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Home / 2014 / May (Page 2)

1:42 pm
Restaurant Features
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bar ONE

Your love for food started with your family back when you lived in St. Thomas, Miami, and New Jersey. Can you explain what that looked like growing up?

Both of my parents are from Trinidad, so we ate a lot of Caribbean food. I didn’t cook that much, but I watched them intently. There was one time, though, when my brother was born and I was nine. Mom was coming home from the hospital and I tried to cook for her—a traditional Trinidadian dish called Pelau with rice, pigeon peas, and meat. It turns out, however, that the meat was raw. A good first effort, I guess.

Still, cooking was a passion. I did a lot of social cooking in my 20s, and then, in my 30s, it went from a passion to a career. Actually, I spoke with a friend who was a chef at the time and asked him for pointers about culinary school. He pretty much told me I didn’t have to go to school. That pushed me in the direction of cooking as a career. I started by catering and working as a private chef. Eventually, I came on at bar ONE in 2012.

Your family boasts ties to both China and Trinidad. How has that informed your culinary style?

My style differs a bit from these. I call it Caribbean-American fusion. I’ll add things like collard greens to Trinidadian dishes, for example. But you will find Asian and traditional Caribbean flavors in the mix as well.

What about local ingredients? When did you start incorporating these into your cuisine?

When I came to Atlanta. In Florida, we didn’t go to farmers’ markets that much. We didn’t really get much fresh produce. I was introduced to local ingredients here, and I’ve been amazed. Peter Thomas, the owner, really pushed for a local and seasonal angle to the food, so it’s become an integral part of the menu.

bar ONE’s concept is a fusion of Caribbean and Asian flavors—much like what you enjoyed growing up. In practice, what does that look like?

One of my specialities is Coconut Curry Shrimp and Crab with dumplings. It’s definitely a Trinidadian dish. I Americanized it by using lump crabmeat instead of whole crab. Another is my Oxtail Soup. It’s usually made with leftover meats and vegetables, but I wanted a red bean-based soup with oxtails, so I changed the original to make it my own. I stew the oxtails, then combine them with beans and vegetables, along with dumplings and boniato. That’s only available on Fridays—and it disappears very quickly.

How does your style at bar ONE meld with the modern, trendy ambience?

Both were born separately. The lounge was designed by Peter. The space used to be a Mexican restaurant, but Peter came in and gutted it, turning it into a very sexy and vibrant hangout. The menu, meanwhile, grew differently. Peter knew he wanted tapas-style dishes, but hadn’t picked a cuisine. He chose me to come on and develop the food program, and I wanted it to be Caribbean-American. From there, bar ONE was born.

What would you like to see implemented on the menu in the next six months or so?

I want to have more grilled items. People often come in asking for grilled items instead of fried foods, so I want to offer that. I also want to offer more vegetarian options and healthful dishes overall.

If a guest wanted to experience the essence of bar ONE in a single dish, which would it be?

Without question, the Coconut Curry Shrimp and Crab with dumplings. It’s the perfect example of my style and the cuisine.

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1:39 pm
Restaurant Features
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Aspen Bartini

Chef Tony Sharpe of Aspen Bartini 

Entrées:
Pizza-Wrapped Hot Dogs
Mac and Cheese Balls
Fried Ravioli with Homemade Tomato Dipping Sauce
Assorted Mini Pizza Pockets Station
Chicken and Veggie Quesadillas
Captain Crunch Chicken Tenders with Dipping Sauces

Dessert:
Assorted Candy
Mini Cupcakes
Assorted Fresh Fruit and Jello Station

Drinks:
Lemonade
Fresh Fruit Punch
Root Beer Floats

Taverna Fiorentina

Chef Paolo Tondo of Taverna Fiorentina

I would serve penne with ragoût for an entrée, then a macedoine of fruits with a small ball of vanilla gelato. All of these ingredients are healthy and made from scratch, so the kids would love them.

Barrelhouse

Chef Patric Bell of The Barrelhouse

When I was 10 years old, I considered myself more gastronomically astute than my age group, so can I pretend this is a party of 300 clones of myself at the age of 10?

But seriously, folks…

I’d do a theme. Kids dig themes—like “bugs” or “superheroes” or something like that. And anything kids can hold in their hands and run around with is great: cupcakes (sweet and savory), mac ‘n’ cheese “lollipops,” smoothies—things like that. I actually did a birthday party for a group of kids once, and we made superhero smoothies. We had a green one for the Incredible Hulk that had more spinach in it than fruit, and the kids couldn’t get enough of it.

Most people think kids won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries with ranch dressing, so that’s all they’re given. In fact, most kids will eat lots of things if they’re presented the right way.

Giannes

Chef Christos Giannes of Kouzina Christos

I’d make things that I know well: horiatiki salada (a cucumber and tomato-based salad), chicken kabobs, fresh pita, spanakopita, and homemade hummus.

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12:52 pm
Restaurant Features
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Cafe Vena

It’s a quiet Wednesday night in Vinings. Inside a small, 13-table restaurant, the sparkling lights gently fade. Voices hush. The grandiose wave of lush red curtains fly open—and there, standing in a luscious evening gown, is the incomparable Lisa Manuli.

From her rich vibrato ushers a series of memorable paeans to the days of cabaret, and as she fills the room with song, smiles gently lift on thoughtful faces. Slowly, wines are sipped. Plates of Rosemary-Cheddar Biscuits are enjoyed, smothered in tomato jam. And in the back—set against the bright cardinal reds and elaborately crafted flower decorations—stands the owner, the host, the dreamer, Bruce Speer.

Café Vena—the unassuming name of this Southern gem of a restaurant-cum-cabaret—is Speer’s baby. In his early days, the bubbly 40-something acteur  would have done anything to land on a stage in New York. But as fate dictated, his life led him somewhere quite different—and merged the love of cooking with an inexhaustible love of entertaining.

“I played for many years,” he laughs, teasing me with a wry smile. “I just decided to build the dream last year. When I turned 44, I told myself I had to do something.” Café Vena was that something.

Speer worked for years in restaurants—a way to make a living while still laboring toward the glamour of sound and stage. When the Broadway dream failed to materialize, he didn’t give up. He just changed the dream.

“The restaurant is named after my mother, because she always told me to dream big and go with my passion. This is my dream—a place made for great entertaining and great food.”

Speer gushes over the dramatic red curtains that center the room, and I have to ask: “Do people come here just for the entertainment?”

“You know, it’s mostly both—the food and the shows. On Wednesday nights, we do Lisa Manuli’s Cabaret—Broadway and ballads. She’s doing the Dueling Divas now. Thursdays, we do a Frank Sinatra act called New York, New York featuring Charlie Fellingham. Then we have Jai Luci’s Cabaret Friday with MoTown in Motion. Saturday is all about Atlanta legend Gary Narramore. But people come for a great meal, too—a Southern-inspired, regional dinner that is 100-percent farm-to-table.”

Speer describes the restaurant as “Southern food with sparkle”—a place known just as much for the hugs he doles out at the door as Mama Vena’s Meatloaf, the house-made candied pecans, and the fire-and-spice acts that burst from the stage with a punchy mix of magic and sass. Come this summer, guests will even find Speer back in the spotlight with a puppetry medley inspired by the works of Wayland Flowers and Madame.

At the end of the night, when the bar stools are finally empty and the piano is quiet, Speer rests his feet at a booth near the back of the café. “Try running a restaurant,” he quips with a deep sigh. “This isn’t easy. I’m running around this place constantly and rarely know where I am at any given moment.”

But in the silent pause of a night when the doors have finally closed, he’s able to admit, “I’ve lived a very good life. I’ve always been a dreamer, and the dream has come true.”

To his devotees and disciples, he offers just a few words of worldly advice. “Be a dreamer. Be a believer. If you’re not, you’re not going to really understand this little place we call Café Vena.”

Whether we do or not, the show must—and will—go on.

Show Schedule

Wednesday — Lisa Manuli Cabaret
Thursday — Charlie Fellingham as Frank Sinatra (New York, New York)
Friday — Jai Luci’s MoTown in Motion
Saturday — Atlanta Legend Gary Narramore

Visit Café Vena at 3300 Cobb Parkway, Suite 104, or call to make reservations for a memorable show at 770.937.9089.

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12:47 pm
Restaurant Features
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Tony Morrow's Real Pit BBQ

Even though it occupies the same street as his charming, southern-style restaurant, The Pecan, Tony Morrow’s Real Pit BBQ {3807 Main Street, College Park; 404.996.2973} is unlike anything in south Atlanta. This unassuming restaurant welcomes locals and visitors alike with brisket, pork shoulder, and barbecue chicken done just like Morrow’s great-grandfather used to do it. And although it’s only been open for a few months, they can barely keep up with the demand.

What does “real pit barbecue” mean?

Well, a lot of barbecue restaurants use machine-operated smokers to cook their meat. We don’t have that. We built a 14-foot brick “pit,” which is where we slow-cook all our meats—including our brisket and our pork shoulder—for up to 16 hours, using hickory and white oak wood as fuel. With our method, the flame never touches the meat.

How did you learn this method of barbecue?

This is the style that my great-grandfather, Elmer Garth, used growing up in Decatur, Alabama. He barbecued from age 12 all the way until he passed away at age 98. That was his job. I remember watching him throughout the whole process as I was growing up. It was amazing to me. Our concept is loosely based on his design and his process.

So this is a family business?

It is. I’m the pit master, and my son, DeVaughn Morrow, is the pit boss. He’s responsible for cooking all the meats, and manages a small staff of about eight people. He loves to be able to take a raw piece of meat and make it into something that people really enjoy. For a 19-year-old, that’s pretty good. Our guests are always saying that it’s the best barbecue they’ve ever had.

What menu items have been the most popular so far? 

We have the best brisket in the state, even though brisket is not a very popular cut of meat in this part of the country. Our brisket is cooked for 12 to 14 hours, depending on the size of the meat, and we do a nice brown sugar dry rub with about 16 different seasonings. It’s very tender, and we’re able to keep the moisture in it without boiling it, and without injections or marinades. We also just added hickory smoked salmon, which is delicious. We just pop it all on the grill and let the hickory and oak do their work.

We also focus on our sides. Sides are just as important as the meat, and ours are absolutely delicious. Our mac n’cheese is excellent, and we use a cole slaw recipe that goes way back in my family history. And our desserts are to-die-for—Fried Peach Pie with tart peaches and just a dusting of powdered sugar, as well as delicious Red Velvet, Lemon, and Sweet Potato Cupcakes.

We hear that the meat isn’t the only thing smoking at Tony’s. Tell us about the smoking patio and cigar humidors.

Absolutely—we are a combination barbecue and cigar restaurant. We have a full humidor of premium, hand-rolled cigars, and an outside patio for smoking. Customers can sit down on the patio to dine, watch the game, enjoy a nice drink, and smoke if they so choose. For our cigar smokers, we created a membership program with cigar lockers, so they can keep their cigars here. Cigar smokers enjoy good cuisine and good liquor, and we offer both. We’re also really into pairing—from pairing beer with barbecue to pairing cigars with scotch.

What unexpected surprises have you encountered since opening last December?

Right now we have a smoker that can handle 32 chickens and 16 slabs of ribs, in addition to the 14-foot brick pit which can cook up to 70 shoulders and 120 chickens—but it’s not enough. After our customers come the first time, they come again and again. Also, over 50-percent of our orders are to-go. We end up running out of food. We’re designing another smoker, which will triple our capacity. But honestly, it’s been a pleasant surprise. It means we’re doing something right.

What advice would you have for someone who wants to start a restaurant of their own?

You really need to get out and start cooking for people other than friends and family. Just because someone told you that you can cook—even if you are an excellent cook—you need to get the restaurant experience. My advice is, get out there and work for someone, cook for the public, and get a feeling for what it’s like to work under pressure.

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12:44 pm
Restaurant Features
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Masada

In 1981, Atlanta-based restaurant owner Hezi Stein needed bread. “I had opened my own restaurant, and we had a need for fresh pita bread. Finding nothing satisfying in the area, I decided to open a small bakery next-door to the restaurant to bake the bread myself—in the traditional Israeli way.” It wasn’t long before other local restaurants took notice of Stein’s bread, so much so that he decided to shut down the restaurant and focus on the bakery full-time. Four years later, Hezi’s brother Koby Stein, partnered with him to establish a family-owned and -operated bakery.

Masada Bakery was named for a fabled icon of the Jewish faith: an enormous, isolated rock formation which served as the last “fortress” for a small group of rebels surviving an attack by Roman assailants. And indeed, aspects of vigilance and fortitude have built up the Masada brand throughout the years. Now, 90-percent of its wholesale business involves serving restaurants, hotels, and grocers (like Kroger, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s).

As Stein sees it, bread is one of the most important parts of the meal. It’s the first impression that customers have of a restaurant. “I believe that it’s all about the bread. We can help restaurants achieve that positive first impression. When their customers come back, business grows for all of us.”

Furthermore, running a bakery has strengthened ties to Stein’s own culture. “In the Middle East, and in Mediterranean regions of Europe, bread is an important part of everyday life. You buy bread once in the morning, and again in the afternoon. When I came to the United States, there wasn’t much available outside basic white bread. I wanted to be able to offer artisan, quality bread with no preservatives or additives. Quality, delicious bread is something we’ve been able to bring to the United States—especially the Southeast.”

During its 32 years, Masada Bakery has become a regional wholesale legend, earning Snack Food & Whole Sale Bakery magazine’s 2012 Baker of the Year award. The facility in Norcross, Ga. has expanded since its inception, now occupying about 100,000 square-feet, employing over 200 people, and serving multiple hotels, groceries, and restaurant chains in the southeast region of the U.S. In fact, Masada now delivers fresh bread daily to eight states, including Tennessee, both Carolinas, Virginia, and Florida.

Stein works with chefs and business owners to create special, custom breads for their restaurants. “Every chef likes his own signature style of bread. We work with each one to create something special,” he says. “We deliver fresh to major chains such as Jason’s Deli, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. We’ve also developed a frozen program so we can serve national customers like Cheeburger Cheeburger and distributors like SYSCO and US Food.”

Over the years, Masada’s growth and high demand have necessitated the need for some automated machinery. Yet, most of the breads are still prepared at least partially by hand, maintaining Masada’s status as an artisan bakery. “Even with automated machinery, there are things the machines cannot do,” Stein says. “About 20- to 30-percent of the preparation process is still performed by hand, which gives us the look and taste we want.”

It seems impossible that they’ve maintained the same quality all these years. “We still use the best ingredients, and we don’t cut corners,” Stein says. “In our brioche, for example, we use real milk, real eggs, and real butter. It’s what the chefs want, and the customers can tell the difference. We price accordingly, of course, but people appreciate the high quality of our ingredients.”

According to Stein, quality has always been the most important factor. “During our growth, we’ve kept our focus on two major things: quality and customer service,” he says. “We found that our customers sought us out for our quality—the moment they try it, they’re sold. And it’s our job to maintain that high standard.”

For more information on Masada Bakery, visit masadabakery.com.

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12:36 pm
Restaurant Features
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Laurent Tourondel

In the thick of the delicious chaos at the SoBe Wine & Food Fest, DiningOut sat down for a conversation and refreshments with globetrotting, bacon-loving, French chef Laurent Tourondel at BLT Steak in the Betsy Hotel of Miami, just one of his 16 restaurants.

DiningOut: What’s your first memory of cooking—the moment that really sparked your interest—and who was with you?

Laurent Tourondel: I was with my grandmother. I think I was standing up on a chair and making chocolate mousse. I was six, maybe. My grandmother was not a professional chef, but a very talented cook. We lived in the French countryside then, and it was a wonderful way of living. The only thing we could cook was what we could get from the garden.

Did growing up in the countryside inspire you to cook seasonally and keep things local?

For sure. But in terms of buying ingredients—naturally-grown with no pesticides or anything—it’s very difficult in this country. And if you do, it becomes very expensive. Meats are also very expensive so sometimes we do specials—something that’s organic, grass-fed—but not everyone understands the cost.

Tell me about how you became chef to the admiral in the French Navy? 

Well, it was mandatory that I go to the Navy, and they told me they wanted me to jump out of a plane with a parachute. I said, “I’m not doing that.” I told them that if they made me do that, I would run away from my country [laughs], and the guy says, “Okay, so what do you want to do?” I said, “I want to be on a boat. I want to be in the Navy.”  Well, I never went on a boat, but I did become the chef to the Admiral Private Hotel, making croissants every morning, or foie gras—it was the life of the life! Amazing two years. Amazing.

What age were you when you moved to New York? 

26. But I have lived all over the world—Moscow, Paris, London …

Which was your favorite? 

I liked Moscow a lot, and I also like New York.

How many restaurants do you have currently? 

16. I just opened a new one.

Where is that? 

My new restaurant is in Kazakhstan.

Can I ask why Kazakhstan?

Actually the question is, why not Kazakhstan? There are sophisticated people there who eat well and travel a lot because there’s a lot of money in Kazakhstan. So it’s a good experience.

What kind of restaurant is it?

It’s a grill—a very sophisticated grill with a sushi bar inside.

When did you start serving sushi?

We started a couple years ago. I wanted to make the menu more approachable for women, so I added sushi and some lighter items. I needed to learn about sushi, so I took a trip to Japan and I came up with my own. For me, it’s all about textures and flavors.

I want to tell you a story about this dish. [Chef Tourondel points to a tuna tartare with avocado and micro-greens at the table]. It came about because one day I was bored at home. My restaurant, Cello, had just closed. So, I was depressed, alone in my apartment, and in the middle of writing my cookbook. I had all these ingredients left over because I was writing the cookbook, so I thought, “Let me cook something for myself.” So, I created this dish alone in my apartment. This was probably 13 or 14 years ago.

Do you have a single most memorable experience from your restaurants?

The worst drama in my career actually happened a couple of months ago during the opening of the restaurant in Kazakhstan. So, it was the opening day and the guy who owns the hotel where the restaurant is located invites 80 of his very rich friends—from the president of the country, to the minister, to the mayor. We were doing an eight or ten-course dinner, so 800 plates. Before the dinner at eight o’clock, the Black-Eyed Peas were playing, and the fireworks were going. So at seven o’ clock, I’m grilling stuff on the wood grill, and every plate is ready in the kitchen.

All my team is there—about 25 in the kitchen—and we’re waiting and suddenly, the power goes out. In my head, I’m like, it doesn’t matter, even if the power goes out I can still take my food into the banquet kitchen downstairs. And, then, one little ash of the wood grill goes up into the sprinkler system, and the whole kitchen explodes. An explosion!

Disaster! So how do you decompress after a big, high-stress dinner event like that?

I don’t stress a lot anymore. You have to take it as it comes, and fix the problem. I do lose it sometimes! But somehow you just have to stay in the moment. I take a lot of time to think about things so I’m not making decisions on the spot.

Do people realize that BLT and LT stand for you initials? 

Not always. But it’s easy to remember. I gave it this name because of my initials but also because I remember seeing so many restaurants while I was in New York with names that were difficult to pronounce or remember.

Which one is your favorite? 

This one—BLT Steak in Miami at the Betsy. Look at this! You wake up and you see the beach, and it’s a beautiful hotel.

So, what’s next for Chef Laurent?

I am currently working on a new restaurant concept for a property in New York City. Think wood-burning oven …

Tell me about family life.

I’m single. Divorced. Married to the same woman twice. I definitely tried. Twice!

Kids?

Yes, I have one daughter. She is 15 years old.

Does she like to cook? 

I am discouraging her! She is very good at making pastries, though.

Are you a dessert person? 

Yeah, I love it. It’s my passion! [Chef Tourondel orders a panna cotta, crepe soufflé, and the carrot cake]

I am a pastry chef’s nightmare. To me, everything should be fresh—never frozen. That’s why when I build a kitchen, I don’t put a freezer inside.

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12:15 pm
Recipes
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BLT Steak

serves six

Ingredients

1 c liquid smoke
2 Tbsp smoked Maldon sea salt
2 Tbsp smoked black pepper
3 rib-eye steaks (preferably dry-aged), 30-40 oz each, about 2-inches thick
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Method

With a fork, pierce the steak all over on both sides. Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour on the liquid smoke. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate for 48 hours, turning the steak once.

Remove the steak from the liquid. Do not pat dry. Brush on the butter. Season both sides with the smoked salt and pepper.

Preheat a barbecue grill or stovetop grill pan. Cook the steaks, 7 to 10 minutes on each side, until medium-rare. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. The temperature should read 130 to 135-degrees for medium-rare.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Allow to rest 10 to 12 minutes. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices and serve with a good mustard or steak sauce, if desired.

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