NRA Show Blog

A balancing act...

By NRA Show Hot Chef Challenge Winner Jeremy Hanlon

I have always been fascinated with the art of putting together a great movie cast. Granted, many rush to a movie to see a particular celebrity. However, if you don’t have the witty sidekick, the bitter enemy or a sexy spy that add a dynamic contrast, the movie falls flat.

I tend to use this same reasoning when I’m creating new dishes. I always begin with a "star attraction.” That special ingredient with so much flavor it deserves the part. I create the majority of my recipes while walking through a market, so the star of the show is usually the freshest product I can find.

The other day I was visiting my local fishmonger, Joe, and he had some amazing fresh scallops. Since I love the briny, slightly sweet flavor of scallops, it was a no-brainer for me to use this as the star of my dish. Scallops are one of those foods that can be very tricky to purchase if you are not familiar with the product.

Where's the gaztro-wagon?

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The food truck craze sweeping across the country has its sights set on Chicago. Chef Matt Maroni’s long-anticipated Gaztro-Wagon food truck makes its first stop selling naan-wiches today on Randolph Street at Millennium Park.

Back in April 2010 (see article “Food Trucks Roll Into NRA Show 2010”), we reported that food trucks are taking America’s food-loving streets by storm – everywhere from New York City to Los Angeles and Milwaukee to Austin and Portland, Ore. and all points in between.

Everyone seems to be getting in the game these days. Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters 2 contender chef Ludo Lefevre’s LudoBites – in tandem with California-based MobiMunch – and Milwaukee’s Street-za Pizza food trucks rolled into the 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show's newly launched Food Truck Spot pavilion.

“The NRA Show really helped solidify for me that mobile street food is a growing movement and important for Chicago. We’re happy to help it move forward,” said Matt Maroni of Gaztro-wagon, located in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.

The gaztro-wagon is set to navigate Chicago’s streets daily on the hunt for hungry takers. Follow @wherezthewagon on Twitter or text GaztroWagon to 41411 for updates.

Magazine recognizes National Restaurant Association trade show executive as “on the cutting edge”

 
First-ever flash mob at NRA Show 2010

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

The National Restaurant Association’s executive vice president of convention, Mary Pat Heftman, recently sat down with Trade Show Executive columnist Bob Dallmeyer to dish about what puts the NRA Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) on the cutting edge of the industry. (Read the full article)

The magazine’s cover story has this to say about her: As the head of the annual NRA Show an active member of several industry associations, Mary Pat Heftman has earned her place with the leading figures in the trade show industry. Her tireless work with the industry team that helped bring much-needed labor reforms to McCormick Place was topped off by a successful early Summer show highlighted by an ambitious social-media program during the event. These heady successes have the NRA Show the cutting edge of the industry and poised to grow to who knows what heights?

National Restaurant Association launches daily e-newsletter

 
via NRA News Blog

The National Restaurant Association launched a new electronic newsletter today — the National Restaurant Association Edition of NRN a.m. Subscribers will get the latest industry news, updates from the Association, and and resources to boost business in their inbox for free each weekday morning.

"We are pleased to launch this daily newsletter, in partnership with Nation's Restaurant News, to keep you informed of the latest industry developments, legislative and regulatory updates, and tools and solutions to help grow revenues, increase profitability, and develop employees," said Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association president & CEO.

Last month, the Association announced a strategic partnership with NRN that includes the new e-newsletter, a monthly "NRA Insights" page in the magazine, and discounted magazine subscription rates for National Restaurant Association members.

Sign up to receive the National Restaurant Association Edition of NRN a.m. now.

Infinite Summer Pastabilities

By NRA Show Hot Chef Challenge 2010 Winner Jeremy Hanlon

Ask yourself what is your favorite thing to eat. It could be a favorite chocolate dessert, something you always loved growing up, possibly foie gras for those indulgent types, or maybe something as simple as the ripest, most flavorful peach.

Right now, my favorite thing to eat is PASTA! I am not talking about the stuff you buy in a box that has a 3-year expiration date, I am referring to fresh pasta – the kind that cooks in several minutes and absorbs every flavor your sauce brings to the table.

I think the overall consensus is that it's too much of a task to make. Well, I disagree! As a chef, I’ve been taught and experimented with countless techniques here in the U.S. and Europe (yes, Italy was one of the countries!) and my recipe yields the same result as standing over a sand castle of flour while delicately incorporating the egg with a fork, but it takes half the time. 

Pasta Dough: 
 
 
1 kilogram (1 bag) of PASTA “00” flour
9 whole large eggs
5 yolks
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon kosher salt

America's Top Ten Sweetest Spots Unwrapped

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Sweet tooth beware! Travel Web site TripAdvisor released yesterday the country’s top ten sweetest attractions. Travelers across America are sure to melt as they take in these sweet spots, including chocolate fountains, ice cream empires and jelly bean feasts.

Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania topped the list.

Two longtime National Restaurant Association, Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show exhibiting companies Coca-Cola’s New World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta (at no. 7) and Chicago’s Eli’s Cheesecake World (at no. 10) are among TripAdvisor’s top ten list.

Visitors at New World of Coca-Cola can explore the history of the world’s best-known brand, sample over 60 different products from around the globe, see the bottling line in action, and check out the world’s largest collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Eli’s Cheesecake World’s Chicago-style baked cheesecake has been making its mark across the U.S. and beyond for 30 years. Visitors can take in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes during a guided tour of the bakery and see the decorating department in action.

Sweetest Top 10 List:

1. Tantalizing Treats: Hershey’s Chocolate World, Hershey, Pennsylvania
2. Colorful Confectionery: Jelly Belly Factory Tour, Fairfield, California
3. Goodies Galore: Food on Foot Tours, New York City, New York
4. Magical Munchies: M&M’s World, Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Icy Indulgence: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Waterbury, Vermont
6. Decadent Delights: Gourmet Walks, San Francisco, California
7. Fizzy Fun: New World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, Georgia
8. Fantasy Fountain: Bellagio Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
9. Scrumptious Sweets: Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory, Daytona Beach, Florida
10. Divine Desserts: Eli’s Cheesecake World, Chicago, Illinois (Blogger's note: See "Eli's Cheesecake Company Celebrates 25th Anniversary" blog post, May 21, 2010)

Perfect summer toppings for grilled flat-breads

 
By Chef Jeremy Hanlon

With the dog days of summer in full swing across the country, many of us are looking for ways to beat the heat. However, I will personally endure whatever temperature is thrown my way as long as the season comes with ripe tomatoes! Whether they are Jersey, local heirloom, baby, hybrid etc. - I do not care, I love 'em all!

I grew up in New Jersey and remember the summer dinner table always having corn on the cob and tomato slices on it. The corn was grilled with butter and the tomatoes were simply sliced and seasoned.  This is why I love enjoying the simplicity of a vegetable during its season. The star qualities are there to enjoy, without trying to mask flavors or over complicate a dish with multiple ingredients.

Even today, I always think of the summer months as a time to grill and not overheat your kitchen and house, even though I currently live in Florida and it always feels like summer, plus or minus some humidity … alright, plus or minus a lot of humidity! One of my favorite snacks or starters to a meal is a grilled flat-bread recipe I created, which I use milk and olive oil in. It allows you to prep your ingredients in the comfort of your air conditioning, cook everything on the grill while you enjoy a cool beverage or cocktail and then retreat to assemble your flat-bread back in the “lifesaving” temperatures of your home.

National Restaurant Association welcomes Michelin Guide to Chicago

 
From left: Chef Chris Koetke, dean, culinary arts, Kendall College; Chicago Mayor Richard Daley; Chris Moyer, manager, Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability, National Restaurant Association; and Jean-Luc Naret, worldwide director, Michelin Guide.

Every chef and restaurateur aspires to be recognized for culinary excellence, and one of the most sought-after acclaims is a listing in the prestigious Michelin guide. Restaurants and hotels in Chicago now have that opportunity; the famous dining guide announced it would publish "Michelin Guide Chicago 2011" this fall.

Guests at Tuesday's launch party at the Chicago Cultural Center yesterday included Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, chef/restaurateur Rick Bayless ... and the National Restaurant Association.

Chris Moyer, the Association's environmental sustainability expert and co-creator of Conserve Solutions Center at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show chatted with Daley about restaurants ramping up their "green" efforts and the NRA's Greener Restaurants education and recognition program set to launch this summer. The program is the newest addition to the Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative.

At the party, Jean-Luc Naret, worldwide director, Michelin Guide, told the Chicago Sun-Times that 10 inspectors had been secretly eating their way around the city for two years. He compared being a Michelin inspector to being in the CIA or witness-protection program. "The food is much better, of course," he told the newspaper. Read the Sun-Times article. He also described Chicago as unique among American cities, citing its reputation as a world-class tourism destination and stressing the importance of its treasured culinary traditions.

The MICHELIN guide is already published in 25 editions covering 23 countries, and additionally includes North America guides to New York City and San Francisco.

Original post via NRA News Blog

VIDEO: Restaurant Industry Update

May 2010 Restaurant Performance Index by National Restaurant Association.

The Restaurant Performance Index defined.
The National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index is a monthly statistical barometer that tracks the health of the restaurant industry. The Restaurant Performance Index is based on responses to the Association's Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, a monthly survey of restaurateurs nationwide on key indicators, including same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The Index consists of two components -- the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

Celebrating Bastille Day in the United States

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

In celebration of France’s Bastille Day, cities across the U.S., including Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles, will be hosting festivities mid-July with music, dancing and other entertainment.

Diners will enjoy special deals at French restaurants across the U.S. But before you hit that local bistro, why not beat the heat by visiting your local museum - it's a great way to keep cool and have fun.

Several wonderful exhibitions are taking place this month from coast to coast. At the Hyde Pack Art Center in Chicago, a large group exhibition entitled Spatial City: An Architecture of Idealism, will bring together an international, multi-generational array of artists with an emphasis on artists living in France such as François Morellet, Philippe Durand and many more. Taking it east coast, the retrospective, Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917, which has been showing at The Art Institute of Chicago, will travel to the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In San Francisco, the de Young is proud to be the only museum in the world to present two consecutive special exhibitions from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The first, Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay opened May 22 and will run through the beginning of September.

Vive la France!

Blogger's note: Tomorrow's edition of Floored! will serve up a delish Black Truffle Potato Salad recipe by 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show exhibitor Gourmet Attitude.