Coronavirus is a dreadful challenge, but it has its upside
April 29, 2020 by steve 1 Comment
Chef Jose Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen.
There's a lot to hate about this coronavirus lockdown, but there's also a lot to like.
You may disagree with me, but it's true. Despite the virus ravaging the bodies of many and slamming the brakes on the economy, like all tragic events, it's giving humans abundant chances to prove their goodness toward others and themselves. It's also given us a chance to get a bit more grounded and enjoy life's small pleasures. Some of the positives I see in this mess …
It's cool that medical professionals of every level—not just doctors—are now recognized for their genuine value. Same for truckdrivers, grocery store workers and produce and meat processors who make life-sustaining food available to us. Who'd have thought people would take the time to thank to produce stackers for showing up to work at the supermarket? Want to find some heroes around town? Visit a nursing home when all this is over and ask some caregivers about this year's adventures on the inside.
I'm blown away at the drive, vision and passion for feeding people demonstrated by chef José Andrés. Here we have one of the most talented chefs and restaurateurs in the world who's all but walked away from his main operations to create World Central Kitchen. The non-profit not only feeds hungry people following catastrophic tragedies, it feeds them well. This isn't MRE stuff, it's good wholesome food made by hundreds of volunteer chefs. (Check out this 60 Minutes Overtime story on his work.) Given his heavy Spanish accent and the speed at which he thinks and speaks, my one interview with him years ago was like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded. I never knew where he was going with his comments, but I didn't want him to stop talking.
I'm not at all surprised by the generosity shown by so many local restaurateurs. Though always operating on razor-thin margins and working long hours, these operators somehow find the time and food to prepare many meals for free. That's heart and head teaming up to put food in stomachs. Love on them anyway you can right now. They need the emotional and financial support.
Like many, I'm appreciating nature more than ever. I'm blown away by the azaleas and flowering trees in my neighborhood; the intricacy, texture and color of their flowers and the bees busily at work within them. It confirms to me that no human creation can top the beauty of God's self-renewing Earth.
I've enjoyed watching people applaud Gov. Andy Beshear's efforts to keep us informed. That most Kentuckians agree their governor is doing a good job in a difficult time is practically miraculous. I'm not sure when that last happened. (Sadly, if history is any indication, the amity won't last.)
I love seeing so many people walking and biking—especially the little kids wearing outsized helmets while furiously pedaling their teeny bikes. I hope they'll continue that physical activity when things return to normal. Heaven knows we all need it to shed the weight we've gained.
Which reminds me … I saw this funny on Facebook: "How y'all summer body lookin'? Mine be lookin' like I have a great personality." That's what I want out of social media these days. More humor and fewer self-appointed epidemiologists and political analysts. And in the spirit of that wish, here's one more: "My dog is looking at me like, 'See? This is why I chew the furniture.'" I hear you, Rover!
The mint julep! Some love them, some hate them. All might love them if made correctly. Photo by Steve Coomes
That I enjoy cooking more than ever is one of two root causes of my "great personality" body. I've made dozens of pizzas for family, friends and condo neighbors over the last several, weeks, but that's depleted my 50-pound stash of bread flour by only about half. Now I need to get serious about bread baking. My past loaves, while tasty when blandished with butter, might score a D at a culinary school or awarded the yet-to-be-used black ribbon at the state fair. I want to make some A+ stuff like some friends are doing at home.
At least my smoked meats achieved a B- in March. That happened after my used smoker was stolen by some fool who only got the top two pieces. (He surely knows by now Weber doesn't sell the bottom part separately.) When I replaced it with a new one of the same type, the most helpful piece that came out of the box was the owner's manual. No kidding. For $446, I learned in 5 minutes what I'd been doing wrong for the past year. Pricey lesson, but delicious long-term results.
I love the fact that my wife works at home every other week. We work at opposite ends of our condo, out of sight and speaking range, but it's still nice knowing someone else is there to interrupt needlessly and shatter the boredom of working alone.
And speaking of my wife, she's applauding my improved cocktail-making skills. Hell or High Water Speakeasy got me out of my eight-cocktail rotation when it sent local media a make-at-home list of recipes. Now gin gimlets, real daquiris and a different twist on the Gold Rush are in the rotation. Yeah, I know any real bartender reading this is mumbling, "Easy stuff, boy, easy stuff!" Trust me, I'll resume buying the fun ones from you when Warden Beshear pardons us all from corona prison.
And speaking of adult beverages, one last Facebook funny: "Adulthood has shown me that you don't need fun to have alcohol." A lot of truth in that, but also a sound warning: consume responsibly, people. Lots of livers out there celebrating the postponement of the Kentucky Derby for good reason. Meantime, make a real mint julep and enjoy what Churchill Downs will never serve you.
Filed Under: Other, Uncategorized Tagged With: Andy Beshear, coronavirus, Facebook, José Andrés
Patience is a virtue hard-earned while filing for unemployment
April 21, 2020 by steve Leave a Comment
Last Friday, I filed for unemployment for the first time. I've earned taxable income since I was an 11-year-old paper boy, so with a large part of my writing work on hiatus until the economy rebounds, I wanted and needed to withdraw some of what I'd paid in over those 44 years.
Two days after I filed, the state denied my claim by saying I "do not have sufficient wages to establish a regular income." Not true of course, and I have my e-filed 2019 tax paperwork to prove it. But as the taxes I paid in came with the struggle of work, getting some of them back would come with the struggle to remain patient. Knowing the phone queue at the Kentucky Career Center (which manages unemployment insurance) would be long, I began the fun by dialing in at 7 a.m. on April 21. The drill went like this:
The Robo-agent estimated the initial wait for a real agent would be a Domino's-like promise of 30 minutes or less. When "she" returned 10 minutes later to say, "Average wait time is less than 3 minutes. Thank you for waiting for the next available agent," I was all, "Yesssss!"
Numbers appearing in rejection letter do not reflect reality, even in the worst of times. Photo by Steve Coomes
And then "noooo!" About 20 minutes and at least two "3-minute promises later," the digital dame returned and revised my potential wait time to an airline-like delay of "greater than 2 hours. Press 1 to receive a callback from an agent or press 2 to remain in the queue."
You bet I pressed 2, hunkered down to wait some more and made a few Facebook posts to kill time. While there, a friend PM'ed me to say she's been at this wait-and-see with KCC game for a solid month, which wasn't the news I was hoping for. But then Robo-harpy chimed in to announce, "Average wait time is less than 15 minutes. Press 1 to receive a callback from an agent or press 2 to remain in the queue."
While this mind-numbing affair is underway, all on hold get to listen to arguably the world's worst phone-hold song. Notice, I didn't say "music" because that could be inferred as songs, and since the KCC DJ isn't that creative, I didn't want to mislead anyone. To get a sense of how bad said tune is, imagine discount shopping store music. All you need to generate a Kmart in the '70s flashback is the aroma of faux-buttered popcorn and the noise of stressed mothers threatening their children "if they don't put those damn toys down!" You follow me now?
At about the 90-minute mark in the call, "Lee" picks up and asks how he can help. Though he was friendly and eager, he figured out quickly that my dispute was "not something I can handle at tier 1," which—with no offense toward him directly—likely means he's doing little more than making address corrections. So, he sends me to "tier 2," where he's certain "someone will be able handle your issue."
Back on hold and listening to that dreadful tune, a ray of hope flashed when Robo-witch broke through to say, "Average wait time is 3 minutes." Yeah, right Robo-tease, you promised me that at least a dozen times back at tier 1. And then, as if she knew my thoughts, she said 5 minutes later, "Average wait time is greater than 2 hours. Press 1 to receive a callback from an agent or press 2 to remain in the queue."
Having heard from others that those who press 1 never hear back from an agent, I pressed 2. Again.
While holding, I actually accomplished about 30 minutes of work before Robo-harpy came back to say, "Average wait time is less than 20 minutes. To receive a callback from an agent, press 1. To remain in the queue, press 2."
I press 2, of course … for what surely is the fiftieth time, before hearing 10 minutes later, "Average wait time is greater than 2 hours. Press 1 to receive a callback from an agent or press 2 to remain in the queue."
"Well," I think, "now sounds like a good time for a bathroom break." But when I get to the bathroom and begin loosening the waist string of my, ahem, athletic pants, Robo-scoundrel returned to say, "Average wait time is less than 3 minutes." Seriously? You're in a rush now? Luckily, "she" wasn't, so I completed my mission and returned to my desk … to wait … and listen to a new song, surely Kmart's Greatest Hit No. 2, which is a work of some matchbook musician's faux-Mellotron keyboard musings.
Finally, at the three-hour, 20-minute mark, a human voice comes on to ask, "How can I help you today?" Yeah, no lie, a fully human voice with warmth, inflection, modulation 'n' stuff. As I explain my issue, she said—with palpable sympathy—"Oh, hon, I wish I could help you with that, but I'm going to have to give you to a specialist."
Specialist? This isn't brain surgery!
"But the last guy who said he was a tier 1 person," I protested, "said the people at tier 2 could help with this!"
"I promise I'd help you if I could, but they're working on training us all to do that and it's taking some time," she replied. "I have a whole list of people here in front of me, and I'm going to hand you over to Denise King, so hold just a minute, please."
Then came the silence … that brief interlude I thought signaled my passage around Kmart's Greatest Hit No. 2 and right to Denise King's desk phone.
But it wasn't. Immediately following the silence I heard, "beep, beep, beep" … the dreaded trio of beeps heard when someone hangs up on you.
"No, freaking way!" I thought. "She hung up!" By accident, I'm sure, but it was over. She had no way of getting back to me.
Three hours and 23 minutes' of waiting. For nothing.
At least when I start this whole mess over tomorrow at 7 a.m., I'll know to ask for Denise King.
Filed Under: Other, Uncategorized Tagged With: unemployment, writing Kentucky Career Center
Details, details: culinary, cocktail and whiskey lineup for Bourbon Classic 2019 now complete
LOUISVILLE, Ky.–Bourbon Classic has announced additional details about its 2019 event, taking place February 20-23.
The Thursday, Feb. 21, event SAVOR will be hosted at Peerless Distilling Company in downtown Louisville. Attendees will have a special evening with fourth and fifth generation operator/owners, Corky and Carson Taylor, and master distiller Caleb Kilburn learning about its storied history and what makes Peerless unique.
Ticket holders can sample and vote on three specially chosen single barrel expressions and the winning barrel will be bottled and available for purchase at Peerless on Saturday, Feb. 23, as a Bourbon Classic Private Select.
Friday's Cocktail & Culinary Challenge showcases world class mixology with classic and contemporary bourbon cocktails paired with chefs' bourbon-themed culinary complements. Each chef will use Kentucky Proud products as a main ingredient, focusing on foods cultivated here.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the contestants and hear them discuss their creations, chat with distillers and representatives about what makes the brands unique and enjoy a tasting portion of each cocktail and small plate. A select panel of media personalities and industry experts will evaluate the cocktails and small plates individually and as pairings and select winners for each category. 2019 Judges will include chef Robert Bleifer (vice president, Food Network), Sam Slaughter (food and drink editor, The Manual) and bartender Molly Wellmann (owner Myrtle's Punch House and Japps Since 1879).
Friday VIP ticket holders will enjoy exclusive access to the Amber Lounge, which features special bourbon tastings from Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, handcrafted ice from Kentucky Straight Ice, additional culinary offerings and comfortable seating.
Saturday will kick off with Bourbon University, an opportunity to learn from industry experts through lively moderated discussions, demos and tastings. Sessions include a Michter's Whiskey lineup pairing with smoked salmon, artisanal chocolate, spicy jerky, country ham, and delicate macaroons. Bourbon enthusiasts also have the opportunity to attend a session with Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, who will showcase the distillery's Experimental Whiskies.
Saturday's events will conclude with Bourbon Classic TASTE. Attendees will enjoy bourbon tastings from a wide array of distilleries, then meet distiller representatives and discuss what makes their products unique. Small plates and cocktail tastings will be available in the TASTE KENTUCKY area showcasing authentic iconic Kentucky cuisine.
Saturday VIP ticket holders will enjoy exclusive access to the Amber Lounge, which will feature special bourbon tastings from Buffalo Trace Distillery, specialty drinks from award-winning bartender Molly Wellmann, additional food options and comfortable seating.
2019 Cocktail & Culinary Challenge participants (Friday, Feb. 22):
Jeff Swoboda, Proof on Main
Chef Mike Wajda, Proof on Main
Blade & Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Kelsey Hoffman, RYE
Chef Zach Chancey, RYE
Blanton's Bourbon
Nina Rojas, Volare Italian Ristorante
Chef Josh Moore, Volare Italian Ristorante
Emily Albert, bar Vetti
Chef Ryan Rogers, HiCotton Hospitality
Chef Andrew McCabe, bar Vetti
Isaac Fox, La Chasse
Chef Kristina Dyer, La Chasse
George Remus Bourbon
Glenn Delong, Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse Chef Travis Maier, Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse
Heaven Hill Distillery
Karla Plott, ON3 at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
Chef Bruce Ucán, Mayan Cafe
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
Nic Christiansen, Butchertown Grocery
Chef Bobby Benjamin, Butchertown Grocery
Michter's Distillery, LLC
Sarah Thomas, Bob's Steak and Chop House Jayma Neese, Bob's Steak and Chop House Chef Paul Sant, Bob's Steak and Chop House
Woodford Reserve
Leslee Macpherson, Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants
Chef Ouita Michel, Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants
Nat Henton, Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants
Chef Charles Taylor, Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants
Featured for sipping on Saturday night (Feb. 23)
Belle Meade Bourbon
Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Devils River Whiskey
Jefferson's Bourbon
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.
O.Z. Tyler Distillery
Uncle Nearest 1856
Wilderness Trail Distillery
Tickets for the Feb. 22 and 23 Bourbon Classic events are available at BourbonClassic.com. Weekend packages are also available at a discounted rate. Tickets to the Feb. 20 event, Top Shelf, are sold out.
Filed Under: Food, Spirits, Travel, Uncategorized
Food improvement isn't in McDonald's $6B upgrade plan
If you a fan of McDonald's, you'll like its upcoming improvements.
But if you're hoping its food also is part of that upgrade plan, you'll be disappointed.
In a recent investor analyst call, the world's largest burger chain announced it is spending $6 billion from now through 2020 to remodel many of its restaurants, add self-order kiosks and curbside pickup points. That's $6 billion earmarked for window dressing, a reduction in human interaction and incentivizing customers to not leave their cars.
From a business perspective, this is good news.
Remodeled stores—including exterior and interior improvements—move the comparable sales needle an average of 10-15 percent in the first three months after completion. Fact of life: Customers are drawn in by new and shiny things.
Self-order kiosks also are proven means of reducing traffic jams at the counter and improving order accuracy.
Curbside pickup is a great service that lowers transaction times and makes the buying experience entirely convenient.
Yet from a cultural perspective it raises some concerns:
McDonald's plans include nothing about making its food better tasting or more healthful or its ingredient sourcing more sustainable. The brand is and will remain one of the world's largest cheap food delivery machines.
How any customer sees a gussied-up restaurant and thinks, "Hey, there's something exiting going on in there, let's go!" is beyond me. It's like a publisher changing the dust jacket on a mediocre book and seeing sales take off. It implies that people really don't care about what they're eating as long as the food is served within pleasant surroundings.
I really like customer-facing kiosks where human input isn't essential, such as in airports. But when it comes to the hospitality industry, I prefer humans. Machines may respond correctly to your touchscreen prompts, but you can't have pleasant associations with them. Engaging with other humans is a key reason I eat out. McDonald's and many other chains are eliminating human-to-human interaction through kiosks to improve inherently error-prone order processes. Kiosks also address the significant and ongoing labor shortage in foodservice. Machines that never go home, never call in sick, ask for health insurance or trade shifts to go on a date are more reliable "staffers."
Like drive-thru, curbside pickup ensures traditional McDonald's customers never leave their cars. The industry calls these "line-busting" service tools, which, ironically, given what I mentioned about kiosks, requires an added layer of staffers moving food to idle customers. I love good service and I've enjoyed this feature at other restaurants … so maybe my opinion is mixed on this.
The easy summary is McDonald's is spending an enormous load of cash to leverage its ability to compete on looks and improved service. Few restaurant chains understand their customers' purchasing habits better than this one, so it's a safe bet these will work.
But not with me. When I eat out, I like seeing people, other customers, servers or counter workers with whom I can have a brief conversation or at least exchange a smile. Restaurant food and people are, in my mind, inseparable.
And I'm not dragging my carcass to eat any place where the food isn't as least as good or, ideally, better than the chow I prepare at home. Mediocre and massively processed food, no matter if served in a sexy or modern building, isn't incentive enough to visit.
I suppose I'll just have to learn secondhand how well these changes work.
Filed Under: Food, Uncategorized
2018 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon posts highest ever 101 proof
August 6, 2018 by steve Leave a Comment
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—For the 18th time Old Forester will release its annual Birthday Bourbon commemorating the Sept. 2 birthday of founder George Garvin Brown.
Fancy gettin' you some? Be prepared to spend more than the $99 MSRP, not to mention ready to wait in long lines if you lack liquor store connections. But if you do get it, drink it. These releases are often remarkable.
According to a news release, this is the first Birthday iteration to be bottled at the new Old Forester Distilling Co., located in Louisville's historic Whiskey Row, the spot Old Forester called home before Prohibition.
Selected from a single day of production and handcrafted by master distiller Chris Morris and master taster Jackie Zykan, this small batch bourbon offers a one-of-a-kind character and flavor profile that will never be replicated. A total of 120 barrels, distilled on June 9, 2006, were marked for this year's Birthday release. They were drawn from two locations: 93 barrels matured together on the 3rd floor on the northwest side of Warehouse J; the remaining 27 barrels matured together on the 3rd floor, northwest side of Warehouse I. The angels opted for a hearty share of 2018 Birthday Bourbon, leaving a total yield of just 39 percent. Five barrels were found totally empty.
Greedy angels!
At 101 proof, this Birthday release is the most potent yet. Roughly 2,400 (six bottle) cases will be available for purchase nationwide.
Old Forester's nosing and taste notes: Mahogany in color, the nose on 2018 Birthday Bourbon delivers a pronounced dark cherry cobbler note that opens into a dynamic build of caramel and dark chocolate covered smoked almond with hints of charred oak. A touch of herbal lemon tea, sweetened with a touch of honey, round out its depth of character. The tasting experience is multi-dimensional, with subtle sweetness that blossoms into warm and green-spice, brightened by lemon honey and followed by cherry cobbler. The finish is long and dry, with an herbal lemon honey sweetness.
Filed Under: Spirits, Uncategorized
Old Fitzgerald fall Bottled-in-Bond release set at $90
BARDSTOWN, Ky.—Heaven Hill Distillery announced the release of the fall 2018 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. A news release about the item did not include a specific date for market offer, but it did state an MSRP of $90, $20 below the cost of the spring release, which introduced the luxury item series.
Photo courtesy of Heaven Hill
Comprised of barrels produced in October of 2008, and bottled in August of 2018, this release, like its forerunner, features an ornate 750ml decanter with a black label to denote all fall releases. As was the case for the spring edition, this edition's tax strip—always a signature of transparency on bottled-in-bond products—will disclose when the liquid was produced and bottled. The meets the strict requirements of a bottled-in-bond: the product of a single distillery from a single distilling season, aged a minimum of four years, and bottled at 100 proof or 50 percent alcohol by volume.
As you'd expect, the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond fall edition will be available on an allocated basis. Much of the spring release was gobbled up quickly by collectors and resellers who moved it promptly to secondary markets websites. Resale prices have been about double the original $110 MSRP.
Bardstown Bourbon launches Bottle & Bond restaurant and bar
July 17, 2018 by steve 6 Comments
New laws rarely make life more fun. But in 2016, when Kentucky passed legislation that freed distilleries to serve cocktails in 2017, a likeable, reasonable and actionable law was finally born, and what a lovely rarity it is.
David Mandell liked it, too, so much so that the president and CEO of Bardstown Bourbon Co. slammed the brakes on finishing his distillery's visitors center to have it redesigned with a serious bar. A big bar, in fact, with an ornamental wall of whiskey and a collection of curated rare vintage spirits no one in the Bardstown market would have. Whiskey making is BBC's core business, yet whiskey instruction and cocktail making would become a new attraction.
Mandell and his partners didn't want just a bar, however, they wanted a solid restaurant with food and service that matched that all on offer at the bar.
"This is phase two of our vision to make Bardstown Bourbon Company a destination experience," Mandell said, speaking of his new restaurant, Bottle & Bond.
Phase one is the distillery, which has doubled production capacity in less than two years, a phenomenal leap by any standard. Using a collaborative model of making whiskey for itself and 20 customers, production is booked solid for the next five years. Phase three is a hotel to be built on the distillery's sprawling campus.
"Since our own whiskey is aging right now, this is what we're offering to the public," Mandell said. Public distillery tours have been postponed while a new still and multiple fermenters are added to the barely patina-ed distillery. "We need to take full advantage of what we can offer now, and Bottle & Bond, this restaurant and bar, is our introduction to the public."
And it's a fabulously fine howdy-do. The space is enormous, with ceilings soaring well above 30 feet, and a wall of windows that look out onto the distillery's expansive front lawn. The comfortable and stylish furniture make up the lone creature comforts in a room that's borderline Bauhaus. Yet the net effect are endless clean lines and a pleasant lack of visual noise and distraction.
The restaurant itself seats about 80, but the room could swallow at least 300 for special events.
A fixed glass wall cordons off the gift shop, while a collapsible glass wall can be extended to enclose the bar for intimate events. I'd sure be sad to be on the opposite side of the glass. It's a cool bar, one built for extended stays.
Are you getting the idea this is no ordinary restaurant, much less an ordinary distillery restaurant? Woodford Reserve has long had its self-service café, and Maker's Mark added its exceptional Star Hill Provisions fast-casual spot about two years ago. But when you hear distillery folk talk creating a "Napa Valley-like experience" in bourbon country, Bottle & Bond sets a new standard.
The food is fantastic—which meals often are on press visits. But for any doubters who think executive chef Felix Mosso's crew put on a show for the media, I say go try it for yourself. It doesn't take a genius to recognize perfectly cooked food, but it takes a skilled chef and crew to make it. Plus, Mosso's got the creds: his last stop was at the famed, remote and chi-chi Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. (Click here to see the menu.)
The talent lineup doesn't stop there:
John Donnelly, executive director of food and beverage, is a veteran of the venerable Matchbox Food Group in Washington, D.C., and Daniel Callaway, director of beverage operations and bourbon education, is the former front-of-the-house manager of Decca restaurant in Louisville. The two created the beverage menu and wine list, as well as its extensive whiskey list. Whiskey writer Fred Minnick curated the vintage whiskey library, a lineup that surely took some amazing booze sleuthing.
Mandell acknowledged the gamble required to open such a significant venture just outside of Bardstown (pop. 13,000), a mini-city with few comparable dining options. But insists he and his partners knew the bet they were placing just opening a distillery, much less a restaurant and hotel.
"We don't look at it as a restaurant like this in Bardstown, Kentucky," he said. "What we're doing is a long-term venture, something that will only grow as the Bourbon Trail grows more popular. If we didn't believe it would become something truly special and incredible, we'd never have done this."
James Beard Foundation's Taste America visits Louisville in October
The James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced Louisville as one of 10 cities two which it's bringing its Taste America national culinary tour. According to a news release, the tour will run from Sept. 28 through Nov. 17, and include a dinner on Oct. 19 outside Louisville at Ashbourne Farms.
This year's traveling series brings a unique partnership of culinary greats, dining experiences and educational opportunities to cities including Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. In addition to spotlighting the nation's great food, Taste America will focus on amplifying JBF food waste and sustainability initiatives and will directly contribute to the Foundation's Scholarship programs.
JBF chief operating officer Kris Moon made the announcement, along with comments from Mayor Greg Fisher and Decca chef and co-owner, Annie Pettry.
The dinner will be held at the 2,250-acre farm (at 3810 Old Westport Rd. in La Grange) and feature a collaborative work of local chefs including Anoosh Shariat (Anoosh Bistro), Paco Garcia (Con Huevos), Ouita Michel (Woodford Reserve Distillery), Ming Pu (502 Bar and Bistro), and Mike Wajda (Proof on Main), and host chefs Jason Jones and Patrick Roney of Ashbourne Farms.
Top right in the photo is Annie Pettry, chef and co-owner of Decca, who will serve as the Taste America Local All-Star for the October James Beard Foundation dinner. Photo by Steve Coomes
The evening will begin with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres followed by a seated dinner orchestrated by Pettry—the JBF Taste America Local All-Star—and a to-be-announced Taste America Visiting All-Star chef. The two will curate that evening's menu.
Capping off the night will be a dessert reception featuring Damaris Phillips (Food Network's The Bobby and Damaris Show), Kathy Cary (Lilly's Bistro), Emily Luchetti (Big Night Restaurant Group, San Francisco), James Adams (Brown Hotel) and Nokee Bucayu (Ashbourne Farms).
JBF will donate a portion of the evenings' proceeds to the Taste America Scholarship Fund, which helps culinary students in this year's 10 participating cities and states.
"Taste America exemplifies the Foundation's mission of shining a spotlight on the rich diversity of America's food culture and the communities that comprise it," said Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation. "Taste America highlights local foods, beverages, and artisans, offering food lovers the opportunity to have unique dining experiences, engage directly with amazing chefs, and to support the Foundation's mission to drive towards a better food system for all."
Also during the conference, Woodford Reserve announced a new multipart partnership with JBF that will see the whiskey brand served as the premier sponsor for Taste America, sponsor an annual Woodford Reserve Beverage Studies Scholarship for aspiring beverage professionals, and present an Outstanding Bar Program award annually at the James Beard Awards each spring. All Taste America events this year will feature Woodford Reserve cocktails.
Tickets are now on sale for JBF's Taste America 2018.
For more information about Taste America events in Louisville, please contact Estes Public Relations at sarah@estespr.com or 502-614-5996. Visit jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica for more details.
Schnatter's resignation is a tale of the man who couldn't tame his tongue
July 12, 2018 by steve 1 Comment
Thanks to the flow of ever-questionable words flowing from his mouth, John Schnatter's role as a leader of Papa John's Pizza, the company he founded in 1984, is officially over.
Late Wednesday night, he tendered his resignation as chairman of the word's fifth-largest pizza chain, a move following his resignation from the University of Louisville's Board of Trustees earlier in the day. Both withdrawals came on the heels of his use of the "n-word" during a role-playing press conference—which, ironically, his company's PR team had set up to help Schnatter tame his tongue.
John Schnatter, founder, Papa John's Pizza. Photo courtesy of Papa John's
That now-wasted effort was in response to a similar misuse of his mouth last year when speaking out negatively about the National Football League not stopping its players' protests of pre-game National Anthem singing. That misplayed card saw the pizza chain's longstanding and profitable sponsorship-relationship end abruptly, and triggered an ongoing slide of Papa John's normally rock-solid stock.
To any reporter who's interviewed Schnatter, his abrupt departure is as surprising as it isn't. Teflon John has always said too much, commonly criticizing people within his company, its franchisees and nearly always those who left Papa John's to work elsewhere.
And yet, as constant and uncomfortable as his words were, it never seemed to hurt him, never seemed to jeopardize his status as the iron-fisted ruler of the pizza empire he created.
But in what the now-infamous Forbes.com story reported about Schnatter's use of the "n-word" to articulate Col. Harland Sanders constant use of it, his stepping down doesn't surprise me a bit. I have no sense whatsoever that Schnatter—whom I've interviewed at least a dozen times—is a racist. What I know for sure is he lacks an understanding of conversational propriety and nuance, which necessitated a company gatekeeper be on hand to monitor most conversations we had. With some regularity he struggled to tap his mental brakes when an inappropriate thought arrived at his vocal chords.
Smart reporters know not to report everything that's said by their sources—even when dastardly—because if you do, those sources cut you off. Launching a long run reporting on the pizza industry exclusively, I knew that while some things he said ranged from questionable to rude, I needed to keep that line of communication open, so I let a lot slide. And if you're wondering, none of those would have had any impact on any story I was writing. But they did leave me thinking, "Really? Why'd ya say that?"
I got my first glimpse into how often Schnatter did such things the first time I met him at a PR event staged by the company. Discussing a controversy with another pizza chain, he indulged in a bit of name calling that was truly petty. Knowing I wasn't going to report it, I still called a high-level Papa John's official to share that mouth bomb in hopes he'd guide his boss not to repeat it. When the person's secretary told him who was calling, he simply picked up the phone and asked, "OK, what did he say now?" He was obviously used to the drill. I told him and he thanked me. And, as expected, he rewarded me access to Schnatter and other Papa John's officials for years to come.
Enigmatically, there were years when Schnatter acknowledged in private interviews that he'd been too hard on his franchisees. As pizza sales lagged category-wide in the mid-1990s, he criticized them publicly in analyst conference calls. Years later, when the company was back on course, he accepted some of the blame, saying the company had made some mistakes like signing on franchisees who were well heeled-enough to land a Papa John's franchise, but who had no interest in or skill for store-level operations.
"We also weren't measuring our performance correctly," Schnatter told me in 2004. "And if we can't measure what we're doing or what franchisees are doing, then we can't guide them or blame them. I take responsibility for that."
Such concessions were rare, of course, and just when outsiders like the press were getting used to a humbler Schnatter, he'd resume firing off bracing and critical comments. Over the years I covered the company, such swings just became de rigueur.
But his April 2017 resignation from the U of L Athletics Board seemed to signal trouble was coming: I couldn't tell if he was taking a principled stand regarding the unfolding mess within the university's sports department or just storming off in a huff because the legendarily opinionated and forceful leader wasn't getting his way.
Then came last year's dustup with the NFL—definitely the point when it became clear that Teflon John had stepped in it up to his knees. By saying the NFL's lack of control of its players was harming TV ratings and, ultimately his company's sales, he'd gone too far. Offending his highest-profile sponsorship partner and powerful, popular black athletes to boot was monumentally unwise.
So, when I read the Forbes.com story yesterday, I wasn't surprised at all. It was proof that Schnatter has yet to learn to say little, say less and—if at all possible—say nothing questionable when reporters are near.
Should the Forbes reporter have ignored what Schnatter said, like I did 19 years ago?
Not in 2018, and not when the reporter was among others who heard it as well. Someone listening needed to hold Schnatter accountable for that.
Fact is, reporters, Papa John's officials and employees—not to mention loyal friends who grumble about him quietly—have grown bone weary of Schnatter's negative bloviating. Hopefully for Papa John's Pizza, this will put a stop to it.
Long overdue: Mario Batali focus of 60 Minutes exposé on sexual harassment
May 21, 2018 by steve Leave a Comment
Oh, Mario. Boy, oh, boy, Mario.
For years, industry talk trickling southward said you were a bad boy. But until last night's episode of "60 Minutes," I had no inkling of just how bad. I'd heard stories about what men in the restaurant industry call normal horseplay, but I'd never heard the debased tales of what viewers of the nation's most respected news show heard last night:
The unwanted remarks
The forceful grabbing
The drugging of drinks
The implied forced sex
Molto terribile, capucuoco.
But it was all in fun, right? Just life in the restaurant biz; stuff that happens.
Or was it more a power play, say your right as an employer to paw whomever whenever?
I'm not motivational expert, but I'm not seeing that as a staff morale booster, Mario.
No wonder they nicknamed you the Red Menace.
Seems like your buddy, Ken Friedman, owner of The Spotted Pig, thought he was entitled to it. According to the women interviewed, he simply preyed on who he chose to and dared those women employees to retaliate; blackballed them if they quit to work elsewhere.
Reckon what clever nickname Friedman got?
On second thought, I don't want to know.
For those who don't follow the restaurant industry closely, this merely is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the rampant problem of sexual harassment. Batali and a handful of other star chefs are just the famous ones. It happens at every level of the industry.
Harassment was common when I was in the biz: lewd remarks and groping—and that was just the women on the men—which dudes didn't seem to mind or didn't claim to. That wouldn't be macho. Happened even to me: two different women and one gay man. Strange and alarming every time.
Of course, that was small potatoes compared to what men did to women: the endless remarks, the constant bumping into and pawing, the cornering in cramped spaces, the creepy leering, the "Oh, come on, let's go out, get some drinks, smoke some pot, you and me, baby," variety of perverted nagging.
But I never saw or heard of what was mentioned in the 60 Minutes piece. Ever.
And I never saw it from the owners I worked for. Ever.
Did they know it was happening in their restaurants? I can't say for sure. I know for certain that I never heard a woman on staff say they any owner did or said anything like what Friedman and Batali are accused of. I think they were (and still are) decent, high-integrity men.
Call me lucky, I guess, because I've read a couple of dozen books by chefs and restaurateurs who remark casually—sometimes triumphantly—about the sex, drugs and rock and roll culture of restaurants.
Reckon if they're wondering now whether they should have written those stories?
But all that's starting to change, especially with the momentum triggered by the #metoo movement.
Such change is long overdue, and as abused and harassed women speak out, stars like Batali will fall from the foodservice firmament. And there will be hell to pay.
Mangia that, Mario.
WATCH THE EPISODE BY CLICKING HERE.