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Where the Biz Is
Local food truck owners talk
street vending and events
versus private catering.
Building a Better Bun
How a chef and baker came
together to create a South
American burger’s best friend.
The Chef Shortage
Columnist asks the culinary
pros, ‘Where have all the
good cooks gone?’
FOODSERVICENEWS
The News and Information Source for Restaurants and the Foodservice Industry
Volume 25• Issue 5
June/July 2014
www.foodservicenews.net
Club-level
Culinarian
Farm-toCaterer
By Laura Michaels
By Laura Michaels
H
Serving soft shell crab is one way executive chef Ferris Shiffer keeps the
menus interesting at the Minikahda Club.
things.” (He prepared the crab with a
curried cauliflower-golden raisin braise
and sweet Japanese rice, in case you’re
wondering.)
That’s not to say he’s free to change
up the regular menu on a whim. Just
like at any other club where members
expect their favorites to always be
available, Shiffer knows there are some
things—such as the Minikahda Burger
and Walleyed Pike Three Ways—he just
can’t touch.
“We have to please everybody. That’s
the inherent challenge of country
clubs and I have as many critics as I
have fans,” he says. “You can never get
comfortable.”
Club-level Culinarian | page 16
2808 Anthony Lane South
Minneapolis, MN 55418
I
n talking about his 20 years
as executive chef at the Minikahda
Club, Ferris Shiffer credits his success
to just about everyone but himself.
His veteran sous chefs: “Having that
consistency is huge.” The club’s board of
governors: “Their support is unrivaled.”
And a well-heeled membership: “They
dine well. They’re more adventurous,
willing to try just about anything.”
“Ferris is a very humble guy,” says
longtime friend Russell Klein, chef/
owner of Meritage in St. Paul and the
recently opened Brasserie Zentral in
downtown Minneapolis. “He’s the best
chef in town nobody’s ever heard of.”
Although the general public might
not know it is Shiffer’s culinary prowess
at work, the food programs at the private
Minneapolis club are consistently touted
among those in the country club set—
and the chef community—as being the
best. But again, Shiffer shies away from
the praise.
“Food quality is a priority here, not all
clubs can say that,” he says. “Can every
club afford the attention to detail that
we have? No. My budgets are pretty
generous.”
As if to demonstrate that point, Shiffer
produces a crate of just-delivered live
soft shell crabs and proceeds to remove
each crab’s eyes and lungs. “We serve a
lot of fish and seafood, it’s very popular
with our weddings,” he continues. “We
just got these eight dozen soft shell
crabs … not a lot of country clubs could
sell that.”
But Minikahda can, which is exactly
why Shiffer is entering his third decade
at the club, which itself is 116 years old.
“I’m not limited to a set type of food,”
he explains. “It’s not French, not Italian,
not a steakhouse—I’m all of those
eidi Andermack doesn’t
want to think of local food
sourcing and environmental
sustainability as trends—even though
they’re at the top of the National
Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot”
trend list for 2014 and have been for
years. Instead, for Andermack and fellow
Chowgirls Killer Catering owner Amy
Brown, the two methods are a way of
life—and of doing business.
Trends can go away, Andermack
explained, which is exactly what she
doesn’t want to see happen with these
approaches to foodservice. Luckily for
Andermack and her business, the opposite
is happening. Consumers are increasingly
interested in where their food is coming
from, seeking out locally sourced meals
from restaurants that are more than willing
to capitalize on that interest.
Those same consumers are also looking
to caterers to have the same focus, which
Farm-to-Caterer | page 18
MN Pizza Hut Owners Exit Biz
By Jonathan Maze
B
order Foods’ exit from the
Pizza Hut business hit a roadblock,
forcing an affiliate of the New Hopebased franchisee to file for bankruptcy.
Sky Ventures, which has the same
owners as Border Foods, filed for federal
debt protection in May after months of
lease negotiations on the company’s 15
remaining locations in Minnesota, Iowa
and Wisconsin yielded no fruit.
By filing for bankruptcy, Sky will be
able to sell six of those locations to Texasbased franchisee Muy Brands, and will
close the other nine.
But it’s also part of a broader strategy
on the part of Sky’s owners to exit the
Pizza Hut business and sell those locations
to Muy—a San Antonio company that
owns mostly Yum Brands concepts Taco
Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut.
Sky Ventures operated 80 Pizza Hut
locations at one point. But many of the
locations are dine-in restaurants in rural
areas—places like Ely, Minnesota, which
has a population of 1,200.
A number of those locations are older
and outdated and needed upgrades.
Pizza Hut had been pushing Sky to
Sky Ventures is clearing its plate of
Pizza Hut stores through bankruptcy
filing.
upgrade those locations, said Jeff Engler,
CEO of Border Foods. Yet many of those
locations had low volumes, and Sky felt
that upgrades hadn’t yielded much of a
return on investment in the past.
Border instead wanted to devote capital
to its high-performing Taco Bell units. And
so the franchisee, and Pizza Hut, decided
it’d be better if the company exited the
pizza business. “Capital is finite,” Engler
MN Pizza Hut | page 25
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Foodservice News • June/July 2014
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FOODSERVICENEWS
June/July 2014, Volume 25 Issue 5
Managing Editor
Nancy Weingartner
[email protected]
from the editor
Dinner Specials
How you make diners feel by what you say and do, they’ll remember
Assistant Editor
Laura Michaels
[email protected]
Nancy
Weingartner
Advertising
Amy Gasman
[email protected]
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Managing Editor
I
had an epiphany at a supper
club in Wisconsin. It was actually
at the second supper club I dined
at in two days. The first, HobNob, was
an ornately dressed grandmother
overlooking Lake Michigan, where the
musical entertainment was a mother,
father and son trio. It was great fun, from
the onion-ring loaf to the soup, salad and
prime rib main meal.
The second supper club was a little
less grand. The servers were dressed
in the traditional St. Pauli Girl (beer)
outfits—dirndls with a bodice blouse,
full skirt and apron. But because I just
had attended the National Restaurant
Show in Chicago, where three franchised
food concepts brought young, nubile
servers in sexy clothes to help sell their
concepts, I was jaded. It was difficult not
to think the middle-aged women in their
too-tight costumes at the supper club
had overstayed their shift.
But to quote the late and very great
Maya Angelou: “At the end of the day
people won’t remember what you said,
or did, they will remember how you
made them feel.”
The couple seated next to us were
right out of the new TV show, “Fargo.”
The husband proudly told the server he
had snuck over to buy a gift certificate for
his wife to celebrate their anniversary. I
could tell by eavesdropping this was an
extravagance and not just another meal
out like it was for my dining companion
and me. (And yes, if I sit next to you at
some noisy restaurant, I’ll probably listen
to what you’re talking about, too.)
When the husband asked the server if
he could have the blue cheese crumbles
on his salad, she said, “Sure, that will be
$2 extra.” And he replied, hurriedly, “Oh,
Reprints:
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others are not authorized.
well, we don’t want to get crazy here.
Just the regular dressing will do.”
Throughout the meal, the server
stopped back to chat up the couple—the
woman was pretty much silent, or maybe
I couldn’t hear her as well, because my
back was to her. I really should have
switched seats.
My point here—and the epiphany—is
that sometimes people in the restaurant
business take for granted their customers
are just out for another meal. But this
particular server understood the evening
was special for this couple. It might have
been the one or two times a year they go
out to a sit-down restaurant and have a
drink and prime rib.
Celebrating an occasion is more than
just a group of servers surrounding the
celebrant with a piece of candlelit cake,
and a clapping song. It’s taking time to
ask the couple about themselves—even
admire pictures of their grandchildren if
they pull them out of their wallets—and
let them feel, well, special.
After all, according to Maya Angelou,
they will remember that, more often
than the prime rib or walleye.
I don’t regret listening in on a fellow
diner’s conversation, but there is one
thing I should have done. I wish I had
told our server she looked great in her
dirndl—and it was so nice not to be
served by cleavage.
I recently took a busman’s holiday
to London. Surely everyone who loves
eating out can never go on vacation
and not feel as if they are working when
they go to a restaurant. (OK, that’s a bit
of an exaggeration, but you never know
when the IRS may be spying on you, and
it doesn’t hurt to give them a heads-up.)
One of the reasons I chose London
was because people there speak my
language. But they don’t really. When I
asked the concierge what the dress code
was for the restaurant where I was having
dinner, he replied, “Smart.” Not sure if
what I was wearing was appropriate, I
asked, “Do I look smart to you?” He didn’t
answer.
Other word usage was odd as well.
Our “to go” food is “take away” there.
So be careful if you deliver a speech in
England not to ask the audience what
their take aways were or you might get
their leftovers.
You also must be in good shape to visit
restaurants in London because every
toilet (“restroom” to us euphemistic
Americans) is down a steep set of
multiple narrow stairways.
But the impression some of my
coworkers were under that I would
be dining on bland food was far from
accurate. From pub food to fine French
dining to the bar food at the hotel to the
snout-to-tail restaurant, it was all great
dining—well, maybe not the snout-to-tail
place that served us brown crab on toast.
The one thing I’d like to steal from
London for the Twin Cities, however, is the
casual zoning for outside dining. While
Twin Citiers are forced to sit in limited
roped-off areas, in London pub-goers
stand outside the restaurant with their
drinks, often two people deep. We just
don’t get enough patio time not to use up
every square inch of sidewalk.
And, no, I’m not advocating changing
the law or ignoring the existing ones,
just waxing a bit unpoetically about the
virtues of al fresco dining.
But speaking of laws, reporter Jane
McClure brings the latest on off-premise
liquor sales. No one will be surprised
by the legislature’s decision, but it’s
interesting to see the track record.
Also check out all the places and faces
Editor Laura Michaels has been to and
seen in May. Her photos always put the
events she covers in the best light.
In addition, two columnists are
lamenting the dirge of committed chefs
or experienced help, while a third lauds
a young chef. Of course, our columnist
Klecko’s buns did help the chef win the
people’s award. If that doesn’t make you
want to turn the page, I‘m not sure what
will. But unlike Maya Angelou, we want
you to remember what we say.
174 Restaurant Projects.
77 Unique Concepts.
Entire contents copyright 2014.
All rights reserved.
3 Rooftop Restaurants.
Jonathan Maze
http://www.twitter.com/JonathanMaze
Masu
Figlio
One Contractor.
Nancy Weingartner
http://twitter.com/nanweingartner
Laura Michaels
http://twitter.com/FSNLauraM
952-929-7233
WWW.DIVERSIFIEDCONSTRUCTION.COM
June/July 2014 • Foodservice News
3
server
speak
Exploits from the
Summer Patio Diaries
Danielle
McFarland
Jordan Becker
Position: Server
Years in the industry: 16
J.D. Hoyt’s
Supper Club
Minneapolis
I was sitting
on a long patio
picnic
bench
at a bar. All of
a sudden the
group of people
sitting at the
other end of the bench broke out into an
argument. At the peak of all the drama,
all of the people on that whole other
side of the table got up at the same time.
The table rose off the ground and all the
drinks started sliding at me like a tidal
wave. I got completely drenched.
Missy Leiferman and Kelsey
Peterson
Positions: Bar manager, Bartender
Years in the industry: 19, 7
Fitz’s Bar & Grill
Eagan
One night a guy was drinking out on
the patio and decided he could jump
off the deck. He got a running start, but
then he didn’t clear the fence so he did a
somersault and took a digger face down
to the ground. Then he ran through the
parking lot never to return.
Tommy Begnaud, Patrick Denny
Positions: GM, Cocktologist
Years in the industry: 10, 15
Louie’s Wine Dive
Minneapolis
Patrick: Tommy and I were sitting
on an alleyway patio having lunch
at a place I won’t disclose. We were
good and jacked up when we saw a
mouse on the patio. I know I’m 700
times bigger than the mouse but it
still scared me with all its weird little
movements. Then it just scaled the
entire wall … didn’t even zigzag—it
just shot straight up the stucco.
Tommy: I was bartending on the
rooftop patio at Solera one night
when there were just sheets of gray
rain coming down. I was thinking
to myself, CLOSE THE PATIO! But, of
course, this couple had to come out
and huddle under an umbrella table
and order tapas. We had to literally grab newspapers to shield the
server going out to the table with
their food.
Aldo Escoto
Position: Owner
El Parian
Eagan
Sometimes the restaurant fills up.
There’s a line all the way out the door
that wraps around the patio. But since the
music is playing it turns into a conga line
and before you know it, we’re all dancing.
Dan Hagen
Position: Bartender
Buffalo Tap
Savage
I try to block out all memories of
working on a patio. So we have 100
percent bison burgers here. I brought a
couple of these buffalo burgers out from
the kitchen and delivered them to some
people on the patio. Then they asked me
why their burgers weren’t spicy.
tattoo
Steve: There’s only two months of
good patio weather in Minnesota. Or
else people think it’s either too cold
out there or too hot, and then they
want to go back inside … and they
usually wait until their food comes to
let us know.
you
A.J. Armour
Position: Chef de Cuisine
Years in the Industry: 9
Victory 44, Minneapolis
I went to culinary school and thought I
was a badass chef, but it was a very rude
awakening for me coming to Victory 44. I
consider this place to be my culinary school
because this is where I really learned and
got paid for it. So this tattoo [from Leviticus
Tattoo in Minneapolis] is to pay homage to
this place. This was the first place I worked
with molecular gastronomy, and we did
crazy business with three burners, a pasta
pot and two ovens.
I took a sabbatical from here and ended up
at another restaurant as the chef de cuisine
4
Left to right: Steve Husom, Ron
Hannum, Dave Wanek, Shane
Cornelious
Positions: Bartenders & FOHMs
Years in the industry: 30, 20, 10, 10
Lion’s Tap
Eden Prairie
working the pass
(plating station)
and getting risotto
poured on me
nightly by the chef
screaming, “This is
not right!” It wasn’t
great. I grabbed
my sous chef and
left. The restaurant
closed about a
week later. Right
when all this went
down, the chef at
Victory 44 called me up and said, “Come
back home.” I said, “I’ll be there Monday.”
That’s just how this place is.
Travis “Travy”
Position: Cook
Years in industry: 7
Zorbaz on the Lake
Alexandria, Minn.
I was hanging out with my friend
who works at a tattoo shop. He had just
finished with his last appointment and
said, ‘Hey, Travy, come get a tattoo.’
And it was just like [Dr. Ray Stantz
played by Dan Aykroyd] in the movie...
‘I couldn’t help it! It just popped in
there!’
-Referring to his idea of getting a tattoo
of the fictional Stay Puft Marshmallow
man from the movie “Ghostbusters.”
5
around the Twin Cities
News and Noteworthy
Mendota Heights-based Restaurant
Technologies Inc. was recognized
for its commitment to ethical conduct
and integrity last month with a
Minnesota Business Ethics Award. CEO
Jeff Kiesel accepted the award at the
with clients to design and execute an
array of events.
Ann Lovcik of CenterPoint Energy
recently partnered with Popeyes
Louisiana Kitchen for rebates on high
efficiency, natural gas fryers. With
multiple locations in the CenterPoint
Energy territory, a total of $13,500 in
rebates were delivered to franchisee
owner Abid Iqbal, director of
operations, and son Farhan, brand
trainer and district manager. Plans
are proceeding to add more Popeyes
restaurants in Minnesota in 2014.
Photo credit Kaskaid Hospitality
Stewart Woodman, former chef/
co-owner of Heidi’s, has joined up with
Kaskaid Hospitality Group as culinary
director. He’ll focus first on the company’s
Union space
at 8th Street
and Hennepin
Avenue
in
Minneapolis,
which
is
undergoing
another change
after operating
as Union Fish
Market for just
nine months.
Kaskaid isn’t Stewart Woodman
releasing
details on the new concept, though
CEO Kam Talebi said Woodman’s vision
“represents a fantastic opportunity we
simply could not pass up.” Woodman
will also oversee culinary direction for
Kaskaid’s other concepts, including
Crave, Figlio and BoneYard. Corporate
executive chef Bill King will remain
focused on operations.
Restaurant Technologies Inc. CEO Jeff Kiesel (center) joins his staff after
receiving a Minnesota Business Ethics Award.
annual luncheon and congratulated
his company on its ability to “build
an organization and culture with high
trust.” In their comments, judges
noted the company’s five core values
of “customer, character, commitment,
courage and community,” along with
its 80 percent employee retention rate
and decision to discontinue working
with two clients because of issues of
trust and concern for treatment of
employees. RTI works with various
foodservice operations from fast-casual
to independent restaurants, providing
automated delivery, storage, handling
and disposal of fryer oil.
Chef-owned
Minneapolis
c a t e r i n g
company Three
Sons Signature
C u i s i n e
welcomed Katie
Tiburzi to its
team as its events
consultant.
Tibur zi
was
previously a lead Katie Tiburzi
planner
with
Simply Elegant Bridal Consulting and
a general manager at The Traveling
Photobooth. At Three Sons she’ll work
sponsored by
coffee Talk
Longtime La Belle Vie wine
expert and managing director,
Bill Summerville, is moving on to
other projects. He will be staying
in Minneapolis and in the industry,
collaborating with chef Erik Anderson
(founder of Nashville’s Catbird Seat and
formerly of Sea Change) on Ernie’s
Fried Chicken, a pop-up restaurant at
Travail in Robbinsdale. Summerville
said he has other projects in the works
but isn’t divulging the details just yet.
Sunsets
of
Woodbury
will
soon reopen under a new name.
The restaurant closed in April for
CenterPoint’s Ann Lovcik (right)
presents a rebate check to Abid and
Farhan Iqbal of Popeyes.
remodeling and will re-open in June
as Craft Kitchen and Bar. Granite
City founder Steven Wagenheim is
one of the new owners, along with
Dean Vlahos, who founded Champps
Americana, and Steven Anderson.
South Minneapolis spot Las Teresitas
was named one of the best Mexican
restaurants in the United States by
Travel & Leisure magazine. Opened two
years ago by Gaspar Perez, the cantina
on South 34th Avenue is noted for
its huge burritos, Mexican mole and
selection of nine salsas.
One, Two, Three Sushi is opening a
fourth location and its first in St. Paul,
in the skyway level of the U.S. Bank
Center Building. Operated by Eaganbased Sushi Avenue, which also owns
Masu Sushi & Robata, One, Two, Three
Sushi also has two stores in downtown
Minneapolis and one in Dinkytown.
Minneapolis gastropub Buster’s on
28th will reopen July 7, just over a year
after a power outage and fire forced
its closure. During the closure, Buster’s
underwent several projects, including
a kitchen expansion, increasing its tap
lines and restroom improvements.
Known for
its extensive
tap
beer
selection, Republic
restaurant is getting into the food
truck business with the launch of Red
River Kitchen. Matty O’Reilly, who
owns both Republic locations and
318 Café in Excelsior, will operate the
truck with a focus on local ingredients
from producers such as Wild Acres and
Fisher Farms. Chef Kevin Kvalston’s
house-made sausages are also on the
menu.
Berry Coffee Company is a proud distributor of Caribou Coffee. This
nationally recognized brand is now available to foodservice accounts!
Commercial equipment • grinders • thermoservers
• syrups • logo cups, lids and clutches
www.berrycoffee.com
Call us today at 952-937-8697, for all your coffee and beverage needs!
6
7
restaurant
recycling
Cork t’aint just for the landfill anymore
T
By Nancy Weingartner
he couple at table 10 just
polished off a particularly good
bottle of Bordeaux. They should
be feeling mellow, but there’s a problem.
They want to know what your plans are
for their cork.
There’s actually a better solution than
tossing their leftover cork in the trash,
which ultimately ends up in the landfill.
Recycle it.
Houlihan’s Restaurants, with four
locations in the Twin Cities, is doing
just that by partnering with ReCORK, a
national program that collects corks to
be “upcycled” into useful items such as
shoes and flooring.
In addition to recycling every cork
popped at Houlihan’s, locations also
serve as drop-off centers. Customers
responded by bringing in corks by the
handful and grocery bag. Franchisees
also like it. The chain has 100 percent
franchisee participation, says Jennifer
Gulvik, senior vice president of marketing.
According to ReCORK’s website, no
tree has been killed in the making of cork;
in fact, harvesting cork correctly more
than triples cork trees’ lives. Another
side benefit is that the harvested trees
become somewhat fire retardant, which
in wildfire areas could prove beneficial.
Why bother recycling when corks
are biodegradable and
cork is a renewable
resource?
One reason is that it
takes up to 50 years
for a cork tree to be
ready for harvest.
Once the bark is
removed from the
tree, it can’t be
harvested again for
nine years, Gulvik
says. A long wait for
a bottle of wine.
When a restaurant
collects 30 pounds of
Houlihan’s bar and
restaurants
has
teamed up with
ReCORK to recycle
both the restaurants’
corks and the corks
brought in by guests
to their ‘recycling center.’ Practical items,
such as these sandals,
are the result of the
recycling program.
Proudly serving
Catering & Country Clubs
nationally for over 100 years.
Showroom – 2015 Silver Bell Road, Suite 150 Eagan. MN 55122
Tel (612) 331-1300 • www.hockenbergs.com
8
corks—about 3,000 corks—ReCORK
sends a prepaid shipping label, Gulvik
says. And it doesn’t take as long to collect
30 pounds as one would imagine. “We
sell a lot of wine,” she says, adding.
While the program is new to
Houlihan’s, the parent company
has been recycling corks from its
company-owned steak and seafood
concepts for 4 years.
Houlihan’s isn’t the only dropoff spot in the Twin Cities.
Other local sites include:
Vinifera Wines and Ales
in Plymouth, Pairings
Food and Wine Market
in Minnetonka, Apple
Valley Liquor, and Sinful
Wines and Spirits in
Bloomington, according
to the ReCORK website.
To publicize the program,
Houlihan’s sends out email
blasts with food or drink
discounts in exchange for
cork donations. When the
message mentions cork
recycling, the open rates are
4 to 5 percent higher than
other messages, Gulvik says.
All the more reason to serve
more wine and do more
good.
Culinary
Q&A
K-TWIN’s Brian ‘BT’ Turner Talks Dining in the Twin Cities
W
hether he’s emceeing the
Charlie Awards or chatting
with chefs, bartenders and
other culinary personalities during his
“Foodie Friday” segment on 96.3 K-TWIN
radio, Brian “BT” Turner knows the
Twin Cities’ food scene. The longtime
radio personality has also hosted the
Minnesota Zoo’s Fish Bites fundraiser,
featuring local chefs and restaurants,
and has appeared at numerous other
local events. Catch him weekdays on
K-TWIN from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where is your favorite dining spot in
the Twin Cities?
I have so many favorite Twin Cities
dining spots, so to ask me my favorite
is a tough question. Like the old “which
of your kids do you love the most?”
conundrum! So for right now, my two
favorites are Russell and Desta Klein’s
Meritage (in St. Paul), which has been
a longtime favorite, and their new
Brasserie Zentral, recently opened in the
old Soo Line Building in Minneapolis.
Excellent food, as always, and the dining
rooms and surroundings for each of their
restaurants are right in my comfort zone.
I like it when the old school European
vibe meets my Twin Cities world.
Where’s the best place to get
breakfast?
Hoping that my favorite breakfast
spot, Crystal Café, will reopen soon, as
they had a fire there recently. They’re
in my neighborhood, and for me that’s
what a breakfast shop needs first and
foremost—proximity. But equally as
important is the quality of the food, and
if the eggs are done right and the hash
browns are crisped to perfection. If the
oatmeal is tasty and hot and the coffee
keeps coming—I’m in. And I’m in as a
regular who will tell my friends. Crystal
Café has it down.
at a loss for checking out something I
haven’t tried before.
What’s your go-to food at the
Twins’ ballpark?
My go-to food at Target Field is
always a two-fer: A cold, tall Summit
EPA and a brat from Kramarczuk’s.
If you were to open a restaurant,
what would it be called and what
would it serve?
It would probably lean in the
direction of some of my favorite small
taverns. I come from a tavern family,
so places like Matt’s Bar have always
been places I gravitate toward. But I
don’t want to get in the middle of yet
another Jucy Lucy battle. No matter
what, there would be a small stage
tucked in the corner for live music.
What type of food does Minnesota
do best?
We like our beef in the North Star
State, and there is no shortage of great
steak restaurants in our area, which is a
blessing. The top shops really do it well,
and Manny’s is my all-time favorite.
What do you wish we had more of
in Minnesota?
For a long time, I wished we had
more sushi and Thai food in St. Paul
and Minneapolis, but that’s changed
completely. There were always some
top-quality stalwarts out there, but
now there are even more choices. I’m
digging Masu (Sushi & Robata) big time.
But if the real question is what I wished
we had more of now, I’m at a loss for an
answer since we’ve seen a remarkable
infusion of so many different foods
come into our area, at the hands of
so many skilled chefs, that I’m never
What makes a perfect hamburger?
Summer grilling season is upon
us, and there is only one secret to
the perfect burger: freshly ground
chuck. You can go a hundred different
directions with seasonings and
toppings and buns, but the house
won’t stand unless the foundation is
solid.
— By Joey Hamburger
9
Government
focus
Minnesota News
State fails to pass Sunday liquor sales bill; St. Paul awards
By Jane McClure
P
ut a cork in it—again. The
push to change Minnesota’s
longstanding ban on Sunday
off-sale liquor sales fell short during
the 2014 legislative session. Various
proposals couldn’t muster enough
support, prompting lawmakers to throw
in the towel by mid-May. Some are even
considering whether the issue, which
prompts debate almost every session,
should be sent to the voters to decide.
If that happens, it would be in the form
of a constitutional amendment and
wouldn’t appear on ballots until 2016 at
the earliest.
Surveys have shown varying amounts
of support for allowing Sunday liquor
sales in Minnesota. Groups including the
Minnesota Beer Activists have lobbied
for the change. Sen. Roger Reinert (DFLDuluth) and Rep. Jenifer Loon (R-Eden
Prairie), two strong proponents of
Sunday sales, expressed frustration at a
May 9 news conference. One of the last
issues standing, to allow brewers to sell
growlers of beer on Sundays, was what
Reinert described as a “baby step.” But
that too failed to win support.
The language allowing Sunday growler
sales got through several committees this
session before running dry in the Senate
Tax Committee. Teamsters Union officials
raised concerns that a liquor distribution
company employing union members
had indicated a law change would allow
reopening of labor contracts. That would
have put workers’ hours, wages and
benefits back on the table.
Supporters of repealing the ban
make several arguments. In border
communities, it’s all too easy to
travel to adjacent states and make a
Sunday purchase. Another argument
is restriction of free trade. Supporters
created websites, posted online
petitions and waged a high-profile
social media campaign to rescind the
law.
Those who want to retain the Sunday
sales ban, including some storeowners,
contend it wouldn’t bring much more
revenue to stores’ coffers. Instead, they
say Sunday sales would simply spread
out existing sales over an extra day,
while adding to overhead costs. Some
cities with municipal liquor stores also
want the ban to stay in place.
One idea that appeared to have some
traction was allowing local governments
to decide if stores in their city should
stay open on Sundays. But any form of
Sunday sales seemingly was doomed
May 6 after the Senate rejected dropping
the ban and also nixed local control.
Recycling of food waste, indoor
farming and a long-sought food co-op
for St. Paul’s East Side earned recognition
last month from the 2014 Sustainable St.
Paul Awards. Food industry entrants
and a demonstration edible garden
project won four of the 15 awards.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and
city councilors presented the awards,
now in their eighth year, to recognize
outstanding efforts to promote
sustainability. The St. Paul Hotel won
the Waste Reduction, Composting or
Recycling Award, given to commercial
projects or programs that help prevent
waste, or reduce, compost or recycle
waste.
In August 2013, the hotel began an
organics-recycling program while
employees also made improvements to
existing recycling programs and energy
efficiency initiatives. The changes
resulted in a 90 percent recycling
rate. Thus far the hotel has diverted
359,380 pounds of food waste and other
compostable materials from the waste
stream. The stepped-up efforts were
made possible through a partnership
with Ramsey/Washington County
Resource Recovery Project, Xcel Energy,
the Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation,
the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce,
and Troje’s Trash and Recycling.
“The St. Paul Hotel exemplifies how
commercial solid waste generators can
Executive chef Lance Kapps (second from left) and staff at the St. Paul Hotel
accept their Sustainable St. Paul Award.
be sustainable and engaged in helping
achieve state mandated municipal solid
waste goals,” said council member Dave
Thune. “It’s great to see the private
sector be more sustainable in its
operations.”
The hotel offers afternoon tea,
in-room dining and events hosting. It
operates two restaurants, the St. Paul
Grill and the M St. Café, and The Lobby
Bar. Those operations generate plenty
of food waste, most of which is now
composted.
“It’s become a whole culture around
the hotel,” said David Miller, who
accepted the award on behalf of the
hotel. The hotel also has a “trash trophy”
that it passes around to employees who
do a good job of reducing and recycling
waste.
Another award, for Green Products,
went to Garden Fresh Farms on Pierce
Butler Route, which was feted for
innovative indoor agriculture practices.
Garden Fresh Farms occupies 10,000
square feet of warehouse space, with
rows of growing space and an orbiting
garden up above. The farm can produce
2,400 heads of lettuce and 80 pounds
of basil each day. That’s just a sampling
of the produce grown there and offered
to wholesale customers year-round.
The farm’s use of innovative products
lowers environmental impacts and
uses 95 percent less water. Being in an
urban setting and close to distributors
also means using less vehicle fuel to
transport produce.
Founder David Roeser said visitors
from around the world come to learn
about indoor growing and aquaponics.
The St. Paul site is the family’s second;
in 2010 they opened in a warehouse
in Maplewood. They raise produce
and fish, and supply Whole Foods,
Mississippi Market and Valley Natural
stores, among others.
The Como Zoo and Conservatory’s
Chipotle Edible Garden won the
Environmental Education and Awareness
Award. The garden has produced more
than 1,500 pounds of food a year. Much
of the produce goes to city recreation
centers, cooking classes and summer
programs.
The Local Healthy Food Award, went
to the Gateway Food Co-op. The co-op’s
volunteers worked for several years to
address limited or low access to healthy
food on St. Paul’s East Side brought on
by a lack of grocery stores and access to
convenient transportation.
Residents Sarah Geving and Beth
Butterfield led the charge and the
co-op’s efforts drew the attention of
well-established food co-op Mississippi
Market, which began in 1979 and has
two St. Paul locations. In December
2013, Mississippi Market announced
it would buy Gateway and develop a
market at the former hospital linen site
on East 7th Street in the Dayton’s Bluff
neighborhood. City officials said this
initiative has tremendous potential to
increase access to sustainable, healthy,
local food access in the area.
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11
Culinary
Curiosities
Origin of the waffle
From thin cakes to the fluffy Belgian version, waffles have come quite a long way
By Julie Brown-Micko
H
omemade or frozen, crispy
or soft, round or square—waffles
are a breakfast staple. Those little
square pockets are perfect for catching
and holding melted butter and maple
syrup. Or the juice from fresh berries. Or
powdered sugar, whipped cream and
even chicken gravy. Isn’t that what the
waffle was designed for? Not quite, but it
is a wonderful side benefit.
The origins of the waffle go back to
the ancient Greeks, who would cook
thin cakes on heated iron plates. These
wafer-like cakes, called obleios, were most
likely made from whole grains rather
than refined flour and served with savory
accompaniments like simple herbs and
cheese. In the Middle Ages, obloyeurs
formed a guild and refined their
techniques, using iron plates decorated
with the iconic grid pattern we’re familiar
with today. That honeycomb pattern,
from the Old French wafla or walfre, gives
the waffle its name.
Medieval craftsmen showed their skill
with ironwork by creating designs for
waffle irons, such as crests, crosses and
other religious symbols. Long wooden
handles allowed the obloyeur to heat
the iron plates over the fire and flip the
waffle halfway through to cook the other
side. Waffles were an especially popular
treat at fairs, festivals and on saints’ feast
days. Competition between obloyeurs
became so cutthroat on the street and
even on the steps of the church that the
French king Charles IX mandated vendors
had to maintain at least six feet of space
between each other.
Waffles made the journey to the
New World with the pilgrims, but their
real heyday in America came in 1789
when Thomas Jefferson, fresh from his
assignment as Minister to France, returned
to the U.S. with a waffle iron.
“Waffle frolics” quickly became all the
rage. It was at these parties that guests
could choose sweet (with maple syrup
or molasses) or savory (topped with
kidney stew) options. Sweet waffles
became available to American as well
as British masses—not just the rich—as
the sugar trade flourished in the 18th
century, making what was once an
expensive ingredient more affordable.
Back in Europe, the honeycombed pastry
flourished as many countries developed
regional specialties: Germans tried
incorporating brewer’s yeast and the
French incorporated beaten egg whites
Grow your restaurant business with
for lightness.
Waffle technology took another leap
forward in 1911 when General Electric
created the first electric waffle maker,
complete with thermostatic control
allowing for more even cooking. By midcentury, the electric iron was ubiquitous.
Even more convenient were frozen toaster
waffles, first manufactured in the 1950s. In
short order the “Froffles,” created by the
Dorsa brothers, became Eggos because of
their eggy flavor.
The Belgian waffle, as it came to be
known (a large but lighter, leavened waffle
with deep grid pockets) originated at the
Brussels World Fair in 1958. Chef Walter
Cleyman, who worked at the fair in Brussels,
also made them at the 1962 Seattle World’s
Fair, serving them with strawberries and
cream. They were such a success in Seattle
that Maurice Vermersch used his wife’s
recipe for these Brussels-style waffles
at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. He
billed them as “Bel-Gem” waffles, which
eventually turned into “Belgian waffles.”
Belgium has a number of other delicious
waffles including Liège waffles (made with
a brioche-type dough and garnished with
caramelized sugar) and Stroopwafels (thin
and chewy with a syrup filling).
Waffles are popular the world over
and can be found in various forms at
street fairs, festivals and, of course,
the family table. Sweet, savory,
traditional or experimental, the waffle is
incredibly adaptable, standing alone or
supplementing innovative dishes.
Thank goodness there are so many
opportunities to honor the many way
we love waffles: International Waffle Day
on March 25, National Waffle Day on
August 28, and National Waffle Week, the
second week in September. Whether you
prefer American fried chicken and waffles,
Norwegian krumkake or Italian pizzelle,
just remember there’s no wrong way to
celebrate when a waffle is involved.
Gianni’s steakhouse
2014 Beef Backer Award Winner
from Saint Agnes Baking Co.
Chef Ron Bohnert has built a hidden culinary gem at Stone Ridge Golf Club in Stillwater.
The club redesigned its dining options two years ago and launched Danny’s Bar & Grill—
open to the public—with a menu that reflects Bohnert’s lengthy global-food resume,
including his award-winning fish and seafood dishes. Bohnert’s skills have also turned
Stone Ridge into a premier catering and event center, and Saint Agnes is honored to supply
Bohnert with, among other items, sesame lavash for his appetizer options.
Read more about Chef Ron Bohnert’s ideas on food at
www.saintagnesbaking.com/chef-ron-bohnert/
644 Olive Street, St. Paul, 55130
651.290.7633 | saintagnesbaking.com
12
Gianni’s Steakhouse of Wayzata, MN was named the Twin Cities
Foodservice Beef Backer. Their philosophy of simplicity and use of
fresh ingredients with the classic steakhouse theme of certified Black
Angus, dry aged beef, grass fed sustainably raised beef and natural
beef on Gianni’s menu has kept visitors coming back and raving.
The Beef Backer Award is presented by the
Minnesota Beef Council, funded by the beef
checkoff. To learn more, visit mnbeef.org and
giannis-steakhouse.com.
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13
NRA show 2014
Restaurant Show Magic
T
he National Restaurant
Association’s big show filled the
taxi cues outside McCormick Place,
the largest convention center in North
America, and seats in the local restaurants
May 17-20 in Chicago. Keynote speaker,
Magic Johnson, an NBA star turned food
entrepreneur, briefly addressed the
controversy surrounding Los Angeles
Clippers owner, Donald Sterling’s racist
remarks after Johnson posed for a
picture with Sterling’s girlfriend. But for
the most part the show was all about
food, serving dishes, services, appliances
and, of course the reason children under
16 aren’t allowed to attend—endless
free samples.
Hot dog concepts seemed to attract the longest lines at the show.
Nathan’s Famous brought 10,000 hot dogs for a total of 20,000 samples,
according to one of the hot dog handlers.
(right) Sidral Mundet, a Mexican
apple soft drink, had several flavors
to try, plus a Day of the Dead theme.
Who knew there would be a business focused on waving? Here are just a
few of the outfits you can ask your favorite employee to don.
New technology calls for new paraphernalia.
Servers can now carry their POS systems
and clear dishes at the same time.
The Batmobile has
nothing on Sea
Mazz’s lobster car.
Sysco had a large presence at the show. In addition to chef
demonstrations, the company highlighted its fresh vegetables.
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15
Club-level Culinarian | from page 1
But never being comfortable is
what helps this Oklahoma-born
German teacher turned chef push the
boundaries with his cooking and stay
on top of culinary trends. He gets help
in that area from his many friends who,
coincidentally, happen to also be the top
chefs in town: Klein at Meritage, Vincent
Francoual at Vincent A Restaurant, Joe
Rolle at Borough, J.P. Samuelson, Jack
Riebel and the list goes on.
“Whatever takes place in town, I need
to be aware of,” he says, because his
members are eating at those restaurants,
too. “Every day you go in, it’s a constant
challenge.” Shiffer also pulls from his
bicoastal experience—he trained at the
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde
Park, New York, and spent 10 years at
San Francisco’s Stanford Court Hotel.
Then there’s the traveling, to France,
Greece, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Italy and
Spain. Shiffer passed on raises for a few
years, opting instead to explore different
countries’ culinary cultures: “It’s more
important to me to be inspired.”
“It really opened my eyes to other
cultures,” Shiffer says of his time
traveling and living on the East and West
coasts. “It was an amazing experience
for me and now that same experience
I’ve brought here … and I’m learning
from everybody else’s experience.”
Shiffer is deeply involved in the chef
community and doesn’t hesitate to offer
his help—and his kitchen—as needs
arise. Most recently, Samuelson and his
staff came in to do some menu testing
Minikahda banquet chef Melnick Zerfu lends Ethiopian flavors to the club’s menus and gives Executive Chef Ferris
Shiffer another way to experience different food cultures.
for his new restaurant in Wayzata.
Shiffer also has been a sounding board
for Todd McDonald, who moved home
to Minneapolis after cooking in New
York City’s Bouley, Cru and Willow Road,
and is looking for his own place.
“I realize I have good fortune to be
here and I want to share that,” says
Shiffer, without pretense. “I have an
open door. It’s important to support
those serious talents.”
It’s that generosity that immediately
made an impact on Klein, who worked
in Shiffer’s kitchen after leaving W.A.
Frost and before opening Meritage.
“Ferris is really kind of the nexus of the
culinary community here in town,” says
Klein. “It’s a really tight knit community
… that’s unusual. I’m from New York City
and out there you wouldn’t necessarily
lift a hand to help out other chefs—but
Ferris does that.”
Photos by Laura Michaels
The Monitor
Smoked Porterhouse Chop
Published monthly, the
Restaurant Finance Monitor
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16
business
focus
Mac’s Fish Making Waves
Iconic St. Paul restaurant adds Minneapolis location while casting its net in new directions
By Joey Hamburger
G
rowing up in St. Paul I used
to think it was a gas station.
It used to be a gas station. If I
had been more observant I would have
realized it was Mac’s Fish and Chips,
an icon of St. Paul dining, which has
remained open in the same Hamline and
Larpenteur location since 1991.
That’s when former Minnesota North
Star hockey player, Tom McCarthy,
bought the old Clark’s gas station and
converted it into Mac’s.
Over the past 23 years, ownership
has changed hands twice, and it wasn’t
until it was acquired by father-son duo
Dan and Tom Flanagan in 2010 that the
food became the star. With their topsecret batter recipe, salt water taffy
and cheese curds regarded as better
than the state fair’s, the Flanagans are
gaining popularity in the Twin Cities
food scene and paving the way for
future expansion.
In March, Mac’s opened a second
location, this time in Minneapolis,
on 54th and Lyndale. “We thought of
opening up something in the MacGroveland area of St. Paul, but when
we found the space in Minneapolis
equivalent of that neighborhood we
fell in love,” says Tom. Although only
open for a few months, the new Mac’s
has already gained a bit of attention.
Tom attributes that to opening a fish
joint right at the beginning of the
Lenten season.
The space is similar in size to the St.
Paul location, but the design and layout
of the building allows them a lot of
extra breathing room. Because the St.
Paul location is a converted gas station
with only a marginal addition, it can
prove a little crowded for the staff and
customers. In the summer they have
the option to open up the patio space
for extra seating, but the Minneapolis
location already provides more space
for both the kitchen and the customer.
In Minneapolis they can seat up to 30
people inside—and it’s worth noting
they also serve beer, which the St. Paul
location doesn’t.
The open kitchen design in
Minneapolis allows customers to see
the preparation of the renowned and
special menu that is Mac’s. You can see
the potatoes being hand cut and your
order fried on the spot. Plus you watch
their homemade taffy maker, which
for some strange reason is the most
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interesting food creation to watch in
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The addition of salt water taffy came
three years ago when Dan and Tom
were searching for the perfect dessert
to pair with their fried fish. After
experimenting with different desserts,
including a most-testing Churro trial,
they discovered the simplistic delights
of salt water taffy. A friend of theirs
built a homemade taffy machine and
it has been a restaurant favorite ever
since.
The flour dust is still settling since
the recent Minneapolis opening, but
the duo hope to open more locations
as the popularity of Mac’s continues
to grow. And to assist the rise in
popularity, two years ago Mac’s set up
shop inside Target Field at the State Fair
Classics in Section 133. Here you can
get their famous walleye throughout
the baseball season. And with the Twins
hosting the All-Star Game this summer,
the Flanagans hope the official walleye
of Twin’s Territory will bolster their
reputation and provide even more
outlets for growth.
The classic father-and-son pair of
fishing enthusiasts has seen Mac’s
gain citywide notoriety, while planting
Tom Flanagan and Mac the Walleye
host videos offering a look at the
inner workings of the restaurant.
seeds in two special areas of the Twin
Cities. With their ambition, sense of
humor and enthusiasm for Mac’s, it
can only continue to grow while still
preserving an iconic status.
Also, be sure to check out their
website, www.macsfishchipsstrips.
com, for some “Mac’s Facts” videos.
Hear from Tom and “Mac the Walleye” as
they explain everything from the magic
behind the chicken strips at Mac’s to
how patio seating makes any situation
more enjoyable. You can even see the
making of that famous salt water taffy.
“Mac’s Facts” may just be the next viral
comedy hit on the Internet.
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17
Farm-to-Caterer | from page 1
for Andermack and Brown is perfect
because they’ve built their business
around the words—and deeds—“local,”
“organic” and “sustainable.”
“Even during the recession we were
growing,” says Andermack, who started
Chowgirls in Minneapolis with Brown in
2004. Customers appreciate Chowgirls’
commitment to working with local
farmers such as Owatonna’s Larry Schultz
for organic eggs and Andy Peterson in
Osceola, Wisconsin, for grass-fed Limousin
beef. They also know using Chowgirls
means less refuse ends up in the garbage.
“Ninety-seven percent of our waste
is either recycled or composted,” says
Andermack, adding they’ve come a long
way since she used to haul home boxes of
carrot tops for her backyard compost pile.
Now Minneapolis-based Eureka Recycling
gets the job done.
All of these methods don’t come cheap,
and Andermack acknowledged Chowgirls
is on the higher end for catering services
and would probably get three-and-a-half
or four out of four dollar signs on websites
that indicate price. But she doesn’t try to
explain away the cost.
“It reflects what it truly costs for us to
make from-scratch food from quality
ingredients and to employ people with
living wages. And basically run a business
with a conscious,” she says.
Early on she and Brown “tried to satisfy
everyone’s pocketbooks” by offering what
Andermack calls “conventional catering”
alongside organic but it just didn’t make
sense. Larger distributors have set order
minimums that Chowgirls just couldn’t
meet. “Local farmers didn’t have those,”
Andermack says. “It was a blessing in
disguise.”
Of course, she continues, “it’s a whole
hell of a lot easier to order everything from
one supplier than to call 10 farmers who
all have their own way of doing things.”
Which is one reason she and Brown hired
Jerry Fodness as their new chef. Fodness
came from Creative Cuisine in Rochester
and brought with him his own farmer
resources and sustainability training.
“One of the things I pride myself on is
being able to talk directly to the farmer,”
said Fodness at a recent Thrive: Chowgirls
Sustainability Session, which brought
together local farmers to discuss sourcing.
“I see it and I see the person that grew it.”
And Fodness doesn’t have to waste time
weaseling down prices or questioning
Heidi Andermack (center) talks with local organic farmers (left to right) Karla Pankow and Elizabeth Millard
during a recent Thrive event at Chowgirls. Also pictured are Dylan Skybrook, chef Jerry Fodness and cattle
farmer Andy Peterson.
freshness. “I feel like that’s the way it should
be,” he says.
Finding something
uncommon
It’s the same approach taken by Danny
Schwartzman, owner of Common Roots
Café & Catering. His concept for the
Uptown cafe started with organic, madefrom-scratch, locally sourced food and
now extends to the catering service, which
accounts for half of the business.
“It takes a lot of work. It’s certainly not
easy,” says Schwartzman. “We have to call
around to different farmers to see who has
what.” There’s more legwork, sure, and yes,
it can be more expensive, but Schwartzman
says the rewards are in supporting the
local economy and providing the freshest
seasonal foods.
“I never thought about can we afford
the local food on this budget,” he says. “It’s
who are, it’s what we do.”
But not every customer wants all local. “If
people want Miller Lite for their wedding,
we’ll get them Miller Lite,” Schwartzman
says, smiling. “But we try to point them to
our all local beers.”
For larger catering operations such
as Kelber Catering at the Minneapolis
Convention Center, locally sourced
products are used when possible, but a
completely local approach isn’t realistic.
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18
Free-range chicken with parsnip
mash, roasted radish and cranberry
chutney from Common Roots
Catering.
“We would wipe a farmer out in a
heartbeat if we told them we needed leaf
lettuce for 3,000 people,” says Kelber’s
Executive Chef Steve Schuster. “To try and
work with local producers totally would be
an impossibility.” The products wouldn’t
be consistent, and for a chef who needs
the first plate to look the same as the
thousandth, that’s not an option.
Schuster has seen an increase in the
number of requests for local, seasonal
and organic menu options for smaller
special events, and Kelber works to
accommodate those customers using its
farmer relationships. It’s also taken steps
Common Roots’ roasted potato cup
with leeks and shiitake mushrooms.
to increase sustainable practices, including
changing from disposable dinnerware and
cups to biodegradable or compostable
ones. Kelber’s even partnered with
Minneapolis-based Cedar Bio Fuel to
process waste oil into a cleaning product
for its own exhaust hoods.
For Andermack, these local sourcing and
sustainable practices aren’t just business
tactics. They’re a way of business.
industry
news
Satisfying Demand
Upper Lakes food expo highlights local producers
C
onsumers continue calling
for locally sourced foods and while
foodservice operators are hustling
to incorporate those ingredients on their
menus, it can be difficult connecting
with multiple farmers, each with varied
offerings.
Enter Sprout MN, a central Minnesotabased food hub connecting buyers
with more than 40 local and regional
producers ready to satisfy the growing
demand. And thanks to a recent
partnership with Cloquet-based Upper
Lakes Foods, chefs, restaurant owners
and other foodservice operators can
more easily get their hands on those
local products.
Sprout MN founder, Arlene Jones,
was at Upper Lakes’ spring food expo in
Duluth May 6, talking with buyers about
the fresh fruits and vegetables available
through the food hub. Jones, who owns
and operates The Farm on St. Mathias,
had already been working with Brainerdarea restaurants and schools when
she started gathering local growers to
help supply food—and boost farmers’
incomes.
“Then we started Sprout because we
got too big, we couldn’t do it off my
farm anymore,” Jones explained. “We’re
working with Upper Lakes to figure out
how to build a sustainable relationship.
I think that’s the only way small growers
like me can sustain our business is to
partner with a larger distributor that’s
committed to local farmers.”
“This is where we really want to focus
our efforts,” agreed Erin Bradshaw, ULF’s
director of marketing. “We’re really
trying to key into the top NRA trends of
sustainability and local sourcing.”
Bradshaw highlighted several other
new partners, including Creekstone
Farms and its all-natural black Angus
cattle from Kansas, as well as Mixmi
Frozen Yogurt. Created by the Ramsey
husband-and-wife team of Chris and
Kristin Harlander, the frozen yogurt
meets the new USDA school nutrition
requirements—“and tastes good,” Chris
noted.
ULF’s 47th annual spring show drew
hundreds of attendees and carried a
“We’re here with you” message. “We
want people to know we’re here for you,”
said Bradshaw. “We live here, we work
here, we eat here, and we want to remind
people if they’re looking for another
distributor, we’re here for them.”
— Laura Michaels
Key Impact’s Mary Ann Johnson displays new products from Schwan’s.
Sales, supplies & repairs
Online prices - locally stocked
www.beaglehardware.com
ULF’s Cameron Campbell at the
mushroom cart.
Chef Arlene Coco of Duluth’s Prairie Kitchen talks with attendees about her
scones and cookies.
Chris Harlander passes out
samples of his Mixmi frozen
yogurt flavors.
Mason Verkennes slices samples
of Creekstone Farms’ steamship
round beef for chef Christian
Freeman of Eagle Knob Lodge.
POS Receipt Printer
$199.99
126 N 3rd St #300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 • (612) 370-2662
19
business
focus
Market for Mobile
Instead of taking it to the street, some food truck owners opt for catering focus
By Joey Hamburger
O
n any given warm and
sunny weekday right before
lunchtime
in
downtown
Minneapolis or St. Paul, you’ll see
foodservice competition at its best in
the form of food truck parking.
In the Twin Cities, there are no real
regulations for parking a food truck,
other than it needs to be licensed, legally
parked, and the meters filled. So, in this
first-come, first-served environment,
people pull out all the tricks to snag
a spot. It’s even rumored that some
crews fake broken-down cars, which
miraculously recover at lunchtime for
their trucks to pull right into a prime
spot.
“To be honest, the biggest obstacle in
running a food truck is parking,” confirms
Alec Duncan, owner of Potter’s Pasties.
When trucks first started appearing
regularly in 2010, there were only about
10 hitting the streets. Now, in 2014, there
is closer to a hundred. With the number
of food trucks continuing to rise comes
stiffer competition and the necessity for
vendors to branch out beyond lunchtime
crowds. That involves everything from
stacking the calendar with food truck
events to catering for private affairs—or
using the success of the truck to open up
a permanent brick-and-mortar location.
Local food truck favorite Hola Arepa
recently parked the truck and opened up
a location in May at East 35th Street and
Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. Owned
by Christina Nguyen and Birk Stefan
Grudem, Hola Arepa serves Latin cuisine
and its signature arepas. For Nguyen
and Grudem, their goal was always to
open up a restaurant and create a food
community. And they already had name
recognition thanks to their truck.
“Starting a food truck is a nice option
because you can increase the popularity
of your menu while not having to pay
property tax,” explains Duncan, “so
anyone who has seen an episode on the
Food Network wants to go out and start
a food truck.”
Hola Arepa owners Christina Nguyen and Birk Stefan Grudem keep their food truck out on the streets, with less
emphasis on catering.
Opening a permanent location has
become a popular approach, but for
some food-truck owners it’s not on their
to-do-list at all. For Fork In The Road, one
of the original food trucks to open in the
Twin Cities, the majority of its efforts are
focused on catering for private events; it
makes up 75 percent of Amy Frechette
and Kari Offerdahl’s business. Frechette
describes catering as “a different path as
you have to focus more on the business
and event planning.”
“Catering means guaranteed money
whereas relying on street vending
is always an uncertainty,” Frechette
continues. “Plus you can really only
street vend during lunch hours when it’s
bearable to eat outside.”
On the other hand, before Hola
Arepa opened their permanent location
they brought in most of their business
through street vending and participating
in local events.
“Catering can only get you about twoto-three events a week, where we can be
out on the street every day,” Nguyen says.
Food truck events can range from local
brewery beer dabblers and carnivals to
outdoor concerts or art festivals.
For trucks like Potter’s Pasties, this is
where they find better business instead
of simply posting during the lunch hour.
“If it’s a cloudy or cold day I’ll usually just
do maintenance on the truck and won’t
even take it out, since it’s most likely not
going to be worth it for that day,” says
Duncan.
What about the challenges of cooking
an immense amount of food for
hundreds of people in a small space in
just a few short hours? Turns out it’s not
as big of a challenge as one might think.
For Potter’s, cooking pasties is quite
simple and can be done quickly inside
the truck. Fork In The Road is equipped
to handle events for anywhere from 50
to 500 people. For Hola Arepa’s special
arepa, they’re prepared fresh on site,
though some meats need to be slowly
braised, which is done in advance at
a local prep kitchen. Though there
are other roadblocks for food trucks,
cooking isn’t one of them.
Despite the opinions on where to
focus their business efforts, it seems
most food-truck owners take advantage
of their mobility every way they can. Just
don’t ask for a hot dog simply because
of the outdoor dining environment.
They get that all the time.
C E L E B R AT I N G 2 9 Y E A R S O F G I V I N G
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20
Commodities report
Pros and Cons
Though inflated protein prices remain, adequate feed crops and El Nino bode well for crop yields
David
Maloni
C
ommodit y prices have
backed off some since setting
a new record high for the
restaurant industry last month. But
that does not mean the worst of the
commodity inflation is behind us for
several of these markets. The USDA
brought us some clarity in late March
into the hog supply situation, which has
been negatively impacted by the Porcine
Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) during
the last year or so. The good news is the
USDA is indicating that the hog supply is
better than private analysts’ projections
this winter. The bad news is that pork
production during the next several
months is still anticipated to track below
year-ago levels at times that should be
supportive of the pork markets. Add to
this historically limited cattle supplies and
indications of persisting slowed chicken
production in the near term and the
BEEF-Prices are by the pound and based on f.o.b. Omaha
carlot.
5/1/14 3/27/14Difference4/25/13
Ground Beef 81/19
1.98 2.45 <0.47> 1.93
168 Inside Round (ch.)2.67 3.06 <0.39> 1.93
180 1x1 Strp (choice) 6.12 6.59 <0.47> 5.10
112a Ribeye (choice) 7.03 6.89 0.14
5.73
189a Tender (select) 10.41 10.53 <0.12> 8.53
189a Tender (choice) 10.86 11.30 <0.44> 8.74
Veal Rack (Hotel 7 rib) 8.73 8.68 0.05
8.28
Veal Top Rnd(cp. off) 14.93 15.03 <0.10> 14.84
OIL AND RICE-Prices per pound based on USDA Reports.
5/1/14 3/27/14Difference4/25/13 Crude Soybean Oil .425 .396 0.029
.486
Crude Corn Oil
.415 .430 <0.015> .470
Rice, Long Grain
.287 .288 <0.001> .288
DAIRY-Prices are by the pound and based on USDA
reports.
inflated protein price trend appears to be
anything but over. That said, good margins
should encourage chicken production
expansion this summer. Further, there
are indications that cattle supplies could
be much closer to year-ago levels as early
as the late spring. The dairy markets
have weakened this spring, led by strong
depreciation in the international dairy
markets. This is fueling optimism that a
top in the domestic cheese and butter
markets has been achieved. Whether or
not this is the case may depend on the
weather and extent of improving Chinese
demand for world dairy products. All of
this being said, we believe it’s especially
important to recognize that the longer
term trend on elevated commodities for
the restaurant industry is likely nearing its
final stages. Feed costs have fallen sharply
for dairy and protein producers alike since
last summer. With the fifth largest corn
acreage since 1944 and a record high
in soybean plantings, the pending feed
crops should be adequate at a minimum.
The expectations of an El Nino weather
pattern developing bodes well for crop
yields. And we suspect feed prices will be
even lower than the current levels by next
Christmas, which should only fuel further
protein and dairy production expansion
and eventually lead to price relief.
PRODUCE-Prices are by the case and are based on USDA
reports.
5/1/14 3/27/14Difference4/26/13
Limes (150 ct.)
90.00 73.00 17.00
31.00
Lemons (200 ct.)
25.85 22.35 3.50
14.78
Cantaloupe (18 ct.) 7.00 11.98 <4.98> 12.20
Strawberries (12 pts) 12.50 12.00 0.50
13.17
Avocds (Hass 48ct.) 38.75 37.25 1.25 32.50
Idaho Potato (70 ct.) 11.50 9.75 1.75 6.25
POULTRY-Prices are by the pound except for eggs
Yellow Onions (50 lb.) 9.25 16.83 <7.58> 8.13
(dozen) and based on USDA reports.
Red Onions (25 lb.) 18.38 16.33 2.05 23.13
White Onions (50 lb.) 17.25 32.83 <15.58> 16.16
Tomatoes (5X6-25lb.) 10.45 17.20 6.25 14.47
Chicken
5/1/14 3/27/14Difference4/25/13
Roma Tomatoes
11.09 11.09 <6.75> 9.93
Whole Birds (2.5-3#) 1.08 1.06 0.02
1.03
Green Peppers
14.65 26.75 <12.10> 13.05
Wings
1.341.34 -
1.53
Iceberg Lettuce
9.77 6.09 3.68 10.46
Bone In Breast
1.17 1.04 0.13
1.16
Leaf Lettuce
8.98 6.25 2.73 7.07
Bnless Skinless Breast 2.04 1.92 0.12
1.90
Romaine Lettuce
8.85 8.85 - 7.03
Eggs
Broccoli (14 ct.)
9.71 8.88 0.83 6.88
Large
1.171.35<0.18>0.89
Medium
1.061.15 <0.09> 0.86
Miscellaneous *Covered party (as defined below) shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages of any kind
Whole Turkeys (8-16#) 1.05 1.03
0.02
0.97
whatsoever (including attorney’s fees and lost profits or savings)
Whole Ducks (4-5#) 3.45 2.07 1.38
1.53
PORK-Prices are by the pound and based on f.o.b.
Omaha carlot.
5/1/14 3/27/14Difference4/25/13
Belly (bacon)
1.37 1.88 <0.51> 1.40
Spare Rib (3.5& down)1.69 1.95 <0.26> 1.45
Ham (23-27#)
1.00 1.10 <0.10> 0.73
Bbybck Rib (2-1.75#) 2.62 2.80 <0.18> 2.15
Tenderloin (1.25#)
2.84 2.86 <0.02> 2.57
Cheese
5/1/14 3/27/14Difference4/25/13
American
2.312.41 <0.10> 1.96
Cheddar (40#)
2.30 2.49 <0.19> 2.27
Market information provided by David Maloni of the American
Mozzarella
2.442.63 <0.19> 2.11
Restaurant Association Inc. The American Restaurant Association
Butter(AA)
Inc. publishes the “Weekly Commodity Report,” and provides
One pound solids
1.95 1.97 <0.02> 1.69
food commodity market information to over 200,000 food service
Class II Cream
professionals. For more information call 1-888-423-4411, email at
Cream
2.502.42 0.08 2.26
in any way due to, resulting from, or arising in connection with the
Monthly Commodity Report, including its content, regardless of
any negligence of the covered party including but not limited to
technical inaccuracies and typographical errors. “Covered Party”
means the American Restaurant Association Inc. and the employees
of. © 2013 American Restaurant Association Inc.
[email protected] or on the Internet at
www.AmericanRestaurantAssociation.com.
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21
Mecca’s
musings
‘No, Chef?’
Where have all the good cooks gone? And how can we get them back in the kitchen?
Mecca
Bos
S
t. Patrick’s Day, 2014. Snow
flurries are flying. First day on the
new chef’s job, replete with full
menu turn and down three bodies. I pluck
the first cook I can find. He claims an
impressive pedigree with at least three
fine local establishments. He doesn’t have
a vehicle. No matter; I even pick him up
for work.
Fast-forward three hours. The first
block of prep is finished and I step out
for a brief meeting with the boss. Within
minutes, cook guy emerges from the
kitchen, all 6-foot-4 of him, and slouches
down at the bar to order a beer. I think
this odd, since we have at least nine
more hours ahead. Not having even a
moment to spare, I return to the kitchen
to dig back in, leaving him to his devices.
Moments later I learn that he had been
nipping off the cooking booze and had
now rendered himself incapacitated,
passing out in the dry storage room,
while myself and my now even more
bare-bones skeleton crew work around
him.
Needless to say, he was fired. A threehour tenure might be a record, even for
this business. After him came “Who’s
Bruce,” so named because he didn’t last
long enough for anyone to know who he
was (one shift). Then “No-Show Alex” (no
explanation necessary) and Jose (name
changed to protect the innocent), the
one Ecuadorian cook in the Twin Cities
who “didn’t want to work too much.”
Each time one came and went (or
didn’t come, and just went as it were),
my work load became obviously more
punishing, both from lack of labor, and
the correction of mistakes each of them
left in their wake, like charred debris
from a house fire. I was at the mercy
of a generous-hearted pastry chef who
I put on the line, a dishwasher with a
penchant for making salads, a speedy
but somewhat details-adverse Latino
cook, and one green but enthusiastic
man boy. This was to be my new crew.
So, where have all the good cooks
gone? I realize I’m a little late to the
game—I’ve only been in a position to
hire (and fire) for a short time. I think
chefs have been singing this sad song for
at least, what? A year? More?
When I ask around for why, the answers
are so myriad they can only be described
as anecdotal. No hard and fast proof that
we are indeed in a drought, but there
does seem to be a smoking gun—or
many guns—sort of a perfect storm, so
to speak. A polar vortex of “it’s so hard to
get good help these days.”
In an unofficial poll taken (where else?)
on Facebook, here are a few responses,
in the order received:
• “Minimum wage is killing (cooking)
as a livelihood, because restaurant
owners have to pay servers and
bartenders and not fair pay to
have a solid kitchen staff, sadly.” —
Longtime server
• “The ‘I wanna be a chef!’ trend is
subsiding (due to) the oversaturation
of food TV.” —Longtime bartender
• “I think the young cooks don’t want
this stupid life of us. Broken dream.”
—Chef Patrick Atanalian, Sanctuary,
in his charming French-inflected
broken English
• “The younger generations are
less willing to push through the
struggle to create a career and press
on with commitment, regardless of
the sector of business. Restaurant
life is a pure sacrifice to get good
at your craft, in which the ‘young,
digital, next society’ moves through
quickly in a disposable manner,
making for a group of persons less
willing to spend months or years
in an intense kitchen environment
with daily guidance, corrections
and time pressures.” —Chef Carrie
Summer, Chef Shack Empire
• “Are there more restaurants open
now than in the past?” —Casual
commenter (Answer: Yes.)
• “It further requires chefs to develop
growth plans for their employees,
invite them into creative processes,
demonstrate appreciation for them,
and treat them with the respect
they deserve. There are plenty
of cooks out there, and some
restaurants don’t have trouble
keeping them.” —Chef Marshall
Paulsen, Birchwood Cafe
• “The instant gratification that
society has created will discourage
many from a long, slow, progression
of their art.” —Home cook
So here we have the wage hike, food TV
backlash, broken dreams, “kids these days,”
too many restaurants, and more to blame.
So which is it? All of them? None of them?
At least one culinary school instructor
(who preferred to remain anonymous) says
it is all of the above, indeed. “Enrollment
is down. Way, way down. At least by twoand-a-half times what it was five years
ago.” He thinks the reasons are manyfold.
“The boom for going to culinary school
was after 9/11 because people thought, ‘I’ll
just cook food because it’s not dangerous
and it makes me feel good.’” But, alas,
he goes on, those starry-eyed dreamers
inevitably get the rude awakening that this
is hard work. Really, really hard.
“The millennials are entering the
workforce en masse, and they’re clueless.
The 18-year-olds look at me like I’ve just
sprouted a third head. I have to teach them
how to mop and sweep.”
And, lest we dump all the blame on the
kids, he adds: “A lot of people who have
worked in kitchens—even for years at a
time—have stopped. Because, you know,
it’s too much work, the pay isn’t right and
the hours are sh**. Cooks have got burned
out, so they’re done.”
In our brief conversation he also cites the
poor economy, helicopter parents and the
Food Network, amongst other culprits.
So does this trend spell straight up
doom and gloom?
My instructor chooses to end on a
bright note. “There will always be the
Tyler Shiptons and the Nick O’Leary’s (of
Borough/Coup d’état fame) who have
been out of culinary school for a few years
and they’re already running they’re own
restaurants. The super-super passionate
people will always be out there.”
Mecca Bos is executive chef of Minnetonka’s Glen
Lake Cafe. Mecca has been cooking, eating and
drinking around the world and especially the Twin
Cities for the better part of 15 years. She is a
cheesemonger, caterer, server, former Food Editor
of Metro Magazine, product spokeswoman for
The 0ilerie Twin Cities, and occasional volunteer
farmhand. She currently writes about her
obsessions for Foodservice News and VitaMn.
Beer briefs
Brewery News
Craft beer in Shakopee, Indeed expands Minnesota distribution
22
Photo credit Badger Hill Brewing
B
adger Hill Brewing is making
the move from Minnetonka to
Shakopee, where it will have its
own 13,000-square-foot brewing facility
and adjoining taproom. Founded in
2011, Badger Hill’s been sharing space
with Lucid and Bad Weather breweries;
changes to Shakopee’s zoning code
to allow breweries, farm wineries and
distilleries in commercial and industrial
districts made the move possible. Badger
Hill’s beers include Foundation Stout,
High Road Everyday Ale and Minnesota
Special Bitter. The new location at 4570
Valley Industrial Blvd. S, is near Valleyfair
and Canterbury Park, and brewery
co-owner Brittany Krekelberg expects to
see a lot of tourist traffic.
Minneapolis’
Indeed Brewing
Company is partnering with beer
distributor J.J. Taylor to make Indeed
beer available in southern Minnesota.
The new distribution deal will help
Indeed meet growing demand in
markets such as Rochester and
throughout the region southeast of the
Metro area. Indeed will continue to selfdistribute its beer throughout the metro
region. Additionally, the company is now
self-distributing to the Duluth/Superior
market, making the brewery’s products
available in all of Minnesota’s largest
markets, including the Twin Cities, St.
Cloud, Rochester, Duluth and Mankato,
as well as Brainerd Lakes and Bemidji.
Indeed is on track to brew 11,000 barrels
in 2014, a 100 percent increase over the
previous year.
Common foodsense
Catering Precautions
The customer is always the customer, even when they’re not always right
Jonathan
Locke
I
was just rehashing war stories
with a friend the other day, and he
came up with a good one. It happened
when he was young, and working for
a grocery store with a large catering
department and a stellar reputation.
He got sent out alone one day to do a
small wedding… Do I need to go on? I’m
sure you can see it already. I teach a class
where we have an exercise in searching
menus for keywords. Things like “local,”
“applewood-smoked,” “Jamón Ibérico,”
and so forth; you know the drill. In the
situation my chum encountered, the
keywords were “alone” and “young.”
Those alone would tell you to cue the
organist; the word “wedding” tells you
that the music is the score for “Psycho.”
The client had tried to save money by
ordering 90 pieces of chicken for a group
of 50 guests. This was to be the dinner
after the ceremony and, if anyone had
been reading the contract, they’d have
noticed that a wing counted as a “piece.”
A drumstick was also a “piece.” The line
used up the “pieces” on the first 25
plates, and it’s fortunate that no one in
the second half of the line was carrying
a piece, because everyone blamed my
young friend. (Keyword: alone.) He called
back to the store and told the deli ladies
to fire up the broaster and that he was
coming back for more, but they were
on their break and would sooner have
boiled in oil than get anything started
until after. By the time he got back to
the banquet hall with the extra chicken,
it was all over. In the face of certain
failure, he made a noble attempt to
save the day and to keep the customer
happy (keyword: young), and reaped the
inevitable reward.
Managing the total
accumulation of variables
needed to serve an infinitely
variable public is, I think, why
so many of us drink.
This is why I hate catering. Let me correct
that; I don’t really hate catering, it simply
involves a kind of logistical mind with
which I’m not equipped. I’m the sort who
likes line disasters: the new intern tried
to be efficient and mixed the raspberry
ganache with the Bordelaise because
they looked sort of alike—he’s kind of
colorblind, actually—and now we have
two specials that have no sauce; what’ll
we do? This sort of thing is an adrenaline
junkie’s delight, assuming you have a
cooler close at hand and the species of
creativity that responds well to panic.
Off-site catering doesn’t permit those
substitutions. First of all, there is a signed
agreement that specifies what they’ll
get. Not having it isn’t an 86’d situation,
it’s a breach of contract. Secondly, you
are probably in some lovely spot on a
mountaintop eight miles from the nearest
store and 20 miles from your kitchen. If you
didn’t taste your sauce to be sure, wrap it
and refrigerate it to be surer, and check it
off a meticulously prepared checklist to be
surest, you’re screwed.
The checklist part is where I would
fall short, and that’s odd, because I’m
something of a martinet about it in other
things. Opening a restaurant, for instance.
Without having a little box for SAC and
WAC that you check off, you’re in for an
expensive surprise. And there are many,
many of these possible surprises. Managing
the total accumulation of variables needed
to serve an infinitely variable public is, I
think, why so many of us drink.
So reduce the variables as you can.
Remember that old adage, “prior
planning prevents premature psychosis”?
No? Well, take my word for it. Think of
the things that went wrong for my friend,
and how they could have been avoided.
Someone allowed a client to buy one
piece of chicken per guest, and the client
insisted it would be all right. Well, that’s
fine. The customer is not always right, but
the customer is always the customer. Sell
it to him. You don’t need to choose a lamb
to sacrifice to your customer’s stupidity,
however. If you want a cook to serve you,
good sir, here’s the minimum you need to
have. If you go below the minimum, buy
your chicken at the deli and set it up for
self-service.
Another precaution would be to
have everyone on the production staff
working together, so that when one guy
goes in the weeds, the others know it’s
their job to drag him out. This requires
some building of infrastructure, which in
this case would have involved working
with union rules. So what? Is it better to
antagonize customers, or to slog through
the negotiations necessary to ensure
that you won’t have to? Too many times
as an organization gets bigger and its
components more specialized, the various
units forget that they’re supposed to be
working toward a single shared goal. Give
a unit autonomy, then take away a clear
sense of direction, and keep funding it,
and you get a metastasis. Something,
whether budget, privilege, or simply a
sense of self-importance, will be growing
out of control.
If you start with that clear sense of
direction and work down from there,
you’ll be fine. You can’t pretend that the
customer is always going to be right,
but it’s your job to try to make sure that
the customer is always happy. There will
always be those who think you can feed
5,000 with two fish and some bread: you
will need to bring their expectations
gently into a more secular age, and make
them feel comfortable there.
Jonathan Locke has been a restaurant chef
for more than 20 years, heading restaurants
in Minneapolis and San Francisco. In 1995 he
joined forces with Susan Rasmussen to form
FoodSense, a restaurant-consulting firm. He
has written extensively for trade and consumer
publications, and was KARE-11 TV’s Health Fair
chef from 1995-1997. He can be contacted at
[email protected] or at 612-724-9824
Try our new decadent
Duck Bacon & Sweet
Corn Wontons with
Cream Cheese
Call Rasmussen & Associates at
612-781-5959 for a free sample
23
hangin’ with klecko
Meet Elijah Renn
This Gold Nugget chef and his South American flavors are the future
Klecko
E
arly one morning as I sat
in my office plotting ways to
expand a bread empire, I heard a
thundering knock at my door. As I looked
up, I saw a handsome lad who smiled
as he introduced himself. “My name is
Elijah Renn and I am the executive chef
at the Gold Nugget in Minnetonka and
I’ve come here on a mission, if you have a
minute to spare.”
First off, I am always a sucker for
etiquette, and who doesn’t want to be
on the inside track of a secret mission? I
leaned back and encouraged my guest
to proceed with his explanation.
“In May there is going to be a Twin
Cities Burger Battle in Mears Park. I’m
pretty confident my burger will hold its
own, but if I’m going to make a strong
impact, I was hoping you’d be willing
to help us design a signature bun.”
I won’t lie, I was honored that this
young man sought my expertise so I
asked him to give me information on
what he was shooting for.
“At the Gold Nugget we have a
variety of burgers to choose from,
but when I thought about which one
should be selected, I figured a lot of
our competition will be displaying their
classic standards, so I figured our crew
should put together something for the
crowd that they haven’t seen before.”
My curiosity began to peak as he
continued his description.
“We’re thinking about presenting a
South American Burger. I’ve worked
on this awhile and I think this venue
is perfect for its launch. I’m starting
off with a classic 80/20 burger blend
that will be flavored with a chimichurri
sauce and mortadella.”
At this point I interrupted and
reminded him that when it came to
meat I only knew sausage since I had
spent my entire life in a Polish deli.
Elijah laughed and as he broadened my
education.
“I’m telling you, Klecko, just wait and
see. South American spices are trending
in the United States. I’m willing to
bet that they won’t be just a fad, but
more of a trend. South American spice
blends actually pair better with beef
than anything else I’ve ever worked
with.
The chimichurri is basically a mix of
white onion, olive oil, vinegar and spice,
and the mortadella is an Italian ham
stuffed with pistachio. The fat levels
make this a fun meat to incorporate
into a burger.”
I was convinced this guy was legit,
so the next step in our partnership
was for me to make some specialized
bun samples and then bring them
out to Minnetonka. After days of
wrestling the angels for the perfect
bread accompaniment; I hopped in my
breadmobile and pointed it toward the
western suburbs.
When I got to the Gold Nugget I
handed the buns over to Elijah and
his sous chef. While the two of them
began building their masterpiece, I was
allowed to make myself at home and
poke around. The first place I snooped
in was their walk-in cooler and I have
to tell you, it was immaculate. It was
w/o a doubt one of the cleanest I’ve
ever seen.
Their freezer was a portable unit
about the size of a small pop machine.
When I asked why their freezing
capacity was so limited the staff
politely rolled their eyes and told me
they simply weren’t into selling frozen
product.
As I applauded, Elijah had become
comfortable enough to tell me to keep
my hands off his stuff and to head over
to the bar and prepare to embark on a
destination burger like no other.
As we sat, the staff brought the
prototypes out. They were plated
artistically and if that wasn’t enough,
all sorts of unusual condiments began
to surface.
Before I had a chance to inquire, my
host began rattling off descriptions.
“One of my proudest achievements
is this bone marrow mayonnaise. I’ve
played with it awhile before getting it
where it needed to be.”
When I sampled a small
spoonful, I’m telling you the
flavor exploded, but before I
even got a chance to praise
this master condiment maker,
the tour continued.
“The bone marrow-mayo is
good, huh? But wait till you pair
it with the gruyere. I almost never
use processed foods, but this is
one of the few exceptions. When
you use fresh cheese
it cooks dry. It still
tastes good, but it
gives off a mouth
And the Best Burgers Are …
B
-52 Burgers and Brew of
Inver Grove Heights and Gold
Nugget Tavern and Grille of
Minnetonka took home the hardware
at the inaugural Twin Cities Burger
Battle in St. Paul. A panel of
five judges chose B-52 as the
Burger Battle Champion while
attendees voted Gold Nugget
as the People’s Choice Winner.
More than 1,300 people
attended the May 17 event
in Mears Park featuring 12
restaurants competing in
the two categories. Chefs Adrian
Hernandez and Jason Saji served
up B-52’s winning burger, dubbed
the Spicy B-52 Burger (a regular
menu item), which included roasted
jalapenos, banana peppers, chipotle
mayo, pepper jack and B-52 sauce.
Gold Nugget’s executive chef
Elijah Renn grilled the Chimichurri
Burger featuring Mortadella ham
and chimichurri spices mixed into
its patty, then topped with Gruyere
cheese, tomato jam and arugula on a
24
specially made peppadew pepper
and black sesame bun from Saint
Agnes Baking Company. Burgers
were rated on presentation,
creativity, bun, patty, toppings/
garnish and overall quality.
The event raised $5,000 for The
Sanneh Foundation of St. Paul,
which helps at-risk children
develop leadership skills with
mentoring,
after-school
programming,
tutoring
and college prep training.
Plans are already underway
to host next year’s Burger Battle
in Minneapolis. Event organizer Jim
Buron said he is looking to expand
the competition to as many as 20
restaurants and 2,000 attendees.
The Gold Nugget’s Chimichurri
Burger (left), with a specialty bun
designed by Saint Agnes master
baker and CEO Dan “Klecko”
McGleno, and B-52’s winning Spicy
B-52 Burger.
feel that doesn’t flatter the burger as
a whole.”
The last condiment I sampled was a
tomato jam.
“Along with the gruyere, this jam helps
to balance the flavors. I love working with
tomato because it has natural pectin
so other than splashing it with a little
lemon, you don’t have to do much else.”
At this point one of the bartenders who
was eyeing the burgers pointed out that
maybe our conversation should continue
after we polished off the platter.
When the moment of truth came and I
took my first bite, I swear to Caesar It was
one of the 10 greatest things I’ve ever
put in my mouth. It surpassed fantastic.
When the tasting was winding down,
I asked Elijah how some guy from
Minnesota could throw down such
complex South American flavors. I think
he actually might have blushed while
explaining that his wife is from Ecuador,
and when he fell in love with her, he fell
in love with her cuisine as well.
In closing, I’m going to leave you guys
with a proclamation.
I’ve seen the future of
rock & roll, and his name
is Elijah Renn
Until next month
Dan “Klecko” McGleno is
the CEO at Saint Agnes
Baking Company in
St Paul and can be
reached electronically at
kleckobread @ comcast.
net, at the office at 651-2907633, or on his cellular device
at 651-329-4321.
industry
news
Spring Smörgåsbord
Menu options abound at Performance Foodservice show
W
ith a “best of both worlds”
theme highlighting American
and
Italian
offerings,
Performance Foodservice showcased
hundreds of products during its spring
food expo May 7 at the St. Cloud River’s
Edge Convention Center.
A pre-show reception, complete with
dueling pianos, welcomed attendees
the night before and marking manager
Cindy Adams said close to 1,000
customers were expected on show day
Coastal Seafoods rep Chris
Nelson shares information on the
company’s yelloweye rockfish and
Spanish mackerel products.
to peruse goods from more than 100
vendors.
Among
those
vendors
was
Braveheart, with chef John Van House
slicing up samples of its signature beef
line. Van House, formerly of Murray’s
Restaurant, consults with Performance
on center-of-the-plate options and said
Braveheart’s black Angus beef comes
from PM Beef in Windom, Minnesota.
Photos by Laura Michaels
Chef John Van House cuts into a
whole roast strip from Braveheart.
Multi-units Making News
Champps’ slow exit
What happened to Champps?
Champps Americana restaurants
were once the talk of the town,
with high quality food and service,
generous portions and a sports
atmosphere.
That was 20 years ago.
Today, the brand is running on
fumes. Champps’ parent company, Fox & Hound, filed bankruptcy
last December after failing to come
to an agreement to restructure its
debts. In March, its lender acquired
the Champps brand and began closing stores. Once more than 60 locations, the company’s store base has
dwindled to 23 company-owned
and a few remaining franchised
locations.
There are company stores in Eden
Prairie, Minnetonka and Richfield.
Champps franchise locations in
Maplewood and Maple Grove have
already closed, while the remaining
Twin Cities franchise owners have
been notified they can no longer
utilize the Champps name.
Hormel’s new Fuse
burger, made with
ground turkey,
spinach, brown
rice, onions and
dried cherries.
The Revolving Door at
Famous Dave’s Guess how many CEOs Famous
Dave’s has had in the past 10 years?
The barbecue chain announced
that 69-year old Ed Rensi, a former
McDonald’s CEO, is the new head
of the company, replacing John
Gilbert who left in January. Gilbert
replaced Christopher O’Donnell in
2012. O’Donnell replaced Wilson
Craft in 2008. Craft replaced Lane
Cardwell in 2007. Cardwell, who
served on an interim basis, replaced
David Goronkin in 2007. Goronkin
replaced founder Dave Anderson
in 2003. Anderson, who also served
on an interim basis, took over for
Martin O’Dowd in 2003.
Then there’s the replacement of
the company’s longtime chief financial officer. Diana Purcel, who’s been
CFO since 2003, left the company to
“pursue other opportunities.” Richard
Pawlowski moves into the position
effective June 2. Most recently he was
the CEO and co-founder of Capitol C
Holdings.
David Larson (left) and Mark Byington promote dairy products from
Schroeder.
MN Pizza Hut | from page 1
said, explaining his company’s decision to
spend its capital on Taco Bell.
Late last year, Sky sold 54 locations
to Muy, which has been investing in the
Pizza Hut business. Some locations were
closed. But 15 units remained.
These units are all leased from Spirit
Realty Capital, a real estate investment
trust based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sky
Ventures signed the leases in 2005, the
height of the market, and since then sales
at Pizza Hut stagnated while food and
other costs have risen. That combination,
the company said in a bankruptcy filing,
led to a condition in which “making
additional capital investments … is not
prudent.”
According to Engler and Chris Kelleher,
managing director at Auspex Capital and
an advisor to Sky Ventures, the franchisee
tried negotiating with Spirit on the leases,
to no avail. That left Sky with one choice:
Put the company into bankruptcy, which
enables a company to get out of leases.
That would enable Sky to sell the six
stores that Muy wants, for $951,000, and
close the other nine. “Those six do very
good business,” Engler said. “They’re very
viable.” He called the bankruptcy a “last
resort.”
Pizza Hut has been struggling in the
U.S. recently. The chain’s same-store
sales, a key measure of performance,
declined 2 percent last year amid heavy
competition from other pizza chains,
including Domino’s, Papa John’s, Little
Caesars and the take-and-bake concept
Papa Murphy’s.
In addition, grocery stores and
convenience stores have been more
aggressive in their pizza offerings. The
Casey’s General Store chain, for instance,
is testing delivery. Meanwhile, fast-casual
concepts like the Buffalo Wild Wingsowned Pizza Rev promise to take a bite
of the market. As such, the pizza market
has become hotly competitive. Pizza
Hut’s first-quarter same store sales fell 4
percent.
Pizza Hut’s sales struggles are
complicated in some rural areas by the
chain’s shift toward a delivery model.
Pizza Hut started out as a dine-in chain,
but has shifted over more than a decade
to a delivery model like Domino’s and
Papa John’s.
Yet while some of those rural dinein units are successful, others are not
and the brand is focusing its messaging
on its delivery and carryout service. The
closures in the Sky Ventures case are dinein locations.
Kelleher noted that Muy plans to return
to the communities where the Pizza Huts
have closed, with smaller, delivery or
carryout units that are more efficient.
25
ACF news
services directory
Commercial
Kitchen
Services
installation • Parts • service
Committed to quality. Committed to Customers.
Service
and is limited to the first six registrants.
ACF members pay $100; non-members
pay $150. There is a mandatory deposit
of $100 to hold your spot; it will be
refunded after participation in the test.
Sign up online at www.acfmcc.com.
Contact Robert Velarde at 763-9541306 or [email protected] with
any questions.
www.commercialkitchenservices.net • 651-641-0164
Monthly Meetings
Minneapolis Chapter
The June meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, June 24. Meetings are held on
the last Tuesday of every month. Visit
www.acfmcc.com for information and
to sign up.
Taste of Art
Sunday, June 8; Doors open to the public
at 4:30 p.m.
DoubleTree Park Place:
1500 Park Place Blvd.,
St. Louis Park, MN
The Taste of Art is the chapter’s only
fundraiser to support its scholarship
program and other charitable activities
throughout the year. Volunteers
are needed starting at 10:30 a.m.
Register online at www.acfmcc.com
to volunteer or email Scott Parks at
[email protected].
ICE SYSTEMS & REFRIGERATION
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING
763-441-6620
We specialize in Icemaker Sales, Service, Lease/rentals
www.Articicesys.com
[email protected]
events calendar
Master baker and Saint Agnes
CEO Dan “Klecko” McGleno shows
ACF member Lurlyne Blockmon
how to properly round the dough
during an educational event May 18
at the St. Paul bakery. Visit www.
foodservicenews.net for the full
story and check out the FSN Facebook
page for more photos.
Wednesday, June 4; 3 p.m. arrival
Perspectives Family Center:
3381 Gorham Ave., St. Louis Park, MN
Though not necessary, chefs are
encouraged to create ethnic meals
for the kids to try. Contact Chef Dan
at 952-926-2600 ext. 2518 with your
planned menu and to go over the
nutrition guidelines. Visit the chapter
website, www.acfmcc.com, for more
information and to register.
July 9
To support ACF Minneapolis
DoubleTree Park Place
St. Louis Park, MN
4:30-8 p.m.
FMI: www.acfmcc.com
Dahlgreen Golf Club
Chaska, MN
Noon shotgun start
FMI: www.mlba.com
Taste of Art
Rolling in Dough
Kids Café
June 8
June 16
Hospitality MN Golf Classic
Practical Certification Testing
CORRECTION: An article in the May
2014 issue of Foodservice News titled
“Mystery Meal” misspelled the names
of two ACF chefs. Chef L. Fernando
Mojica was a first-place finisher; chef
Nicholas Altringer took second place.
Foodservice News regrets the error.
Wednesday, June 11; 2:30-7 p.m.
Hennepin Technical College, 9000
Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Park
This testing is for all ACF certifications
ACF chapters are invited to send
event listings and story ideas to
[email protected].
Midland Hills Country Club
Roseville, MN
10:30 a.m. registration/lunch; 12 p.m.
shotgun start
FMI: Grace Hertel; 651-925-4018,
[email protected]
Minnesota Licensed Beverage
Association Golf Outing
August 3-6
MN School Nutrition
Association State Conference
Rivers Edge Convention Center, St.
Cloud, MN
FMI: www.mnsna.org
August 11
June 22
Women Who Really Cook
Monthly Meeting
Parley Lake Winery
Waconia, MN
1-3 p.m.
June 23
Share Our Strength’s
Taste of the Nation Hotlist
Fundraiser
Visit our website for updates on the local news on foodservice.
Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
General Admission: $75; 7-10 p.m.
FMI: www.tasteofthenation.org/
minneapolis
The news and information source for restaurants and the foodservice industry.
MN Valley Country Club
Bloomington, MN
12 p.m. tee off; 5 p.m. social hour;
6:30 p.m. dinner
FMI: Andrea Gustafson; 952-594-4046
www.TobyTournament.org
September 16
Minnesota Hospitality Expo
St. Paul RiverCentre
St. Paul, MN
FMI: Grace Hertel; 651-925-4018,
[email protected]
Restaurant Brokers of Minnesota, Inc.
Selby Mansion •
579 Selby Avenue • St. Paul, MN 55102
For Sale or Lease
•
•
•
•
•
Victorian Mansion
Floors: 4 + Basement
Total Size: 10,308 SF
Full Kitchen *
Full Inside Restaurant w/Bar: 200+ Seating *
•
•
•
•
•
Events Center: 80 Seating
Large Garden Patio w/Bar: 100 Seating
Full Liquor License
Parking: 40+
Fully-Renovated: In 1996
* spic and span and ready to go into service
* total seating including garden patio: 300+
Contact:
d.J. sikka • Restaurant Brokers of Minnesota
952-929-9273
26
•
FeatuRed LIstIngs
^ NEW! Deli St. Paul Downtown Loc. 40K
^ NEW! Downtown Ethnic Rest. Full Liq. 225K
^ NEW! RJ Tavern in Hastings & 2 apt. 850K
^ NEW! Perkins Albertville for sale Includes Property & equipment
^ NEW! Black Stallion Hampton, MN for $395K Price reduced!
^ NEW! Bar on Lake Includes Bldg. – Metro $795K SOLD!
^ NEW! Gas & Grocery – 5 Locations
^ NEW! Subway St. Paul Asking $225K
^ NEW! Pizza delivery take out 75K
^ NEW! Ethnic Eagan Seats 140 / Patio 295K
^ NEW! 8000 square feet on 169 For Sale or lease, Barbara Jeans
^ NEW! Deli 3-locations office café 35K to 195K
w w w. re s t a u r a n t s f o r s a l e . c o m
GIVING
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AND TRAINING
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27
Contact your local Reinhart Sales Consultant for more information, scan the QR code above or sign-up at tracsdirect.com.
La Crosse Division [800-827-4010]
28
Marshall Division [800-756-5256]
Twin Cities Division [800-718-3966]

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