Floored! NRA Show 2009 News

İBravo! ‘Top Chef Master’ Rick Bayless

 
Congratulations to Bravo TV’s first-ever “Top Chef Masters” winner, Chicago’s very own chef/owner – an NRA Show audience favorite – Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill/Topolobampo). Viva the black mole sauce master!

Top Chef Masters pitted 24 accomplished chefs against each other as they competed for the “toque-n” crown. NRA Show supporter and participant Bayless was also joined by fellow NRA Show regular/”Masters” contestant Art Smith (Table Fifty-Two) in the finals, but Smith was cut in the second round.

Bayless’ $100,000 prize goes to Frontera Farmer Foundation, which helps support small, sustainable Midwestern farms.

Fiesta like acclaimed master chef Rick Bayless who had only two words to say on Twitter – “Party’s starting.” Check out these upcoming parties with a Bayless connection.

Glamorama, Chicago’s highly anticipated fashion event at the Chicago Theatre kicks off Friday, August 21 at 8 p.m. The post-party bash lands at Macy’s on State Street (an NRA Show 2009 International Back-of-the-House Tour participating restaurant) - home to Rick Bayless’ upscale, quickservice restaurant Frontera Fresco.

Award-winning restaurant Frontera Grill along with several other participating restaurants will cater StreetWise Under-the-Stars, a benefit for the publication that provides an income source to homeless Chicagoans. (Friday, August 21 at Rooftop Sculpture Garden, 117 N. Jefferson, fourth floor). Tickets available here.

Last but not least, meet the “Top Chef Master” at NRA Show 2010 (May 22-25, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place). Visitors to the NRA Show always enjoy interacting with him in the Celebrity Book Signings area and other Show features. Registration opens soon!

We're #1

 
An impressive number of exhibit industry professionals voted for National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show executive Mary Pat Heftman as Favorite Show Manager of 2009 in the first annual Trade Show Exhibitors Association’s (TSEA) Exhibitors Choice Awards. NRA Show 2009 also received an Honorable Mention in the Favorite Trade Show of 2009 awards category.

Over 400 industry professionals and guests (wow!) came out last night to "paint the town red" at Chicago Illuminating Company and celebrate the winners and nominees. The winners were announced at the TSEA Foundation Gala (very swanky!) held in conjunction with the TS2 show.

This year’s NRA Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) provided tens of thousands of foodservice and hospitality pros from all 50 states and an eye-popping 107 countries with new products and services from exhibiting companies and ideas to help boost business.

Shout out congratulations also go out to Exhibit Surveys, Inc. for winning in the Favorite of the Rest (all other types of suppliers) and McCormick Place for Best Convention Center categories.

As is always the case with us here at Floored!, we want to hear from you! Let us know what makes the NRA Show – the largest gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals from around the world (we’d like to think in the galaxy!) – your favorite restaurant and hospitality trade event.

We hear registration opens in September for NRA Show 2010, slated for May 22 – 25, 2010. Stay tuned!

Produce Companies Tap Organic, Local Niches

 
"Fresh" is definitely a buzzword at this year's NRA Show, and fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant on the Show floor. Lettuce, carrots, kiwi, prunes, avocados, blueberries; the list goes on and on.

Many of the fresh vegetable purveyors are NRA Show veterans. The first booth we stopped by was Live Gourmet at #1471. The company uses hydroponics to grow its many varieties of lettuce and other produce. Next, we chatted with the folks at Booth #1773, California's Boskovich's Farms, which has been coming to NRA Show for 14 years. Boskovich's Farms produces everything from spinach to beets. Grimmway Farmsat Booth #1173E also has been at the Show before. The grower provides carrots in every variety -- shredded, matchsticks, orange, yellow and even juice.

Now Serving: Restaurant Executive Breakfast

    
This year's NRA Show is breezing into the Windy City starting Saturday, May 16 and the annual Restaurant Executive Breakfast, Saturday, May 16, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., is set to officially kick things off. The breakfast's theme "Word of Mouth Marketing" for Chains and Multi-Concept Operators will feature Sims Foster, Margie Myers, Brad Wahl, Billy Dec and William Whitman, Jr.; Andy Sernovitz to moderate

This expert panel and topic will address how premier chains and multi-concept operators are increasing revenue and guest loyalty through inexpensive and easy-to-execute "Word of Mouth Marketing" tactics such as blogs, online videos and social networking sites.

Andy Sernovitz, leading "Word of Mouth Marketing" expert and author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking will moderate a panel of chain and multi-unit operators, including: Sims Foster, corporate director of restaurants and bars, Denihan Hospitality Group; Margie Myers, senior vice president of communications, Dunkin' Brands; Brad Wahl, vice president, marketing, The Krystal Company; Billy Dec, president/partner, Rockit Ranch Productions, and William Whitman, Jr., senior vice president, communications, McDonald's USA.

Not yet registered for NRA Show 2009? Don't miss out, the world's largest restaurant industry event starts tomorrow, Saturday, May 16!

Butchery Is Back

 
A revival in butchery is changing the way meat is served in restaurants across the country. And chefs are the driving force behind the hoof-to-snout and locavore crazes. Why you ask? Simple, butchering an entire animal gives chefs an opportunity to prepare a wider range of cuts, including offal. Also, buying the whole animal is more cost efficient. Not to mention consumers benefit from this because they get more variety and better tasting menu items.

This is no surprise to us here at Floored!, according to the “What’s Hot in 2009” chef survey, that new and fabricated cuts of meat – such as Denver steak, pork flat iron and bone-in Tuscan veal chop – is the 5th hottest trend selected by American Culinary Federation chef members.

That’s why this year’s Culinary Scene at NRA Show 2009 will feature master butchers, culinary superstars and the Hot Chef Grilling Challenge winner showcasing “profitable proteins” including both traditional cuts prepared in creative ways and less common bits and bites. Learning how to make the most of lower-priced and traditional cuts of meat, create new menu items and better understand sustainable meat sounds “offally” good to us.

The Culinary Scene will feature:

Saturday, May 16 (Featured Protein: Beef) 

10:30 a.m. – Noon, Butchery demonstration: Marty Carpenter, Beef Information Centre (Canada)

12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (Chicago)

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Butchery demonstration:Marty Carpenter, Beef Information Centre (Canada)
 
3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Stephanie Izard, Season Four winner of Bravo’s Top Chef and graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Program, Scottsdale Culinary Institute (Chicago)

Sunday, May 17 (Featured Protein: Pork)

10:30 a.m. – Noon Butchery demonstration: Amy Shoup Mennen, Shoup’s Country Foods, Inc. 
 
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Marcus Samuelsson, Aquavit and Riingo (New York, NY) and C-House (Chicago) 
 
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Butchery demonstration:Amy Shoup Mennen, Shoup’s Country Foods, Inc.

3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Chris Cosentino, Boccalone and Incanto (San Francisco)

Monday, May 18 (Featured Protein: Lamb)

10:30 a.m. – Noon Butchery demonstration: Evandro Caregnato, culinary director, Texas de Brazil (Dallas)

12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Radhika Desai, Between Boutique Café & Lounge (Chicago), Season Five contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef and graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Program, The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Butchery demonstration:Evandro Caregnato, culinary director, Texas de Brazil (Dallas)

3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Aaron McCargo, Jr., Host, Food Network's "Big Daddy's House"; Spokesperson, Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out
 
Tuesday, May 19 (Featured Protein: Poultry)

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Butchery demonstration: Coleman Natural Foods (Atlanta) and Phillip Foss, Lockwood at the Palmer House Hilton (Chicago)

Noon – 12:45 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Erick Williams, MK (Chicago)

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Cooking demonstration: Hot Chef Grilling Challenge winner, Kristina Vänni

If you're not registered to attend NRA Show 2009, what are you waiting for? Do it today! 

Photo credit: Chris Cosentino

And the "Hot Chef" Is...

  
Kristina Vanni. She was selected the second annual NRA Show Hot Chef Grilling Challenge winner by YouTube™ users. Vanni will receive a trip to NRA Show 2009 in Chicago, May 16-19, and a cooking demonstration in the Culinary Scene area. She'll join celebrated chefs including Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard, Marcus Samuelsson, Chris Cosentino and Radhika Desai –- stay tuned for more Culinary Scene action in tomorrow’s Floored!

Vanni's winning YouTube video featured a delicious maple-Dijon glazed grilled Arctic char with a cucumber, fennel and radish salad, grilled bread cheese with cloudberry preserves (to die for!) and a lingonberry-cardamom martini. You’ve gotta try making these recipes for yourself…we did...amazing!

Kudos to her for utilizing so many of the Association's What’s Hot in 2009 chef survey food and beverage trends (blogger's note: the latest food and beverage trends will be showcased on this year's NRA Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event show floors).

Be sure to catch Vanni’s cooking demonstration on Tuesday, May 19 at 1:30 p.m. in the Culinary Scene.

If you’re not yet registered for NRA Show 2009, get on it now!

Let's Get This Party Started

 

Don’t miss the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's Salute to Excellence gala during NRA Show 2009. The NRAEF has turned up the volume on this glamorous event that will feature noted chefs cooking side by side with ProStart students from the National Restaurant Association's high school program. All proceeds from the event support the NRAEF Scholarship Program.
 
The welcome reception is followed by a dinner dedicated entirely to celebrating the 2009 honorees. Guests will dine on the most innovative cuisine and sample decadent desserts before heading into a post party featuring the Nightshift Orchestra and a variety of entertainment including a ‘Dancing with the Stars’ style performance.

So, polish off your dancing shoes and raise your glass to what promises to be a memorable evening. Get ready to party, secure your tickets today!
 
Also, remember to register to attend NRA Show 2009!

Hot Spots

   
Did you know more “hot new” products, services and trends are unveiled at the NRA Show than any other industry event?

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the Hot New Products that will be showcased at this year's NRA Show. These products definitely have consumer appeal. Hey, foodservice can’t have all the fun!

Black Rock Grill – an incredibly successful dining concept from the other side of the pond will be launched for the first time in the U.S. only at the NRA Show. Now diners can cook a meal their way right at the table.

Ingenious Teapot – when tea is ready, simply place it atop a cup. A valve at the bottom will release: crystal-clear tea flows down, while the mesh filter retains all the leaves with the infuser. Presto!

Jittergram – dining out CAN be affordable - get exclusive deals from your favorite restaurant delivered to your phone via text message – walk in, show your phone and save.

The Magic Plate – for diners who haven’t mastered the perfect pasta “twirl,” this plate will help you look like a pro.  

The Smoking Gun Handheld Food Smoker – quickly infuse foods with smoky flavor and aroma without grilling or flame broiling.  This can be used with a variety of smoking materials, including small wood chips, dried herbs, cooking spices and teas.

Vignette Wine Country Soda - the perfect non-alcoholic alternative for fine dining, casual picnics, and every occasion in between.

Wine Saver – the perfect gift for your wine lover.  This first portable and affordable wine saver and serve system preserves and dispenses wine at its peak freshness—ensuring the wine's integrity for weeks at a time.

Also, scope out these top trends that will be on display on the NRA Show floor: healthy kids' meals, new/fabricated meat cuts, kids' vegetable/fruit side dishes, superfruits (including acai and mangosteen), small plates/tapas/mezze/dim sum, artisanal liquor, and sustainable seafood*.

Alcohol trends micro-distilled liquor, culinary cocktails and organic wine* will be served up at the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event.

Not yet registered to attend? Do it now!

* National Restaurant Association "What's Hot in 2009" Chef Survey

Gold Rush

   

International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) exhibitor Dry Fly Distilling took the double gold at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Dry Fly Distilling, established in 2007, is Washington’s first craft distilled spirits producer of vodka, gin and soon (you heard it here first!), whiskey.

All Dry Fly Distilling’s ingredients are locally sourced. Small sustainable farm families provide the wheat used in the vodka and gin and six Northwest organic botanicals (including hops, yes, hops!) round out the gin.

The vodka’s caramel overtones and butterscotch nose are made possible by using only the sweetest “hearts” of the distillation run. They always double distill, never once, and only do a light filter to deliver the ultimate punch of flavor. That same award-winning vodka is the base ingredient for Dry Fly’s gin.

Attend IWSB to find out which big-name vodkas Dry Fly Distilling beat out for the double gold. Register today!

Spotlight: 2009 Keynote Executive Panel

  

Prominent. Respected. Inspiring. Dynamic. Visionary. Innovative. These are all words to describe the distinguished lineup of “best in class” industry leaders who will take part in the keynote executive panel "Seize the Moment: Energize the Guest Experience and Drive Sales in This Economy" at NRA Show 2009.

This year’s new, interactive format will include wine maker and restaurateur Joseph Bastianich, chef-owner Daniel Boulud, Chipotle founder Steve Ells, hospitality analytics entrepreneur Damian Mogavero and Buffalo Wild Wings' Sally Smith. Award-winning journalist Steve Dolinsky (pictured above) will lead a lively exchange between the panelists and audience to identify cutting-edge and profitable steps you can take today in this fast-changing marketplace.

Also, National Restaurant Association chairman and co-president of Enovo Restaurant Ventures LLC Michael Kaufman will deliver a welcome address before the keynote and also lead the Faces of Diversity awards ceremony (created by the Association in partnership with PepsiCo Foodservice).

NRA Show 2009 and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event attendees are encouraged to submit questions for the panelists prior to the event through Floored! (yeah, you got it, right here!) and also @NRAShow09 on Twitter and on Facebook.

Not yet registered to attend NRA Show 2009? Don’t miss your opportunity to ask questions and interact with the keynote panelists. Register today!