All Blog Posts (5,524)

That's Hot! - You Tube Contest

In an ever changing world even old dogs learn new tricks. The National Restaurant Association has started what looks to be a fun and exciting new contest on YouTube. Here inspiring chefs or any employee for that matter can submit their "celebrity chef" cooking demonstration and receive the opportunity to join other celebrity chefs at the National Restaurant Association Trade Show in Chicago mid-May this year!

To learn more about the contest visit:… Continue

Added by Chris Moyer on April 22, 2008 at 7:21am — 1 Comment

Nothing but net

Nothing but net
Nothing but net
Nothing but net!!
Nothing but net!!!

Added by JUSTFORTHEE on April 21, 2008 at 11:40pm — 1 Comment

Everything is Coming Up Rosés

It’s spring, and everything should be coming up rosés. Oh, I know times are toughening up again. You aren’t seeing your regulars quite as often, and the rising cost of oil (and I mean, cooking oil) and everything else is making your P&Ls go haywire.

So maybe it’s time to start thinking radically rather laterally… something “new” to chill your rising ire and tickle your guests’ increasingly fickle fancy. Re this recent report in Wines & Vines: sales of rosés selling for… Continue

Added by Randy Caparoso on April 21, 2008 at 5:22pm — 4 Comments

Earth Day is April 22, 2008

Earth Day 2008 is Tuesday, April 22nd. Be kind to your environment. Think about everything you do and take a moment to evaluate your knowledge on the environment. Take the Quiz.

More steps you can take to… Continue

Added by Michael L. Atkinson on April 21, 2008 at 8:26am — 2 Comments

Proud to Swim Home

The restaurant where I have worked for the past 5 1/2 years handed out over 70,000 free meals days after Katrina thanks to a generator and a few volunteers. As one of 3 New Orleans fohboh members, I feel its neccesary to spread the word about what life is STILL like 2 1/2 years after a major hurricane. I still love New Orleans for its diverse culture, great food and our determination to make it a better… Continue

Added by Kris Rainer on April 21, 2008 at 6:58am — 5 Comments

Ways To Cut Down On Food Expenses

10. Get politician to buy lunch on government credit card.

9. Cruise Costco for food samples.

8. Convince yourself that Ramen is tasty.

7. Pretend growing stomach in the inner you expressing itself.

6. Scrape up yummy road kill.

5. Sell a kidney on black market.

4. Beat rats to food scraps in restaurant dumpsters.

3. Get arrested, and enjoy fine jail cuisine.

2. Invite people to your wedding, but tell them… Continue

Added by Joe Archuleta on April 20, 2008 at 11:16am — 6 Comments

The Best Training I've had in 10 years

The best training as a server I have ever had is going out to eat myself. In essence, being served. I have experienced A+ service and failing service. Sitting on the other side and taking an objective view is what I think makes me the great server I am today! I, in turn, wait tables as I would want to be waited on. Do unto others as you would want done to you! My suggestion besides computer training,etc would be to hold a mock dinner and let the trainee survey the waiter. One exemplifying… Continue

Added by Kris Rainer on April 19, 2008 at 1:11pm — 2 Comments

On The Road Again!

Appell Pie

Once again I took to the road and visited Tennessee in February to see clients and to attend a family wedding. While there, I had two dining experiences worthy of reporting simply to underscore the importance of service in our industry.

Going to dinner with 4 adults and 3 children at a Cracker Barrel in White House Tennessee sounded like a good idea. I was tired though, so when the waitress asked for our drink order I asked for Scotch. At first she was… Continue

Added by Howard Appell on April 18, 2008 at 2:35pm — 1 Comment

Status Quo….Latin for “We are happy we are in this mess”

This past Sunday, our local pastor rolled this off her tongue as she was discussing our connection to a higher power and it struck me as pertinent to some of the business world out there.

I have heard these a lot lately……how about you?

This recession is killing us…..

Some people just complain to get a free meal….

People are spending a lot less…..

I am in a tough labor pool and it’s hard to find good people…..

This generation doesn’t have a strong… Continue

Added by Andy Swingley on April 18, 2008 at 1:33pm — 4 Comments

Find a 16 year old mentor

At the Woman's Foodservice Forum conference in D.C. this week one of the presenters challenged the group to find a 16 year old mentor. I thought the concept was cool and it reminded me of my best mentor of all times Antwan, a 17 year old grill cook at McDonalds.

My first day taking over the restaurant a fight broke out between a customer and my counter employee. It started to get ugly when my employee threw a shake at the customer and the customers fired back a wooden straw holder… Continue

Added by Amanda Hite on April 17, 2008 at 6:27pm — 3 Comments

Top 10 take aways from the Woman's Foodservice Forum D.C. Conference

10. Networking, eating, dancing and learning opportunities with 3,700 WFF members

9. The Single Male members of WFF were the most enthusiastic of the bunch

8. The silver pen I was wearing made me cool, new members were actually asking for my autograph

7. Linda Pharr, Chair elect and Chief Foodservice Relation’s Officer Batrus has great hair

6. 75% of the 3,700 other attendees have bad hair

5. Teresa and her entourage from the People Report… Continue

Added by Amanda Hite on April 17, 2008 at 4:25pm — 5 Comments

Red Wine with Fish Revisted

The concept, red wine with fish, is now as firmly entrenched in culinary phraseology as red wine with meat and white wine with fish. Exactly how does this work, and why?

Almost twenty years ago David Rosengarten and Joshua Wesson wrote a book about it (Red Wine with Fish – out of print today), explicating a basic methodology that also applies to all wine and food matching. The thinking going that all wines and foods find their matches in two… Continue

Added by Randy Caparoso on April 17, 2008 at 2:38pm — 2 Comments

Choice Beef Galore (a sequel)

The chart of the week is percentages of cattle grading choice and prime. As noted in recent issues of the Weekly Commodity Report, the percentage of cattle grading choice has trended well above prior year averages. During the past month, the percentage of cattle grading prime has climbed as well. With the increase in the percentage of cattle grading at premium levels we have experienced a notable surge in premium beef output. Thus the USDA choice boxed beef cutout index (a general indicator of… Continue

Added by David Maloni on April 17, 2008 at 2:25pm — 4 Comments

Specialty Coffee Associaiton Trade Show & Conference

WEBSITE CLICK HERE

Specialty Coffee Association of America

20th Annual Conference and Exhibition

Minneapolis, Minnesota

May 2-5, 2008

The theme for this year’s conference, “Roots,” revisits the foundation of our specialty coffee industry: regional, independent, forward-thinking coffee companies joining together to share information, ideas and strategies, while creating… Continue

Added by Spencer on April 17, 2008 at 12:58pm — No Comments

Employee Comment Box

I think an employee comment box should be available at all restaurants/businesses. Many times, employees may want to bring something positive or negative to management but don't. Also, reading the comments allows management the right to take action or not! As a FOH employee, I know how hard it is for management to know EVERYTHING that goes on with 20+servers on the floor a shift. Its also a great way to make your employees feel valued. A restaurant works best with happy employees, right? We are… Continue

Added by Kris Rainer on April 17, 2008 at 12:34pm — 7 Comments

An interesting site I ran across.

http://www.sneakysunday.com

I received this in my email this morning. The website gives you the "best of" for cities across the United States, be it a restaurant, bar, nightclub, hotels and entertainment. It also has a calender of events for each particular city.

Added by Sallie on April 17, 2008 at 10:05am — 2 Comments

Top Chef: Battle of the Sexes

You can see it right? The Top Chef producers have set viewers up for a battle of the sexes.

During last week's show, the producers broke up the lovable lesbian couple Jennifer and Zoi (Zofer tees coming soon!), and concluded with a fight scene that would've made Soprano's producers proud. Spike, who earlier in the episode remarked… Continue

Added by Nina on April 17, 2008 at 9:33am — 3 Comments

HERE'S A GENUINE HAWAIIAN OPPORTUNITY !

If you live and work on the Big Island in Hawaii and you're a chef or you

have a new restaurant there......here ia a great opjportunity to generate some

buzz.

The reporter (below) is looking for some story leads and people for pieces about food and culinary adventures there, on that island.

This ONLY applies if you are on the Big Island.

Contact this reporter directly if this is you and you'd like some "free ink".

I hope it works out… Continue

Added by Roy MacNaughton on April 16, 2008 at 3:10pm — 4 Comments

Can I Get That To Go?

Can I Get That To Go?

The other day I was driving past a McDonald’s that they had knocked down and are rebuilding. It took me a minute, but I figured out what was different. They had reduced their seating area substantially. That is weird. I thought that the object was to get people in to their restaurant. I mean, isn’t that what it is all about? A couple of days later, I read an article in the NRA’s newsletter about the industry trending towards to go service at all levels of… Continue

Added by DJ Tryba on April 16, 2008 at 3:07pm — 3 Comments