Floored! NRA Show 2009 News

NBC Heroes Star Introduces Yowza!!

 
We were floored when we discovered NBC Heroes star Greg Grunberg was introducing, at this year’s NRA Show, a brand new free application he co-created for iPhone and iPod touch users. Yowza!!

Floored! caught up with Grunberg at the show to ask him…

Q: What made you exhibit Yowza!! at NRA Show 2009?
- Floored!

A: The NRA Show is unbelievable; this is the place to meet serious decision-makers. The contacts we wanted and needed to meet are here. This show is going to put [us] on the map.
- Greg Grunberg, visionary & chief executive, Yowza!! and first-time NRA Show exhibitor.

What is Yowza!! you ask? Here’s the download. Basically, now you and 30 million of your closest friends -- wait a minute, that’s the number of iPhone OS users –- have the ability to score deals at retailers and restaurants all at the touch of a button on your phone.

Take the Conserve/EPA ENERGY STAR Challenge Today

 
The National Restaurant Association rollout during NRA Show 2009 of their new campaign dubbed Conserve/EPA ENERGY STAR Challenge is calling on the nation's nearly one million restaurants, all 13 million employees, suppliers and people from all walks of life to reduce energy and water use.

Culinary student volunteers from Kendall College, an official Conserve educational partner, wore brightly colored t-shirts advertising the challenge as they trekked the show floor and grabbed the attention of attendees at every turn. An impressive number of nearly 500 NRA Show attendees raced to sign up on the spot to take the Conserve/EPA ENERGY STAR Challenge.

"The students' activities - along with the Green or No Green game show and free tee-shirts for everyone that signed up for the Challenge - made this one of the most creative and engaging rollouts of an ENERGY STAR Challenge I have seen at my time with EPA. I am very pleased, as a representative of ENERGY STAR, to see the NRA demonstrate environmental leadership by promoting the importance of energy efficiency in commercial buildings to their members," said Anna Stark, program manager, ENERGY STAR Commercial Markets.

Food + Beer = Profits

 
Although the topic was pairing beer with food, it's clear the expert panelists at this year's International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) education session were also teaching operators how to invite a third element to the table: profits.

The demand for beer is up, Stephen Beaumont, writer, World of Beer, observed, and diners hesitant to order a $40 bottle of wine are increasingly likely to order a $20 bottle of domestic or imported craft beer to enhance their dining experience...and then order a second bottle because they feel they are being frugal. Now is the time for restaurateurs to learn how to market beer pairings, increasing the customer experience and the bottom line.

As the panel discussed the ins and outs of food pairings, IWSB attendees were offered three ideas to whet their appetite.

Save the Planet, Eat a Seafood Sandwich

 
If "green" was the buzz adjective of last year's NRA show, "sustainability" made a strong bid to succeed it in 2009. Tom Fiorino of Wild Planet Foods, Inc. wants it to be more than buzz.

"We are a little Humbolt County, California company with big ideas about changing the world," he tells us. We spied some tuna melts being prepared with Wild Planet's sashimi-grade albacore. Since the sandwiches were going to take a few minutes, we asked him to "tell us more about sustainable seafood."

Fiorino told us about how Wild Planet was leading the way among the 10% of albacore producers who abstain from the "long line" fishing method (which inadvertently kills sea turtles, birds and other fish) by employing the "pole and troll" method, which is a fancy way of saying guys with fishing poles, on the back of a boat, catch one fish at a time.

Capturing Wind In A Beer Bottle

 
Ah, the sights, sounds and smells of Memorial Day weekend (that unofficial start to summer) from concerts, festivals, parades and, oh yeah, barbecues. And what complements your favorite holiday BBQ edibles to nosh more than beer.

With food and beer alcohol pairings on the rise*, 2009 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event exhibitor New Belgium Brewing Co. really does put “new” back in all-things beer, food, flavor and fun (responsibly, of course). Are you still searching for the perfect beer and backyard barbecue recipe pairing? Check out New Belgium’s “fat” –- yes, these guys and gals are the makers of Fat Tire ale -- menu of pairing suggestions to make this Memorial Day a frothy splash.

New Belgium Brewing gets high marks from us for becoming the first wind-powered brewery. Kudos to these brewmasters for their trailblazing efforts to go and grow “green.” Learn how you too can help the planet.

For starters, trade in your car, tap the inner-cyclist in you and hit the Tour de Fat trail blowing into a city near you soon. Find out this year’s schedule. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Chicago, July 11th (who knows, perhaps Portland, Ore. too, August 15th).

If you’re in search of a frenzy of flavors and taste pairings beyond beer, scope out these other food-alcohol match-ups.

Source: National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot in 2009" chef survey

Pancake Stacks at the Press of a Button

 
Smaller than a household microwave and faster than a speeding bullet, POPCAKE®, the world’s first automated pancake making machine revealed itself to the commercial foodservice industry at NRA Show 2009. The “pop-cake” maker will be available for the first time in the U.S. (August 2009). Be on the lookout for this gem as it “pops” up at a hotel, club or resort near you.

David Walsh, of POPCAKE Food Service Products Limited says, “I have no doubt that it will not be long before POPCAKE machines become a commercial kitchen standard.”

We here at Floored! certainly hope so, the pancakes are super yummy and fast!

Since its international debut and launch, it’s already proven a winner. These bad boys are up and running in many top hotels, airline lounges and theme parks around the world, including Marriott Hotels, Qantas Airline Lounges and Hong Kong Disneyland.

The POPCAKE machine cooks fresh, 97% fat-free, hotcakes at the press of a button without the use of fats or oils. And the mix of varieties ranging from sweet, buckwheat and gluten-free options in addition to a growing assortment of savory mixes with real fruit toppings made them an attendee fan favorite.

Stay tuned for more hot new products & services making their debut at NRA Show 2010 in Chicago.

Photo credit: Food Channel

Kitchen Innovations: hot, green and versatile

We took a step into the Kitchen Innovations (KI) Pavilion, where the future is now. Among the 18 cutting-edge KI Award winners in the pavilion this year, three caught or eye off the bat:

• The hot: There it was, sitting tantalizing before us: hot pizza, made from fresh dough. And Kevin Fox of Advanced Composite Materialsis telling me it cooked in less time than it would take us to eat a couple of slices? Clearly this man has not seen us at Giordano's, but when he tells me that means 2-3 minutes, I conceded that perhaps we had a fair fight. The magic is thanks to a ceramic composite microwave heat-able oven insert called Silar, which reaches 700 degrees in 7-10 seconds. It's available both as a grill and a flatstone.
• The green: The Somat Companywas showcasing the eCorrect Waste Decomposer, an automated waste system. Put your organic refuse in at the end of the night, and 14 hours of maceration, heat and dehydration later it will be reduced by up to 90% of its volume. All that's left is a sanitized, organic "hummus soil amendment." It looked like mulch or compost to us. Whatever you call it, it was a lot more pleasant (and cheaper to haul) than a dumpster full of food scraps, and a lot faster than traditional composting.
• The versatile: We're guessing that when he was a kid, Viking Range CorporationEngineer Chris May was a lego guy. Actually, judging from the Modular Range Design he was showcasing, he probably still is. He showed us the mix-and-match design, where range, where range-tops, ovens, grills, cabinets, refrigerated cases, counters can be fit together whichever permutation fits a particular operation's needs. The units seem solidly built and are definitely still commercial grade, and posses that distinctive Viking aesthetic.

Bits & Bytes Heard at NRA Show 2009

We have you covered on things overheard from the show floor at this year's NRA Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event.

Restaurant and hospitality industry operators consistently reported NRA Show 2009 was the place to find solutions and inspiration in this economy.

• "This is the place to come and see everything in one shot.” -Robert Forrester, Restaurant Industry Solutions
• “I’ve already found some ideas that I’m going to take back and take a very serious look at.”
  - Kim Lopdrup, Red Lobster
• “When you come here, you come to be inspired.” -George McNeill, Ritz Carlton Hotels
• “Look at this, it's great! Even in this ‘recession,’ this place is doing well. It's good to see this many people at this year’s NRA Show.” -Ming Tsai, chef/owner of Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Mass.
• “Now more than ever is the time to get busy on our business. We can't shut our doors. At this point, it’s all about the competition and staying ahead and this [the NRA Show] is a great resource.”  -David Starr, operating vice president of restaurants, Bloomingdale's
• “Within the restaurant industry, it is about creating brand differentiation for your customers. In other words, what will make your restaurant and brand stand out from the competition. The National Restaurant Association show provided this year’s attendees with strategic insights into achieving that brand differentiation - a critical must-have in today’s environment.” -Bill Whitman, Jr., vice president of communications, McDonald’s USA

No whining about swine at NRA Show [2009]: Ethnic, eco-friendly vibes in the air at annual food show

 
H1N-what?
Pork in all its glorious forms was on the menu last weekend at McCormick Place at the National Restaurant Association's annual industry meeting, which ended Tuesday.

The plethora of pork products -- served with a healthy dose of optimism from companies looking for new business -- made swine flu seem but a distant memory.

"We were asking ourselves if [swine flu] was going to affect us, but not so much," said Guillermo Trias of Solex Partners, the Chicago-based importer of jamon Iberico de bellota, the prized ham from Spain. Import restrictions on Iberico ham into the United States were lifted just last year.

Trias, a tall, effusive Spaniard, on Saturday was nearly beside himself with excitement as he pulled from a cooler the product making its U.S. debut at the show -- fresh Iberico meat.

"This is the new Kobe beef," Trias said. "We have booked orders from [the restaurants] Custom House, Carnivale, Avenues."

2009 Culinary Scene Wrapup

 
Well, the Culinary Scene, the NRA Show's interactive cooking demonstration area, is done for another year after showcasing master butchers, world renowned chefs and personalities, innovative cuisine and even the winner of our very own Hot Chef Grilling Challenge, Kristina Vänni.

We caught up with Vänni after her demonstration, where she prepared grilled arctic char with maple dijon glaze, a salad of cucumber, fennel and radish, and grilled Finnish bread cheese. Oh and a lingonberry-cardamom martini to wash it down. Vänni said she "really got into it as it went on. So many people showed up!"

Earlier, Vänni enjoyed making the rounds on the NRA Show floor, even scoring a new chef's jacket to wear for the event, but it her biggest kick came from operating in the demo kitchen. "It was an absolute thrill to be up here on this stage that has been shared by so many great chefs," she said. Who did she mean? We're glad you asked!

• Where's the beef? Each day featured a different "profitable protein" theme, showcasing new cuts and new recipes for traditional cuts of meat. Saturday featured butchery demonstrations from Marty Carpenter from the Beef Information Centre and cooking demonstrations from Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill and Tobolobampo and Stephanie Izard, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef.
• Pig out. Sunday the focus turned to pork, with butchery demonstrations from Amy Shoup Mennen of Shoup’s Country Foods, Inc. and cooking demonstrations by Marcus Samuelsson, Aquavit, Riingo and and C-House and Chris Cosentino from Boccalone and Incanto.
• On the Lamb. Monday was the day for dinner dressed in sheep's clothing. Well, until butchery demonstrations from Evandro Caregnato, culinary director, Texas de Brazil, that is. Radhika Desai, Season Five contestant on Bravo'sTop Chef and Aaron McCargo Jr., host of Food Network’s Big Daddy’s House provided the cooking demonstrations.
• Game on. Tuesday was the day for small game, beginning with a butchery demonstration from Coleman Natural Foods followed by a cooking demonstration from Erick Williams of MK The Restaurant and the aforementioned Vänni.