL gtoyster.com [pg. 57]

Tulsa, Oklahoma www.pologrill.com [pg. 34]

Broken Shaker

Jam

The Radler

Chicago, IL thefreehand.com [pg. 69]

Chicago, IL jamrestaurant.com [pg. 65]

Chicago, IL 60614 www.dasradler.com [pg. 81]

118 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

Rustika Café & Bakery Houston, TX www.rustikacafe.com [pg. 65]

Sheetz Locations Across Country www.sheetz.com [pg. 31]

Sonoma Restaurant Princeton, MA www.sonoma-princeton.com [pg. 63]

Sotto Mare Oysteria & Seafood San Francisco, CA www.sottomaresf.com [pg. 57]

Spirits Works Distillery Sebastopol, CA www.spiritworksdistillery.com [pg. 83]

Stanley New Orleans, LA www.stanleyrestaurant.com [pg. 65]

Strega Waterfront

Warren Tavern

Boston, MA www.stregawaterfront.com [pg. 17]

Charlestown, MA www.warrentavern.com [pg. 13]

Tallgrass Brewing

West End Pub

Manhattan, KS tallgrassbeer.com [pg. 81]

Shelburne Falls, MA www.westendpubinfo.com [pg. 63]

The Tavern at Quarry Hills

Which Wich

Quincy, MA www.granitelinksgolfclub.com [pg. 16]

Locations Across Country www.whichwich.com [pg. 36]

Union Oyster House

Wise Sons

Boston, MA www.unionoysterhouse.com [pg. 11, 16 & 57]

San Francisco, CA wisesonsdeli.com [pg. 27]

Urbanbelly

Yankee Lobster Company

Chicago, IL urbanbellychicago.com [pg. 41]

Boston, MA www.yankeelobstercompany.com [pg. 21]

The Violet Hour

Zaftigs Delicatessen

Chicago, IL theviolethour.com [pg. 84]

Multiple Massachussets Locations www.zaftigs.com [pg. 19]

A D V E R T I S E R

TRACS® Direct

Avocados from Mexico

Bay Valley®

Sterno®

Markon® Advertorial

Good Roots™ Produce

www.tracsdirect.com [pg. IFC, 01] www.sterno.com [pg. 03]

Markon®

www.markon.com [pg. 04]

Campbell's® Foodservice

www.cambbellsfoodservice.com [pg. 07 & 43]

Swipely

www.swipely.com [pg. 37]

www.theamazingavocado.com [pg. 54-55] www.markon.com [pg. 66-67]

Farmland® Smok'n Fast® BBQ www.smokenfast.com [pg. 71]

www.bayvalley.com [pg. 91]

www.rfsdelivers.com [pg. 115]

Dianne's® Fine Desserts

www.diannesfinedesserts.com [pg. 22 & 117]

McCain®

Sugar Foods Corp

Reinhart® Direct E&S

Reinhart's New Website!

www.mccainideafeed.com/pairformore [pg. 76]

[pg. 87]

I N D E X

www.sugarfoods.com [pg. IBC] www.rfsdelivers.com [pg. BC]

Advertising Information: For rates and media kit, contact Andrea Wilson andreaw@newhallklein.com. When contacting our advertisers, please mention you saw their ads here. ©2015 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners.

FA L L 2 0 1 5 R F S D E L I V E R S . C O M 1 1 9

C O M M O D I T I E S

COMMODITIES TRACKING

LIVESTOCK

SOFTS

GRAINS

Keep your ear to the ground with commodity pricing, as it dictates food costs.

Below are select prices to help readers keep track. Prices as of September 8, 2015.*

description

units price contract

CBOT Corn

USd/bu.

365.50

Dec 15

CBOT Wheat

USd/bu.

471.50

Dec 15

CBOT Oats

USd/bu.

226.50

Dec 15

CBOT Rough Rice

USD/cwt.

12.16

Nov 15

CBOT Soybeans

USd/bu.

877.50

Nov 15

CBOT Soybean Meal

USD/T.

308.50

Dec 15

CBOT Soybean Oil

USd/lb.

27.26

Dec 15

description

units price contract

ICE Cocoa

USD/MT

3,220.00

Dec 15

ICE Coffee "C"

USd/lb.

120.25

Dec 15

ICE Sugar #11

USd/lb.

11.20

Oct 15

ICE Orange Juice Conc

USd/lb.

128.00

Nov 15

ICE Cotton #2

USd/lb.

63.26

Dec 15

description

units price contract

CME Live Cattle

USd/lb.

141.00

Oct 15

CME Feeder Cattle

USd/lb.

196.65

Oct 15

CME Lean Hogs

USd/lb.

69.15

Oct 15

*SOURCE: Bloomberg.com

Is there a commodity you’d like to see on the chart? Email magazine@rfsdelivers.com with your suggestion.

120 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 4, 2015

TRACS Direct To Go ®

TRY OUR FREE INDUSTRY-LEADING BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUR iPhone, iPad, and Android™ Devices!

Harness these powerful tools with our app TRACS Direct To Go! Now Available for Android Devices

Create Orders

RFS# K2342

Create orders anywhere at anytime.

View purchase history, manufacture information, and more.

Manage Inventory

Take inventory by scanning the UPC using the scanner or camera on your mobile device. Inventory can be maintained for both Reinhart and other vendors. iPad

Multiple Locations

Have more than one location? Manage multiple locations from one account.

iPhone ®

Visit tracsdirect.com or contact your local Reinhart Sales Consultant for more information.

TRACS Direct To Go syncs up with your existing TRACS Direct account. Must be a Reinhart Customer to utilize TRACS Direct and TRACS Direct To Go. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc. The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

introducing the all new

RFSDELIVERS .com

VOL

Loaded with fresh trends & ideas to inspire your operation.

03,

ISSUE

04

n

FALL

$5.99

See this recipe and more in our Food Fight Section! p. 52

IN OU COMMUNR ITIES New Engla nd – Rich in Historical S ignificance , Natural Be auty & Culinary D istinction p. 10

| the business of food | ISSUE 04: 2015

• Details on your local Reinhart division, including events, contacts & more!

• Delectable recipes & photography that you can use for inspiration.

• Feature stories on how to manage food costs, market your business & manage operations.

n

Deconstruction Clam Chowder

R E S TA U R A N T I N C

WEBSITE FEATURES

2015

B

n o t s o

R e i m ag i n E D Transforming Bean Town’s Traditional Delicacies p. 44