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Have You Ever Worked in the Restaurant Industry?

partysugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:45:54 -0700

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Yummy Links: From Top Chef's Finale to Spanish Chorizo

partysugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:50:08 -0800

The finale of Top Chef Vegas was recently filmed in Napa Valley. - Eater
The New Yorker get to know Los Angeles restaurant critic Jonathan Gold. - Grub Street NY
Ubuntu, Napa's vegetarian darling of a restaurant, may start serving meat. - SF Foodie
Thirteen individuals who are making waves in the food industry. - Chow
One Houston restaurant critic has dropped his anonymity. - Eat Me Daily
What your beer says about you. - Serious Eats
Spanish chorizo adds a richness and flavor to everything it touches. - The Epi-Log

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Chipotle Goes Solar

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:50:50 -0700

Looks like Chipotle has seen the light. Yesterday, the fast-casual Mexican chain announced plans to install solar paneling on 75 of its locations in the next year. The move will make the company the largest direct producer of solar energy in the restaurant industry to date. Chipotle wants to reduce energy consumption during its peak hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., when the energy grid experiences the highest level of demand. With solar panels, it could eliminate as much as 41 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. The Mexican fast-casual chain has partnered with Standard Renewable Energy to begin installing panels on restaurants in Denver, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio. Along with the company's desire to educate diners about food sustainability and use environmentally conscious building materials, this move is yet another case for why customers should support the brand. But let's be honest: the best reason to hit up Chipotle is still for its insanely good burritos. Are you impressed that the company is making more socially conscious strides?

Source: Flickr User bpende

10 Things You Probably Don't Know About Thomas Keller

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:50:09 -0700

On this Wednesday, we don't just celebrate Hump Day for the week; we also honor French Laundry chef and restaurant legend Thomas Keller, who turns 54 today. The culinary pioneer - who's been called everything from the food industry's Yoda to Father Jesus Keller - shows no signs of slowing down. He's about to open a Bouchon restaurant in LA and a new inn in Napa Valley. Although chef Keller gets plenty of press, he still manages to keep a lot of his personal life under wraps. Here, 10 things you probably would never have guessed about him.
Source: WireImage

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What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:50:22 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Caesar's, the Tijuana joint credited for inventing the Caesar salad, has closed.
Former 007 Roger Moore boycotts anything foie gras - including friends who eat it.
Luggage-themed cakes are looking to be the next big dessert trend.
Doctors discover a Wendy's plastic utensil in one man's lung.
A taste of the elusive churros from Rick Bayless's newest street-ery, XOCO.
The dirty little secrets of the restaurant industry that may make you never want to eat out again.

Source: Flickr User stu_spivack

Subway Poised to Surpass McDonald's in Locations

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:35:03 -0700

Could Subway be the world's new McDonald's? It sure looks that way. In the next few months, it will become the world's largest food chain. Although McDonald's has a total of 32,158 eateries worldwide, it has largely curtailed expansion efforts, preferring to hone in on existing store sales. Subway, on the other hand, has been multiplying exponentially, with outposts in China, Qatar, India, and France. This week, it's expected to exceed 31,800 total stores. At a time when restaurants and fast-food establishments are struggling, Subway turned a profit in the last year with its its $5 foot-long sandwich promotion. Yet in overall sales, McDonald's remains untouched. According to industry experts, the average US McDonald's generates $2.3 million in sales, compared to $445,000 for Subway. I'm surprised - I had no idea that Subway was so ubiquitous in other parts of the world. What about you? Would you rather patronize a Subway or a McDonald's?

Source: Flickr User zyphbear

Happy Hour: Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum

partysugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:15:51 -0700

In my continuing quest to think outside the spirit box, I have developed not only an appreciation for gin, but also one for rum. Well not just any rum, Jamaica's finest Appleton Estate rum. Earlier this week I was invited to an tasting at Spruce restaurant in San Francisco, and I got to sample the rich caramel-colored liquor neat in four different cocktails.

Appleton is Jamaica's oldest producer of rum and they've got rum-making down to a science. The sugar cane is environmentally estate grown and distilled and blended in small batches by Joy Spence, the industry's first female master rum blender. Spence describes Appleton as a "playful, but serious rum" that "should never see the inside of a blender." Instead we were instructed to "sip it up!" Spence, who was on hand at the tasting, guided us through the four steps to properly enjoy fine rum. To find out what they are, keep reading.

Kelsey Nixon's Still Cooking Up a Storm

partysugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:23:17 -0700

When I first saw Kelsey Nixon compete on the Next Food Network Star last season, I knew there was something special about the perky blonde from Utah. Now, a year after she was kicked off the show, Kelsey is blazing a trail for herself in the food industry. Recently, I had the chance to chat with Kelsey and I was surprised to learn that while spirited, she's not overly hyper. Besides cooking with Spike Mendelsohn on her Food2 show, Kelsey's working as a kitchen consultant in New York City and is Pyrex's new spokeswoman. To find out what Kelsey thinks of Spike and see her impressions of the current cast of NFNS, keep reading

Chipotle Promotes Food, Inc. Documentary

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:37:35 -0700

Chipotle doesn't just want to feed its customers - it wants to educate them, too. The fast-casual food chain has teamed up with Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media, and River Road Entertainment to promote Food, Inc., a documentary that exposes issues with the food industry in America. Beginning today, Chipotle Mexican Grill will host free screenings of the film. In addition, the eatery will advertise Food, Inc. with printed material in its 800-plus stores and prepare a bonus feature about sustainable agriculture to be included in the DVD when it is released later this year.
"Chipotle is a great example of a company that's on the right track to improving our food system," director Robert Kenner said. "Chipotle's philosophy shares many of the same values expressed in Food, Inc., and we are very pleased with their support of our film." The Mexican food chain claims to use more naturally raised poultry and pork than any other restaurant worldwide. It also sources ingredients locally whenever possible and buys 35 percent of its beans from organic producers. This promotion is a smart strategy: if Chipotle's devotees weren't aware of the company's sustainable practices yet, they will be now.

Did you know Chipotle was so dedicated to sustainability? Will you attend a free Food, Inc. screening?

Photo by flickr user Photo2217

Food Section Sampler - July 8, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:50:28 -0700

Make restaurant-caliber Summer sippers in the comfort of your own home. - San Francisco Chronicle
Will the latest menu labeling laws around the country truly affect consumers' eating habits? - Wall Street Journal
Tips for selecting a versatile wine to bring to a potluck dinner. - Boston Globe
Does preserving your own produce really save you money? - Washington Post
The food world's current obsession with meat has brought forth a new class of young, hip butchers. - New York Times
Quiz: Can you match these of-the-moment food words with their definitions? - Chicago Tribune
The reeling wine industry has begun doing business with discount wine websites. - Los Angeles Times