UP CLOSE & PERSONAL THE GREAT DIVIDE · others in providing us with energy, while making us...

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foodserviceandhospital ity.com $4 | JULY/AUGUST 2015

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

Chefs and producers share

their recipes for success

CHEERSThe 2015 BAR Report sums up trends in beer, wine and spirits

THE GREAT DIVIDEChicken is

being reborn as experts debate the

merits of organic versus

hormone free

Danny Smiles, chef, Le Bremner, Montreal

The School of Hospitality,

Recreation & Tourism is

dedicated to ensuring that

our students graduate

with the skills, attitudes

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required by industry.

Integrated work experience

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humber.ca/hospitality/industry

FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY JULY/AUGUST 2015 1FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

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Features

12 COUNTING CHICKENS Despite waning chicken sales in restaurants, and debate about the merits of organic alternatives, the humble bird remains a culinary standby By Cinda Chavich

20 INGREDIENT PROFILES

A round-up of the on-trend ingredients spotted in chefs’ kitchens By Rosanna Caira, Cinda Chavich, Andrew Coppolino and Mary Luz Mejia

29 CHEF PROFILES

Young toques are driving change in restaurants across the country By Brianne Binelli and Jackie Sloat-Spencer

33 PRODUCER PROFILES

Suppliers are offering new twists on ingredients grown in Canada By Jackie Sloat-Spencer

36 THE 2015 BAR REPORT Canadians are continuing their quest for craft beers, warming up to premium spirits and swooning to the wine varietal standouts By Alan McGinty

41 THE TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT

Trends from the 30th annual Nightclub & Bar show in Las Vegas translate to actionable ideas for Canadian bartenders By Jeffrey W. Stewart

48 SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD:

IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE? Experts from this year’s Eat Vancouver festival weren’t so sure By Cinda Chavich

Departments

2 FROM THE EDITOR

5 FYI

10 FROM THE DESK

OF ROBERT CARTER

43 EQUIPMENT

20

3629

2 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY JULY/AUGUST 2015 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

Rosanna CairaEditor/Publisher

[email protected]

FROM THE EDITOR

For daily news and announcements: @foodservicemag on Twitter and Foodservice and Hospitality on Facebook.

Can food make a difference in

one’s life? Doctors will tell you

certain foods are better than

others in providing us with energy, while

making us healthier. Of course, food’s

most basic function is to give us the fuel

we need for the rigorous demands of

our daily lives. But interestingly, in these

food-obsessed days, where what we eat

is trendy, it can also help save the planet.

In the past decade, we’ve come to

understand the huge footprint it takes to

raise livestock as opposed to vegetables.

We’ve learned about the negative impact

of genetically modified foods. Equally as

important, we’ve come to understand

the implications overfishing has on our

oceans and planet, now realizing that

satisfying a taste for certain fish and sea-

food can lead to the destruction of our

oceans. And, on the beverage side, many

of us are more aware of the importance

of buying fair-trade coffee, because we

understand the food-and-drink experi-

ence is about more than just good taste;

it’s about ultimately making a difference

in the lives of the producers who toil on

our behalf.

Given the context of this greater

awareness and knowledge about food,

is it any wonder it’s taken on a greater

importance than ever and has become

more than just sustenance? Today,

food is not only helping to define who

we are, it’s helping to make a power-

ful statement about what we believe.

Certainly whoever coined the phrase

“You are what you eat,” had no idea

how meaningful the statement would

become. So, it’s not surprising that

last month’s Terroir conference, held

in Toronto, and themed “Pioneering

Change,” attracted more than 300 chefs,

producers and media to share their food

stories and learn from each other (see

story on p. 5). As Ned Bell, executive

chef at the Vancouver Four Seasons,

said during one of his presentations,

through food, “chefs have an incredible

ability to connect with people,” which

can help fuel the change we need. He

added: “If we don’t protect the seven

oceans in the world, we’re in trouble.”

If the industry experts speaking at

Terroir taught us anything it’s that we

are standing at the crossroads of change.

Clearly, there is a revolution of sorts

going on in the food community — we

are effecting change and shaking up the

status quo. In the process, we are learn-

ing food innately has the power to fuel

us, to soothe us, to heal us, to unite us

and to transform us. What we choose to

eat will not only dictate how we feel, but

how we think and how we impact the

future. Can food make a difference in

one’s life? It absolutely can.

As we finally celebrate the arrival of

summer, we’re happy to present this

month’s Food Issue, which takes a fun

and informative look at some of the

products, producers and chefs helping

change our perception of food. We hope

you enjoy it.

Today, food is not only helping to define who we are, it’s helping to make a powerful statement about what we believe

“”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

EDITOR & PUBLISHER ROSANNA [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR BRIANNE [email protected] EDITOR HELEN [email protected] PROJECTS EDITOR JACKIE [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR MARGARET [email protected]

MULTIMEDIA MANAGER DEREK [email protected] CONTENT MANAGER MEGAN O’[email protected] DESIGNER COURTNEY [email protected]

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER/U.S.A. WENDY GILCHRIST [email protected] MANAGER/CANADA STEVE [email protected] MANAGER/CANADA MARIA FAMA [email protected] MANAGER CHERYLL SAN [email protected] SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR DANNA SMITH

CIRCULATION PUBLICATION PARTNERS [email protected], (905) 509-3511

DIRECTOR JIM [email protected]

ACCOUNTING MANAGER DANIELA [email protected]

ADVISORY BOARDCARA OPERATIONS KEN OTTOCORA FRANCHISE GROUP DAVID POLNYCRAVE IT RESTAURANT GROUP ALEX RECHICHIFAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED NICK PERPICKFHG INTERNATIONAL INC. DOUG FISHERFRESHII MATTHEW CORRIN JOEY RESTAURANT GROUP BRITT INNESKATIE JESSOP, REGISTERED DIETITIANLECOURS WOLFSON LIMITED NORMAN WOLFSONNEW YORK FRIES & SOUTH ST. BURGER CO. JAY GOULDSCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH BRUCE MCADAMSSENSORS QUALITY MANAGEMENT DAVID LIPTONSOTOS LLP JOHN SOTOSMANITOWOC FOODSERVICE JACQUES SEGUINTHE HOUSE OF COMMONS JUDSON SIMPSONTHE MCEWAN GROUP MARK MCEWANUNILEVER FOOD SOLUTIONS NORTH AMERICA GINNY HARE

To subscribe to F&H, visit foodserviceandhospitality.com

Volume 48, Number 5 Published 11 times per year by Kostuch Media Ltd., 23 Lesmill Rd., Suite 101, Toronto, Ont., M3B 3P6. Tel: (416) 447-0888, Fax (416) 447-5333, website: foodserviceandhospitality.com. Subscription Rates: 1-year subscription, $55 (HST included); U.S. $80; International, $100.

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Return mail to: Kostuch Media Ltd., 23 Lesmill Rd., Suite 101, Toronto, Ont., M3B 3P6. Member of CCAB, a Division of BPA International, International Foodservice Editorial Council, Restaurants Canada, The American Business Media and Magazines Canada. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Printed in Canada on recycled stock.

FOUNDER MITCH KOSTUCHFeb. 11, 1931– Oct. 23, 2014

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M O N T H L Y N E W S A N D U P D A T E S F O R T H E F O O D S E R V I C E I N D U S T R Y

LOCAL CHAMPS Achievement in foodservice was heralded at this spring’s Terroir Sympo-sium. Award winners were Tobey Nemeth, chef and co-owner of Edulis in Toronto (Outstanding Service Professional); Antonio Park, chef at Restaurant Park in Montreal (Outstanding Chef); and Norman Hardie (pictured), owner of Norman Hardie Vineyard and Winery in Prince Edward County, Ont. (Outstanding Beverage Professional).

FYI

CHEF COLLECTIVE A panel of chefs at this spring’s

Terroir Symposium in Toronto

shared strategies for tackling la-

bour shortages and food waste.

David Hawksworth’s Young Chef

Scholarship Foundation in Van-

couver is engaging the young

labour force; it awards a $10,000

prize and an international stage.

“The Young Chefs Scholarship

started three years ago. Now it’s

up to 150 applicants this year,

and there are heats in major

cities,” Hawksworth (pictured)

explained. Meanwhile, Montreal

chef Jean-François Archambault

grew tired of watching food

thrown in the bin, so he launched

La Tablée des Chefs, an or-

ganization that manages food

recovery so it can be donated to

people in need. Its 47 participat-

ing establishments have gener-

ated more than 450,000 meals

for the needy across Canada.

Dive for dinner amidst

great white sharks,

uproot and open a res-

taurant in the Mexican jungle

or invest in a withering fishing

community in Newfoundland.

These are examples of dar-

ing feats that led to success

for entrepreneurs in the food

community who shared their

story at this spring’s 9th annual

Terroir Symposium.

Change can start with an

epiphany. Maui-born Kimi

Werner was working as a chef

in Honolulu, Hawaii when she lost her connection to food. “Fish was just a rectangular piece

on Styrofoam trays — I had no idea where it came from,” she told the crowd at Arcadian Court

in Toronto, explaining how that thought caused her to abandon the concrete jungle to hunt

for her own food and spearfish in Maui. “I love to tell the story of what it took to get it on the

plate,” she said.

For others, success was found by abandoning the conveniences of life. “In a wild place you can

find a sense of perfection,” said chef Eric Werner, who went off the grid to build Hartwood, a sus-

tainable open-air restaurant on a jungle road in Tulum in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. With its only

power source kilometres away, the team uses solar panels and cooks over an open fire to conserve

energy and recycles waste water to nourish the surrounding mangroves.

Some would say driving through the Bible Belt inside a rainbow-covered food truck with the

words “Big Gay Ice Cream” painted on the side might be another risk. But that’s what New York-

based partners Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff did, embarking on a five-city tour. The result?

They were accepted with open arms in the communities they visited. The frosty treats attracted

two-hour line-ups, so the team has expanded to several bricks-and-mortar units in New York City.

Meanwhile, eighth-generation Fogo Islander Zita

Cobb (pictured, far right) discovered the best way to

invest in a struggling fishing community was to build

the Fogo Island Inn and re-invest the operating surplus

into the Newfoundland town. The suites are filled with

locally sourced, handmade textiles and furniture. “The

inn was created to be a servant to place and people. I

like to think all of us can be a servant to place, because

place is not a commodity,” said the innovative thinker.

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AGAINST THE GRAIN Toronto’s Terroir Symposium was a sounding board for pioneers of change BY JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCER

TERROIR SYMPOSIUM

When the cod morato-

rium was issued in

Newfoundland more than 22

years ago, it marked the begin-

ning of a new era for the fishing

industry in Canada. Two decades

later consumers and chefs under-

stand the importance of conser-

vation thanks in part to increased

education. Though sustainability

is now part of our lexicon, a great

deal of work remains to be done

to ensure our oceans continue to

thrive. And chefs are increasingly

joining the crusade to educate

consumers — their guests.

That was the basis for discus-

sion this past spring, as organiz-

ers of Toronto’s annual Terroir

Symposium and Vancouver’s

Chefs for Oceans united a panel

of 16 experts, comprising chefs,

fishermen and media to take the

conversation about sustainability

to the next level.

“Canada was founded on fish.

It’s integral to the fabric of this

country,” began Dan Donovan,

Toronto-based owner of Hooked

fish stores and moderator of the

panel, in his opening address.

He also noted that two-thirds

of consumption of fish is taking

place outside the home, so chefs

have the power to influence con-

sumers by introducing them to

various species of fish. “What can

chefs do to spur good consump-

tion?” Donovan asked.

Part of the process involves

having third-parties help con-

sumers and chefs make wise food

choices. “We have huge value, and

INDUSTRY UNITES TO PROMOTE OCEAN HEALTH

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TERROIR SYMPOSIUM

the work we’re doing is way above

many countries,” boasted Ann

Marie Copping, Ocean Wise pro-

gram manager at the Vancouver

Aquarium, which along with

other national and global pro-

grams such as Sea Choice and

the Marine Stewardship Council,

promotes greater understanding

and certification of fish choices.

“We’re looking for the best choic-

es. Responsible aquaculture is the

future,” she added.

But, it takes more than that.

“We’re always going to sell more

halibut, salmon. Consumers

think they know what they

want, but providing suggestions

works,” said John Bil, owner of

Toronto’s Honest Weight fish

shop and restaurant, explaining

that operators need to better pro-

mote other options to their cus-

tomers. “Get people out of their

ruts, and taste new products. Try

it — you might be surprised.

Operators have to recognize how

to make money from it.”

Progress has been made, but

much work remains. As Eric

Enno Tamm, team leader at

ThisFish in Ottawa, reminded

the audience, “Traceability is one

of the pillars of sustainability.

It’s about knowing whether your

fish is local, harvested in Canada

or processed in China.” His com-

pany identifies fish with a code,

which tells buyers who caught

the fish, how it was caught

and where it was caught, arm-

ing them with the knowledge

to make an educated purchas-

ing decision. “Chefs need to put

pressure on distributors [and]

demand information about

traceability,” said Tamm. “Ask

for documentation.”

“The industry has made

strides,” summed up Jay Lugar,

program director, Canada for

the Marine Stewardship Council

in Halifax. “We have strong reg-

ulatory practices in Canada. In

fact, we’re one of the safest in the

world. We take that responsibil-

ity seriously.” — Rosanna Caira

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COMINGEVENTS

July 15: We Care Camp Day, Camp Woodeden, London, Ont. Tel: 905-841-1223; [email protected]; website: friendsofwecare.org July 27-29: Women’s Foodservice Forum Executive Summit, JW Marriott Chicago Hotel, Chicago. Tel: 800-351-0232; email: [email protected]; website: summit15.wff.org Aug. 23-25: Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles. Tel: 203-484-8054; email: [email protected]; website: westernfoodexpo.com Sept. 27-29: FSTEC Foodservice and Technology Conference, Washington Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C. Website: fstec.com Sept. 30: Icons and Innovators Breakfast Series, featuring Susur Lee, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Toronto. Tel: 416-447-0888, ext. 235; email: [email protected]; website: kostuchmedia.com Oct. 10-14: Anuga 2015, Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany. Tel: +49 221 821-2240; email: [email protected]; website: anuga.com Oct. 18-19: Connect Food + Drink + Lodging, Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver. Tel: 604-628-5655; email: [email protected]; website: connectshow.com Oct. 21: Community Food Centres Canada’s Restaurants for Change, partici-pating restaurants in major cities across Canada. Email: [email protected] Oct. 24: Canadian Hospitality Foundation Ball, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto. Tel: 416-363-3401; email: [email protected]; website: thechf.ca

FOR MORE EVENTS, VISIT http://bit.ly/FHevents

POWER OF THE PEN Roberto Martella, owner of Grano restau-rant in Toronto, kicked off this spring’s Terroir Symposium with a tribute to Pamela Cuthbert, a food journalist who died from a stroke in March. Cuthbert was a freelance writer and editor whose work appeared in Zoomer, The Globe and Mail and Saveur. She founded the Toronto chapter of Slow Food and received an Ontario Hostelry Institute Fellow Award in 2009. Cuthbert wrote about her subjects with eloquence and passion, said Martella. He added: “She raised the efforts of culinary arts in an increasingly industrialized food system. How food arrives on our plate was just as important as taste to Pamela.” — Jackie Sloat-Spencer

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TERROIR SYMPOSIUM

NAKED DINING Ian Brown stripped

down to dine at

a nudist resort in

Gwillimbury, Ont.

And, he wanted a

fresh perspective

about food, so he

didn’t stop there. “I

was an empty vessel without a point of view.

I tried to fill that vessel with stories about

food,” The Globe and Mail features writer

said, reminiscing about the cross-country

road trip that led him to the best Indian

food he’s ever eaten in Sault Ste. Marie,

Ont. In the end, Brown found a common

theme: “We do have a national cuisine,” he

said, listing bread, maple syrup, wine, ber-

ries, trout, mackerel and honey as some of

the frequent players on Canadian menus.

“But, it wasn’t just the meals I remember,

it was the hosts’ desires to feed me.”

— Jackie Sloat-SpencerPHO

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FLAVOUR FAKE Artificial flavouring elevated the Dorito from a plain tortilla chip to

a craveable global snack, said Mark Schatzker, author of The Dorito

Effect, who described the troubling link between flavour and nutrition

at the Terroir Symposium in Toronto this past spring. While food, such

as tomatoes and chicken, gets blander, lab-produced flavour enhanc-

ers are tricking the brain into believing it’s receiving nutrition from

over-processed foods, explained the writer. “We’re adding flavour to

everything from soy milk to kids’ yogurt, which tastes like fruit but has

none.” This practice is turning our food into the manufactured Dorito, he said, adding, “We

need to stop feeding the brain and start feeding the stomach.” — Jackie Sloat-Spencer

START FROM SCRATCH “Perhaps a good idea is worth a million in the tech industry — but not

in food,” said Sarah Weiner, founder of the San Francisco-based Good

Food Awards, who explained that success in the foodservice industry

is built on collaboration. The former director of Communication at

the Slow Food International Office in Italy, launched the Good Food

Awards to attract attention and bring business to artisans who use

local, organic and seasonal ingredients to create tasty food. The program has since grown to 11

categories, including beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, pickles, preserves,

spirits, oil and honey, raising awareness about artisanal producers. — Jackie Sloat-Spencer

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Summer is in full swing, and one of

the simple pleasures of the season is

enjoying an ice-cold beverage.

Indeed, now is the time for restaurant

operators to provide their customers with

a drink that’s worth their time and money.

So, this summer operators should bank on

interest in limited-time offers, which denote

a sense of urgency — a need for customers

to try a product before it’s gone.

According to CREST data, consumers

are finding iced/frozen/slushy coffee, frozen/

slushy soft drinks and smoothies increas-

ingly appealing. Iced tea is also gaining

steam. In fact, there’s a perfect storm brew-

ing for tea. Consider the facts: demand for

global flavours, especially Asian, is growing;

interest in health and wellness is booming;

tea has a high profit margin at a time when

food costs are skyrocketing; and adoption of

tea by Americans is surging forward. In fact,

according to the U.S. Tea Association, the tea

market has grown from $1.8 billion to $10.4

billion in just over 20 years. Canadians are

not increasing their consumption of iced

tea at restaurants, but that could be because

specialty tea variations are not prevalent on

restaurant menus.

While cold summer offerings comprise a

relatively small share of the Canadian bever-

age market, opportunity exists to capitalize

on consumer interest in these products,

especially during the summer.

The following are a few ideas to entice

more purchases of cold beverages:

n Offer signature beverages.

n Customize cold beverages. Provide new

and different toppings, spices, syrups and

flavours to enhance the experience.

n Small is the new big, so offer pint-sized

portions. For example, a mini portion of a

milkshake will keep the calorie count down

for health-conscious customers. This will

also create a sense of value, since the price

will be in line with the portion size.

As consumers continue to expect more

variety, Canadian restaurant operators need

to focus on introducing new and different

cold-beverage options. It’s a win-win for the

consumer and operator. l

Robert Carter is executive director, Foodservice Canada, with the NPD Group Inc.

He can be reached at [email protected] for questions regarding the latest trends

and their impact on the foodservice business.

FROM THE DESK OF ROBERT CARTER

IT’S NOT TOO LATEDon’t miss the opportunity to sell seasonal cold beverages

SHARE OF BEVERAGES - TOTAL RESTAURANTS

Hot Coffee

Carbonated Soft Drinks

Hot Tea

Beverage Alcohol

Juice

Bottled Water

Iced/Frozen/Slushy Coffee

Iced Tea

Milk

Hot Chocolate

Frozen/Slushy Soft Drinks

Non-Carb Soft Drinks

Smoothies

Shakes/Malts/Floats

Other Beverages

2011

2015

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FOOD FILE

DESPITE WANING CHICKEN SALES IN RESTAURANTS, AND DEBATE ABOUT THE MERITS OF ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES, THE HUMBLE BIRD REMAINS A CULINARY STANDBY BY CINDA CHAVICH


Chris Jones and Josh Goyert are count-ing on Canadians’ ongoing love affair with roast chicken to launch their new Ruby café in Victoria.

The menu at the small, casual spot, inside the Hotel Zed, is centred on chicken. And that chicken is literally revolving in the kitchen all day, brined, rubbed and roasted to perfection in a rotisserie oven. “My original concept was

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FOOD FILE

DESPITE WANING CHICKEN SALES IN RESTAURANTS, AND DEBATE ABOUT THE MERITS OF ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES, THE HUMBLE BIRD REMAINS A CULINARY STANDBY

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FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM

a breakfast café, but the owner wanted some-

thing open in the evening,” says Jones of

the all-day menu of chicken and eggs. “We

wanted to enhance that retro feel, so the

rotisserie chicken idea was born.”

And it seems to be working. From the

outset, diners have been lining up at The

Ruby for their roast-chicken fix. “We’re

already doing 120 to 140 birds a week,” said

Jones, 10 days after the restaurant’s opening

in March. “We just have a small electric rotis-

serie — we will have to expand.”

They’re pumping out half- and quar-

ter-chicken dinners ($18 and $12.50) with

inventive sides such as ratatouille, carrot

and raisin salad or Parmesan celery slaw.

The juicy rotisserie chicken reappears in

the chicken sandwich on a Portuguese bun

with chimichurri sauce ($12), the warm

chicken dip with house-made gravy ($13),

the Power-hour Kale and Roast Chicken

Salad ($14), and atop rotisserie chicken tacos

on fresh locally made corn tortillas ($10).

Nothing goes to waste — there’s even a rotis-

serie chicken and barley soup ($7).

The birds are brined for nine hours with

sugar, salt and spices, then cooked in a rotis-

serie oven. The partners launched The Ruby

with fresh local chicken, sourced from pro-

ducers in the Fraser Valley and hope to add

100-per-cent free-range, 12-week birds to

the menu. It’s a bold move in a market that’s

been flat, even shrinking.

The good news is chicken is the most

popular protein for Canadian consumers,

with 866-million servings doled out annu-

ally in commercial foodservice. The Ottawa-

based Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC)

reports Canadians are eating more chicken

overall — preliminary numbers for 2014

show an increase of 3.5 per cent to 31.2 kg

per capita over 2013.

But, chicken is losing ground on res-

taurant tables, especially in the full-service

category where other prime poultry, from

duck to game birds such as quail, is picking

up the slack. According to the NPD Group,

overall consumption of chicken declined in

foodservice in 2015, down by 23-million

servings compared to the previous year. The

decline is driven primarily by centre-of-the-

plate chicken/poultry entrées, down 36-mil-

lion servings from 2014, says Erick Bauer,

national public relations manager – Canada,

NPD. The bright spot in the sector is quick-

service restaurants, he says, with chicken

sandwich servings actually up by 13-million

servings in 2015.

That’s the case at Vancouver-based A&W,

where its antibiotic-free chicken (and simi-

lar hormone-free beef program) is win-

ning new customers. Today’s consumers

want to know where and how their food

is produced, explains Susan Senecal, chief

marketing officer at A&W, and the company

is responding to consumer demand. Senecal

says the chain’s in-house research shows 75

per cent of Canadians prefer to consume

chicken produced without the use of anti-

biotics. “Over one-million more Canadians

have chosen to enjoy the great taste of the

A&W Chubby Chicken Burger” since the

new poultry program launched in October

2014, Senecal adds.

A&W sources antibiotic-free

chicken from between

nine and 15 different

farms across the coun-

try, and, while the

meat costs 15-per-

cent more than con-

ventional chicken,

the company didn’t

increase the price

on the menu. The

antibiotic-free prod-

uct is used in all its

chicken dishes, from

burgers to wraps.

Still, the CFC reports that

many consumer concerns about chicken

are unfounded. No growth hormones or

steroids are used in chicken production in

Canada, and all meat birds are “free-run”

(usually confined in barns, not cages). Only

certified-organic chickens must have access

to outdoor pasture for at least six hours

per day, weather permitting, according to

regulations from the Vernon, B.C.-based

Certified Organic Association of B.C.

And antibiotic use is heavily regulated,

says the CFC in its extensive web-based

Q&A section. In May, the producer group

implemented a policy to eliminate the pre-

ventive use of Category I antibiotics, which

is of critical importance to human health.

While the demand for quality poultry is

growing — whether organic, local or simply

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premium air-chilled birds — the basic three-

pound commercial fryer remains the chicken

of choice. Only six per cent of Canadians

report buying organic chicken “all of, or most

of the time,” according to the Abbotsford,

B.C.-based Chicken Marketing Board.

At Toronto’s St. Andrew Poultry, Jerry

Jesin’s family has been sell-

ing chicken for more than 50

years. Jesin, who took over

the business from his father

in 2012, recently renovated

the poultry-processing facil-

ity and retail shop, adding an

extensive line of home-meal

replacements and ready-to-

cook chicken products to the

St. Andrew line. “What we

offer is service,” says Jesin,

who notes that 80 per cent

of the business is delivering fresh chicken to

wholesale customers, including small gro-

cers and more than 200 restaurants in the

Greater Toronto Area. “When I was a child,

we had chicken every day, but back then it

was just chicken. Now there are so many

labels on chicken, but mostly it’s just mar-

keting.”

St. Andrew Poultry sells conventional,

antibiotic-free and organic chicken from

Ontario and Quebec farms. “We try to edu-

cate our customers,

so they spend their

money wisely,” Jesin

says, adding all chick-

en is hormone-free,

grain-fed and “free

range is just non-

sense.” He explains:

“It just means the

chicken must have the

opportunity to go out

— there may be some-

thing to it in summer,

but not one chicken

will choose to go out-

side in winter.”

The shop, in

Toronto’s multicultur-

al Kensington Market

area, has various res-

taurant customers,

and every cook has

different require-

ments. “Chefs ask for

different cuts and dif-

ferent sizes,” Jesin says.

“Caterers want fry-

ers for the six-ounce

breast, while others

ask for bigger roast-

ers. The Indian and Thai chefs want chopped

breast, and there’s a big market for thigh

meat for shawarma. Barbecue restaurants are

driving demand for fryers, and we sell a lot of

scallopini for sandwiches,” he says.

With chef Bernadette Calpito, former exec-

utive chef of Kultura, heading up the shop’s

new “Foodie Bar,” there are various take-out

chicken options, too, including crispy fried

chicken and fries ($5.99), chicken shawarma

($5.75), barbecue quarter-chicken dinners

($6.99), whole rotisserie birds, chicken pot

pies and maple sriracha chicken wings, all

served fresh. There’s even a “mini spit” of sea-

soned and prepared shawarma ($25) to take

home and bake in the oven.

Chicken might not be as popular at white-

tablecloth restaurants, but you’ll still find top

chefs using chicken in creative ways. At Secret

Location in Vancouver, the extremely local

ingredient-driven executive chef Jefferson

BIRD WATCH Hotel Zed’s new Ruby café puts rotisserie chicken centre stage on tacos (above) and in centre-of-the-plate main meals (opposite page)

FOOD FILE

Brining poultry before grilling or roasting

improves the flavour and juiciness of the

meat, and is more effective than an oil-

based marinade. The brine — a solution

made with 4 litres of water, 2 cups of salt

and a 3/4 cup of brown sugar — should

be made with kosher or sea salt, which

dissolves easier than table salt and has

no additives (if you use table salt, cut to

1 cup). Bring to near boil to dissolve the

salt and sugar, then cool to use as is, or

combine with aromatics (whole herbs,

chili peppers, garlic or spices) while hot

to infuse it with your choice of flavours.

Once cooled, strain the brine and pour

over whole chicken or pieces. The poul-

try should be submerged in brine in the

refrigerator for two to eight hours before

it’s roasted or grilled. Use a large, seal-

able plastic bag, then set inside a bowl

or deep pot to hold the chicken while

brining. Dry the bird before cooking for

the crispiest skin.

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Alvarez buys a few chickens a month from a

friend who raises them humanely — and he

uses every part. On a recent 10-course tasting

menu ($150), Alvarez offered a chip of trans-

lucent, crisped chicken skin — standing in a

square bowl of white gravel — as an addictive

morsel of chicken goodness.

At Vancouver’s newly re-opened La

Brasserie, its beer-brined rotisserie chicken

is served with red cabbage, garlic confit jus

and frites ($23). Calgary’s River Café features

local Bowden Farm chicken breast with cele-

riac, caramelized apple, pickled celery, por-

cini and spruce mostarda ($42). Meanwhile,

at North 48 in Victoria, Sam Chalmers, chef

and co-owner, serves savoury cheddar waffles

topped with one, two or three pieces of crispy

buttermilk fried-chicken breast ($18, $22,

$26) on his popular dinner menu, a nod to

the southern American soul food.

Fried chicken is also chef/co-owner

Adrian Forte’s focus at The Dirty Bird, a

small Toronto take-out devoted exclusively

to “northern” fried chicken and waffle dish-

es, with butters and sauces flavoured with

Canadian maple syrup.

The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder is a

busy Toronto barbecue resto specializing in

southern cooking, too — from smoky pulled-

pork sandwiches to ribs. But it’s the juicy

fried-chicken dinners, with coleslaw and fries

($15), brined and marinated in buttermilk

for 48 hours, then fried with a light, crunchy

panko batter, that’s legendary here. Its crispy

chicken is also offered atop Belgian waffles

with sweet chili molasses glaze (two pieces,

$13; four pieces, $16) for breakfast and din-

ner, and there’s a pit-smoked chicken from

the wood-fired smoker (whole, $15; half, $19)

on the take-out menu.

Chicken remains a staple for ethnic eater-

ies, from Indian butter chicken and Jamaican

jerk chicken to Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa

(quarter chicken dinner, $12.90), the spe-

cialty at Calgary’s Inti Modern Peruvian. On

the quick-service side, spicy South African-

style grilled chicken is available at 29 Nando’s

Chicken locations across Canada, marinat-

ed with Portuguese piri piri peppers (half,

$10.35; whole, $17.75). Crispy, double-fried

Korean-style chicken, tossed in a sweet-and-

spicy glaze, is gaining popularity, too, at take-

out spots such as Calgary’s Olive Chicken

(five pieces, $12), Zabu Chicken in Vancouver

(whole, $19.95) and Montreal’s DaWa (nine

pieces, $14.99).

At independent casual spots across the

nation, chefs are roasting whole birds on

wood-fired and electric rotisseries, wheth-

er it’s the local rotisserie chicken sandwich

with wild lingonberry and black pepper aioli

($12) or quarter chicken dinner ($21) at

cosy Boxwood in Calgary or chef Yannick

Bigourdan’s rotisserie chicken restaurant

planned for the new food market in Toronto’s

Union Station.

Everyone loves chicken — The Ruby is

just the latest spot with something to cluck

about. l

FOOD FILE

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Packed From

Fresh Tomatoes!

NOT FROM CONCENTRATE1202 “D” Street Modesto, CA 95354 Toll Free 1-800-327-7201

STANISLAUSThe “Real Italian” Tomato Company

©2006 Stanislaus Food Products

Tom CortopassiPresident/Owner

Dino CortopassiCoach/Owner

“Packed from Fresh Tomatoes,Not from Concentrate”...

Generation after Generation.

Since 1942, our Restaurateur customers’ successhas depended on the superior taste of the food theyserve and of our products.

As a family-owned business, it feels good knowingthat so many of our customers have relied on our“Packed From Fresh Tomato” products fromgeneration to generation.

President Tom Cortopassi (kneeling) and “Coach” Dino Cortopassi (standing) in one of our tomato fields in Stanislaus County, California

Whether your restaurant has a long family history,or whether you’re the founder, you can depend on ourfamily making the best “Real Italian” tomatoproducts...always Packed From Fresh Tomatoes,Never From Concentrate...generation after generation!

R1_SFPFoodSvrcHosptlty6.6 6/14/06, 8:58 AM1

TH

E

SE A L

O FQ U A

LI

TY

Packed From

Fresh Tomatoes!

NOT FROM CONCENTRATE1202 “D” Street Modesto, CA 95354 Toll Free 1-800-327-7201

STANISLAUSThe “Real Italian” Tomato Company

©2006 Stanislaus Food Products

Tom CortopassiPresident/Owner

Dino CortopassiCoach/Owner

“Packed from Fresh Tomatoes,Not from Concentrate”...

Generation after Generation.

Since 1942, our Restaurateur customers’ successhas depended on the superior taste of the food theyserve and of our products.

As a family-owned business, it feels good knowingthat so many of our customers have relied on our“Packed From Fresh Tomato” products fromgeneration to generation.

President Tom Cortopassi (kneeling) and “Coach” Dino Cortopassi (standing) in one of our tomato fields in Stanislaus County, California

Whether your restaurant has a long family history,or whether you’re the founder, you can depend on ourfamily making the best “Real Italian” tomatoproducts...always Packed From Fresh Tomatoes,Never From Concentrate...generation after generation!

R1_SFPFoodSvrcHosptlty6.6 6/14/06, 8:58 AM1


ON THE MENU

THE ACE, Toronto: Country-fried

chicken rests on a nest of collard

greens sitting atop a slab of cornbread

bathed in ham gravy ($19).

FRESHII, Toronto: Any Freshii wrap

can be encased in collard greens.

EDIBLE CANADA BISTRO,

Vancouver: Cascade Mountain Arctic

char filet is paired with tomato fume,

cannellini beans and wilted collard

greens (part of $28 tasting menu).

LOIRE CASUAL GOURMET, Toronto:

The daily market fish and mussel

main is accompanied by lemon aranci-

ni, sautéed collard greens, almonds

and warm tartar sauce ($23).

UNION LOCAL 613, Ottawa: A bone-in

pork chop is served with creamed col-

lard greens and crispy leeks ($26).

GREEN MACHINEOne cup of collard greens packs more than the daily recommended intake of vitamins A and K, along with 7.6 grams of fibre. This soluble and insoluble fibre helps control LDL cholesterol levels, helps prevent constipation and even helps ward off colon cancers.

Collard greens, the southern soul-food staple, are taking

the spotlight across North America. Chicago-based research firm

Technomic’s “2015 10 Trends to Watch” report, lists collard greens

(and cauliflower) as “next-gen cruciferous veggies” to watch. Hugh

Acheson, a Canadian-born chef and owner of multiple restaurants,

who now calls Georgia his home, declared collards “the new kale”

during an appearance on Top Chef. The dark-hued loose-leafed

greens are part of the Brassica oleracea L. (Acephala group) fam-

ily, the same cultivar group as kale, cabbage, broccoli and spring

greens. Originally dubbed colewort (or wild cabbage plant), the

veg likely originated in and around eastern Europe or Asia Minor

and grows in cooler, temperate zones, sprouting leaves arranged in

a rosette-like pattern around a stocky main stem. The leafy green

is used in soups, sautéed — often with a savoury hit of pork —

wilted, fried or even pickled. And, it’s more than a culinary standby

in the American south. In Portugal, it’s used in caldo verde soup,

and Brazilians favour it in bean-based stews called feijoada.

COLLARD GREENS BY MARY LUZ MEJIA

Welcome to F&H ’s third-annual Food Issue. We hope the ingredient, chef and producer profiles that follow will inspire new ideas as Canada’s summer bounty creates a new energy in the kitchen and beyond

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HEALING POWERBeets may be for more than eating. “Beetroot juice is one of the richest dietary sources of antioxidants and naturally occurring nitrates,” according to Peter Bongiorno and Pino LoGiudice, medical direc-tors of Inner Source Health in New York, as featured on The Dr. Oz Show web-site. “These natural nitrates increase a molecule in the blood vessels called nitric oxide, which helps open up vessels and allows more oxygen flow.”

Beets are among the healthiest foods

to eat. A few years ago that might have been their

downfall. But, today, as consumers hunger for healthier

foods, and new varieties of beets are now available, the

root vegetable has become a menu staple and a chef

favourite. Forming part of the Amarathaceae family,

which also includes vegetables such as Swiss Chard, the

scientific name for beets is Beta Vulgaris. While once known

as the main ingredient in borscht soup, today’s chefs are pre-

senting beets as the star ingredient in salads, either accompa-

nied by goat’s cheese or simply roasted with a sprinkle of extra

virgin olive oil and lemon juice. And, at only 45 calories per 100

g, the once lowly beet is also one of the most versatile vegetables

and is also ideal for juicing. Typically red to purple in colour,

beets are now available in other colours, including orange-yellow

and even white. In fact, one of the most popular varieties on

restaurant menus is the chioggia beet, also known as the candy-

cane beet. Its white and pink stripes create an interesting visual

that allows chefs to get creative on the plate.

ON THE MENU YEW RESTAURANT, Vancouver: The Vancouver Island sea-salt baked beet and burrata salad is served with extra virgin olive oil, dehydrated beet powder, cracked pepper and baby beet greens ($17).

DRAKE 150, Toronto: The beet and blue cheese salad is served with Ontario stilton, roasted beets, puffed wild rice, avocado, mache and hazelnut vinaigrette ($18).

NOTA BENE, Toronto: Heirloom beets complement yogurt and pepitas ($8).

ROGERS CENTRE, Vancouver: The goat cheese salad features golden, purple and candy-cane beets on a bed of creamy goat’s cheese, garnished with beet tops and Chèvre meringues ($40 to serve eight).

MISTURA, Toronto: Red Beet Risotto is topped with golden beet chips ($18).

BEETS BY ROSANNA CAIRA

INGREDIENT PROFILES

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ON THE MENU

ACTINOLITE RESTAURANT, Toronto: The kelp

and salt-brined halibut is steamed with kelp oil,

topped with kelp flakes and accompanied with

kelp-infused cooked kale, a charred cucumber

and kelp sauce (chef’s menu, $90; summary

menu, $55).

ENVIE - A VEGAN KITCHEN, Halifax: The Thai

Dragon Bowl features kelp noodles, a Thai

almond sauce, edamame, vegetables, shaved

cabbage, home-grown sprouts, sesame seeds

and gomasio (in two sizes, $9/$13).

FOGO ISLAND INN, N.L.: Ocean in a Bowl fea-

tures various sea vegetables cooked, raw, toasted

and smoked in a lobster broth and finished with

Fogo Island scallops ($18).

TACOFINO FOOD TRUCK, Tofino, B.C.: The

tuna taco features seared sesame-soy Albacore

tuna garnished with wasabi-ginger mayo, shred-

ded cabbage, mango salsa and wakame salad

encased in a tortilla ($6.50).

RESTAURANT SOY, Montreal: Scallop

tartare is served with miso-lime mayo and

roasted seaweed ($9).

A staple in Asian and Caribbean cook-

ing, sea vegetables are one of nature’s original

superfoods. The nutritionally dense greens pack

a wallop of vitamins and minerals, from cal-

cium, iodine and iron to protein and vitamins

A, B, C and E. Anyone who’s had sushi has

likely consumed nori, and anyone who’s had

seaweed salad has likely enjoyed arame. Other

sea veggies include dulse, kombu, kelp and

wakame. And, agar agar is a thickening agent

of choice for vegetarians, which manufactur-

ers also use in everything from salad dressings

to toothpaste. Justin Cournoyer, chef/owner of

Toronto’s Actinolite Restaurant, uses fresh or

dried sea vegetables, depending on the season.

He sources the “Canadian gems” from the

East Coast. “Making use of these healthy and

delicious items that grow in abundance where

we live, instead of shipping ingredients grown

in hotter climates that are not sustainable in

Canada, [is key],” says Cournoyer, who relishes

the umami that the veggies impart. Used to

flavour broths, noodles or stews, consumed

fresh or dried, Cournoyer pairs them with veg-

etables such as cucumber, asparagus and dark,

leafy greens.

MSG DELIVERED Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda discovered salts naturally occurring in the kombu sea veggie were high in glutamates, giving complementary ingredients a richer, meaty/savoury note. In the 1900s, he dubbed this flavour “umami” and commercialized the compound as MSG (or monosodium glutamate).

INGREDIENT PROFILES

SEA VEGETABLES BY MARY LUZ MEJIA

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INGREDIENT PROFILES

IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK… Duck eggs are widely seen at farmers’ markets and specialty food shops. They’re 20- to 35- per-cent larger than chicken eggs, so it makes sense that they are more nutrient-rich and have more iron, potassium, vitamin B12, calcium — and cholesterol.

EGGS BY ANDREW COPPOLINO

Laying hens have been a part of Canadian husbandry since the days of Jacques Cartier and Samuel de

Champlain. By the late 1800s the poultry industry was working

to improve hen production and searching for the tastiest egg. We

simply have a history of loving eggs. But between 1980 and 1995,

Canadians’ annual egg consumption dropped from 22 dozen per

person to 17 dozen, according to Ottawa-based Agriculture and

Agri-Food Canada. The culprit? Cholesterol. Health concerns

eased when the “omega-3” egg appeared, but any egg has high

amounts of protein, vitamin B12 and other nutrients, which

are essential for maintaining good health, says Jane Dummer,

registered dietitian. “Most research and health experts suggest

eating one egg a day is fine,” she adds. “However, if you have a

history of heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, it is best to consult

your dietitian.” In their restaurant application, eggs are both

ingredient and dish, and, with the rising cost of meats, they are

a relatively inexpensive protein. The popularity of dishes such as

the fabulous Korean bibimbap and spicy huevos rancheros fea-

ture eggs as a centre-of-the-plate protein and can turn a classic

brunch eggs Benedict into a nifty slider-like dinner app.

ON THE MENU

LANGDON HALL, Cambridge, Ont.:

The tasting menu features egg with

custard forestière, consommé en

gelée and fingerling potato.

RAYMONDS, St. John’s, N.L.: The

beef tenderloin is made with grass-

fed P.E.I. beef, veal sweetbreads,

Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms,

onion soubise, kale, egg sauce and

red wine mushroom jus ($49).

BUCA, Toronto: The ravioli-like

Ligurian pansotti is prepared with buf-

falo ricotta, walnut pesto and a duck

yolk ($22).

THE CANTEEN, Dartmouth, N.S.:

The Breakfast Pizza features extra-

old cheddar and Old Growler cheese

melted around bacon slivers and a

sunny-side-up egg ($8).

ANJU RESTAURANT, Calgary: Eggs

are gently cooked to 63˚C in a few

Korean “tapas” dishes, including

bibimbap ($16) and a quail egg nestled

on Wagyu tartare ($16).

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Whether it’s sturgeon, geoduck clams or massive Humboldt squid, chefs

are discovering odd and even ugly fish can be extremely tasty. “Our objective is

to utilize lesser-known ingredients while introducing guests to new experiences

and flavours,” says Frank Pabst, executive chef of Vancouver’s Blue Water Café,

who celebrates unique, sustainable seafood at his annual Unsung Heroes dinner,

which features dishes such as stir-fried jellyfish and poached periwinkles. While

many popular species are unsustainable choices, many of these unusual fish

remain plentiful in the wild, though still rare on menus. Herring and mackerel,

for example, are often still sold for bait, while sturgeon, though endangered in

the wild, is now being sustainably farmed for caviar and meat. “Sturgeon have

many uses — the liver is like foie, the skin is like pork, and though there are no

bones, there’s marrow,” says chef Jefferson Alvarez who uses the certified-organic

white sturgeon meat produced by Northern Divine at its land-based farm in B.C.

on his $150, 10-course tasting menu at Vancouver’s Secret Location. He cures the

meat “like candied salmon,” boils, dries and then fries the skin “like chicharron,”

sears the liver and adds the gelatinous marrow to soup. Other chefs are discover-

ing new ways to serve Pacific squid. At Wolf in the Fog, chef Nick Nutting serves a

one-inch thick piece of local Humboldt squid, charred for 45 seconds in smoking

grapeseed oil, then thinly sliced and offered alongside a Vietnamese-style slaw of

carrot, cucumber and daikon radish. “I want to showcase the awesome seafood

that’s found in Tofino and elevate it,” says Nutting.

UGLY FISH BY CINDA CHAVICH

ON THE MENU

WOLF IN THE FOG, Tofino,

B.C.: Charred Humboldt squid

is served with grapefruit, sprouts,

cilantro and basil ($14).

NICLI’S NEXT DOOR, Vancouver:

Crostino is served with salsa verde

and white anchovy ($8).

EAST THIRTY-SIX, Toronto:

Humboldt squid is presented with

togarashi mayo, cilantro, yuzu salt

and cucumber ($10).

FARMER’S APPRENTICE

RESTAURANT, Vancouver:

Mackerel is served with beetroot,

blood orange, samphire and pine

nuts ($15).

LA PENTOLA, Vancouver: Grilled

Humboldt squid is paired with

parsley purée and scarlet runner

beans ($17).

DIG DEEP Geoduck (meaning “dig deep” in the Native American Nisqually language) is popular as sashimi in Japan and in Chinese hot pots. These unusual clams, with their large, protruding siphons, are harvested on Canada’s West Coast by divers who use pressur-ized water to dislodge them from the sandy ocean floor. Now they are being seeded in geoduck farms, “planted” in PVC pipes in tidal flats on Vancouver Island. Pegged to be the world’s largest clam, some weigh as much as 8 kg and can have necks up to a metre long.


INGREDIENT PROFILES

It’s been a decade since the Vancouver

Aquarium launched its Ocean Wise program and began

helping chefs identify the best choices for sustainable

seafood. Now, an increasing number of toques are

offering seafood such as rare spot prawns and giant

Pacific octopus on their menus, developing creative

ways to serve Canada’s cleanest catches. “One of our

proudest moments is hearing consumers ask for Ocean

Wise options in restaurants and markets to ensure

the seafood they are eating is sustainably sourced,”

says Dolf DeJong, VP, Conservation and Education,

Vancouver Aquarium. Spot prawns, one of the few

ocean-friendly shrimp available, are now celebrated

with festivals and special menus during the short spring

fishing season. Chef Chris Whittaker of Vancouver’s

Forage restaurant helped organize the first spot prawn

festivals in Vancouver and now features the sweet,

crisp shrimp on his menu. Sadly, the large prawn only

accounts for one per cent of the shrimp landed, and the

highly perishable delicacy is only available fresh for a

few weeks in May. Meanwhile, the giant Pacific octopus,

the world’s largest, is an Ocean Wise choice when diver-

caught in B.C. but not when caught as bycatch from

destructive bottom-trawling. Octopus feed on crabs

and prawns, so they’re often pulled up in the traps used

to catch those shellfish.

ON THE MENU

LUPO, Vancouver: Octopus car-

paccio with pimenton and limon-

cello ($16).

OCTOPUS’ GARDEN, Vancouver:

‘Sada’s Own’ Nomu Ebi Shooter,

spot prawn, mountain potato, quail

egg and wasabi Japanese salt,

comes with a deep-fried head

($8.50).

FORAGE, Vancouver: B.C. spot

prawns are served with handmade

cold noodles, prawn oil and spicy

kelp ($18).

THE CHASE, Toronto: Octopus is

roasted and tossed in salsa verde,

with piquillo peppers, harissa, mer-

guez sausage and olives ($23).

CHARCUT ROAST HOUSE,

Calgary: Charred octopus is

served with sausage, stewed

tomatoes, gigante beans and chili

oil ($17).

FISHING WITH A CONSCIENCE Wild B.C. spot prawns are unusual shrimp — a carnivorous species, they are caught in baited traps like crab, an environmentally sustainable style of fishing. Other shrimp are caught by bottom-trawling, which can be destructive to ocean habitat, though trawled B.C. sidestripe, humpback and pink shrimp are also sustainable seafood options.


INGREDIENT PROFILES

SPOT PRAWNS & OCTOPUS BY CINDA CHAVICH


FLORET FAMILY TREE Italian, Northern European and Asian cauliflower varieties are available in a rainbow of colours, ranging from white to purple, orange and green. The orange variation, sometimes called “ched-dar” or “orange bouquet,” contains 25 per cent more vitamin A than its white counterpart. The colour is derived from a natural mutant organism originally found in a Canadian cauliflower field.

INGREDIENT PROFILES

CAULIFLOWER BY MARY LUZ MEJIA

Cauliflower — like its cousins the collard greens,

broccoli, kale and watercress — is part of the cabbage or the Brassica

oleracea family and dates back to 6th century BC. Chefs, such as Dave

Mottershall, owner of Toronto’s Loka Snacks, appreciate the vegetable’s

versatility. It can be eaten raw, baked, fried, pickled, steamed, braised,

boiled or grilled, has the texture of starch (although it’s not very

starchy) and often replaces flour, rice or potatoes in dishes. It’s also

a toothsome vegetable, which means it’s a culinary body double for

proteins when thickly sliced, like a steak, as it holds its shape during

cooking and caramelizes when baked or grilled. Low-carb, low-fat and

high in fibre and vitamin C, it’s a healthy option winning attention on

vegetarian, vegan and meaty menus across the country.

ON THE MENU

LOKA SNACKS, TORONTO: Gobi

Manchurian crispy cauliflower with wild

ginger sauce features fried florets tossed

in a sweet, sticky, ginger, Ontario garlic

and chili sauce ($8).

OAK TREE TAVERN, CALGARY:

Hummus features roasted cauliflower and

chickpeas topped with curry-pickled flo-

rets and naan bread on the side ($10).

NUBA, VANCOUVER: Najib’s Special fea-

tures crispy cauliflower tossed in lemon

juice and sea salt and served with tahini

sauce ($8.50).

ROSTIZADO BY TRES CARNALES,

EDMONTON: Roasted cauliflower is

spiced with chile de arbol, cumin, sea salt,

lime juice and roasted garlic, then sautéed

in pork fat (full order $13; half order $7).

FAT PASHA, TORONTO: Cauliflower is

roasted until caramelized, slathered with

tahini and cilantro sauce and crowned with

pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and grilled

halloumi cheese (half, $14; full, $18).

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RIBS BY ANDREW COPPOLINO

The cliché is The Flintstones cartoon and “brontosaurus ribs” top-

pling Fred’s car at the Palaeolithic drive-thru. Depending on the cut, it’s not far

off the mark since beef ribs can be stone-age large — there are 13 ribs on beef

cattle. The first four are in the shoulder (chuck) and can be butchered as longer

English-cut ribs and “flanken-style” cut across the ribs, according to Dave Meli,

head butcher at Toronto’s The Healthy Butcher. The fifth to 12th ribs give us full

back ribs — those long ribs attached to the cattle’s spine — and what you get in rib

roast. “Back ribs are the curved, caveman-like beef ribs at barbecue joints, which

are braised and grilled with lots of barbecue sauce,” Meli says. However, that’s

premium meat, so it can be costly. The key to good beef ribs is the meat-to-fat-

to-bone ratio. The muscle itself isn’t necessarily tough, but all of the meat is con-

nected to bone with elastin (which doesn’t break down with cooking) and contains

collagen (which does). “That’s why ribs require a decent amount of cooking time,

depending on how thick you cut them,” says Meli. And, it’s why they taste so good

when prepared properly.

WHAT’S IN A SHORT RIB’S NAME?Depending on how they are sauced and cooked, thinly sliced beef short ribs might be thought of as “meat candy,” says Dave Meli, head butcher at Toronto’s The Healthy Butcher. Argentine restaurants serve them as asado di tira, and you might encounter them as Miami or Korean ribs (the latter of which is known as kalbi).

ON THE MENU

LANCASTER SMOKEHOUSE, Kitchener, Ont.:

The prime ribs are smoked for four hours and

smothered in sauce like a pork rib ($18).

PARK RESTAURANT, Westmount, Que.:

Classic braised kalbi short ribs ($39).

HOGTOWN SMOKE, Toronto: The large-bone

beef ribs are affectionately called “the John

Deere of chuck beef ribs” by owner Scott

Fraser (one, $30).

BIG T’S BBQ AND SMOKEHOUSE, Calgary:

The prime rib beef bone at Big T’s smokes for

four hours ($29).

EDNA, Halifax: Guests can share 32 ounces

of bone-in Cowboy Rib Chop with fries,

demi-glace and salad ($70).

INGREDIENT PROFILES

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F&H: What have you learned from chef Chuck Hughes?Danny Smiles: Honest cook-ing. [He’s a] very ingredient-driven chef. And, I’ve learned how to be a key player in the front-of-the-house — have that charisma. I learned how impor-tant it was to be there for your customers and not only be in the kitchen.

F&H: What’s your fondest career memory?DS: I cooked for Ferran Adrià. I remember Chuck calling me in the morning, saying, Ferran Adrià is coming to eat at the restaurant. And, it was 8 o’clock in the morning, and he’s like ‘You should come down now, and we’ll plan.’ I was a sous chef at the time, so it was really cool. We were all really excited. He’s done a lot for food.

F&H: What did you cook for him?DS: We did a nice rosemary bread, a Dungeness crab salad [and horseradish gravlax].

F&H: What was your greatest career challenge, and how did you overcome it?DS: To become the chef at Bremner at a very young age. I became the chef in 2011, so I was 26. I had the weight of Chuck’s career on my shoul-ders…. I don’t think I was ready, and I had no choice; it was really hard for me the first six months. [Being] very young, trying to prove yourself, people had a hard time respecting [me] in the kitchen…. That was my challenge — how to cre-ate a team, how to surround myself, how to keep going. And, I’m still here at 30.

F&H: What advice do you have for young chefs?DS: Make sure this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. It’s not a lifestyle, it’s a life — life dedication. If you come from a sports background, or a music background or anything you’re dedicated in, you’ll do well, but make sure you’re not lying to yourself.

BroadcastRadio — not cook-ing — was one of Danny Smiles’ first passions. That wasn’t the industry he was hoping to break into but the name of the indie band he toured with across Canada. Incidentally, it was that pas-sion that led him to the kitchen, where he initially signed up to earn enough money to buy drums; instead kitchen camaraderie wooed him into the world of culinary arts. After learn-ing the craft, he staged with renowned Michelin-rated chef Gualtiero Marchesi in Italy and founded his own catering company. Four years ago he was in the right place at the right time and landed a job at Montreal’s Le Bremner while grabbing a meal the day after celebrity chef-owner Chuck Hughes opened the resto. Since then, Smiles has risen from the role of line cook to chef de cuisine, competed on Top Chef Canada and was the first Canadian to compete at the 14th annual S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Italy last year.

SCHOOL’S IN The culinary world has exploded in just a few years. “We were one class of 16 people when I graduated [from] cooking school in 2005,” recalls Le Bremner’s Danny Smiles, who studied at St. Pius X Culinary Institute in Montreal. “I went back last year to give a speech at graduation — I think there were over 250 [graduates].”

CHEF PROFILES

YOUNG & INSPIREDDANNY SMILES rocks to his own beat as chef at Chuck Hughes’ Le Bremner

BY BRIANNE BINELLI PHOTOGRAPH BY DREW HADLEY

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CHEF PROFILES

Nestled inside the swanky Thompson Toronto, the 119-seat Colette Grand Café is the epitome of a modern Parisian bistro, and behind the plush banquettes and colourful produce on the plate is a chef eager to innovate and inspire her team to prepare dishes such as veal tartare ($16), trout ($36) and goat’s cheese soufflés ($16). Meet Amira Becarevic, a 33-year-old Toronto native who developed a love for cooking at the age of 17 during a summer cater-ing job. Since then, the Liaison College grad’s résumé has grown to include the Four Seasons Whistler, Splendido, Reds Wine Tavern and Epic at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. In 2013, Becarevic joined Toronto’s Chase Hospitality Group, where she advanced from the role of chef de cuisine at The Chase to executive chef. Earlier this year she was promoted to exec-utive chef of Colette Grand Café, where she’s creating buzz about the nearly year-old concept.

F&H: What’s your culinary

philosophy?

Amira Becarevic: Getting

the most beautiful product

you can and not altering it too

much. Bringing out the beauty

of the product — the freshest,

the ripest, the most prized

in the market and in season,

and ideally keeping things

local ... [with] flavours that

remind you of your childhood

and fond memories. Nothing

overcomplicated or too fussy.

Just honest, pure flavours.

F&H: What childhood

memories shaped your

career as a chef?

AB: My family is eastern

European. We would roast

pigs on the weekend in the

backyard. My lunch at school

was hard-boiled eggs and

grilled chicken thighs from the

barbecue or roasted lamb,

pickled peppers. It wasn’t

Wonder Bread and baloney.

(Colette’s Grilled Leg of Lamb

is marinated in yogurt and chili

and accompanied by spiced

hazelnuts, charred eggplant

and toasted couscous, $24.)

F&H: What type of a leader

are you?

AB: Firm but fair. I’ve been

part of that old-school mental-

ity of screaming and yelling,

and I don’t find this generation

of cooks responds well to that.

They’re more productive when

they’re given a clear direction

with positive encouragement

as well as consequences if

things aren’t up to standard.

F&H: What is your biggest

challenge at Colette?

AB: It’s a keen understanding

that we want to keep learn-

ing, we want to keep growing.

We’re always evolving and

having inspired ideas — not

reinventing the wheel but hav-

ing a fresh take on the classics

or a new version that’s going

to keep people excited and

wanting to come back.

F&H: What’s next?

AB: We’re starting to think

about summer dishes, so I’m

excited for summer produce. I

can’t wait for tomatoes…. We

do a nice brunch here…. It

has something for everybody,

and it’s received great com-

ments, and a lot of regular

guests return, so I’m excited

for that to ramp up. Colette is

only nine-months old, so I’m

excited to see what lies ahead.


INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS Amira Becarevic has advice for the industry’s newest employees: “Think outside the box, create your own path, be ambitious and show interest. Things aren’t going to be handed to you; you have to work for them and ask for them and merit receiving opportunities,” she says.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTEDAMIRA BECAREVIC is part of a growing generation of chefs driving growth and innovation

BY JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCERPHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN HYRANIUK


Don’t skip dessert. That’s the message Tehran-born pastry chef Farzam Fallah hopes to send to guests at Toronto’s Richmond Station, where each bite of his whimsically inspired eats offers a new expe-rience. His desserts are memorable. After working his way through the kitchens of Thornhill, Ont.’s Terra restaurant, Toronto’s Ruby Watchco and Pizzeria Libretto, he whipped up a lemon posset for his soon-to-be front-of-house manager at Richmond Station and impressed her so much that it helped him land his current gig. With desserts such as white chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream, cooked citrus, cultured tres leches and afsaneh spice ($9), the 23-year-old is converting the masses, convincing them to take new joy in the last course.

TRICK OF THE TRADE Cocktail bitters can zest up a dessert, even if Farzam Fallah, Richmond Station’s pastry chef, considers it cheating. “I use cocktail bitters in different recipes, usually to enhance the flavour, because cocktail bitters are so floral and [fragrant],” he says.

F&H: Tell me about one of your more memorable creations. FF: My favourite dessert so far has been the snozberry sher-bet, [inspired by] that scene in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory where they’re eating the everlasting Gobstopper, and they keep mentioning different flavours they taste. So my idea was to create something where every single bite [would] be different, texturally and flavourfully. The ice cream itself was tonka-bean based, and we would add beet juice, carrot juice and spinach into it — each one sweetened to a different level. It was served with five different sauces.

F&H: How do you address dietary concerns on the menu?FF: When I started writing menus for Richmond Station I made an effort to create gluten- and dairy-free desserts, and, on every menu, there’s at least one gluten-free dessert and one thing we can create on the fly that is dairy-free or vegan.

F&H: What was your earliest culinary memory? Farzam Fallah: Sitting at [my aunt’s] dinner table. While cooking she would take a piece of bread, dip it into a pot and feed me. She used a lot of animal fat to cook with … and I always remembered oil dripping off her fingers and just how delicious that fat-soaked bread tasted.

F&H: What attracted you to the sweet as opposed to the savoury? FF: The number of things that I can do with flour, eggs, butter and sugar are astronomical when you think about it. With these four basic ingredients you can create so much, whereas a carrot can only be turned into a carrot soup or a carrot purée or roasted carrot — it will always be a carrot. With flour you have a chemical change, and it can become something new.

F&H: Did you have a mentor? FF: Not really. I’ve been fairly independent in the industry. I’ve had this thing where I’d get a job, work at a restau-rant, and, as soon as I got bored, I would leave, which isn’t the best characteristic of an employee. I wanted to constantly learn and become better, and that’s why I moved from restaurant to restaurant.

CHEF PROFILES

SWEET GENIUSFARZAM FALLAH takes inspiration from his childhood in Iran and classic films to create sweet delicacies at Richmond Station

BY JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCER | PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN HYRANIUK

32 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY JULY/AUGUST 2015 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COMFOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM32 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY JULY/AUGUST 2015

FROM FARM TO PLATE The Bonavista Social Club’s local theme is highlighted in everything, from its furniture to its plates. “My dad (Mike Paterson) uses the ends of our birch firewood to handcraft each piece. Our family has always used wooden plates and bowls, so it was a natural progression to use them in our restaurant…. There is no worry about breaking them if they fall on the floor. If they get cracked, they become fuel for the wood-fired bread.”

F&H: What ingredients from the restaurant are sourced from your backyard? Katie Hayes: We tailor our menu to what is available from the garden each morning — sweet overwintered parsnips to start the menu in the spring, early greens from the heated greenhouse, raspberries, apples and rhubarb, asparagus, herbs through-out the summer. Honey from our beehives, goat’s milk soap from our goats, meat from the animals in the field, eggs from the roaming hens, seafood from the bay in front of the restaurant complement the garden fare. Just for fun, we import green coffee grown on my uncle’s eco-lodge in Costa Rica, roasted on site for maximum freshness.

F&H: What’s your signature dish at the restaurant?KH: My signature dish would have to be pizza. It easily incorporates the fresh ingredients that surround us and highlights our wood-fired bread oven.

F&H: Diners drive hours to experi-ence your restaurant. Food aside, how do you woo them?KH: Our location in a secluded com-munity off the highway at the ocean’s edge — a relaxed atmosphere [offering] fresh food in a fast-paced world — makes people slow down and think about what they are eating. The friendly local staff, open kitchen and view of the gardens and animals enhance this experience and keep people coming back. Not to mention the icebergs, whales and bald eagles.

F&H: What advice do you have for potential chef/farmers?KH: Any chef looking to farm his own land and run a restaurant would do well to keep it simple, grow what does well in that climate and not try to do too much. Well-grown produce speaks for itself — showcase it. Don’t underestimate the value of home-grown ingredients.

More than 20 years ago, Katie Hayes roamed her family’s property in Upper Amherst Cove, N.L., picking rocks to open garden beds. Today, the 29-year-old graduate of Charlottetown’s Culinary Institute of Canada is working that same land, having opened Bonavista Social Club — a reference to the Cuban venue, band, album and nearby Bonavista Peninsula — in 2012 with her husband, Shane. The timber-frame outpost was originally built by Katie’s father, Mike Paterson, to house his wooden furni-ture, before he renovated it to become a sea-sonal 24-seat restaurant (with a 40-seat deck) brimming with rustic charm. The wood-fired oven churns out bread daily, which comple-ments the local-inspired menu of pizzas, sandwiches and salads ($25 to $40 per per-son), topped with house-made oils, vinegars and dressings. The three-hour drive from St. John’s, N.L. doesn’t deter diners who flock to the oceanside hideaway, commanding 100 to 150 covers daily. The goal? “To showcase the simplicity of how this local-raised fare has always been part of our culture,” says Hayes, who will no doubt pass on her love of the land to her two girls, Claragh and Dorothy.

CHEF PROFILES

ALL IN THE FAMILYKATIE HAYES, chef/owner of the Bonavista Social Club, is inspired by the land she worked as a child

BY BRIANNE BINELLIPHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN RICK


PRODUCER PROFILES

F&H: How did the company

get its start?

Chris Hutchinson: It didn’t

start out as a maple syrup

operation. It was just some

land, and we found some

sugar bush. We started very

small, and it grew out of that

in the last seven years. Now,

we’ve become, I believe, the

largest producer of maple

products in Nova Scotia, and

we’re going to double that

capacity this coming year.

F&H: How are you elevating

maple syrup?

CH: We realized, very early

on, that maple syrup sales

are flat. It has been [that way]

for a few years now. So, to

sell our product — and we

planned on making a lot of

it — we needed a different

venue. So, we sat down with

a number of people, we had

some ideas, and we came

in contact with [a] gentle-

man by the name of Peter

Dewar (pictured), a teacher

of culinary [at Nova Scotia

Community College] in

the [Annapolis] Valley. We

worked with him, and he’s

the creator of recipes in

stores now.

F&H: How is your maple

syrup used in mixology?

CH: The cocktail industry,

especially in the West, is

really growing — people don’t

want a basic rum and coke

anymore. They’re looking for

something more exotic and

better for them; they want to

know the ingredients. With

maple syrup and the ingre-

dients we use, they’re all

natural, no additives. So, it’s a

wonderful base to work with,

because it [augments] fla-

vours rather than mask them.

(The Lady Auger cocktail, for

example, combines 3/4-oz.

lavender and chai maple

syrup, 1/2-oz. blueberry juice,

1/2-oz. fresh lemon juice and

1-oz. gin.)

F&H: What’s next for the

Pure team?

CH: We are thinking about

more products along the Pure

Infused line; we’re looking at

maple water — that’s going to

be the next coconut water.

Chris and Anna Hutchinson owned a trucking company in Ontario before selling the business in 2004 to pursue a sweeter gig — producing maple syrup from a 3,500-acre farm in Lake Paul, N.S. But what they created wasn’t just any old table syrup. Pure Infused Maple Syrup is a collection of five, 100-per-cent natural flavours: vanilla, cin-namon and star anise; lavender and chai; cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; maple syrup, ginger and apple-cider vinegar; as well as chipotle and lem-ongrass. The team sought the help of local chef Peter Dewar to find ways to add the flavoured syrup to dinner staples, desserts and cocktails. The opportunities are endless. For example, the chipotle and lemongrass syrup can be used as part of a dipping sauce for chicken wings, and its maple syrup, ginger and apple-cider vinegar can be drizzled over pork or chicken before serving. The liquid gold is building recognition for a company that’s continuing to innovate in the maple product category.

FLAVOUR SEEKERPURE INFUSED MAPLE SYRUP is leading a revolution to elevate the Canadian staple to new heights

BY JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCER

IN SEASON Hutchinson Acres in Lake Paul, N.S. is ramping up its maple-syrup production. With 35,000 taps on the land, the group will add another 30,000 this year.


F&H: What’s the origin of

the berry?

Liam Tayler: It has a beauti-

ful story. The word Haskap

comes from the Ainu (people

indigenous to the lands

of northern Japan) word

pronounced ‘hasukappu,’

which means ‘little present on

the end of the branch.’ The

Japanese have revered it for

generations, because the

berry is known as the fruit of

life longevity and good vision.

The marketing genius who

came up with the name blue-

berry should be shot for lack

of imagination. But this has

got a real romantic history.

F&H: What’s the biggest

challenge in marketing

this berry?

LT: The question that plagues

us is [people asking] ‘What’s

the Haskap?’ What has been

one of the biggest challenges

for us to overcome is every-

one — from the department

of agriculture to locals — say-

ing we grow blueberries.

F&H: What did you have

to do to bring the Haskap

berry to market?

LT: We needed to show it was

a commercially viable crop by

creating saleable products;

yet we couldn’t create value-

added products without a

significant supply of berries.

We were caught in a catch-22

situation, so initially we were

forced to bring in berries from

Saskatchewan, Quebec and

even some from Poland to

create the Haskapa range of

Haskap berry products — to

give farmers the confidence

to plant the bushes. Since

officially launching our prod-

ucts in 2014, we have seen

a surge in farmers interested

in planting the Haskap on a

commercial basis.

F&H: How can chefs use it?

LT: The Haskap is an incred-

ibly versatile berry with a

flavour profile somewhere

between a black currant,

blackberry and blueberry and

physically similar in texture to

a slightly soft blueberry. It can

be used in any application

that any other berries can be

used, with the added bonus

that the deep crimson colour

of the Haskap infuses every-

thing it touches. Chefs have

created cheesecakes, coulis,

cocktails and canapés from

the Haskap.

TAKING ROOTTHE HASKAP BERRY is reborn in Canada, thanks to companies like Haskapa

BY JACKIE SLOAT-SPENCER

BERRY GOOD Halifax’s Dalhousie University and LaHave Forests have embarked on a research project to test the anti-cancer and anti-inflam-matory properties of the Haskap berry and find new ways to maximize the fruit’s bioactive content. “We hope this study will help us develop cancer-pre-ventive food products as well as educate the public about cancer-preventive dietary habits,” says Vasantha Rupasinghe, Canada research chair in Fruit Bioactives and BioProducts.

PRODUCER PROFILES

34 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY JULY/AUGUST 2015

It’s hailed as a superfood, but many have never heard of it. The Haskap is an oval-shaped berry packed with a double-whammy of antioxidants and vitamin C. Simon Fineman, a U.K.-based timber mer-chant, is helping to put it in the spotlight. The journey began in 2010 with the birth of LaHave Forests, Inc. in Blockhouse, N.S., which was intended to be a sustainable agroforestry project, until Fineman discovered the region’s forests were too young and switched his focus to agriculture. After research-ing crops, including hardy kiwi, blueberry and hops, the team decided to grow the Haskap berry and planted an acre in a forest clearing. When they checked on it a year later, the vibrant berries were thriving within the weeds. Now, Liam Tayler, commercial director, is gearing up to expand the business with a line of Haskapa-branded products, including juice, jam, chutney, rel-ish, dried berry and maple syrup.


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POURING FOR PROFITS

BY ALAN McGINTY|

BEERBeer isn’t going any-

where anytime soon, of

course, but overall vol-

ume sales are ho-hum.

To wit, such stats for

Canadian beer show a

1.9-per-cent drop from

2013 to 2014, and the

decline was not offset by

the 0.7-per-cent increase

in imported beer sales,

according to Statistics

Canada’s 2014 alcohol

sales summary.

It was the same story

in the U.S., says Donna

Hood-Crecca, senior

director and on-premise

beverage consultant for

Technomic, a Chicago-

based foodservice

research and consulting

firm. “[In] 2014, overall

Pinot Grigio bumps Chardonnay from the top spot on white wine lists, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates reds, craft beer’s

explosive growth continues, and premium brands drive spirit sales.

Canadians are continuing their quest for craft beers, warming up to premium spirits and swooning to the wine varietal standouts

BAR REPORT THE 2015



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POURING FOR PROFITS

Canadians are continuing their quest for craft beers, warming up to premium spirits and swooning to the wine varietal standouts

BAR REPORTbeer volume was down

0.4 per cent,” she says.

But don’t be deterred.

“Beer is not dead. It’s a

very dynamic category

— craft beer is seeing

double-digit growth

and imports, especially

from Mexico, are growing

strongly,” adds Hood-

Crecca. In Ontario,

figures from the Liquor

Control Board of Ontario

(LCBO) show craft beer

was up 72.5 per cent in

2014 over 2012.

That doesn’t mean the

big brands are flounder-

ing. On football Sundays,

big-brand brews domi-

nate sales at G Sports Bar

and Grill in Vancouver,

where 24 HD TV screens

stream seven satellite

feeds of sports. On other

days, craft beer (includ-

ing flavoured offerings)

gains ground. “Eight of

our taps are local brewer-

ies and half of those are

flavoured,” says Lindsey

Twinn, bar manager.

She works closely with

craft breweries, whose

beer now accounts for

approximately 40 per

cent of sales. “The reps

are amazing. If you sup-

port their product, you’ll

benefit hugely from their

support [for promotional

efforts],” she says.

The Metropolitan

Billiards Club in

Edmonton has 25 sports

screens, plus 15 billiard

tables, and offering

options is key, says Sarah

McNair, bar manager.

With more than 100

imported beers and 50

taps, featuring every-

thing from lagers and

bitters to fruit beers, The

Metro attracts people

who want to try some-

thing new. Craft beer

accounts for approxi-

mately 40 per cent of

sales; it doesn’t hurt that


McNair has a trick for

attracting big-brand cus-

tomers to smaller brews.

“If they’re nervous about

trying something, a lower

price will make it an easi-

er sell,” she confides.

SPIRITSThe popularity of indi-

vidual spirits is always

evolving, but the category

only showed a marginal

0.5-per-cent increase in

sales by value for 2014

over 2013, according to

Statistics Canada. Indeed,

the change is occurring

within the segment.

Thomas Beraud Sudreau,

area manager for Canada

at Rémy Cointreau, has

noticed Canadians are

migrating to higher-qual-

ity offerings. “Premium

products are doing well.

In brown spirits, pre-

mium bourbons and

single-malt scotches are

growing even as more

affordable whiskies are

declining. Gin is the

fastest-growing category.”

The area manager calls

the premium Hendricks

this year’s “it” gin. “Every

high-end cocktail bar and

hotel lounge will have it,

and it’s up 22 per cent in

the past year,” he says.

At Hawksworth

Restaurant in Vancouver,

quality cocktails are suc-

cessful —

not one par-

ticular spirit.

“The trend

is towards

intelligent

bartending.

Use fresh

ingredients,

make it all

clear to the

customer,

get the

balance right,” explains

Cooper Tardivel, bar and

lounge manager.

That said, Tardivel

does note that American

whiskies and mezcal are

enjoying popularity. For

example, tequila, which

is technically a mez-

cal (though it’s made

only from blue agave)

was up 7.2 per cent in December 2014 over

December 2013 at the

British Columbia Liquor

Distribution Branch

(BCLDB). Other agaves

that are made into mez-

cal are gaining ground

in the western U.S. and

Vancouver, according to

Tardivel. With that mez-

cal growth spilling over

into Canada, it could be a

good niche drink to add

to the menu.

After all, adding offer-

ings is key to satisfying

customers; that idea

applies to mixed drinks,

too. “Clients have higher

expectations for cocktails.

People want innovation,”

explains Omar Khalil,

the GM of Newtown,

a multi-level bar and

restaurant in Montreal.

Khalil’s team reworks

classics, adding fresh

horseradish to a Bloody

Caesar, for example.

Meanwhile, sangria,

the bitter Fernet-Branca

and spiced dark rums are

big in Montreal this year.

Although rum has been

in decline in Canada,

Rémy Cointreau’s Beraud

Sudreau sees growth in

spiced rum as well as pre-

mium and craft varieties.

And, the BCLDB says

imported dark rum sales

rose 11.7 per cent in B.C.

WHISKY WISDOMWhisky bars are opening at a record pace, and while not every

bar should be a whisky bar, fans of the distilled beverage

expect restaurants to stock their favourites. Thankfully, this

can be addressed by focused, budget-conscious restaurateurs.

Today’s consumers are stepping away from light-flavoured

whiskies, so update the standard. They want to taste their rye

and feel their bourbons. While scotch interest is declining,

interest for Canadian rye and American bourbons is high.

The growth in both sectors is double-digit year-over-year,

according to the Washington-based Distilled Spirit Council

of the United States.

If it says rye on the bottle, it’s likely to grab attention. While

it isn’t expected that all restaurants will feature the extremely

rare and pricey Pappy Van Winkle behind the bar, whiskies

such as Masterson’s Straight Rye, Booker’s or special Four

Roses release bottles are a draw for the fast-growing whisky

consumer group. When selecting top-shelf whiskies, don’t

buy multiple products, have one or two for guests looking

for a quality drink. (Top-shelf whiskies such as bourbon and

Canadian whisky costs approximately $40, single-malt scotch

costs approximately $80.) Make sure your staff understands

why the offerings are top-shelf. For example, “straight” bour-

bons/ryes are considered premium, because there are no

additives such as flavouring or colouring.

Classic cocktails such the Manhattan

and Old Fashioned have made a huge

comeback — stirred, not shaken. Consumers’

whisky palates are evolving, and they care about

which whisky is mixed in their drink. Introduce new

twists with less traditional ingredients (such as

a whisky-based Caesar). Also feature popular high-

end whiskies such as Lot 40, Bulleit Rye and

Wild Turkey 101.

Whisky drinkers are skipping second pours

of wine and beer; instead there is a growing trend

toward ordering it at the start or end of a meal. Having a well

thought out whisky selection behind the bar is about creating

an experience with rare but avail-

able whiskies.

A whisky expert and author

of The Whisky Cabinet

(thewhiskycabinet.com), Mark

Bylok provides consultation to

restaurant owners and trains

employees on whisky selection.

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in 2014. On a more glob-

al level, London, U.K.-

based Diageo reported

sales of its Captain

Morgan rum rose five per

cent in North America

and jumped 15 per cent

in Europe in 2013.

Of course, rum isn’t

always the answer.

“We’re known for our

cocktails, especially

our Old Fashioned and

Pisco Sour,” says Brynley

Leach, bar manager at

Montreal’s Le Slang.

Leach’s Old Fashioned

includes premium bour-

bon, and a variation

features maple syrup

instead of sugar. She

ramps up the flavour by

putting the glass inside a

food smoker. “The smoke

seeps into the liquid and

is present on the glass,

so it’s noticeable. We

garnish the maple Old

Fashioned with bacon,”

the bar manager adds,

emphasizing the pre-

mium ingredients.

But not everyone is

interested in drinks with

high-alcohol content.

“There’s been a huge

increase in demand for

zero- or low-alcohol

cocktails,” notes Leach.

Hawksworth’s Tardivel

concurs. “A lot of people

don’t want to have a

drink at lunchtime, but

they want something

more exciting than a

soda water or pop,” he

explains. “Our zero-proof

cocktails use fresh juices

and house-made syrups.”

WINEIn keeping with general

alcohol category trends

this year, wines have

shown minimal growth

overall, while the grape

of choice continues to

evolve. Canadian retail

outlets sold $6.4-bil-

lion worth of wine

in the period ended

March 31, 2014, up 2.3

per cent from 2013,

according to Statistics

Canada. LCBO stats

show Pinot Grigio is

up 15.6 per cent from

2012 to 2014 and is now

tied with Chardonnay

as the number-1 white.

Cabernet Sauvignon is

up a whopping 25.6 per

cent, Sauvignon Blanc

is up 13.9 per cent and

POURING FOR PROFITS

SIP AND SAVOUR Tim Reed Manessy, sommelier at Montecito restaurant in Toronto, pours a glass in the brasserie section of the Entertainment District hotspot

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Riesling is up 8.2 per cent.

But those aren’t the

only growing varietals.

“Malbec is huge,” says

Janaka Welihinda, guest

services manager at Reds

Midtown in Toronto.

“It offers a great price/

quality balance, and

California [wine] —

especially the Cabernet

— is also big. Pinot

Grigio is the big white.”

In sparkling, Welihinda

sees a movement from

Champagne to Prosecco.

“If we see a celebration

at a table, we’ll just come

over and offer glasses

of Prosecco. Customers

love that,” he says.

And, customers are

starting to enjoy their

wine in smaller quanti-

ties. More people are

opting for by-the-glass

at Reds Midtown, which

offers 10 whites and

10 reds, from $8 to

$15. And, the same can

be said at the upscale

Montecito in Toronto.

Jimson Bienenstock,

GM, has seen a by-the-

glass revolution thanks

to innovations such

as the Coravin system

from Burlington, Mass.

It allows wines to be

served without opening

the bottle — instead a

thin needle is used to

pierce the cork before

wine-destroying oxy-

gen is replaced with

inert argon gas; the

cork re-seals when the

needle is removed.

“We can offer a glass

from a $200 bottle, and

we charge a standard

one-fifth of the bottle

price.” Approximately

40 per cent of wine

sales at Montecito are

by-the-glass, with prices

ranging from $9 to $20,

and the most expensive

option is the bestseller.

“Our own-label wines

from California are

not available anywhere

else, and customers

like the exclusivity.

We have a Cabernet

Sauvignon, a Zinfandel

and a Chardonnay,”

says Bienenstock of the

favoured wines. Other

standouts include Pinot

Noir. “Pinot Grigio is

very big. I also see inter-

est in Gruner Veltliner

[from Austria], and

there’s growth potential

there.”

Whatever the wine,

securing staff buy-in

is key. “It’s important

that the staff knows

what they are selling,”

notes Reds’ Welihinda.

“Enthusiasm sells more

wine.” And, so does

quality.

Overall, the connect-

ing thread across the bar

scene is a trend towards

premium alcohol with

premium ingredients.

Operators are stepping

up their game to offer it,

and customers are oblig-

ing by paying higher

prices for top-notch

experiences. l

POURING FOR PROFITS

DID YOU KNOW?The Wines of Germany asso-

ciation is leading its 4th Annual

31 Days of German Riesling

initiative (31daysgermanriesling.

ca), celebrating wines from the

country that is touted to be the

number-1 producer of Riesling

in the world. The idea is to

introduce the wines to Canadian

restaurants for four weeks in

July or August, offering custom-

ers — and restaurant staff —

the chance to win a trip

to Germany.

RIPE FOR THE TASTING Janina Huhn, global ambassador for the wines of Germany, helps herself to a barrel sample

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POURING FOR PROFITS

The 30th annual Nightclub & Bar

Convention and Trade Show celebrat-

ed in Las Vegas this spring highlighted

growing trends worth noting in Canada, with

more than 700 suppliers and thousands of

new products for the nearly 40,000 attendees

to check out. F&H gleaned five beverage and

business trends from the show:

FLAVOUR COUNTSApple and honey are being introduced into

everything this year — from whisky to rye,

rum, vodka, moonshine and tequila. “An

apple influence is from cider, which is by far

the fastest-growing beverage segment,” said

Jeff Cioletti, editor-at-large of New York’s

Beverage World magazine and author of The

Year of Drinking Adventurously, while speak-

ing at the show.

“We are seeing some brewers using apple

in beer as a crossover beverage to play mean-

ingfully in between traditional beers and

ciders. Redd’s Apple Ale from Chicago’s

MillerCoors is just one of these prod-

ucts. When it comes to moonshine, apple

pie is not only tradition, it also factors

into appeal and drinkability. Honey has

resurged in mead and is gaining traction in

whisky and tequila. Whisky lends itself to

honey, which complements the flavours of

rye and bourbon.”

Meanwhile, mixologists are adding essenc-

es and botanicals to their arsenals to make

more complex drinks that stand out. Used

for finishing touches, craft bitters add depth

and complexity to a drink, while using cilan-

tro sugar or basil salt to rim the glass of a fine

cocktail, for example, boosts its appeal. CRAFT EVERYTHINGCraft coffee, craft cocktails, craft bitters,

craft beer and even craft ice is proving small

artisan producers are gaining credibility. “As

baby boomers get older it’s about quality

of life and enjoying responsibly,” explains

Manuel Barreira, managing director, Global

Wine Merchants in Burnaby, B.C. “Today,

we see small companies producing qual-

ity niche products. Fifteen years ago, these

small production companies would not

have been able to compete. Today they can,

because they offer an experience, not just a

product.” Consumers can now learn about

the history of the product and the story

behind its inception.

EMBRACE RETRO-COOL There’s a re-emergence of the traditional

THE TRICKLE- DOWN EFFECTTrends from the 30th annual Nightclub & Bar show in Las Vegas translate to actionable ideas for Canadian bartenders

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY W. STEWART

beverages your grandfather drank.

Moonshine, bitters, cider, mead, even old-

fashioned ginger ale are back. This trend is

emerging from a maturing generation with a

renewed interest in quality, as well as a newer

generation looking for retro-cool beverages.

“Consumer segments are looking for rede-

signs and reinvigoration of proven tradi-

tional concepts,” affirms Grant MacPherson,

a renowned chef and F&B consultant at Las

Vegas-based Scotch Myst.

ENGAGE TECHNOLOGYTechnology continues to attract attention.

For example, The Amsterdam, Netherlands-

based Heineken’s BrewLock Draft Technology

is a new keg, which preserves freshness and

can be used to ship product globally with

a smaller carbon footprint than tradition-

al kegs. Alternatively, Charlottetown-based

Smartbrew introduced its turnkey brewery/

brew pub solution — it fits an entire micro-

brewery into a 100-sq.-ft. area. This leasable

solution comes complete with technical sup-

port and guidance for operators, regardless of

brewing skill level.

RAMP UP SOCIAL MEDIABar operators need to maintain their social-

media reputation. New apps are helping them

extend their reach and enhance their market

intelligence. For example, selfie and Twitter

contests can help operators build content at

a very low cost.

In that same vein, big data continues to

be an important theme. Many new upstart

companies, such as Providence, R.I.-based

Swipely, have released technology, which

offers business analytics to help operators

understand their customers, and social cus-

tomer-relationship-management apps such

as Glistrr are gaining popularity. Meanwhile,

geo-fencing — which tracks consumer move-

ments within a virtually defined geographic

area — is also on the radar, although most

social-media companies aren’t yet ready to

roll it out to bar or restaurant settings. l

Jeffrey W. Stewart is associate dean of

Hospitality at Niagara College Canada in

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. His 30-year

career has included work at F&B operations,

research, teaching, curriculum development as

well as consulting for hotels, restaurants, food

manufactur-

ers, hospi-

tals, higher

education

and correc-

tional facilities

domestically

and abroad.

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POURING FOR PROFITS

Montecito RestaurantYOUR HOSPITALITYBUILDING PARTNER416.755.2505 ext. 22 bltconstruction.com Toronto - Vancouver

Photography: David Whittaker

MackayWong Strategic Design

Everyone loves smoothies and fresh

juices, so it comes as no surprise that

a growing number of operators are

investing in blenders and juicers.

Whether visiting a bar, restaurant, juice or

breakfast haunt, the quest for healthy drink

options is ongoing. That’s why Jessica Risi

opened Raw Chemist Juice Bar in Toronto

in July 2014. “The goal was to provide really

nutritious options for smoothies and cold-

pressed juices,” she says.

Given the growing demand for fresh

smoothie options, she invested in one of

the most powerful industrial-grade blend-

ers that fit her budget. She looked at the

Cleveland-based Vitamix and Orem, Utah-

based Blendtec. Ultimately, she purchased

two Blendtec Stealth blenders for $1,200 and

$1,400. The price includes a cover to block

the noise. Risi also chose an optional acces-

sory called the Rapid Rinse Station, a small

countertop system, which feeds hot water

STANDING THE TEST OF TIMEDurable blenders and juicers are revving up thanks to health-conscious consumersBY DENISE DEVEAU

FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY JULY/AUGUST 2015 43

EQUIPMENT


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into empty jars for quick

cleaning at the touch of

a button.

Choosing a juicer, on

the other hand, involved

a lot of research. That

said, from the onset, Risi

wanted a cold-press juicer

rather than the more

conventional and lower

cost centrifugal juicer.

Centrifugal juicers feed

produce through fast-

moving blades. While it

is faster, the blades gener-

ate heat that can deplete

nutrients. “That’s fine

if you want to consume

the product within 30

minutes. [But] a cold-

press juicer doesn’t have

blades and won’t produce

heat, so the vitamins

and enzymes last 72

hours,” Risi explains. Her

first purchase was three

countertop Angel juic-

ers from South Korea,

which ranged in price

from $1,250 to $1,750.

The most expensive one

is made of certified surgi-

cal stainless steel and has

reverse blade functions.

However, demand was

so high for her bottled

juices that Risi invested

in a new Goodnature X-1

commercial cold-press

juicer sold out of Buffalo,

N.Y.; it’s a six-foot free-

standing system, which

costs $25,000. She plans

to expand production to

supply local gyms and

other establishments.

“Out of all the cold

presses, it’s really durable

and gentle and produces

juice with a very vibrant

colour,” Risi says.

But blenders aren’t

just for specialty shops.

Martin Proulx, director

R&D and purchasing

director of the Cora

Franchise Group Inc. in

Ste-Thérèse, Que., says

blenders are a mainstay

in its 131 franchise loca-

tions across the country

for meeting the daily

need for fruit cocktails

and smoothies.

Cora’s fruit cocktails

have been favoured for

more than 25 years, and

EQUIPMENT

KITTING OUT THE KITCHEN John Placko often works with blenders. The specialist in

molecular gastronomy, and culinary director at Toronto’s Modern

Culinary Academy, offers his take on what every kitchen should

include to meet its blending needs:

• A basic blender that’s durable and dependable. “I use a

Vitamix [from Cleveland] at home that has lasted for 10 years. I’ve

also heard great things about Blendtec [from Utah],” says Placko.

• Immersion blenders are handy and versatile tools that can

help make the cooking process simpler. “They’re great for stick-

ing into different pots and saucepans to create foam, purée a

soup, lighten a sauce or emulsify butter,” says Placko.

• A Thermomix from Wuppertal, Germany-based Vorwerk is

an asset. “These are extremely fast — at 10,000 revolutions per

minute — and run on induction, so they have no belts. They’re

perfect for grinding spices and coffee beans, chopping herbs

and things that need temperature control such as ice-cream

bases, custards and ganache. They also have a built-in scale,”

says Placko. He also notes that Bellini in Rose Park, Australia

offers a similar product at about one-third of the cost, but it does

not have the built-in scale or reverse cycle features.

• Pacojet food processors from Greensboro, N.C. are ideal

for chopping herbs for sorbets, ice creams, pâtés or mousses.

Placko uses them extensively at his new Bar 120 restaurant at

Toronto Pearson International Airport, which features molecular

gastronomy-inspired cuisine.

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EQUIPMENT

basic blenders used to be enough

to get the job done, but that

changed when smoothies began

to gain popularity, circa 2006.

“We went through all kinds of

blenders and breakage when we

started with smoothies,” Proulx

confesses. “We had so much dif-

ficulty, because you use frozen

fruit, and the motors were burn-

ing out.”

These days, he sources his

blenders from Rougemont,

Que.-based A. Lassonde Inc.,

the company that supplies Cora

with its fruit and vegetable

juices. Lassonde is currently

supplying commercial-grade

MX1100XTXP blenders from

Torrington, Conn.’s Waring (one

base and three jugs per franchise

outlet). And, since the blenders

are at the front of the kitchen,

covers — which are included in

the $1,000 price tag — are used

to muffle the noise. The blend-

ing needs at Cora are simple.

“We have two settings: one for

smoothies, one for cocktails and

that’s it,” Proulx says.

Lauren Mote, bar manager for

Uva Wine and Cocktail Bar and

co-proprietor of Bittered Sling

Extracts in Vancouver, is always

on the lookout for new blender

technology. These days she has

two Vitamix Vita-Prep blenders,

which cost $2,200 apiece, for her

commercial kitchen. “The Vita-

Prep is great for fine-blending

specific things like rim salt or

cinnamon bark, or [for] pulver-

izing the crap out of fibrous

ingredients, like celery, with-

out the fibres getting wrapped

around the blades. I’ve had them

for six years, and they’re still

going,” she says. She’s also a fan

of Melbourne, Australia-based

Breville blenders, immersion

blenders and juicers. “The cus-

tomer service is great, and they

are very high-quality products,”

adds Mote.

When it comes to juicers, she

suggests looking for something

that’s “crazy durable,” especially

if it’s being used daily. She cau-

tions that the heat and friction

can change the flavour of the

final product, which is why they

work best for citrus fruits.

One of Mote’s favourite

juicers is the Juicepresso from

Memphis, Tenn. It’s a compact,

slow, cold-press machine, which

costs between $300 and $400. “I

use it to make our fresh syrups.

The yield is a bit lower, but you

can take the pulp and run it

through up to three times, dehy-

drate it and eat it or use it in

soups or smoothies. It’s all about

recycling,” she says.

Another popular item

in Mote’s kitchen is the

Thermomix from Wuppertal,

Germany-based Vorwerk, which

costs approximately $2,000. And,

since it has a temperature gauge,

it can be used for everything

from ice cream to soup. “We

like to call it the super kitchen

machine,” she says.

Regardless of whether your

blending and juicing volumes are

high or low, there is one constant

in making the right purchasing

decision. “The main thing is

finding something that will last

for the long haul and stand the

test of time,” Mote advises. l

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While “sustainable” is a buzzword in the food

industry, experts participating in Eat Vancouver’s

“Taking Stock of Seafood” panel in the spring

debated the definition and viability of sustain-

able fisheries. “Consumers have a lot of pas-

sion for sustainable seafood,” said Mike McDermid, co-owner of

Vancouver’s Fish Counter, while also noting that the notion of

what constitutes a sustainable fishery today may change tomorrow.

“There’s been a shift in consumption, but that has a downward

pressure through the system.” He explained: “Wild capture fisheries

is the last ‘wild hunt’ on the planet, and we tend to hunt things to

extinction before we stop.” Dr. Daniel Pauly, Ocean Sciences profes-

sor at the University of British Columbia, agreed, pointing out that

management of fisheries in Canada, unlike the U.S., doesn’t include

rebuilding. “Sustainable growth is self-contradictory,” said the pro-

fessor. Traceability is a major issue, too, he said, stating that world

fishery statistics are incomplete, as 40 per cent of fish sold is illegally

caught, and 60 per cent of the fish we consume is from developing

countries. “This is an ethical problem — grabbing fish in West Africa

to feed fish on farms for our tables,” Pauly said. — Cinda Chavich

FOOD FOR THOUGHT


What do you think? Weigh in on the debate. Tweet @foodservicemag, or drop us a message on the Foodservice and Hospitality Facebook page.

SUSTAINABLESEAFOOD:

IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE?EXPERTS FROM THIS YEAR’S EAT VANCOUVER FESTIVAL WEREN’T SO SURE

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SUMMER Sizzlers

HOT RECIPES, HOT PROFITS. Bring fresh ideas to the table with Potato Pearls® mashed potatoes. A few simple mix-ins add excitement to the menu and deliver results to your bottom line. For seasonally-crafted recipes, valuable menu strategies and promotional tips, go to baf.com/SeasonalSpecials

Potato Pearls®. We make them easy – You make them amazing!

TRY THIS RECIPE ON YOUR SUMMER MENU! Lemon Bacon Mashed Potatoes

®2015 Basic American Foods. Basic American Foods™ is a trademark and Potato Pearls® and

Excel® are registered trademarks of Basic American Foods.

™baf.com

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FH-BAF-SummerMashedAd_0415.indd 1 4/23/15 1:22 PM

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