FSR October 2022

NO. 106 FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS | THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FOR 10 YEARS

ATTRACTING BUSINESS TRAVELERS THE SECRET IS IN THE SAUCE

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CONTENTS

FSR October2022 No. 106

26 eModern Hotel Restaurant Hotel restaurants have come a long way since the days of ho-hum breakfast buffets and tired steak houses. e most successful on-site concepts can easily do battle with local establishments, and thanks to robust resources and a property full of potential patrons, hotel res taurants might even surpass them. CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S 13 The Empress of Sedona It’s been nearly three decades since Lisa Dahl left a career in fashion to become a chef and restaurateur in Arizona’s idyllic desert town. Since then she’s built a portfolio of five distinct concepts and is now exploring the possibility of growth beyond Sedona. 18 Getting Saucy Sauces and marinades offer a sim ple, cost-effective way to enliven recipes, whether by incorporating global spices like peri-peri, layering textures through nut-based milks, or repurposing food scraps.

26 THREE SAINTS REVIVAL BRINGS IN HOTEL GUESTS AND LOCALS.

18

L IQUID INT EL L I GENCE 21 Hold the Pumpkin Spice

All too often fall beverages have been distilled to a single, overdone spice blend, but now mixologists are bucking the trend and putting a fresh spin on autumn libations through Basque-style ciders, bran dies, corn liqueurs, and more.

THREE SAINTS REVIVAL / M C CORMICK FOR CHEFS

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CONTENTS

FSRmagazine.com October2022 No. 106

®

49

ED I TOR I AL

SAL E S & BUS I NE SS DE VE LOPMENT

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Klein dklein@wtwhmedia.com EDITOR Nicole Duncan nduncan@wtwhmedia.com SENIOR EDITOR Ben Coley bcoley@wtwhmedia.com DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT Peggy Carouthers pcarouthers@wtwhmedia.com CUSTOM CONTENT ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charlie Pogacar cpogacar@wtwhmedia.com CUSTOM CONTENT ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kara Phelps kphelps@wtwhmedia.com ART DIRECTOR Erica Naftolowitz enaftolowitz@wtwhmedia.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mitch Avery mavery@wtwhmedia.com CUS TOM MED I A S TUD I O PRODUC T I ON & DE S I GN

GROUP PUBLISHER Greg Sanders gsanders@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eugene Drezner 919-945-0705 edrezner@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Amber Dobsovic 919-945-0712 adobsovic@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES MANAGER John Krueger 919-945-0728 jkrueger@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Edward Richards 919-945-0714 erichards@wtwhmedia.com ADMI N I S TR AT I ON 919-945-0700 www.fsrmagazine.com/subscribe FSR is provided without charge upon request to individuals residing in the U.S. who meet subscription criteria as set forth by the publisher. REPR I NT S THE YGS GROUP 800-290-5460 fax: 717-825-2150 fsrmagazine@theygsgroup.com Sponsored content in this magazine is provided to the represented company for a fee. Such content is written to be informational and non promotional. Comments welcomed at sponsoredcontent@ fsrmagazine.com. SALES SUPPORT AND DIRECTORY SALES Tracy Doubts 919-945-0704 tdoubts@wtwhmedia.com

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HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FARE / EVAN SUNG

F I RS T COURSE 7 The Purr-fect Pop-Up?

programs during the pan demic, and now that ground work could set them up for a lucrative holiday season. 53 Courting the Business Diner YOUR TAKE Covid stymied work-related dining events, but restaurants can bring back this consumer group through outreach, occasion specific packages, and strong For Altamarea Group, the challenge with its latest concept, 53 Restaurant, was bringing art, design, and food together into a singular dining experience. AL SO IN THI S I SSUE 3 Highlights from FSRmagazine.com 3 Brand Stories in Print and Online value propositions. 56 Start Me Up

New York’s two-night Gatto Bianco experience, hosted by Purina’s Fancy Feast, pushed the restaurant crossover potential for CPG brands. 8 The Gift of Fine Dining While some restaurant seg ments are struggling to recapture gift card revenue, fine dining is going strong. BACK OF HOUSE 49 Street Smarts ON THE RISE A dearth of authentic yet approachable Asian eateries spurred four friends to create Hawkers Asian Street Food, which has now expanded to more than a half dozen locations in seven states.

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2016 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR TOP 10 AWARD 2015 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

FOLIO: Eddie Awards 2022 BEST FULL ISSUE HOSPITALITY 2022 BEST SPONSORED CONTENT 2021 BEST PROFILE FEATURE 2017 BEST FULL ISSUE FOOD & BEVERAGE 2013 BEST DESIGN, NEW MAGAZINE 2013 BEST FULL ISSUE, FOOD SERVICE/HOTEL

FOUNDER Webb C. Howell

4 Editor’s Welcome 55 Advertising Index

51 Getting into Holiday Mode

OPERATIONS Restaurants refined their off-premises

FSR is a registered trademark ® of WTWH Media LLC. FSR is copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All rights reserved. 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 12600, Cleveland, OH. Printed in USA. The opinions of columnists are their own. Publication of their writing does not imply endorsement by WTWH Media LLC. FSR (ISSN 2325-2154) is published monthly. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH, and additional entry points. Subscriptions: (800) 662-4834, www.fsrmagazine.com/subscribe. FSR is provided without charge upon request to individuals residing in the U.S. meeting subscription criteria as set forth by the publisher. AAM member. Postmaster: Send address changes to FSR , 101 Europa Drive, Suite 150, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-2380. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the expressed written consent of WTWH Media LLC.

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM THE MOST POPULAR STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE, OR WHAT YOUR PEERS ARE READING Online

SPB HOSPITALITY’S PEOPLE-FIRST FOCUS Interim CEO Josh Kern wants to unify the group’s 18 brands in people-first values while still protecting each restaurant’s individuality. FSRmagazine.com/Kern-SBP THE NEWDEMANDS OF DATE NIGHT Given higher costs, date night guests are prioritizing personal ized experiences, complimentary items, and incentives to return. FSRmagazine.com/ Date-Night-Demands THE ‘GOLDEN TICKET’ OF EATERTAINMENT Founded by a former math teacher, tropical-themed THRōW Social is already pulling in $1 mil lion each month. FSRmagazine.com/Throw-Social

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16 Aussie Rules Here’s why Australian red meat is dominating the U.S. market. SPONSORED BY TRUE AUSSIE BEEF & LAMB 32 Plant-Based 3.0 The flexitarian movement inspires a fresh look at plant-based pro teins. SPONSORED BY RED GOLD 38 Coffee Consumption Is Growing Across Dayparts Operators can capitalize on the trend using these tips. SPONSORED BY SEB PROFESSIONAL

Menuing Authentic Pit Smoked Meats Is Easier Than Operators May Believe This line of flavorful brisket and pulled pork requires little labor. SPONSORED BY HORMEL FOODSERVICE Employees Want to Decide When They’ll Get Paid Faster pay can help recruit and retain workers. SPONSORED BY RESTAURANT365 The Secret to Low-Labor, Craveable Artisan Breads Elevate the dining experience. SPONSORED BY LA BREA BAKERY

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Welcome

How to Beat Airbnb I’LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT that Airbnb has gradually taken a more promi nent role in my travel plans. When the platform works as intended, it grants me the opportunity to experience a place from a local’s perspec tive—something I especially relish on longer trips. And as travel ramps back up, I’m sure I’ll be frequently logging into the home-sharing app. But for as much as I enjoy using Airbnb, Vrbo, Hipcamp, and the like, nothing quite compares to the quintessential hotel stay. Like restaurants, the best hotels turn hospitality into an art form whose polished exterior belies the amount of time and skill that goes into creating something so seamless. Given the many commonalities between the two, it’s somewhat surprising hotel restaurants haven’t been more remarkable in the past. But that’s changing. If you ask Ewart Wardhaugh, executive chef at the Epicurean Hotel Atlanta, no city exemplifies the sea change in hotel dining quite like Las Vegas. Wardhaugh was part of the first culinary team at the Bellagio, and he says that before it opened, Sin City was known for cheap buffets, not internationally renowned restaurants. It went, he says, from an amenity to keep guests on-site to a lucrative moneymaker that could lure patrons from other properties. Naturally, everything is bigger and grander in Vegas, but the city serves as a macrocosm for hotel dining, even beyond the glitzy Strip. Across the country, hotels are stepping up their game, whether it’s by building their own vegetable gardens, hosting special events for area residents, or creat ing more robust cocktail programs ( PAGE 26 ). Locals might never stay at a hotel within a five-block radius of their homes, but if the F&B program is getting buzz, they’ll probably stop by for a bite. And for us out-of-towners debating between a hotel stay and a home share, knowing there are some great dining options right on property could tip the scales in favor of hotels. After all, I’ve yet to find an Airbnb listing that includes a nightcap.

Nicole@FSRmagazine.com FSRmag @FSRmagazine

Nicole Duncan ED I TOR

On the Cover This month’s cover showcases a salad of roasted baby carrots with duck con fit, blue cheese, baby kale, and espresso emulsion. The dish was created by chef Ewart Wardhaugh for Reverence, one of three restaurants within the Epicu rean Atlanta. The image was captured by Luke Beard , an Atlanta-based photog rapher and designer. His portfolio spans food and beverage, lodging, travel, life style, and more. To learn more about Beard, visit luke.exposure.co or follow him on Instagram at @lukesbeard .

NICOLE: LIBBY M C GOWAN / LUKE BEARD PHOTOGRAPH

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FirstCourse

It's not cat food, but the menu—and plating—at Gatto Bianco took its cues from felines. ThePurr-fectPop-Up?

FANCY FEAST

BY NICOLE DUNCAN Fancy Feast’s restaurant pushes the envelope in CPG pop-ups.

meaning “white cat” in Italian, was a nod to the brand’s fluffy mascot. Fancy Feast corporate chef Amanda Hassner teamed up with Cesare Casella, a Michelin Star–winning chef who hails from Italy and now lives in New York, to create dishes that mimic the “sensory experience

FOR TWO DAYS IN AUGUST, a temporary trattoria in New York’s Meatpacking District looked like something the cat dragged in, quite lit erally. Purina’s Fancy Feast created a pop up—for humans—that coincided with the launch of its new globally inspired Medleys line-up. The concept, named Gatto Bianco,

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FirstCourse

of cats at mealtime,” a press release stated. Their menu showcased the new Medley flavors through fine-dining (human) dishes such as Tuscan-style spare ribs, braised beef in wine sauce, and baked sea bass. Dessert included lemon panna cotta and a chocolate topped, heart-shaped almond cake with cocoa dusted into paw prints walk ing across the plate. “My role at Purina and with Fancy Feast is to bring human food and pet food into focus together,” Hassner said in a statement. “I prepare and pres ent human food experiences to my col leagues who then create new pet prod ucts inspired by those dishes.” In terms of pop-ups, Gatto Bianco is hardly the most salacious, espe cially compared to the dumpster sup per clubs from summer 2016. It’s also not the first time a CPG brand has cre ated a themed restaurant of its own. One of the most successful, at least for a time, was the Kellogg’s NYC Cafe. In response to an ongoing sales slump, the cereal manufacturer tapped Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi to create the menu for a Times Square pop-up in 2016. The concept was so popular that Kellogg’s opened a permanent location the fol lowing year, though its novelty eventu ally wore off, and the café closed in 2019. Greek yogurt purveyor Chobani has also ventured into the restaurant space, and at one point even had three loca tions though it’s now down to one (also in New York City). But Gatto Bianco breaks the mold on three fronts. First, it was designed as a fine-dining experience rather than a casual café. Second, the pop up, which welcomed only eight guests total, was a publicity vehicle rather than an inroad to the restaurant sector. And lastly, it centered around a cat food product, not a human one. Purina has given no indication that it will open another feline-themed con cept in the future, but in the meantime, cat-loving foodies can try their hand at home with the Fancy Feast cookbook, which launched last year and is, alleg edly, the cat’s meow.

Overall, the restaurant gift cardmarket hasn’t quite returned to 2019 levels, but one segment in particular is posting promising results. According to Paytronix , the amount loaded on gift cards to fine dining establishments jumped nearly a quarter (22 percent) in 2021. What’smore, fine dining is the only segment to have boosted redemption rates in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period the previous year . (On the opposite end of the spectrum, quick-service redemption rates were down 10 percent.) Historically, November and December are responsible for nearly half of annual gift card sales, meaning fine dining—and possibly other segments— could see even better figures by year-end. Gift of the FineDining

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Make the Out-of-Towners Miss You When They’re Home

FirstCourse

Diversity Disconnect The new DEI Report conducted by the National Restaurant Association and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance shows diverging perceptions of gen der representation in the restaurant workforce. Enterprises reported that women com prised 35 percent of restaurant roles rang ing from entry-level to C-suite. Individuals, however, reported that women accounted for more than half (55 percent) . This discon nect was flipped—albeit just as pronounced— for nonbinary/gender-nonconforming individ uals. Enterprises overestimated the amount, reporting that nonbinary workers made up 18 percent of the workforce. Employees, on the other hand, only reported 1 percent.

a

spooky tale RESTAURANT SALES o f Halloween may be a treat for candy retailers, but it can be downright chilling for restaurant foot traf fic. In 2020 and 2021, restaurant comp sales plummeted the week of Halloween , per Black Box Intelligence . The holiday fell on a Satur day and Sunday, respectively, those two years and most adversely impacted the casual and upscale casual segments. With October 31 falling on a Monday this year, restaurant sales might not be so scary.

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CULINARY INSPIRATION AND STORIES FROM INDUSTRY TRAILBLAZERS MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION PISA LISA • • • MARIPOSA • • •

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• DAHL & DI LUCA

TheEmpress of Sedona

MARIPOSA OPENED IN 2015 AND WAS DAHL’S FIRST FORAY OUTSIDE ITALIAN CUISINE.

SCOTT YATES

LISA DAHL IS PULLING DOUBLE DUTY. The self-taught chef came to foodservice later in her career and has since built a multiconcept hospitality group in Sedona, Arizona, a city known for its desert vistas and thriving artistic community. Since Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano first debuted in 1995, Dahl Restaurant Group has added four more concepts to its portfolio including Cucina Rustica, Pisa Lisa, Mari posa Latin-Inspired Grill, and Butterfly Burger.

BY TREVOR GRINER Powerhouse chef Lisa Dahl is building a restaurant empire, one unit at a time.

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CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S CHEF PROF I LE

e most recent opening, a second location of Pisa Lisa, is notable in that it’s the first time Dahl has replicated one of her existing restaurants. The new space will feature additional menu offerings and a larger footprint, to the tune of 3,500 square feet and seating for 100-plus guests. Dahl is viewing this new restaurant, which opened in July, as a test run of sorts. If it performs well, she’ll take it as a greenlight for expand ing beyond Sedona. “I feel like you could pick [Pisa Lisa] up and put it in Vegas or Chicago, and it would be successful,” Dahl says, adding that she thinks upscale lounge, Butter fly Burger, also has inherent scalability. “ ey feed off each other. Having the sec ond Pisa Lisa in a larger footprint allows us to really see if we can perform at the same level with the same average check. It will tell us if we can be successful in the new model.” Opening the second Pisa Lisa—in the outlying Village of Oak Creek—was far

from a straightforward process. e proj ect ran into multiple delays brought on by Covid and supply chain gridlocks. What was supposed to take nine months dragged out to about three years. “We could not open when we wanted to,” Dahl says. “We had to open when we could open.” But she overcame these obstacles and is now reaping the benefits. Before transitioning to the restaurant world, Dahl spent years working in the fashion industry, primarily in San Fran cisco. She says the experience shaped her sense of design and style and taught her valuable lessons, some of which she has carried over into her career as an entre preneur and chef. “Food and fashion go hand in hand,” she says. “ ere are ever-changing trends in both businesses. I approach fashion and cooking with the same mindset. My style for both has been constant. I believe in the integrity and quality of ingredi ents in combination with methodology.” Her entry into foodservice was driven

CHEF LISA DAHL

FAVORITE PIZZA: Margherita FAVORITE TOOL: Strainer with a handle CHEF SHE’DMOST LIKE TOWORK WITH: José Andrés BEST INGREDIENT FOR SEASONING: Lemon FAVORITE DESIGNER: Roberto Cavalli

THE MENU AT MARIPOSA (LEFT) INCLUDES SMALL PLATES LIKE THE LATIN PERSUASION BRUSCHETTA (TOP) AND PULPO PARRILLA, OR GRILLED OCTOPUS (BELOW).

SCOTT YATES (4)

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CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S CHEF PROF I LE

my co-pilot in all of this. I feel like they are my inspiration.” The second Pisa Lisa location fea tures fan favorites like the Justino and Da Dorthy along with several newmenu items. Lisa’s Plate, for exam ple, is an antipasti sampler with fresh bocconcini mozzarella, tomatoes, fen nel slaw, mushrooms, Castelvetrano olives, and fire-roasted artichokes. New desserts include the playfully named Cookie Monster—a giant chocolate chip cookie sundae with strawberry stracciatella plant-based gelato. When Dahl was deciding where to place her second Pisa Lisa, she knew she wanted a bigger space, describing the original as a bit cramped. “It’s almost impossible to imagine what we can accomplish in that first location,” she says. “I liked the idea of having a little more elbow room.” In an unintentional throwback to her fashion days, Dahl found the per fect spot for the second Pisa Lisa in what was once a Tommy Hilfiger store in the Village of Oak Creek. e retail space had to be entirely renovated and retrofitted for commercial kitchen operations, and the chef estimates the entire project cost $1.5–$2million. “We had to install grease traps and everything else a restaurant needs that clothing stores don’t come equipped with,” she says. “ e layout of the store is incredible. It feels more like 4,500 square feet [than 3,500 square feet].” To manage her growing empire, Dahl recently hired a culinary director to help streamline operations and fine tune recipes across the five concepts. “Standardization needs to be done all the way down to the sourcing,” she says. “If you were to list things that drive me crazy, going to a kitchen and seeing people do something slightly different than another kitchen would be right up there.” With a winning business formula and the right team in place, the time may soon come for Dahl to break out of Sedona and into new markets. “I think that’s the natural progres sion,” she says.

LIKE THE ORIGINAL, THE SECOND LOCATION OF PISA LISA SERVES PIZZA, ITALIAN FARE, AND SWEETS, INCLUDING THE PISTACHIO PANNA COTTA (BELOW).

“I approach fashion and cookingwith the same mindset. My style for both has been constant. I believe in the integrity and quality of ingredients in combinationwithmethodology.”

in large part by personal tragedy. Fol lowing the death of her son, Justin, she moved to Sedona, and cooking—a pas time she’d shared with him—became part of the healing process. Indeed, family is very much at the heart of Dahl ’s business. A number of dishes on the Pisa Lisa menu can be linked to family members. e Justino, a pizza named after her son, features ricotta, provolone-moz zarella, imported prosciutto, organic arugula, and white-truffle oil. Another

popular dish, the Da Dorthy, is named after her mother. e pizza even has a “mother sauce” as its base and is topped with provolone-mozzarella, fennel sausage, picante peppers, and parme san-reggiano. Dahl says including the names makes her feel as though they’re a part of the business. “It’s a purely selfish way of keeping them with me,” she says. “I get a lot of joy seeing those names pop up on tick ets over and over again. Justin is the reason I came here, and I believe he’s

SCOTT YATES (2)

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Aussie Rules

Why Australian redmeat is dominating the U.S. market.

BEEF SIRLOIN BURNT ENDS CHIMICHURRI SAUCE AND LIME

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staggering 75 percent of the lamb imported into the U.S. comes from Australia. The country has long been a major supplier of red meat to the U.S.—while it is the single largest source of lamb consumed in the U.S., Australia is also well known as a country of origin when it comes to grass-fed beef as well. What’s especially impressive about Australian lamb’s market share in the U.S. is its recent growth: 2021 marked the biggest year ever for lamb exports from “Down Under,” having increased 16.4 percent year-over-year. This growth is reflected on the menus of U.S. restaurants: Datassential reports that Australian Lamb grew 49 percent on menus between 2018 and the end of 2021. A

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S P O N S O R E D B Y T R U E A U S S I E B E E F & L A M B

The past couple of years have been as challenging as ever for foodser vice operators. Chefs, in particular, have struggled to innovate in the face of rising food and labor costs. In order to showcase howAustra lian beef and lamb can help allevi ate some of those pain points, True Aussie Beef &Lamb and FSR mag azine have teamed up to create an exciting newchef challenge. The True Aussie Beef &Lamb Chef Challengewill feature select chefs fromU.S.-based full-service res taurant groups, including: Chef BenLambert Modena | WASHINGTON D.C. Chef LeoOsofio KushbyStephen’s | MIAMI, FL Chef KevinDraper Bin 54 | CHAPEL HILL, NC Chef BrianLandry Lamb Chef Challenge Each chef will be dreaming up an innovative dish using trendy True Aussie Beef and Lamb ingredi ents. The dishes are intended to “reflect the personality of the chef and their restaurant group,” and will be showcased in the pages of FSR magazine, as well as on FSR magazine and True Aussie Beef & Lamb’s social media channels. True Aussie Beef &Lamb and FSR magazine encourage chefs looking for inspiration to follow along. The True Aussie Beef and QEDHospitality NEW ORLEANS, LA

and founder of Flashpoint Inno vation, part of the reason lamb is viewed by American diners as a premium ingredient is due to its reputation as a healthy, sustain able protein. That reputation is well earned, too— the Australian lamb industry is currently climate neutral, and the whole Australian red meat industry aims to be car bon neutral by 2030. That may be especially appealing to the grow

The growing approval of Aus tralian lamb seems to stem from a combination of factors. For one, lamb is an exciting eating expe rience during a time when that’s exactly what diners are look ing for when they go out to eat. According to the National Res taurant Association’s 2022 State of the Industry report, 75 percent of diners say their favorite res taurant foods “provide flavor and

AustralianLamb grew49 percent onmenus between 2018 and the end of 2021.

ing number of younger diners who are increasingly supporting sus tainability with their food dollars. “I think something that people here in the U.S. may not under stand is that these sustainability initiatives in Australia are driven by the farmers themselves,” Moore says. “It’s not driven by the gov ernment or public pressure. The community of farmers ultimately wanted to make these goals because they take a lot of pride in their work, and the land that they do it on. A lot of plant-based alter

taste sensations that can’t be eas ily replicated at home.” While more home cooks are preparing lamb at home than ever before, it’s still viewed as an alternative to main stays like beef and chicken. Directly related, another rea son lamb is gaining momentum on menus is due to its perception as a premium ingredient. As the indus try battles rising food and labor costs, it’s essential to find proteins that command top dollar, leading to higher margins. According to Adam Moore, chef

MEAT & LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA

AUSSIE LAMB BURGERS WITH HARISSA BACON JAM

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BOWL WITH SPICY LAMB MEATBALLS

MEAT & LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA

ket—and can be slow-cooked and turned into countless pos sibilities. Moore also sees a lot of opportunity in sous-vide-style lamb and beef products. Instead of braising shanks in the back of house, for example, suppliers can provide a 72-hour pre-cooked shank that can be quickly heated up and used in a variety of appli cations, from finger foods to center-of-the-plate entrees. “Sous-vide products are going to change your food cost model, but it’s also going to change your labor model in a big way—that supplier basically becomes an extension of your kitchen operation,” Moore says. “There are some amazing sup pliers out there that are focused

ers are actually the number one entry point for those trying lamb. But you can really put lamb into a dish wherever beef usu ally goes: lamb meatballs, a lamb ragu. There are so many rich fla vors lamb can carry with it.” In these ways and more, lamb provides a great solu tion for chefs currently fac ing myriad challenges on sev eral fronts. Similarly an antidote to rising food and labor costs, grass-fed beef is another great addition to the kitchen, says Moore, especially if operators are sourcing their product cor rectly. He suggests that opera tors explore alternative cuts of grass-fed beef as a great way to stay innovative while also work ing to control food costs. Some particularly trendy cuts include those that come from the front or back of an animal rather than the middle—think chuck or bris

natives have risen in popularity because they talk about sustain ability. But this isn’t just pillow talk happening in Australia—this is real change they are striving for and making.” And while lamb is thought of as a sustainable, perhaps exotic addition to a menu, it is also readily available to most U.S.- based chefs, and easy to incor porate into nearly any foodser vice operation. Lamb can serve as a one-to-one swap for other proteins, ramping up menu excitement without adding any complexity in the kitchen. These simple swaps into popular for mats strikes the always-chal lenging balance of “exciting” and “approachable.” “We’re seeing the proof of lamb’s versatility in these casual dining items,” Moore says. “It can be as easy as subbing that lamb patty in for a beef burger—burg

on making high-quality, chef driven and versatile products that are safe, consistent, and e‹ective.” BY CHARLIE POGACAR » Formore information, visit trueaussiebeefandlamb.com.

CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S NOW SERVING

Getting Saucy

TREVOR GRINER Rich in flavor but low in cost, sauces and marinades spice up menus.

CHILI CRISP IS AN OIL-BASED SAUCE THAT PACKS HEAT AND TEXTURE.

M C CORMICK FOR CHEFS

IN TERMS OF quick and cost-effective ways to impart flavor, marinades and sauces are hard to beat. Like spices and herbs, a little goes a long way with both, which can be applied pre- or post-cooking. “Sauces and marinades are one of the best ways to customize a menu,” says Kevan Vetter, executive chef and director of culinary development at F&B manu facturer McCormick. “ ey add great fla vor, without being intimidating. ere’s a lower risk there as well when you use a sauce to dip or spread onto a dish.”

In practice, Vetter is a fan of the “plus one” technique. “A really important distinction when you’re introducing marinades, condi ments, and sauces is potentially pairing up with something new and adventur ous,” he says. e chef recommends starting with a common base like mayonnaise or mus tard and then adding one or two more ingredients for a fresh take. A common example of this method is mixing brown sugar into mustard.

“You can take mustard to an entirely different place,” he says, adding that the brown sugar–mustard combina tion can be used as both a marinade (for proteins like pork) or a sauce for sand wiches. “ ere are no boring sandwiches out there if you’re using the right condi ments,” he says. Among Vetter’s favorite plus-ones are maple mustard, Cajun blue cheese dressing, and mango-habanero ranch. He says these types of sauces are great for operators who want to utilize ingre

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NOW SERVING CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S

dients already in their wheelhouse—and their pantries. But sauces are only one part of the equation, and Vetter says several mari nades have continued to gain popular ity over the past several years. While most have a spicy component, some of the fanaticism around hot foods has waned recently. Rather than ratchet up the fire to an unbearable level, Vetter says chefs are opting to layer heat for a milder, more controlled burn. “I like flavors that I can experience all the way through, from start to fin ish,” he says, citing blends like peri-peri as an example. The South African chili (also known as pili-pili or bird’s-eye chili) is typically prepared into a sauce with garlic, onion, paprika, and lemon juice, though other ingredients like ginger can come into play, too. Hot honeys and chili crisp—an oil-based sauce infused with chilies and crunchy bits—are other items Vetter turns to when he wants to add a nuanced heat. On the opposite side of the spice spec trum, nut milks are also on the up-and up. Chef Rob Shaner, owner and execu tive chef at Chiago’s Robert et Fils, says these non-dairy milks add depth and fla vor, while also mitigating some kitchen costs by using what he already has on hand, similar to the thought behind Vet ter’s plus-one sauces. Last fall, Shaner used fermented pis tachios to make a milk, which was then applied to a duck dish. “It has a nice bite from the fermentation and a nice bal ance overall,” Shaner says. “There is a lot for me to explore just by trying out dif ferent nut milks.” He has also used nut milk in a Parisian gnocchi dish that fea tured North African flavors. One of the reasons Shaner relies on ingredients already in the pantry is because of the prevailing labor challenges. He says staffing shortages at his restau rant have been debilitating at times. Along this same vein, Shaner works to repurpose would-be food waste like vegetable scraps. For example, leftover asparagus trimmings can be transmuted into a full-bodied, spring-time sauce. “I made a white asparagus sauce that

FRANK’S REDHOT GARLIC BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

ROBERT ET FILS’ HALF-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH JUS AND LEMON PRESERVES

M c CORMICK FOR CHEFS / ROBERT ET FILS

went over a fish crudo, and it was almost creamy in texture,” Shaner says. “The asparagus was fermented, and it brings with it a sort of richness that the aspar agus carries.” Shaner is also quite fond of a Viet namese caramel sauce, which he says has taken the place of fish sauce in his kitchen because it is more approachable for traditional Midwestern palates. By incorporating white soy sauce into the mix, he’s able to bring some of the funk iness and umami of the fish sauce with out making it too pungent. Though French cuisine isn’t known for its spiciness, Shaner has managed

to incorporate elements of heat into the Robert et Fils menu. The idea was sparked by a dining experience at a local John Manion restaurant, which had managed to add spice in an authen tic but not overpowering way. So the chef looked to the Caribbean island of Martinique, which is also a French ter ritory, and created a Creole-like sauce that uses scotch bonnet peppers to bring a fiery kick. “It has a little additional heat to it,” Shaner says. “I put fistfulls of herbs into it as well. I need that freshness. Those sorts of sauces are the ones I get really excited about right now.”

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TRENDS AND CREATIVE APPROACHES TO SPIRITS, WINE, AND BEER. MENTIONED IN THIS STORY BLACK LAGOON • • • VALERIE • • •

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER

Hold the Pumpkin Spice

GOURDS BE GONE—OTHER SEASONAL PRODUCE, LIKE FIGS, CAN SHINE IN FALL BEVERAGES.

ADOBE STOCK

WITHIN THE F&B WORLD, nothing sig nals the advent of fall quite like the famous—or in some circles, infamous— pumpkin spice blend. Though most prevalent on coffee menus, the flavor has also been incorporated into a num

ber of cocktail staples, from martinis and old-fashioneds to white Russians and mudslides. But for bartenders and guests weary of pumpkin-spiced every thing, autumn offers a bounty of ingre dients and ideas.

BY NICOLE DUNCAN Mixologists are expanding their fall menus beyond the ubiquitous spice.

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L IQUID INTELL IGENCE

Fall into fruits Just as chefs look to seasonal produce when building their menus, so too does James Beard Award–winning mixologist Charles Joly let locally sourced ingredi ents guide him in creating new cocktails. A native Chicagoan, Joly sometimes envies Californians their year-round supply of fresh produce, but he concedes there are advantages to living in a region with four distinct seasons. When the mercury dips, he turns to readily available fruits, like apples and pears. And while cider might be nearly as overplayed as pumpkin spice, Joly says the category encompasses more than the overly sweet standard. “Our cider purveyors at the farm ers markets are doing single-varietal

ciders,” he says. “ ey’re going to have nuances. One might be more floral; one might have more acidity; one might be more traditional, and those can all be flavor cues from which you could build a cocktail.” Joly adds that he’s particularly fond of European and Basque-style ciders. Known for their depth of character and a certain earthy funkiness, these ciders are produced sans yeast and instead use natural fermentation. is process yields a product that is drastically dif ferent from what Joly calls the “glori fied apple juice” flavor profiles of main stream ciders. Eric Bordelet, a cider-maker out of

past, he would order 750-milliliter mini kegs to keep behind the bar. is method not only ensured the cider didn’t go flat, it also made it easy to sell by the glass or mix into cocktails. At Midnight Rambler Bar, inside Dal las’s Joule Hotel, general manager and bartender Gabe Sanchez is a fan of fruits like honeycrisp apples and Asian pears. But hot temperatures mean orchard fruits are often underrepresented. “ e most underrated autumn cock tail—at least in the Southwest and West—is wassail, a hot apple cider with baking spices. It’s a bit labor-intensive, so it often takes a backseat to hot tod dies,” Sanchez says. at’s not to say he

France, is one of Joly’s go-to producers. In the

AT MIDNIGHT RAMBLER, HOT APPLE CIDER HAS COCKTAIL POTENTIAL.

“Themost underrated autumn cocktail—at least in the Southwest andWest—is wassail, a hot apple cider with baking spices.”

THE JOULE / ADOBE STOCK

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L IQUID INTELL IGENCE

doesn’t go the extra mile with the latter drink. In fact, his favorite fall drink at Midnight Rambler is a duck fat–washed hot toddy. For restaurants lacking the man power or budget to source fresh fruits or international ciders, Marshall Minaya, beverage director at Valerie restaurant in

Other fortified wines and distilled spirits can also imbue beverages with orchard fruit flavors. Both Minaya and Joly name brandy, especially calvados (an apple brandy fromNormandy), as an ideal building block in fall drinks. “ ere’s a whole movement of really high-quality brandies being made in

iting nine cities across the U.S. and Can ada. Hayes, who’s an alum of Chicago’s once-beloved, now-shuttered tiki bar, Lost Lake, says island flavors appear on the menu, but they don’t overpower it. “I spent many years running tropical bars, so it’s part of my DNA,” she says. “A lagoon kind of lends itself to the idea of tropical, but we didn’t want to go over the top. It’s not a tropical pop-up; it’s a pop-up that has some tropical-leaning drinks. It’s a spooky lagoon.” While Hayes and Ramage have a new lineup of drinks this time around, a few of last year’s best-sellers are back, includ ing Hexes for Your Exes—Teeling Whis key, melon, pineapple, and fizz—and Lilith’s Cup, which features Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, aperol, dry vermouth, passionfruit syrup, and glitter. At Black Lagoon, what brings the seasonal vibe is more about the pre

“Dig a layer deeper on some of those fall spices. Instead of just nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, maybe reach for something a littlemore unexpected.”

CRAFTHOUSE COCKTAILS / BLACK LAGOON

sentation than the f lavors. Not only are the host bars decked out in coffins and other macabre decor, the drinks are also served in themed glassware (think: skull-shaped tiki tumblers) with vibrant colors like pumpkin oranges, blood reds, and charcoal blacks. “Nutmeg and cinnamon are always going to make an appearance on fall menus because they’re a little bit warm ing, but we approach this from a color standpoint. So our drinks are very bright and playful. We’ve got one that’s bright orange and then one that comes out like CHARLES JOLY (LEFT) USES FRUIT TO CAPTURE THE SEASON, WHILE THE BLACK LAGOON OPTS FOR BOLD COLORS, LIKE THE CANDY CORN ORANGE IN LILITH’S CUP (ABOVE).

New York, has a pro tip. “Some ingredients that are not in your typical canon of fall are the likes of per simmons, figs, raisins, and ginger. If you want to skip a step, utilizing some [Pedro Ximénez] sherry in a cocktail in the fall season is a great start,” he says. is particular sherry is derived from an overripe white grape grown in Southern Spain. “ e sherry is going to provide the warm fig-raisin flavor with a rich, heavy mouthfeel. Also, Gonzalez Byass makes a sherry vermouth that is distilled with heavy, warming spice notes,” he adds.

the U.S. as well, which would be great to reach for,” Joly says.

e dark side of the tropics For as much as autumn F&B focuses on flavor, it’s not the only path toward capturing the season in a glass. Black Lagoon, a multi-city, Halloween-themed pop-upmarries the chilly, darker days of fall with the bright flavors of the tropics. The pop-up was first conceived by mixologists Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ram age in 2019 and kicked off as an event series last year. is time around it’s vis

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a slime green,” Ramage says. Still, seasonal flavors do appear on the Black Lagoonmenu; they just differ from the usual baking spices. “There are definitely some fall flavors and harvest things that don’t necessarily get the love that pumpkin spice gets,” Hayes says. “We’ve got an amazing cocktail that utilizes a beautiful corn liqueur, which is such a different flavor but has a very fall vibe. It also utilizes green apples, and apple pick ing is definitely a fall activity. So pairing those two together really gives an essence of the season without dipping into pumpkin pie spice.” Obviously, most beverage directors won’t go as full tilt on a theme as Black Lagoon, but like Joly, its cofounders suggest bartenders explore close-to-home ingredients. “With fall flavors, it just brings in a new season of [ingredi ents] that are available locally, like apples, fall fruits, and root vegetables that come into season. I think looking there first for inspiration is where you start,” Ramage says. Pumpkin spice is still nice The harvest months bring a wealth of ingredients and fresh ideas for mixologists, but even with new cocktails finding their way onto menus, the classics will endure. And after all, there’s a reason pumpkin spice, mocked as it may be, receives so much fanfare. “Bartenders in particular cringe a little bit when people come out with the array of pumpkin spice everything,” Daly says. “There’s a reason pumpkin spice coffee drinks go nuts every year. They have haters because they’re that popular. There are plenty of people who are excited about it, and those spices do go really well together.” These spices also appeal to other senses, which can go a long way in capturing the season’s cozy—or in the case of Black Lagoon, spooky—ambiance. The pop-up relies heavily on visual cues to cultivate the right atmosphere, while oth ers, including Minaya, gravitate toward scent. To evoke autumn, he recommends tapping into cinnamon, clove, allspice, anise, allspice, rosemary, and even orange. “Fall is all about aroma. In the air, you can smell the leaves changing and the pinecones falling,” he says. “Amore sophis ticated way to appease your customers’ demand for pumpkin spice and cider is to invoke their other senses. … You could make a mulled water or utilize a pear brandy and place them into an atomizer.” Ultimately, it’s not pumpkin spice that’s the problem so much as its pervasiveness. Joly thinks that where F&B profes sionals—and even consumers—lose their patience is when a single flavor is overdone. LikeMinaya, he says there are many overlooked spices in the pantry. “Dig a layer deeper on some of those fall spices. Instead of just nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, maybe reach for some thing a little more unexpected. Reach for the mace. Go to a nice spice shop and see what they have,” Joly says. “There are plenty of other warming spices or baking spices.”

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the modern hotel restaurant

OCTOBER 2022

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W TORONTO'S LIVING ROOM PULLS DOUBLE DUTY AS A RESTAURANT AND A HOTEL LOUNGE.

W TORONTO

Chefs and restaurateurs continue to up the ante in hotel F&B, making the once tired category a formidable competitor in attracting hotel guests and local diners. BY NICOLE DUNCAN

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HOTEL RES TAURANT S

HOTEL RESTAURANTS haven’t always enjoyed the best reputation. Although chefs have been elevating those on-site concepts for more than a decade, a prevailing bias still lingers. And it's no surprise why. For a long time, hotel restaurants were static and pricey at best and perfunctory after thoughts at worst, leading savvy hotel guests to venture off-site for their meals.

“ e foodie people, they go out and find freestanding restau rants. ey think hotel [restaurants] are old-school, where it’s a three-meal-a-day café where you just get a club sand wich and a burger,” says Ewart Wardhaugh, executive chef at the Epicurean Hotel Atlanta, which opened last fall as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. “But now, the food and beverage within a lot of hotels is just as good as a freestand ing restaurant, if not better because they have better support.” e Epicurean Hotel, which also includes a sister property in Tampa, Florida, has F&B baked into its DNA. In addition to its name and branding (“Atlanta’s Food Focused Hotel”),

the hotel includes two chef-led restaurants, a craft bar, and a culinary theater. It even bills its rooms as “culinary inspired" since it incorporates materials like butcher’s block, stone, and brushed metal into the design. For Wardhaugh, who’s spent the vast majority of his 30-year career in hotels, details like this can help perma nently shift consumers’ opinions of on-site restaurants for the better. “Before, it was just an avenue to feed the guests and keep them on property, whereas now it’s about dining and the experience,” he says.

RAND TOWER TAPPED CHEF DANIEL DEL PRADO FOR ITS TRIO OF ON-SITE RESTAURANTS.

WINGHOCOURTESYOF RAND TOWER HOTEL ANDDDP RESTAURANT GROUP (2)

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FEATURE

BAR RUFUS EST. JULY 2022 GROUND FLOOR OF RAND TOWER MINNEAPOLIS

The first of chef Daniel del Prado’s trio of restaurants at Rand Tower, Bar Rufus is part hotel lobby bar and part French bistro. The restaurant serves classic French bites including Duck a l’Orange, as well as American fare like Le MacDo cheeseburger, but the cocktail menu is where the concept pays homage to its namesake, Rufus Rand. Inspired by the businessman and World War I aviator, Bar Rufus serves drinks like the Airmail, French 75, and Rufus Old-Fashioned.

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