Floored! NRA Show 2009 News

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!

Vote for Your Hot Chef

 

The Hot Chef Grilling Challenge competition is heating up now that all systems are go for YouTube™ users across the country to vote for their favorite three videos. Don't delay, voice your choice, make a decision and vote through Thursday, April 30th.

You could be sending the lucky winner to sweet home Chicago for a cooking demonstration showcase in the Culinary Scene area at NRA Show 2009.

Happy voting!

Not yet registered for NRA Show 2009? Register today and see the Hot Chef Grilling Challenge winner in action and so much more!

Seeing Green

 

Spring is in full bloom and Floored! is exploring our dark “green” side. Given that the restaurant industry is committed to doing the right thing for the environment, conservation is a top menu item.

With so much information out there on this topic, it makes it tough for restaurateurs to make sense of it all. So, many exhibiting companies at NRA Show® 2009 will showcase “green” and sustainable products and services. Also, a special series of green-focused education sessions will deliver information and tips you need to make your operation greener.

Additionally, several of the Kitchen Innovations™ Award recipients have eco-conscious features, and the Organic & Natural Pavilion will feature sustainable food and beverage options.

Among the thousands of products and services throughout the exhibit floor, there will be many “green” options at this year’s NRA Show, including: Big Green G, a revolutionary resource for restaurants to take green steps and for customers to find green businesses; PrimeWare by PrimeLink Solutions, LLC offers biodegradable tableware (along with several other exhibitors) made from bagasse (sugarcane) – this gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “now you see it, now you don’t,” and PureOFlow is changing the way restaurants and other foodservice businesses manage water needs (we also hear Pure Revolution's PureOFlow booth will feature a national drink recipe contest, an Austin Powers and other 60’s spy theme hi-jinks – groovy baby!).

The National Restaurant Association’s Conserve initiative, launched at last year’s NRA Show, offers these ten tips for sustainability: 1. Turn Off 2. Fix Leaks 3. Replace Lighting 4. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. 5. Unplug 6. Use Less Water 7. Train and Inform 8. Clean and Maintain 9. Remodel or Build Green 10. Look for the ENERGY STAR Label.

Are you registered for NRA Show 2009? Register by Friday, April 10 to save 50 percent!

Calling All Grillers!

 

We’re ready to roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. So, dust off your grill, grilling season is just around the corner, and take the Hot Chef Grilling Challenge on YouTube™ today.

People from all walks of life (from chefs to teachers to doctors to construction workers, etc.) are encouraged to grill it, fire it up, smoke it, sear it, scorch it or whatever you do best on the grill. This is your chance to show off your best recipes and mad cooking skills to the country (and world!). Don't forget you could also snag a tip or two to spice up your own grilling experiences this spring and summer.

Tell your Uncle Bob, friend, coworker or chef to submit a video on YouTube demonstrating their grilling prowess by April 24, 2009. Be sure to include at least one item from the National Restaurant Association’s "What’s Hot in 2009" chef survey -- also load up on other great food and beverage trend ideas too.  You could win a chance to show off your grilling recipe in NRA Show 2009’s Culinary Scene demonstration kitchen area May 19th in Chicago – president Obama’s hometown!

What are you waiting for?! Go ahead, get in on the action! YouTube users will vote for the top three submissions. Discover what people are saying about this exciting contest and more on the NRA Show Twitter and Facebook pages.

Pictured: 2008 Hot Chef Challenge Winner Keith Snow of Greenville, South Carolina

"Hot Dog Man" Serves Up 100-Year-Old Birthday Celebration

 

Legendary restaurant biz man Harry Heftman celebrated his 100th birthday at Harry's Hot Dogs in Chicago today along with Mayor Richard M. Daley, family, friends, loyal customers and long-time suppliers Coca-Cola and Vienna Beef.

Heftman's owned the restaurant since 1954 and continues to work at least 4 days a week (extraordinary!) serving good food, cheer and advice.

Floored! recently sat down with Chicago's iconic "Hot Dog Man."

Q: What has kept you going for so long?
A: I enjoy the work and making my customers happy.

Q: What will you do now that you are closing your restaurant? (Note: The building which dates back to the 1870s will make way in April for a city plaza.)
A: I want to take my family on a cruise.

Q: What words of wisdom can you give people who want to open a restaurant?
A: Keep it clean, give the people good food, smile and make them feel welcome.

Thank you very much for being a frequent visitor to the NRA Show over the years.

From all of us at Floored!...Happy Birthday Harry!

300 W. Randolph St. at Franklin Ave. (312-782-7386). Breakfast and lunch (Mon - Fri).

Photo credit: Joe O'Donnell, Chicago Tribune

Eat Your Heart Out

 

We all know Valentine's Day is one of those days that men love to hate and women, well, just love. It's a day that holds special meaning for the young and old at heart. And dining out is one of the most popular ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. So, embrace your love for this day and flirt with these restaurant ideas for a romantic night on the town.

This Valentine's Day enjoy a 3 course tasting menu with a sparkling wine toast at celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson's C-House in Chicago (check out Aquavit in New York too). The winter pear crisp with walnut ice cream and concord grape at C-House is our personal fave.

It comes as no surprise to us Chef Samuelsson made an appearance in the Celebrity Book Signings feature at the NRA Show in 2007. Celebrity chefs such as Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Cat Cora, Grant Achatz, Thomas Keller, Ming Tsai, Gale Gand and many more have had a love affair with the NRA Show as the industry's trend-setting destination for years.  

Also, The Signature Room at the 95th in Chicago's John Hancock Center will take your romance to new heights. Their lavish 4 course dinner includes a glass of Moët & Chandon champagne. As a participating restaurant in the International Back-of-the-House Restaurant Tour at NRA Show 2009, international guests attending this year's show are in for a treat.  

What are you waiting for? If music be the food of love, play on...or make a reservation at your favorite restaurant today!

Vino Cacao is coming to America

The buzz surrounding the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event is so loud it can be heard on the other side of the ocean.

Vino Cacao, the Paris-based manufacturer of chocolate Bordeaux wine and chocolate Cognac, is exhibiting at IWSB 2009. CEO Franck Maupouet, the chocolatier son of wine-grower family in France, hopes to expand distribution in the States. NRA Show's premier alcohol forum will provide him with numerous opportunities to connect with high-volume buyers from numerous industry segments.

Wine and chocolate — two products that invoke passion in all of us, right? Not only can you imbibe Vino Cacao at a cocktail party or other special occasion, but you can also infuse your culinary creations with it as well. View a menu of ideas from Vino Cacao here.

Franck, we look forward to see you in Chicago in May!

A, B, C, Tea

It's almost winter, and we're hunting for something that will warm both our bodies and calm our minds. So, we turn to tea.

Here's some information about this beloved beverage (thanks to Wikipedia):

• Tea contains fluoride.

• Sri Lanka exports 19 percent of the globe's tea.

• Tea consumption is greater than all other beverages combined.

• Rule of thumb for tea prep: the higher the quality of the leaves, the lower the water temperature.

• Milk, sugar, honey, lemon, jam, mint and alcohol are all considered suitable additives to tea. (Of course, it depends on the place and situation.

Last year many of the latest and greatest tea companies exhibited at NRA Show 2008. Some are already set to return next year. View the NRA Show 2009 exhibitor list, updated daily.