NRA Show Blog

A Gourmet Way to Embrace 2010

 
By Kristina Vanni

This year I was lucky enough to celebrate New Year's in style at the extraordinary Affinia Hotel Chicago, along with the culinary offerings of celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson's C-House restaurant. 
 
The recently renovated property features custom designed guest rooms with a bi-level entry that creates a residential feeling. I immediately felt right at home, and was very pleased with the array of features offered by the hotel. My favorite was the “pillow menu” (Buckwheat, Swedish Memory, Magnetic Therapy, Sound, Down and Hypo-Allergenic) where guests are offered a la carte sleeping options.
 
Upon leaving the hotel to explore the Magnificent Mile and to grab some lunch at Gino’s East next door, I was greeted by the attentive and knowledgeable concierge. He offered a “fast pass” to the front of the line at the iconic pizzeria, which proved priceless as I passed by the long line of diners waiting outside in the freezing Chicago cold!
 
The highlight of the Affinia Chicago is chef Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant, C-House. After dining at his restaurant Aquavit in New York City, I eagerly anticipated the decadent New Year’s Eve menu and wine pairings.

"Hot Chef" Fridays kick-off

by guest blogger Kristina Vanni

Hello, Floored! readers! It is an honor for me to bring you the first installment of “Hot Chef Fridays.” Each Friday for the remainder of 2009 I will be writing about simple and delicious seasonal cuisine, festive holiday fare and, of course, hot trends in the culinary world. 

For the past year I have been drawing upon the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot” in 2009 chef survey results when developing and testing recipes. I can’t wait for the 2010 list!  The Association’s survey of American Culinary Federation chefs is the industry’s ultimate culinary forecast. More than 1,600 ACF professional chefs nationwide ranked nearly 210 culinary items as a "hot trend," "yesterday's news" or "perennial favorite."
 
One of these “hot trends” for 2009 is “new” cuts of meat.  What does this mean exactly?  As far as I know, cows haven’t really changed, so how do we get “new” cuts of meat?  With research and creative innovations, butchers have found ways to break down parts such as the chuck and round into new cuts.  Flat iron steak, Denver steak, and the Petite Tender are just a few examples.  For more information on these new cuts, check out the Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association. There is also a wonderful article from The New York Times explaining how the Beef Board discovered these new cuts.

Re-inventing mobile food one tweet at a time

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Kogi BBQ was a smash hit when it rolled into Chicago for NRA Show 2009 this past May. As we reported in April, Chef Roy Choi and his team have set their sights on re-inventing the mobile food concept in an exciting manner.

The way in which they build their customer following might surprise you. Take note, Kogi was one of the first restaurant concepts (did we mention it’s a food truck?) to successfully harness the power of the social networking site Twitter to attract customers and keep them coming back for more.

Mobile food continues to gain in popularity across the country. With more than 100 known food truck brands now in the U.S., and sustainable customer growth potential in urban markets, this restaurant kitchen on wheels could be set for a long road-trip. Scout out Kogi and other food trucks on Twitter to find out where they will park next.

We appreciate that Kogi sees themselves as, "just your everyday LA taco truck that happens to use Twitter,” said Kogi BBQ spokesperson Alice Shin. However, this “everyday taco truck” uses social media so successfully, it’s quickly becoming the example to follow on more than just Twitter.

Photo by: Eric Shin

Guy Fieri Crowns "Hot Chef" Grilling Challenge Winner Next "Top Hog"

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

It comes as no surprise to us here at Floored! that celebrity chef and grilling master Guy Fieri crowned Kristina Vänni the National Pork Board’s “Next Pork Personality” after a live grilling showdown at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. After all, the National Restaurant Association recognized Vänni as the NRA Show 2009 “Hot Chef" Grilling Challenge winner back in May, 2009.

Vänni’s "Hot Chef" Grilling Challenge winning video submitted on the NRA Show YouTube™ channel featured her preparing maple-Dijon glazed grilled Arctic char with a cucumber, fennel and radish salad, grilled bread cheese with cloudberry preserves and a lingonberry-cardamom martini (yum!). Vänni received a trip to the NRA Show in Chicago and a spot in the Culinary Scene among top chefs and master butchers including Rick Bayless, Marcus Samuelsson, Chris Cosentino and many others.

“Not only did Vänni wow the judges with a presentation that would entertain any food fan, but she also brought an ‘off-da-hook’ recipe that really showcased the great flavor and versatility of my favorite protein – pork,” said Fieri.

The Price Is Right

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief
 
Housing for NRA Show® 2010, held May 22-25, 2010, and the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB), held May 23-24, 2010, in Chicago, Illinois is now open. NRA Show Official Housing is your ultimate go-to source to find great hotel deals that fit any travel budget.

This year’s hotel rates are irresistibly priced. NRA Show Official Housing gives you the ability to quickly and easily customize your search to view exclusive rates, property descriptions and current availability. A reduced hotel rate sheet will allow you to see exactly how much you’ll save over last year.

There are countless reasons that the NRA Show and IWSB will exceed your expectations. As the ultimate destination where the entire restaurant and foodservice industry comes together to discover the future, rub shoulders with industry leaders and megastars, and learn from leading experts and trendsetters, Chicago offers a tantalizing backdrop for the NRA Show.

Now Serving: "Early Bird" Registration

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Have you heard? A special “early bird” $30 discount rate for NRA Show 2010 and the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) is now available until December 1. We know what you're thinking, May is so far away, but it's really never too early to start planning your business moves for next year.

Think about it (come on, harder!), with only one trip, you can get a year's worth of ideas, products and solutions to help improve your business. With everything these two blockbuster events have going for them, you can't afford to miss NRA Show 2010 and IWSB.

"The NRA Show is huge and amazing. There's everything I love under one roof," said Stephanie Izard, chef and winner of Bravo’s Top Chef.

Eat Out America!

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Why cook when you can eat out and make every moment special? With more than 945,000 locations across America to eat, there's something for everyone...so, get a move on, you've got a lot of ground to cover! After all, enjoying food never goes out of style.

Here are Web sites to help you savor the moment or simply just make the routine a little more interesting:

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food: A new site developed by the USDA launched this week to better connect consumers with local producers. Search here to find a Farmer’s Market near you.

Healthy Dining: The National Restaurant Association has teamed up with Healthy Dining online to help consumers source healthy options on menus nationwide. You can search for restaurants by zip code and price range. Now that’s healthy made easy!

Dining Guides: A menu of national dining guides is only a keystroke away from your next dine-out experience.

Eating Smart: Practical tips to help you watch your calories during a night out on the town.

Lights! Camera! Action!

 
By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

A recent CNN.com article about what celebrities bring to the table in the culinary world piqued our curiosity. Does the combination of chefs and celebrities truly make for a perfect pairing? We put that question to two of the country’s top chefs.

Bravo TV’s celebrated “Top Chef Masters” winner and NRA Show fan favorite Rick Bayless (chef/owner of Frontera Grill/Topolobampo/XOCO) commented, “I’m not sure. One thing I do know is that having a higher profile does help get folks through the front door, but that isn’t what keeps them coming back. That said, I really try to concentrate on what matters…not my status or how many times I am on TV.  I try to work on what I can control—great food with flavor going on every plate to every diner in any of my restaurants.”

Ming Tsai (chef/owner of Blue Ginger, host/executive producer of Simply Ming) said, “Celebrities are very passionate -- that's why they're celebrities, right? They had a dream and followed it to its ultimate peak. You need that to be in the restaurant industry -- it's not for the meek.  Plus, people who are passionate usually enjoy food, so it makes perfect sense that celebrities are drawn to restaurants. It's all about food and service at the end of the day, not the name on the door or the celebrity involved.”

Don’t be shy, read the CNN.com article, Rick Bayless and Ming Tsai’s thoughts and share with us what you think.

Interact with culinary superstars and celebrities in the Celebrity Book Signings area and other Show features at NRA Show 2010 (May 22-25, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place). Registration is now open.