| What’s on the menu for 2010? |
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January 2010
Kitchen antics, however, aren’t all forward-thinking chefs and managers are up to. They’re as savvy as anyone about offering increased value during these tough economic times, and they’re gung-go about letting us know what they’re doing via Facebook and Twitter, which costs little and reaches fans who want to be notified on price breaks. “A restaurant must have in place a good, cost-efficient method of communicating to its customer base,” says Michael Whiteman, an international restaurant consultant with New York’s Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co., about how to lure in patrons whose wallets have thinned. A Slice Of LifeYou have to ask for it because it isn’t on the menu. You have to hit Luma on Park on the right night because the kitchen won’t make it when the staff is super-busy. And you have to be willing to shell out $22. For that you’ll get the signature Luma Pizza, Winter Park’s worst-kept culinary secret. Spoiler: It’s topped with eggs. As serious about artisan pizza as any cutting-edge chef, executive chef Brandon McGlamery discovered that egg is a common pizza topping in parts of Italy. He started fiddling around with his hand-tossed crust and farm-fresh bounty from Ocoee’s Lake Meadow Naturals — home to “heritage” chicken and ducks (breeds that haven’t been produced commercially in years) -- and came up a recipe for this pie that’s beloved by the city’s in-the-know diners. Here’s how it works: One cook, who stays with this appetizer from the time it’s prepared until it’s served, tops dough with the kitchen’s own guanciale (that’s unsmoked Italian ham made from pig jowls); either “house-stretched” mozzarella (that’s a fashionable term for homemade) or burrata (a mozzarella cheese that’s wrapped around mozzarella curd) and tomato. After about 20 minutes on a baking stone in a 520-degree oven, the cook pulls out the pie, paints the edges with olive oil (yes, with a paintbrush), drizzles on more olive oil, and tops it all with three poached-to-order ultrafresh eggs and arugula with a garlic dressing. Ricotta is sometimes added partway through the cooking process. You might want to sit at the kitchen counter when you order this so you can watch it being made. That’s No (Ordinary) BolognaSit for a meal at The Ravenous Pig’s “food bar” — a counter facing the kitchen — and you’ll share space with the Emiliomiti Mito 300. That new imported firetruck-red, hand-cranked meat slicer (list price: $4,250) is the staff’s pride and joy. “We shine a spotlight on it,” says sous chef Rhys Gawlak, “and we use the machine only for cured meats like prosciutto and salami. We can slice meat so thin that if you hold it up you can see through it.” Salami? Actually, that’s salumi, the trendy term for handcrafted pork items that in older days were called cold cuts. The Pig’s chefs take tremendous pride in their creations. “I believe our house-made charcuterie plate rivals charcuterie I have tried all over the United States, not to mention Spain,” boasts the usually humble chef Julie Petrakis, who owns the restaurant with her chef-husband, James. Gawlak plays with pigs’ hind legs the way children toy with Play-Doh. He’ll salt some of the meat and age it for prosciutto; that process takes a year and a half. For other pork products, he’ll mix the meat from other hind legs with a bacteria-based “starter culture,” flavor it, ferment it for a couple of days, then “dry” it in a special cooler for about two months. For us, that means a charcuterie platter that might have a spicy sausage laced with orange zest and cardamom, a savory Spanish-style chorizo, or perhaps a sweet sausage dotted with brown sugar and fennel. If you hit it right, you may be enticed to finally try head cheese, a jellied luncheon meat made with bits of meat from the animal’s head. It is so odd-looking that many Americans avoid it. “I made a brilliant one today; it’s awesome,” Gawlak said gleefully during an interview. Also on the platter are two cheeses of varying milks and textures, housemade pickles and pickled vegetables, whole grain mustard and grilled bread — sometimes topped with a spread of rendered whipped lardo (fatback) cured with lavender and fennel pollen. The Devil’s In The DetailsWhen Kathleen Blake joined the corporate team of Urban Flats in July 2008, she liked the menu but thought the restaurants were serving the wrong foods at the wrong times. “They shopped out of season so they weren’t getting the highest quality stuff, and they were paying astronomical prices,” explains the corporate executive chef, who was a pioneer in procuring locally produced fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs and meats as chef de cuisine at the Marriott Grande Lake’s restaurant Primo. “When I came in, I simplified the menu, looked for seasonal products and got a better price point.” Urban Flats, which has one of four corporate-run restaurants on Fairbanks Avenue in downtown Winter Park, still serves flatbreads and wine in a suave ambience, but now the food is a reason in itself to visit. Blake is working on buying yet more ingredients from local purveyors for the local businesses’ menus; she’ll encourage franchisees in other markets to do the same. Take the fall menu’s Urban Green Eggs and Ham. That’s a whiz kid’s take on the traditional deviled egg: Eggs from Ocoee’s Lake Meadow Naturals are hard-boiled. The yolk is blended with greens such as parsley and dill plus other classic “salsa verde” ingredients including capers and anchovies. Mustard is mixed in, and crispy pancetta, an Italian ham, is placed on top. Aiming to get more greens from local soil, Blake has hooked up with Longwood-based Charity Farms, which is planning to grow items specifically for Urban Flats. In return, Urban Flats will give a percentage of sales of dishes using Charity Farms items back to the organization, which funds programs for neighbors in need. (Another Charity Farms organic farm raises items for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.) From tomatoes to potatoes, Blake will use what the farm grows to best advantage, from a crisp summer salad in July and a vibrant corn chowder in autumn to a creamy potato soup in winter. Charity Begins At HomeRestaurants have long contributed to fundraisers’ ubiquitous “silent auctions,” donating, say, a $20 gift certificate that will go to the highest bidder. But now chefs are taking their generosity to the next level, donating in-home dinners for the winners and their guests. In Winter Park, Brio Tuscan Grille has been a leader in this type of endeavor. In 2009 executive chef Ryan Blackburn offered up 10 — 10! — such dinners to supporters of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. (He’d offered only a couple the year before). Each winner spent from $800 to $1,500 for the meal, which fed 10 to 12 people. “The host can actually relax and have a great time,” says Blackburn, “and it’s almost like a night off for me.” Similar offers for other charities have reaped up to $3,000 bids. Blackburn and a server arrive with the ingredients, wine, knives, pots and pans. They assemble the food in the hosts’ kitchens — which, unfortunately, often have electric stoves that Blackburn isn’t used to — and serve each course on the homeowners’ dishes. Some items are right off Brio’s dinner menu, while others, like a risotto with jumbo sea scallops, are custom-designed for the party. “We’re a big part of this community, and we want to help as much as possible,” Blackburn says, noting that he plans to offer more meals for Central Florida charities in 2010. The Price Is RightThe whole nation cut back its spending when the economy tanked a year ago, and even Winter Park’s most expensive restaurants are offering special values to keep their seats filled. We can find $70 meals for $30 if we watch for promotions. “The reason for such low pricing is clear enough,” observes restaurant consultant Whiteman. “There aren’t enough tushies in the chairs, and there’s a payroll to be met.” He cites overbuilding as part of the cause. “The real problem is that for the last six [or so] years, more luxury restaurant seats were created than wealthy people, and now restaurants are left with tangible restaurant facilities, of which there was an excess even before the boom came to a halt. That's why you see such desperation pricing. But, hey, the same thing occurred in real estate, yes?” Still, restaurateurs hope to profit off their specially priced meals, he notes. “The expectation is that customers coming for a low-ball dinner will order a drink and have some wine, both of which can move the total check into profitability.” It’s scary for upscale places to discount their products, Whiteman admits, because owners fear the action might “damage their image” or bring in the “wrong people,” but he thinks that, handled in “subtle and sophisticated ways,” the core customer base will remain. “They won’t come as frequently and they won’t spend as much, but they’ll stick with you, whereas the bargain-seekers won’t return once menus are repriced to reflect good times [which are bound to return someday].” Here Is A Sampling Of Local Places Where You Can Dine And Save:Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Winter Park Village: If you’ve forfeited the upscale steak house’s masculine feel and doting service for budget reasons, get a fix at the bar. A new Bistro Menu, with items priced $9 to $18, includes a sliced filet topped with Béarnaise sauce served on garlic toast with a side of hand-cut fries; a carpaccio-encased "surf-and-turf" sushi-like roll; sliders on buttery buns; and crab cakes with spicy mayonnaise. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. nightly. Rocco’s Italian Grille, 400 S. Orlando Ave.: Entrees often reach into the $30s at Rocco’s, but as of January 2010 you can dine at the Italian restaurant more affordably through four options: four-course dinners for $29.95; lower prices on many existing menu items (for example, veal scaloppini with roasted red peppers, prosciutto and fontina is now $23 instead of $26); lower-priced menu items such as chicken Milanese for $15 to $18; and “small plates” at the bar. Café de France, 526 S. Park Ave.: Swearing they “didn’t touch the quality of our products,” the owners of Café de France offer new value in three ways: trimmed menu prices; half portions on some dinner entrees (gorgonzola-topped filet mignon, for example, is now $20 for the mini, $29 for the traditional serving); and birthday and anniversary gift certificates of $10 for lunch or $25 for dinner for folks on the restaurant’s mailing list. Take-out meals are now 10 percent off. Park Plaza Gardens, 319 S. Park Ave.: Honoring its 30th anniversary, this Park Avenue mainstay offers three-course monthly dinners for $30, with at least two choices per course. Beginning in January, lunch and dinner menus will feature specially priced entrees every day. Luma on Park, 290 S. Park Ave.: The restaurant is offering a three-course tasting menu Sunday through Thursday is $35. Social StudiesWith even one 20-something employee and a computer, any restaurant can market itself using the so-called “social media.” It’s free, and it’s a great way to stay in fans’ minds. On Facebook and MySpace, users set up “pages” with information such as menu items, hours and a Web site link, while Twitter devotees post news in 140 characters or less that “followers” might see. With both formats, restaurants from smoothie shops to fine-dining establishments can let guests know about the day’s specials, send a coupon or just chat — which many do. “There are more than 500 million Facebook users, and 65 million people use it on mobile devices,” says Jeff Ente, an Internet marketing consultant and publisher of Who’s Blogging What?, an e-newsletter for social media professionals. In other words, restaurants can reach a lot of customers – at their desks or while they’re strolling out of a movie at Winter Park Village – with one quick post, and locals can learn what’s new at their favorite dining spots. “Chefs can let folks know that they just got in a Chilean sea bass, for example,” Ente notes. “Twitter is more for fast food type places. In some instances, you can even place an order, i.e. “@tacostand, be there in 5 minutes make me a beef burrito.” The 173 “members” of Pannullo’s Italian Restaurant’s “group” were informed of a seasonal special in November. “The Ribs are Roasting the potatoes are mashed. $10.95 deal of the week,” a message was titled. “That's right. The prime rib dinner is being served tonight at Pannullo's for only $10.95. Come in and join us for the best deal in town.” On a another evening, Cheesecake Factory “fans” were told about an “exclusive” offer: “Receive $10 off shipping on any 10-inch cheesecake ordered online now through 11/30. Use promo code FACE10.” Facebook and MySpace posts can be musings, specials or photos. “It’s like a mini blog,” Ente says. Four Rivers Smokehouse on Fairbanks Avenue, for example, posted information on its opening promotion, followed up with photos of the ribbon cutting, and customers wrote in positive comments about the food. Here’s a sampling of Winter Park area restaurants using Facebook and Twitter.
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Let’s face it. Winter Park will never be Los Angeles when it comes to setting food trends. But there’s impressive creativity going on in our restaurant kitchens, and much of that’s right in line with culinary movements in the country’s most sophisticated urban centers. There’s Urban Flats hooking up with a local farmer to grow organic greens, Luma on Park producing what may be the most artfully put together pizza in Central Florida, and The Ravenous Pig curing hams with the kind of love usually reserved for child-rearing.
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