All Things Alcohol

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An integral part of the NRA Show, the International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event—now in its seventh year—will be treating attendees to a number of education sessions and interactive demonstrations during two days of the show, May 18-19. The IWSB Event is the only forum to focus on alcoholic beverages and their important role in the hospitality industry. Being the craft cocktail enthusiast that I am, the breakdown of the six educational sessions and eight hands-on demonstrations have left me itching with anticipation.

Sunday

12:30 PM – How to Take Your Craft Program from Ordinary to Extraordinary Wine, Spirits and Beer
Led by Group Publisher for Food News Media, Greg Sanders, this session will focus on making “craft” a reality on menus, and provide information on other upcoming trends in craft cocktails and sodas.

2:00 PM – Champagne and Sparkling Wines: Is the Bubble Bursting?
A panel of sommeliers and other wine professionals will be answering some questions on all things wine. Trends, loyalty and buyer perception will be a few topics up for debate during this panel.

3:30 PM – The Art of Beverage and Food Pairings
Chef Kevin Hickey will be leading an exploration of culinary sensory awareness, helping better understand which beverages pair best with which dishes, and how to determine what goes better together for future drink and menu options.

Monday

11:30 AM – The Great Martini Debate
Tony Abou-Ganim shares the countless martini options, from alcohol and flavor choice to garnish selection and the different ways to physically build the classic beverage.

1:30 PM– Hot Trends for Increased Beverage Sales
Understanding current trends and learning how to incorporate those trends can significantly increase sales. Glenn Schmitt, president of Marke Team will help coach you through learning what is and will be trending and how to profit from it.

3:00 PM – Trends in Beer: Adding Value through Your Beer List
Craft beer is wildly popular and this panel of professionals is dissecting how to incorporate the seemingly endless selection to menus.

The Demo Lounges that will be operating during the two-day event include How to Make the Perfect Margarita, The Perfect Bitters for your Manhattan, In the Rocks, Mojito-making and others. My inner bartender cannot wait to learn how to put a special twist on classic drinks, and I am especially excited to learn how to make a fabulous martini that even James Bond would love.
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NRA Show 2014 - Chef Magazine's Product Showcase

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A round-up of must-see booths with new and old innovative products at the National Restaurant Association Show

Over the course of four days, more than 18,000 suppliers and tens of thousands of buyers will visit the booths at the National Restaurant Association, Hotel-Motel Show taking place May 17-20 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Trends and topics highlighted at the almost 100-year-old show include operational issues, menu development, sustainability, marketing, technology, special dietary needs, health and nutrition. More than 70 educational sessions will be led by industry experts. Guests can experience what's possible in sustainable horticulture and urban farming at the McCormick Place Rooftop Garden Tour taking place on Sunday and Tuesday. In addition the International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event will coincide with the show May 18-19.

Stop by our May advertisers' must-see booths to learn about new products and see how they can be used in your restaurant.

DayMark • 866/517-0490, daymarksafety.com • Booth: 3201

The 9700 offers a range of features that no other unit on the market can boast, including an 8.4-inch Hot Touch Full Color display and a premier labeling provider bringing the most innovative labeling options to the prep table. The patent-pending DissolveMark Direct Thermal label technology allows flexibility in the kitchen and the performance you have come to expect from DayMark's Dissolve-a-way Labeling.

Equipex • 800/649-7885, equipex.com • Booth: 1612

Vitroceramic salamanders offer instant-on and infinite power setting features for movable top Vitroceramic models. The electric finishing ovens have a Quartz or Vitroceramic heating element. Models with an adjustable, movable top or a fixed top and adjustable bottom trays pull out with a wire rack. They can be free standing or wall mounted (kit optional), and infrared cooking enables operator to melt, brown, roast or glaze meat, fish, soups and desserts.

Worcester Industrial Products Corp. • 800/533-5711, shortening-shuttle.us • Booth: 1737

The Shortening Shuttle Waste Oil Carrier returns to the NRA Show for the 24th year. See the changes made to the device over the years. Representatives have models, accessories and ideas to help transport waste oil from kitchen to recycle area.

Alto-Shaam, Inc. • 262/251-3800, alto-shaam.com • Booth: 4840

Alto-Shaam's latest line of Combi ovens, the CT PROformance Combitherm Ovens, deliver a unique combination of features, expanding menu offerings by providing endless versatility and reliability in the kitchen. Considered an alternative for a convection oven, kettle, steamer, fryer, smoker and dehydrator, the line features the new PROpower setting. While in turbo mode, the CT PROformance operates up to 80 percent faster than conventional technology and can preheat up to 575 degrees Fahrenheit. The Absolute Humidity Control allows the user to select a precise humidity level from zero to 100 percent and the CombiSmoke feature increases versatility by allowing operators to smoke any product, hot or cold.

Robot Coupe USA • 800/824-1646, robot-coupe.com • Booth: 4037

The new table-top Robot Coupe CL51 Vegetable Prep Processor is designed to process from 20 to 300 meals per service. The CL51 has two hoppers that provide consistent processing of all fruits and vegetables and its kidney-shaped feed holds seven tomatoes; use its cylindrical feed tube for long, thin veggies. Slice, ripple cut, grate, julienne, dice and French fry in various sizes with its 52 steel discs.

Boggiatto • 831/424-8952, boggiattoproduce.com • Booth: 7928

Chefs have spoken. Garden Hearts are one of the most requested brands of romaine hearts in the industry. Why? Consistent quality, superior yield, minimal prep, and they are inexpensive. Your guests deserve the best and so does your bottom line.

Master-Bilt • 800/647-1284, master-bilt.com • Booth: 4257

Master-Bilt's ENERGY STAR qualified, bottom-mounted medium (BMG Plus) and low-temp (BLG Plus) glass door cooler and freezer merchandisers, deliver value and performance. High end design features include full-height glass doors, four adjustable cantilever shelves per door, and double strip LED lighting for maximum product visibility and illumination.

EdgeCraft home of Chef'sChoice • 800/342-3255, edgecraft.com • Booth: 3105

The Model 2100 Chef'sChoice Commercial Electric Knife Sharpener from EdgeCraft Corporation is a perfect solution for quickly sharpening knives in a cost and time efficient manner in today's commercial environment. Anyone can quickly and easily put a razor sharp edge on all commercial cutlery with this item. This three-stage Diamond Hone sharpener with advanced technology sharpens both fine-edge and serrated knives. It's dishwasher safe and includes a removable 20 degree edge sharpening module.

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An Irish Taste Worth Every Penny: The Gage

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            Located on South Michigan Avenue near Millennium Park, The Gage (24 S. Michigan, 312/372-4243) is the perfect place to go for some fine dining, or tasty appetizers and drinks.  It is run by the Lawless family who has been in the hospitality industry since 1977.  They are originally from Galway, Ireland where they owned several renowned bars, restaurants and hotels.
           
A favorite dish among visitors is Today’s Fish and Chips which includes a Guinness battered-fish with malt tartar sauce and lemon.  If you just want to stop in for lunch, try one of the specialty sandwiches such as the Gage Venison Burger which comes with smoked Gouda, fried jalapeño, woodland mushroom, pickled onion and mustard aioli.   
           
Enjoy a delightful and light appetizer like the House Smoked Rainbow Trout or the Spring Pea Soup. With that, order a local craft beer such as The Two Brothers Cane & Ebel or the Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey.

The Gage, open-close, every day:

Sundays from 10 am to 10 pm (bar closes at 12 am)
Mondays from 11 am to 10 pm (bar closes at 12 am)
Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 2 am and Saturdays from 10 am to 12 am (bar closes at 3 am).

-Christina Danno







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Celebrate Innovation

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Applying better solutions to an existing marketplace: that’s innovation in its very basic form. When innovation peaks though, the affects spread beyond the innovators themselves and provide the market, the industry, customers and operators with the stepping stones needed to continue to grow. The companies and brands that will be celebrated this weekend at the NRA Show have done just this.


The NRA Show features three distinct awards programs designed to identify and share these innovations with operators across the globe. The Kitchen Innovations Awards (KI) recognize and celebrate breakthrough back-of-house equipment and technology; these are items that are improving and benefiting operators on a daily basis. Rewarding bold imagination in food and beverage, The Food & Beverage Innovations Awards (FABI) highlight the products with the greatest potential to help operators capitalize on consumer trends.The third and final innovation awards program is the Operator Innovations Awards (OI), which will announce winners this Saturday, May 17th at the Destination: Celebration Gala. The OI Awards recognize and celebrate restaurant operators worldwide who are combining imagination and hard work to find fresh ways to improve business.
For the 10-year Anniversary of the Kitchen Innovation Awards, recipients were judged by a panel of industry experts who determined which products have been working to solve operator challenges and specifically improve back-of-house effectiveness. This year’s winners included Alto-Shaam, Inc.; BioZone Scientific International; Edlund Company; Fired Up Kitchens; Garland; Manitowoc Beverage; Neico Corporation; Volcan; Turbo Coil and many, many more. To see the full list of Kitchen Innovations Award Winners, click here. 


The FABI Awards Program rewards food and beverage products that truly have the potential to drive operator success. From Schmacon’s Smoked and Cured Glazed Beef to Kiki’s Gluten Free Deep Dish Pizza, the FABI Awards features trending ingredients, healthy living, special diets and artisan offerings as just a few categories rich in products that have helped operators expand menus, meet demand and retain customers.  

The third annual Operator Innovations Awards will select finalists in five categories: health and nutrition, marketing, menu development, sustainability and technology. The finalists include men, women, boys and girls who, through innovation and imagination, are finding ways to improve the foodservice industry. The current finalists include everything from UNC Health Care’s Restaurant Delivery Program where patients can choose from a menu with more than 93 different entrée options, to Subway’s Project Subway marketing initiative in which they sent models down a New York Fashion Week runway in branded materials such as napkins, straws and salad bowls. The winners of this year’s Operator Innovations Awards will be announced live during the gala, in addition to the prestigious award of Innovator of the Year.
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Foraging & The City and Dining at Sepia

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Last night I had the opportunity to go on a foraging adventure in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, drink some delicious CaorunnGin cocktails and dine at Sepia.
Although I wouldn’t recommend novices forage alone, with the help of our guide, Urban Forager Chris Mayor, our group managed to pick several native greens without getting sick and using them in our cocktails later. Mayor taught us some tricks of the trade—of the 7,000 varieties of mint, most have square stems and few are poisonous. If it doesn’t smell like something you want to eat, then that variety of mint should be fine to consume. Also, you will never have to buy straws again as long as you have a supply of long-stem dandelions and some cold water to soak them in. While on our excursion, we picked Catnip, Creeping Charlie, Wild Onions and Crabapple blossoms for a garnish.
Caorunn Gin had hosted a competition earlier in the day among local Chicago bartenders to see who came up with the best drink. The winning team had a member from Lone Wolf and from The Chop Shop. They created a delicious concoction, Caorunn Sour.

Caorunn Sour:
 
2 oz. Caorunn
Splash of Talisker
.75 oz. lemon
.75 oz. botanical syrup (simple syrup made with dried heather, lemon and orange zest) 
2 short dash barkeep fennel bitters
1 heavy dash dandelion bitters

Shake with diced quarter-sized sliver of ginger and:

Catnip—2 big leaves
Creeping Charlie—small sprig
Wild onion—2 sprigs 
Fine strain into coup

Express lemon   



After experiencing the abnormally high May temperature, it was nice to relax in the air-conditioning at Sepia. The Near West Side eatery is a must-try, with a rotating seasonal menu, homemade pastas, and organic and sustainable ingredients are used when available.  I had a refreshing salad with baby arugula, toasted pine nuts, pickled lemon zest and grana padano. It paired well with the Caorrun Sour. The entrée I chose was just as light and delicious. The chef prepared pan roasted cod with a sweet corn and clam chowder and chive oil.
 
Caorrun Gin is manufactured in Scotland, and I had the good fortune of sitting near Gin Master Simon Bouley.  He explained that its profile is distinctive with a base of Rowan Berry, Myrtle, Heather, Dandelion Leaf and Scotland’s “Forgotten” Coul Blush Apple, infused with six traditional botanicals to give it a sense of terroir rarely seen in a gin.  

If the opportunity arises when you are in town for the National Restaurant Association Show, I recommend a trip to Lincoln Park whether or not you are with an expert forager. I also recommend wining and dining at Sepia and incorporating the flavorful Caorrun Gin into your restaurant’s repertoire.
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Fine Dining in the South Loop: Acadia

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Tucked away inside frosted windows on south Wabash Street and intriguing an area that is fairly barren and quite devoid of heavy night traffic, Michelin Star-rated Acadia Chicago brings to the South Loop what L20 or Alinea brings to Lincoln Park: strongly recommended fine dining. 

Chef/Owner Ryan McCaskey is a Saignon, Vietnam transplant who was raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and has built quite the following of chefs. McCaskey’s broad skill set and diverse kitchen experience—Trio under Grant Achatz and TRU under Rick Tramonto, Goose Cove Lodge in Maine and the Black Locust in Wisconsin, to name a few—has layered the talents and techniques required for McCaskey to build a successful, harmonious fine-dining hot spot.

His culinary style, described as simultaneously contemporary and classic, has certainly lent itself to not only the menu, but the experience and even décor at Acadia. The simple bar area is paralleled with beautifully soaring ceilings and neutral, two-toned walls. The chairs, wrapped in white, don’t-spill-on-me fabric are a serene accent for the large dark tables. The minimalist design sets the table for the modern American cuisine that’s featured in both the twelve-course chef’s tasting menu and the more approachable bar offerings (at gastropub pricing.) Beyond its first AAA Five Diamond Restaurant rating and second One Star Michelin Guide Award, the restaurant is touted for its bar food—though I use that term loosely, it’s still the technique-driven quality that Chef McCaskey is known for—including his award winning Acadia Burger (a double patty with house made apple wood bacon, double crème gouda, “special sauce”, garlic dill pickles and potato salad) and the Stonington, Maine Lobster Roll with paprika and chives.  

For a la carte options, check out the 62 Degree Swan Creek Farm Egg with pistachio bread, frisee, radish and allium juice. Or the Foie Gras Torchon with Asian pear, Maine blueberry gelee, almond, brussels sprout leaves, and vin santo.


Acadia is open for dinner on Tuesday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m., and Sunday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Reservations can be made online or by calling  312.360.9500.
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California Strawberry Specials Sizzle on Summer Menus

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Operators across the nation would probably agree that summer is the “berry” best time to feature California strawberry signature menu items. California strawberry  specials help drive traffic in every menu part with eye-catching color and bright flavor.

Industry pundits encourage limited-time offers (LTOs) to boost brand excitement and drive sales. Some popular Strawberry LTOs return annually due to customer demand, and some find their way on to the permanent menu. That’s why so many chains rely on an annual strawberry promotion, year-after-year, it’s what the customers want, and it increases traffic during a high volume season.  Look to the California Strawberry Commission for innovative menu ideas for your summer menu specials. Expand the beverage menu with a refreshing Basil Strawberry Lemonade which can be served as a cocktail, too. Add a versatile summer Strawberry Salsa which is great with chips and an excellent topping for a white fish entrée, or taco. Or try adding a savory appetizer like Strawberry Gazpacho to start and Grilled Strawberries with Black Pepper Ice Cream as a show-stopping finale. Good news for operators: California strawberries are available all year round, so LTOs can easily
become permanent customer favorites.

Visit www.californiastrawberries.com for summer menu ideas. From whole, sliced, diced, grilled,
roasted and braised, California strawberries has a recipe for you.

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Next on the list of places to see while you’re in town for the NRA Show, is the Terrace at Trump (401 N. Wabash, 312/588-8000), which opened for the season on May 7th. With a view that can bring anyone to a place of Zen, not one of the 250 seats currently housed on the Terrace will disappoint. The strategic mirrored building complements the chic Chicago skyline, and everyone is treated like royalty at the premier rooftop lounge. 

Don’t let the wind deter you, once the sun goes down and the lights from the Wrigley Building and the InterContinental Hotel come on, Mother Nature flips off her ill-humored switch, providing the most serene of scenes.

Something new I noticed on the drink menu this year is a blank page titled “Reserved List.” Whitney, our server, explained when a light is shone onto the page, it reveals a special menu of cocktails that are served after sunset. 




We enjoyed the bites on their menu, where spice is a reoccurring theme. Pickled Chayote, Chili Lime Cashews, Cheese & Habanero Jelly and Bacon Cheddar Cookies paired well with our Moscow Mules.  

Chef Fiddler’s Mediterranean-inspired menu offer a variety of options and are presented in a brilliantly simplistic manner. Among the classic wagyu Shrunken Burgers and seafood platters, lies a new item that is certain to grow into an instant classic—the PLT (Pancetta, lobster & tomato).

The hard-working staff seamlessly takes care of you, and the managers visit each table to ensure everyone is enjoying their time being royalty, maintaining Trump’s five-star standard.

Open daily from 2pm-12am.

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Bite Into One of Fleetwood's Spectacular Dishes

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Fleetwood  (2333 S. Michigan, 312/624-8759) is located in the South Loop, just blocks away from McCormick Place. Don’t walk down the street too quickly, or you might miss it and that would mean missing out.

The ambiance is chic. The place is decorated with rich tones, chandeliers, contemporary furniture and marble floors.

Fleetwood serves American-style food. The Lobster Ravioli, made with pieces of tender lobster tucked in homemade sheets of pasta and served in a tomato cream sauce, is a favorite among patrons. Another seafood dish that guests enjoy is the Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp. Each piece of sautéed jumbo shrimp is wrapped with prosciutto and served with a side of Cajun tarter sauce. Vegetarians will love the Tuscan Salad with spring greens, Endive leaves, red onions and Gorgonzola cheese drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a balsamic reduction.


Open    Wed. - Sat.      5 p.m.-Midnight
            Sun.                 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Open additional hours for the National Restaurant Show on Monday, May 19 and Tuesday, May 20.
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