FSR September 2022

NO. 105 FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS | THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FOR 10 YEARS

IS CULINARY SCHOOL STILL WORTH THE COST?

LAGER GETS A CRAFT MAKEOVER D.C.’S ‘CAUSE CASUAL’ RESTAURANT

STREET FOOD TAKES TO THE PLATE RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

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ONEOFF HOSPITALITY’S EPIC REBOUND

AFTER SOME PANDEMIC RELATED CLOSURES, THE CHICAGO RESTAURANT GROUP IS CHARGING FORWARD

40 UNDER 40 RISING STARS ARE SHAKING UP THE INDUSTRY, ONE RESTAURANT AT A TIME

ALSO

BEHIND JOE KIM’S PLAN TO BRING KOREAN FARE TO THE MASSES

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CONTENTS FSR September2022 No. 105

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32 Rising to the Challenge Our Rising Stars report returns. After two years of twists and turns, these 40 restaurant leaders and luminaries—all under age 40—are building a better industry. 50Taking aOne-Off Chance The pandemic exacted a toll on Chicago’s One Off Hospitality, but the restaurant group is coming back even stronger with new res taurants and its first casino deal in the works. CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S 17 Big Moves in the Big Easy After mingling Southeast Asian and Louisiana flavors at MoPho and Maypop, chef Michael Gulotta is turning his attention to Italian cuisine with a New Orleans twist. 22 Sitting Down to Street Eats The food truck boom brought global street fare to the masses, and now full service is transforming these dishes into plated meals. L IQUID INT EL L I GENCE 29 Lagers Get a Second Look Lager’s ubiquity and neutral flavor profile meant it was largely over looked in the craft beer movement, but now brewers are rethinking the tried-and-true variety.

DAE GEE FOUNDER JOE KIM LEADS THIS

YEAR’S RISING STARS.

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DAE GEE KOREAN BBQ / DENNY CULBERT

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CONTENTS

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FSRmagazine.com September2022 No. 105

65

ED I TOR I AL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Klein Danny@FSRmagazine.com EDITOR Nicole Duncan Nicole@FSRmagazine.com CONTENT EDITOR Ben Coley Ben@FSRmagazine.com DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT Peggy Carouthers Peggy@FSRmagazine.com CUSTOM CONTENT ASSOCIATE EDITORS Charlie Pogacar Charlie@FSRmagazine.com Kara Phelps Kara@FSRmagazine.com

ADMI N I S TR AT I ON Journalistic, Inc. 101 Europa Drive, Suite 150 Chapel Hill, NC 27517 GROUP PUBLISHER FOOD NEWS MEDIA Greg Sanders Greg@FoodNewsMedia.com

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IT MANAGER Jason Purdy Jason@Journalistic.com WEB DEVELOPER Trey Daniels Trey@Journalistic.com

SOUTHERLEIGH HOSPITALITY GROUP / ELLISTON PLACE SODA SHOP

F I RS T COURSE 9 Far from a Gamble Twenty-unit Rock & Brews, which was cofounded by members of the band Kiss, is targeting casinos in an effort to accelerate expansion. 10 The Kids Aren’t Eating Out Gen Z consumers aren’t din ing out as much as older gen erations did at their age. BACK OF HOUSE 65 San Antonio’s Red ‘Haute’ Restaurant Group ON THE RISE Seven years after teaming up, a trio of French expats and a Texas chef continue to enhance the San Antonio dining scene through Southerleigh Hospi tality Group’s eclectic portfo lio of restaurants. 67 The ‘Cause Casual’ Restaurant PERSPECTIVES In D.C., three location eatery Immigrant

Food showcases global cui sines, but it also celebrates and supports the ongoing legacy of immigrant commu nities in the U.S. 69 Is Culinary School Still Worth the Cost? YOUR TAKE A leader at one of the country’s most pres tigious culinary schools explains the value of formal training while a James Beard Award semifinalist shares the merits of learning on the job. 72 Elliston Place Soda Shop An 80-plus-year-old fixture of the Nashville, Tennessee, dining scene gets a major facelift but maintains its charm and retro atmosphere. AL SO IN THI S I SSUE 4 Highlights from FSRmagazine.com 4 Brand Stories in Print and Online

ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Carole Ogan Carole@Journalistic.com

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

DANNY MEYER STEPS DOWN AS UNION SQUARE HOSPITALITY CEO After 37 years at the helm of the company he founded, Meyer is handing the reins to chief oper ating officer Chip Wade.

FSRmagazine.com/ Danny-Meyer-Leaves DENNY’S READIES KEKE’S

BREAKFAST CAFÉ FOR BIG GROWTH By targeting existing franchisees from both brands and new oper ators, Denny’s hopes to increase Keke’s annual openings average. FSRmagazine.com/Kekes-Growth NEXTGEN CASUAL BANKS ON DINE-IN EXPERIENCES The emerging category is going against the grain by emphasizing dine-in experiences in an increas ingly transactional market.

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help full-service restaurants solve myriad tough culinary and opera tional challenges. SPONSORED BY GENERAL MILLS 42 Where to Find Game Changing Signature Sauce Inspiration This initiative’s goal: helping res taurants decrease food costs and increase revenue. SPONSORED BY TEXAS PETE 48 How One Chef Is Uniting Innovation and Labor Savings Here are the products an innova tive new Wafu concept swears by. SPONSORED BY KIKKOMAN

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14 On the Menu: The Wagyu This LTO from BoomerJack’s Grill recently joined the main menu. SPONSORED BY BEL BRANDS USA 26 Find Versatility and Cost Savings with Thaw-and Serve Baked Goods Biscuits, muffins, and pastries can

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Welcome

No Matter Your Age MY FRIEND HAS A PET PEEVE. At least once a month, she’ll alight upon some article about Generation Z (now, roughly ages 10–25) and launch into a mini tirade. “Can you believe they’re bringing back wide-length pants?” “Do you know how much this student is making off TikTok videos?” As older millennials, it wasn’t so long ago that she and I were on the receiving end of such comments. Much as teens are met with parental resistance when they start forming their own opinions, younger generations face ire—and admi ration—when they challenge the status quo. But then again, sometimes the norm needs a shakeup. is year’s 40 Rising Stars ( PAGE 32 ) aren’t disruptors per se—the pan demic did enough disruption to last the industry a good while. If anything, they’re builders. Over the past year, restaurants have moved from trying to survive to figuring out how to pick up the pieces and create something even better than before. For chefs like Macarena Ludena, Meg Bickford, and Kate Williams, that means taking a legacy or family business to the next level. For F&B consultants Che Ramos and atcher Baker-Briggs, it’s about using their institutional knowledge to enhance restaurants’ bever age programs. For Téa Ivanovic and Mile Montezuma, it’s about putting a social cause at the heart of the restaurant ( PAGE 67 ). And for our cover star, Joe Kim, it’s about making a once rare cuisine a mainstream offering. But innovation does not belong solely to the under-40 crowd. For proof of this, look no further than One Off Hospitality’s Donnie Madia and Karen Browne ( PAGE 50 ). Even though Madia has been one of Chicago’s pre eminent restaurant leaders for decades, he maintains a fresh perspective, allowing him to continually zero in on not only the hottest dining trends, but also up-and-coming neighborhoods that are ripe for new businesses. Browne has worked 20-plus years in workforce management and talent acquisition, but she comes to hospitality with fresh eyes, seeing labor solu tions where others may only see challenges. So while there’s nothing wrong with lighthearted, intergenerational ribbing every now and again, it’s important to venture outside our imme diate peers and demographic boxes. Change for the better happens when more voices are included in the conversation and ideas are exchanged among people of varying backgrounds. e restaurant world has a leg-up on this front in some respects, given its diverse workforce and willingness to embrace the new. Whether you’re a Rising Star or an industry veteran, there’s always more to learn. My friend and I might not be buying wide-leg pants anytime soon, but we could use a hand in setting up TikTok accounts.

Nicole@FSRmagazine.com FSRmag @FSRmagazine

Also in This Issue Lagers are becoming ‘lager’ than life as craft brewers use the beer’s neutral fla vor profile as a blank canvas. Ingredi ents like oats, limes, and even purple rice bring nuance without compromising the beer’s light and refreshing finish. Read more about lager’s craft makeover and the story behind Evil Twin’s purple-hued beer (pictured above), brewed for NYC restaurant Málà Project on page 29 .

Nicole Duncan ED I TOR

NICOLE: LIBBY M C GOWAN / MICHELLE GIANG

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FirstCourse

Rock stars turned restaurateurs Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley Far fromaGamble BY BEN COLEY

JP CORDERO PHOTOGRAPHY

sion between the Kiss stars, concert pro moter Dave Furano, music executive Dell Furano, and restaurateur Michael Zislis. In the past 12 years, the rock ‘n’ roll–inspired concept has grown to 20 locations across six states, a good portion of which are licensing agreements with casinos.

ROCK & BREWS CEO Adam Goldberg’s favor ite “F” word is fun. And why wouldn’t it be? He leads a nationally growing casual-dining chain cofounded by Paul Stanley and Gene Sim mons from famed band Kiss. The concept started in 2010 after a brainstorming ses

Rock & Brews is fine-tuning growth with casino deals at the center.

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FirstCourse

Expansion would be further along if it weren’t for Covid, Goldberg says, but the pandemic never robbed Rock & Brews of its close relationship with local casinos, which are performing well in the current economic environment. “First and foremost, Vegas pretty much shut down,” Goldberg says. “That really opened up a great oppor tunity for the local casino.” Rock & Brews’ menu offers clas sic American comfort foods along with a sizable selection of craft beer, wine, cocktails, and other drinks. Recently, the chain partnered with Hampton Water, the wine brand founded by rock legend Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jessi Bongiovi, to sell summer cocktail Hampton Water Frosé. Six new restaurants are scheduled to open in the next 14 months, including an 8,500-square-foot location on the main casino floor of The Strat on the Las Vegas Strip in late 2023. Another 6,000-square-foot restaurant will debut inside the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee next spring. Streetside outlets and casino locations fare similarly, with the pri mary difference being demograph ics. Standalone units typically are more well-rounded and family-friendly as opposed to casinos because of the 21-and-over requirement. Check aver ages are about the same because res taurants are priced comparably across the country, but different locations offer varying menu items, like filet mignon and fried chicken and waffles. Approximately 80 percent of Rock & Brews stores are franchised/licensed. The company-run footprint is small, but will always be maintained in future growth considerations, Goldberg says. “It’s very important for us to run cor porate stores because as we work with our licensees, we come from the per spective of an operator,” he says. “I think that's one of the traits our licens ees really like about working with us. We’re not in there just to make some thing look really great and walk away. We’re in there to make something look really great and operate even better.”

THE KIDS AREN’T EATING OUT MANY MEMBERS OF GEN Z now fall into that sweet spot of ages 18 to 24, a period when, typ ically, restaurant usage is at an all-time high. But much to operators’ dismay, the group’s visit fre quency continues a generations-long down ward trend, according to The NPD Group . Gen X averaged 284 visits annually, but that number dropped to 244 for millennials; now it’s trend ing at 218 restaurant visits per year for Gen Z .

To bring more young consum ers in, brands might consider leaning into trends with a health halo. After all, 18 percent of Gen Z customers seek organic menu items, compared to 12 percent of consumers aged 25 and older, and 16 percent prefer sustainably sourced food and beverage options versus 11 percent of older customers.

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FirstCourse

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER PAY

AS THE LABOR SHORTAGE SETTLES INTO A NEWNORMAL, restaurants are exploring ways to build a sustainable pipeline of talent. Overall, it’s an uphill battle. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6.9 percent of hospitality and restaurant workers quit last November, a percent age that’s more than twice the national average. Higher wages and improved working conditions could help attract strong candidates and also curry guest support. According to a report by Mintel , 82 percent of consum ers consider living wages to be an important initiative for restaurants . Moreover a third (33 percent) take res taurant employee and farmer welfare into account when making food and beverage choices.

Check, Please?

Inflation is impacting consumer spending across the board, but its effect on restaurant check averages is especially striking. Software firm Lightspeed Commerce found that while inflation was pacing about 0.98 percent per month, it was growing at a rate of 1.15 per cent for average check sizes. Although oper ators have been forced to raise menu prices, Lightspeed attributes the quicker-than-aver age increases to accelerating food costs, meaning restaurants are absorbing much of these higher costs and thus watching their already thin margins shrink further.

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S P O N S O R E D B Y B E L B R A N D S U S A

S P O N S O R E D B Y B E L B R A N D S

The Wagyu featuring : Price*s ® Original Sweet & Tangy Pimiento Cheese Spread restaurant : BoomerJack’s Grill (Dallas-Fort Worth area)

BOOMERJACK’S

On the Menu BOOMERJACK’S GRILL, a 16-unit concept in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, recently elevated a popular LTO to the main menu: The Wagyu. The burger was designed by Grant Morgan, concept chef at Boomer pimiento cheese to go with The Wagyu, Morgan had a feeling he’d end up with a tried-and-true favor ite: Price*s Original Sweet & Tangy Pimiento Cheese Spread, made by Bel Brands USA. Still, he did his

been elevated to the BoomerJack’s main menu, Morgan’s next mission is coming up with places where Price*s can be cross-utilized. Owing to Price*s versatility, Morgan sees many possibilities: a cheese board?

Jack’s, and features a Wagyu patty, black pepper mayo, let tuce, tomato, pickles, and Price*s Original Sweet & Tangy Pimiento Cheese Spread. When building the LTO, Mor gan had a set of considerations that are increasingly factored into every chef ’s calculus. “You want to be innovative without overcompli cating things,” Morgan says. “That requires products that are reliably priced, readily available, and won’t make food costs skyrocket. And, at the end of the day, you still have to make sure people are gonna love it.” In searching for the right

“Price*s remains by far the best prepared pimiento cheese spread you can find out there.”

Pimiento fries? One thing he’s cer tain of: The team at Bel Brands USA will assist in any way it can. “They are seriously so incredi ble to work with,” Morgan says. “A lot of companies say, ‘Sure, we’ll get you that product,’ and a week goes by and you’re still waiting on it. Bel is so great about shipping their stuff on time, in great pack aging, and working with chefs.” •

due diligence and sampled several other products. “Price*s remains by far the best prepared pimiento cheese spread you can find out there,” Morgan says. “It’s very rich—you can really taste the high-quality shredded cheese they use. In other products, the sharpness of the cheese tends to get lost.” Now that the Wagyu Burger has

Formoreonmenu inspiration, visit belbrandsfoodservice.com

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Chefs& Ingredients

CULINARY INSPIRATION AND STORIES FROM INDUSTRY TRAILBLAZERS MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION MOPHO • • • MAYPOP • • • TANA • • •

MI VIDA • •

• HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FOOD • •

• MAMNOON

MOPHO PUTS A CREOLE SPIN ON VIETNAMESE FARE.

BigMoves BigEasy INTHE

VIETA COLLINS

AS A LOUISIANA NATIVE, Michael Gulotta might be expected to stick to classic Southern and Cajun dishes like alligator étoufféee and jamba laya. But the chef has carved out a more nuanced reputation for himself, first through MoPho, a Vietnamese concept with Creole influences that opened in 2014, and then three years later with Maypop, which added New Orleans flair to Southeast Asian fare.

BY TREVOR GRINER Michael Gulotta is betting on local enthusiasm— not tourism—to grow his restaurant empire.

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CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S CHEF PROF I LE

“Her dishes were amazing,” Gulotta says. “She evolved her cuisine to use whatever she could find in NewOrleans. If she couldn’t find the traditional Sicil ian ingredients, she would substitute something local, and that’s the part I love about her cooking. At Tana, I want to show New Orleans is this ever-evolv ing melting pot.” Indeed, melding geographically dis parate cuisines has become something of “You can take something super traditional that you’ll find over in Italy and add one little New Orleans ingredient, and it becomes amajor hit.”

Gulotta’s newest project continues his crossover-cuisine streak and brings a past pop-up to a permanent brick-and mortar space. e restaurant in question, Tana, will put Italian cuisine front and center, with dashes of Creole flavors and ingredients interspersed throughout the menu. e restaurant is slated to open next year in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie—a mere four miles down the road fromMoPho in Mid-City. Tana is named after Gulotta’s great grandmother who, while born in Loui siana, moved back to her parents’ native Sicily when she was a child. When later in life she returned to the States, she blended Italian recipes with Cajun tra ditions. is approach not only sparked Gulotta’s love of cooking, it was also the inspiration for some of the dishes at his new concept.

a trademark for Gulotta and earned his previous two restaurants praise aplenty. In addition to being a four-time James Beard Award semifinalist, Gulotta was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine and Chef of the Year by NewOrleansMag azine in 2016. BothMoPho andMaypop have landed on “best of” lists from pub lications like e Times-Picayune , Condé Nast Traveler , Bon Appetit , and Eater. Although Gulotta was once loath to use the term “fusion,” he’s come to appre ciate its range. Some chefs take a bold, over-the-top approach to blending cui sines, but others, like Gulotta, prefer a subtler touch. “You can either smash things that don’t belong together, or you can use these natural pathways that sort of lead to each other,” he says. And if the pop-up version of Tana was any indication, locals have an appetite

MICHAEL GULOTTA

FAVORITE CAJUN FOOD: Couvillion BEST SEASONING: Shrimp paste FAVORITE GRANDMA TANA RECIPE: Grillades and grits GO-TOCOOKINGUTENSIL: Tasting spoons AFTER-SHIFT DRINK: Mezcal and grapefruit

AT MAYPOP, CRISPY FRIED OYSTERS ARE SERVED WITH MANCHEGO AND BOURBON BARREL SOY AÏOLI.

DENNY CULBERT (2)

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SHADES OF TRES c . 2022

MEDIUM : Idaho® russet, red and fingerling potatoes, poached king crab and brown butter. ARTIST : Chef Sam Kang

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CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S CHEF PROF I LE

“It doesn’t reallymatter what image I have for it inmy headbecause restaurants take on a life of their own when they open.”

MAYPOP’S ROASTED MARROWWITH GEORGIA PEACH CURRY

MAYPOP ADDS A BIT OF ELEGANCE TO MOPHO’S FUSION ETHOS.

for Louisiana f lavors accenting other global cuisines. Gulotta recalls one dish, a traditional spaghetti vongole, that didn’t sell—until he decided to crum ble some Andouille on top. Then, the dish became a No. 1 seller. “You can take something super tra ditional that you’ ll find over in Italy and add one little New Orleans ingredi ent, and it becomes a major hit,” he says. “Ingredients like New Orleans sausage were so much a part of growing up.” While the sausage-topped spaghetti vongole has a reserved spot on the menu, the rest is still in development. Beyond pop-up favorites, Gulotta plans to put a Sicilian spin on rich NewOrleans staples with a focus on fresh, coastal ingredients. As for the bar program, Big Easy clas sics like sazeracs will share space with lesser-known drinks featuring Italian spirits, like aperol spritzes and amaro based cocktails. “I’d love it if we could introduce people to something new, and I think we can pull that off.” Tana’s sprawling 5,000-square-foot space includes a 16-seat bar and a cock tail lounge that will stay open after din ner service has completed. It’s one of many operational decisions Gulotta is making with New Orleanians in mind. He describes the future space as an “anchor restaurant,” one where he and his team can break out all of the bells and whistles.

MOPHO’S BEEF PHO WITH BRAISED BEEF, PORK MEATBALLS, KALE, AND SLOW POACHED EGG

RUSH JAGOE / VIETA COLLINS / SAM HANNA

“ ere’s not much in that area except for these big, old, beautiful homes,” he says. “They’ve never really had some thing like Tana, not to this extent at least. We want to build a spot where peo ple go even if they aren’t there to eat din ner. is is for the locals.” MoPho has a strong local following, which Gulotta is counting on to help get the word out. He says operating in Jefferson Parish gives Tana a chance of succeeding regardless of how well New Orleans tourism is doing. It’s a con sideration the pandemic made all too clear, but one that’s also relevant in a post-Covid world. As Gulotta points out,

running a restaurant in downtown New Orleans ties it, for better or for worse, to the ebb and flow of seasonal visitors. That’s why the chef prefers an all year-round operation that caters to locals. After all, they’ll have an active part in shaping Tana. “I’ve wanted to do this restaurant for a really long time, and I’m hoping it’s going to be a huge part of this commu nity,” Gulotta says. “It doesn’t really mat ter what image I have for it in my head because restaurants take on a life of their own when they open. I’m excited to see where this is going to end up because it all depends on the customer.”

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CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S NOW SERVING

SittingDown to Street Eats BY TREVOR GRINER Elevated versions of global street foods are finding their place on the plate.

MI VIDA EMBELISHES AREPAS WITH CREMA AND CAVIAR.

REY LOPEZ

FROM AREPAS IN COLOMBIA to pier ogies in Poland to banh mi in Vietnam, street foods vary across cultures. But for all the differences, one unifying quality captures the essence of what makes these casual, on-the-go dishes so enticing. “There’s such immense flavor in a sin gle bite,” says chef Roberto Santibañez, owner and culinary director of New York City’s Fonda and Washington D.C.’s Mi Vida. “[Street foods] come from a place of comfort.They come fromhome and from recipes that have been passed down from

generation to generation. And that’s true whether it’s Mexican or Chinese food.” Originally fromMexico, Santibañez has developed a menu at Mi Vida that transforms the country’s traditional street foods into plated dishes fit for full service dining. A dozen years ago, the food truck craze brought global street fare to ubiquity and soon after, fast casu als brought them to brick-and-mortars. Now, chefs like Santibañez are elevat ing these classic dishes. In some cases, the only change needed is the plating.

“So many of the dishes are already so perfect that there’s only so much you can do to make it better,” he says. “So it becomes more about how you present it.” He suggests using ceramic plates instead of baskets and advises chefs to pay close attention to how sauces are drizzled. Other small changes, like using finely diced onions instead of roughly chopped onions, can also add a more refined air. “Even taking regular cilantro and replacing it withmicro cilantro can bring

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the dish to a different place visually,” he says. “Experientially, you want the taste and the flavors to be the same. You want the person in your restaurant to experi ence what they would have in themarket.” One particularly popular item at Mi Vida is quesabirria, a slow-braised beef served with chihuahua cheese between a flour tortilla. Available as either an appe tizer or an entrée, depending on the por tion size, the dish features slow-braised short rib served in a spicy guajillo broth with corn tortillas. Allen Lo, cofounder and brand chef at Hawkers Asian Street Food, shares sim ilar opinions about how to take street food from hawker stalls to sit-down res taurants. As a general rule of thumb, Lo leaves the recipes alone and instead con centrates on sourcing. “Ingredients are definitely our main focus,” he says. “There can be so many different recipes even for one dish, so we try to find the recipe we like best and then elevate that dish using the best ingredients available to us.” Unlike Santibañez, however, Lo keeps the presentation as close to the original as possible. He says dishes are served as they would be in street markets through out Southeast Asia. If an item is tradi tionally served on a skewer, that’s how it’s presented at Hawkers, which now has a dozen locations across the South and Mid-Atlantic. “We want to plate it as it was intended to be eaten on the street,” he says. “If that means being wrapped up so it can be handheld, that’s how we try to serve it.” As for the flavors themselves, Lo says dishes like crispy duck and chicken skin are popping up on menus as more cus tomers look for authentic representa tions of foreign cuisines. At the same time, he foresees a wave of new dishes and recipes. As older vendors pass busi nesses along to the younger generations, new dishes will start to make an appear ance, which will then start popping up in menus in full-service concepts. “It’s really exciting,” he says. “They want to take traditional recipes and modernize them. I think over the next several years you’re going to see a lot of

WHETHER PLATED OR TO-GO, MAMNOON DISHES SHOWCASE MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE.

REVA KELLER

that happening.” Putting a modern touch on street food is something chef Nicco Muratore has taken up at Mamnoon, a full-service restaurant in Seattle that’s inspired by food stalls found throughout theMiddle East. To update classics, the chef applies traditional techniques to locally sourced ingredients. “It’s an ancient cuisine that really fits the trend of eating healthier,” Mura tore says. “At Mamnoon, we’re cooking Middle Eastern cuisine but looking at it through the lens of the Pacific Northwest. We’re using ingredients that might not always be in the traditional cuisine, but we’re using them to elevate the dishes by utilizing what’s available in this area.” For example, the restaurant’s ver sion of dolmeh (grape leaves, typically wrapped around rice seasoned with lemon, mint, or even onion) uses chan terelle mushrooms, shallots, and cauli flower labneh. As for the fattoush, whose recipe varies regionally, Mamnoon uses local endives and radicchio, as well as sugar snap peas, fennel, and radish. Muratore says he’s seeing kebabs

grace menus beyond the Middle East ern category, with local restaurants fea turing proteins like Pacific Northwest salmon. Street food spices and sea sonings are also becoming more main stream. While Mamnoon sells its own blends like za’atar, sumac, and aleppo pepper, Muratore points out that such seasonings are cropping up all around. “It’s one of those ingredients that’s starting to pop up everywhere,” he says of za’atar. “You even see it at places like Trader Joe’s. It’s nice to see it gaining popularity.” Because such items are becoming more readily available, restaurants have the opportunity to differentiate them selves through the quality of the ingre dients, hospitality, and dine-in atmo sphere. Those components often fetch a higher price, but from Santibañez’s per spective, customers will justify the extra expense for exceptional experiences. “There’s a different expectation with full service,” he says. “Customers will be happy paying the restaurant prices because the food is comforting and deli cious and the experience is fun.”

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the need for easy preparation and versatil ity. They can be served on their own or as a complement to center plate offerings. Bis cuits, for example, can be served with meats, eggs, or cheese, or as a side item on a break fast platter. Depending on the application, they can also be the focus of both sweet and savory dishes. “It depends on what equipment they have, but we’ve seen operators turn biscuits into waffles, flatbread, tacos, pigs in blan kets, bread pudding, and many other cre ative dishes,” Trainor says. “These are all dif ferentiated ways to take one product and use it throughout the menu—that’s what operators want to hear.” Baked goods can also increase profitabil ity. For instance, sausage biscuits are a pop ular breakfast item frequently appearing on dollar menus. However, they can be easily elevated with eggs, mixed greens, or spe cialty items such as pimiento cheese. Now, that dollar item becomes a $2.49 item. “Getting people in the door is what oper ators need to figure out,” Trainor says. “Cost conscious customers will go for the dollar biscuit, but regulars may want to try some thing different.” Even with labor, budget, and supply con straints, restaurant operators can still pro vide elements of a made-from-scratch expe rience. Customers want to connect with their food, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including bringing elements of the back-of-house up front. For example, high lighting—by name—staff members who make bread, soup, and other popular menu items. As inflation continues to rear its head, operators will no doubt find ways to cope with the challenge—because they must. Thaw-and-serve baked goods are one way operators can reduce supply chain and labor woes while elevating menus with creative, versatile dishes. BY DAVINA VAN BUREN

GENERAL MILLS

Find Versatility and Cost Savings With Thaw-and Serve Baked Goods BISCUITS, MUFFINS, AND PASTRIES CAN HELP ADDRESS SEVERAL OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES.

AS RESTAURANT OPERATORS continue to grapple with myriad challenges—the pan demic, supply chain and labor shortages, and, most recently, record high inflation— they must once get creative when it comes to operational efficiency. According to Tim Trainor, corporate chef at General Mills, the top challenge among restaurant operators is still labor. Restau rants have resorted to a variety of ways to deal with the lack of workers, including streamlining menus, shortening hours, and experimenting with new business models, such as ghost kitchens and virtual brands. One way operators can make the most of the current landscape is by creating menus centered around versatile items, such as

baked goods. General Mills’ portfolio of thaw-and-serve products are proven safe and easy to prepare, which saves on labor in addition to establishing trust. “We can’t predict exactly what will hap pen, but we do expect the labor pool to con tinue to diminish,” Trainor says. “If you’re not promoting or getting credit for scratch made, don’t do it—bring in something more convenient. Maintaining that two- or three step mentality is paramount for success for many operators.” Biscuits, muffins, and pastries meet

FOR VERSATILE, EASY-TO-USE PRODUCTS AND POWERFUL SOLUTIONS, VISIT GENERALMILLSCF.COM.

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Liquid Intelligence

TRENDS AND CREATIVE APPROACHES TO SPIRITS, WINE, AND BEER. MENTIONED IN THIS STORY OSKAR BLUES BREWERY • • •

NEW BELGIUM • •

• EVIL TWIN BREWING • •

• CAROLINA BREWERY

EVIL TWIN’S PURPLE RICE LAGER IS A FAR CRY FROM THE BLAND LAGERS OF YORE.

Lagers Second Look GETA

MICHELLE GIANG

IN THE WORLD OF CRAFT BEER, IPAs reign supreme. The heavy-hitting, bold flavored style has been the drink of choice for beer enthusiasts for the last decade-plus, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. But as palates evolve and

beer-drinkers look for lighter alterna tives, one style in particular could give hoppy pale ales a run for the money. Long before the craft movement gained steam, light lagers were one of the more common beers, thanks largely

BY TREVOR GRINER Could lagers challenge IPA’s stronghold in the craft category?

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L IQUID INTELL IGENCE

where—they’re still massively popu lar—but I think there is a segment of beer drinkers that are feeling a little pal ate fatigued.” Craft brewers perfecting the lager style has helped bridge the gap between craft enthusiast and casual imbibers, but creating a high-quality lager is dif ficult because there’s nowhere to hide imperfections, Baker says. Unlike other styles that rely heavily on strong hop and roasted flavors, lagers don’t have many supplemental ingredients, mean ing even the slightest flaw is immedi ately apparent. “They’re the hardest to perfect,” he says. “ ere are a lot more things that can go wrong during the brewing process.” Even though lagers inherently have a more neutral flavor profile, the style is getting a craft makeover as breweries experiment with everything fromhoppy varieties to purple lagers. “When most people talk about lagers, they’re referring to pilsners or Ameri can light lagers,” says Cody Reif, brewing innovations manager at New Belgium. “Lagers make great approachable beers because they tend to be drier, crisp, and refreshing.” e drier texture is due to residual carbohydrates. Fans of domestic beers, like Budweiser and Coors Banquet, may have shied away from craft lagers in the past due to the higher price point, Reif says. But that’s beginning to change as some of the bar riers to larger production have started to come down, including cost and distribu tion. As a result, brewers are becoming more comfortable experimenting within the style. As Reif mentions, most peo ple think of pilsners and American light beers when they think of lagers, but those aren’t necessarily the variations making the most noise in the craft beer scene. New York–based Evil Twin Brewing produces more than 50 different craft lagers, including oat lagers, lime lagers, and even a purple lager brewed from rice. Unlike some breweries that feature a flagship beer, Evil Twin is constantly rotating the selection, which encourages experimentation without being overly committed to one variation.

“Craft beer is evolving to a place where lagers are gaining in popularity, and I think people have a better understanding of howdifficult it is to make a good lager.”

CRAFT POWERHOUSES LIKE OSKAR BLUES AND NEW BELGIUM ARE PUTTING A PREMIUM SPIN ON LAGERS.

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY / NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY

to major producers like MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. Although lager’s ubiq uity made it one of the top-grossing vari eties, its big-brand affiliation and neu tral flavor did it no favors among craft breweries, who until very recently, over looked the style. “Craft beer is evolving to a place where

lagers are gaining in popularity, and I think people have a better understand ing of how difficult it is to make a good lager,” says Aaron Baker, senior mar keting manager at Oskar Blues Brew ery, which distributes nationally and has taprooms in North Carolina, Texas, and Colorado. “IPAs aren’t going any

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