Staff from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) volunteered Dec. 9 at the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), sorting and boxing more than 14,000 pounds of potatoes for distribution to the agency's network of almost 600 hunger relief agencies and food pantries. This is the second straight year that the staff at the MRA has volunteered at the GBFB.
(l to r) MRA staff members Lon Breedlove, Janine Harrod, Marybeth Maloney, Mark Sarno, Heather Carneiro, John McGrath, Kathy Murphy and Peter Christie
The GBFB is a nonprofit organization that feeds more than 320,000 people annually across nine counties in eastern Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.gbfb.org.
New York City's Oceana will display a gingerbread lighthouse crafted by pasty chef Jansen Chan at the restaurant's raw bar throughout the holiday season. The entire tower, which took more 75 hours of labor to construct, is edible. It contains more than 1,800 pieces of candy and stands over 4 feet tall. Each night the "lantern room" is lit with a wax candle, which illuminates through blue colored poured sugar. The lighthouse was erected Nov. 24 and will undergo demolition on Jan. 4, 2010.
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Fifth Group Restaurants has won The Concierge Society of Atlanta's Affiliate of the Year Award for 2009. Fifth Group Restaurants was honored at The Concierge Society of Atlanta's 25th Anniversary Gala on Dec. 7. By supporting the organization, Fifth Group has formed and maintained relationships with local concierge. By being an affiliate member, Fifth Group is able to attend monthly meeting and events with concierge and also hear about the likes/dislikes of concierge when working with restaurants. It has enabled them to improve the way their restaurants respond to hotel guest requests and has helped build hotel recommendations from concierge. The award really shows the company's dedication to supporting the concierge community and also cements Fifth Group as a great recommendation in the minds of our local concierge.
Owned by Partners Robby Kukler, Steve Simon and Kris Reinhard, Fifth Group Restaurants is the privately owned company that operates Atlanta restaurants South City Kitchen Midtown, South City Kitchen Vinings, La Tavola Trattoria, Ecco and The Original El Taco, as well as Bold American, a catering and events company with on-site services at Studio 887 and the Event Gallery at the King Plow Arts Center and of-fsite at private homes, offices and Atlanta's premier venues.
Nations fell short of an agreement on a complete temporary purse seine closure the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) tuna fishery--despite strong support for such a measure from both the European Union and the United States--a decision that keeps current conservation management measures in place through 2011.
Scientific assessments presented to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in December in Papeete, Tahiti, warned that current conservation and management measures would not allow the region's bigeye stock to recover from overfishing. In advance of the meeting ISSF urged nations to apply conservation and management measures in all waters of the region and to implement a total temporary closure of the purse seine fishery.
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released the following statement about the outcome from president Susan Jackson:
"A key obstacle to the recovery of this region's bigeye stock is the continued capture of juvenile tuna in the purse seine fishery and the significant bigeye catch by longline vessels operating in the area. What did not happen in Tahiti this week underscores the need for continuing research into reducing bycatch in tuna fisheries and creating a set of global best practices for use in every purse seine fishery. ISSF has been and continues to work with scientists and fishermen on this important aspect of sustainability.
"We are pleased that all nations engaged in serious and thoughtful dialogue on the need for increased cooperation in the region. ISSF is hopeful that such talk bears fruit in the near future.
"Our foundation remains committed to supporting the scientific bodies of regional fisheries management organizations and helping to build consensus among nations with a shared interest in the sustainable future of tuna stocks in the WCPO."
National Restaurant Association (NRA) president and CEO Dawn Sweeney announced that Scott DeFife has been named executive vice president, policy & government affairs, spearheading the NRA's federal and state legislative and lobbying efforts, effective Jan. 11, 2010. DeFife comes to the association from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, where he has led government affairs.
DeFife assumes a key leadership role for an association representing the nation's second largest private sector employer, an industry with close to 13 million jobs, nearly one million restaurant and foodservice locations, and annual sales of more than $500 billion. In his new position, DeFife will oversee government affairs, public policy and advocacy communications for the 90-year-old organization.
"We're very excited to have Scott at the helm of our government affairs efforts," Sweeney said in a press release. "His advocacy experience in complex policy and legislation, superlative bipartisan credentials, and substantive approach will be of great benefit to the National Restaurant Association, our members, and the restaurant industry. His unique blend of federal and state government affairs experience in politics and trade associations will enhance our government affairs efforts in key areas."
For the past two years, DeFife was recognized as one of the "best lobbyists in the business for America's business trade associations" by Capitol Hill's newspaper, The Hill. At SIFMA, he has led a 15-person government affairs team.
DeFife previously served as senior policy advisor to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). He held senior legislative positions in the offices of Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Rep. Karen McCarthy (D-MO), and Rep. Michael Andrews (D-TX). He has also represented the American Public Power Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
On Dec. 9, the Los Angeles City Council approved moving forward with the Los Angeles Certified Green Business Program. The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) was announced as the leader for the new city program at a news conference at Ciudad restaurant today. The District will be joined by Green Seal Inc., the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce, Green Globe and DineL.A./L.A. Inc. (The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau) in its work on the program.
Green Seal will use its restaurant standard GS-46 to certify restaurants and coordinate with the District on the Los Angeles Green Lodging Program GS-33 (run by Green Seal and LA Inc. in cooperation with the city).
Green Seal's Environmental Standard for Restaurants and Foodservices GS-46 is a result of extensive research in all areas of a restaurant's environmental impacts, with input from over one hundred stakeholders. Based on life-cycle research, the standard involves comprehensive evaluation of the sources of environmental impacts, including food selection, energy, water use, and waste.
The leadership standard for lodging properties GS-33 requires hotels to demonstrate sustainable business practices in the areas of waste minimization and reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality and environmentally sensitive purchasing.
For more information, visit www.GreenSeal.org.
The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar at The District in Tustin, Calif., has been named 2009 Restaurant of the Year by the Orange County Concierge Association for the second consecutive year. Members from the top hotels throughout Orange County selected The Winery based on the quality of food, service, ambiance and the restaurant's working relationship with concierge.
The dining room at The Winery
For more information about The Winery, visit www.thewineryrestaurant.net.
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Bush's Best Foodservice was recently awarded "Best Digital Direct Response" at the Digital Publishing and Advertising DPAC Awards for its site www.grilledandlonely.com, which helps foodservice operators find the "perfect match" of Bush's Best baked beans recipes for different proteins. Bush was the only foodservice brand nominated across all categories.
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Chef's Stirrings is the official blog of Chef Magazine, the industry publication for restaurant and foodservice professionals. The blog offers culinary news and online exclusives from the editors ofChef.
(l to r) MRA staff members Lon Breedlove, Janine Harrod, Marybeth Maloney, Mark Sarno, Heather Carneiro, John McGrath, Kathy Murphy and Peter Christie
The dining room at The Winery