Michael Pollan Talks Processed Food, Organics in MN

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Food author and activist Michael Pollan, author of ‘In Defense of Food’ is visiting the Twin Cities this week to talk food. Local newspaper, The Star Tribune, had a chance to speak with Pollan yesterday regarding his food activism.

Here are a few of my favorite bits from the interview:

Q: With the recent contamination scares, people may be feeling a sense of security in processed foods, which are exactly what you argue against. How do you respond?

A: A lot of people think processed food is safer because it’s so sanitized, but that really means that everything’s been killed. It’s dead. There’s definitely a fear coming of food grown in the soil, which is really sad. A lot of the problem with produce comes in the processing.

People are relying on companies washing fresh lettuce and putting it in a bag with an 18-day shelf life instead of doing it themselves. The consumer should assume that whenever they outsource food preparation, there’s a certain amount of risk involved. Not that you’re always going to get it right yourself, but the scale of the problem is a lot smaller.

Q: With people looking to stretch their food dollars, is the message to eat organically and locally, which often means more expensively, losing steam?

A: I’ve heard contradictory things. I know Whole Foods is struggling, but I’ve also talked to people who make organic food, and they’re doing just fine. This spring, we’ll see what happens in the farmers markets.

You can read the rest of Pollan’s interview here!

Concerned about your food safety? Check out my tips for keeping yourself, and your family, safe from food contamination.

Weekly Food Newsbits: Goodbye Bruni, Grow My Restaurant, Bon Appetit Dinner Sweepstakes

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

A few of our favorite weekly foodie newsbits:

Oy! Whatever will we do without Bruni? In case you missed it, the big food news of the week is regarding New York Times and Diner’s Journal writer Frank Bruni. According to the Times announcement, after five years at his regular post, Bruni is leaving to focus on personal writing projects, like his upcoming memoir, and settling into more of a writer-at-large role for the Times’s Sunday magazine. Needless to say, food blogs across the interweb are all a-twitter, not only with the announcement but as to who will be replacing the revered reviewer. It’s a Bruniocalypse, according to Eater New York!

Mega-company PepsiCo announced the launching of a new website to assist restaurateurs in growing their business during these difficult economic times. According to Restaurant News Resource, GrowMyRestaurant.com was developed ‘to assist foodservice operators…by providing information and tools via a one-stop shop that address an operator’s most pressing needs — such as driving traffic, growing average check, managing employees and understanding their customers and competition.’

What could be better than reading Bon Appetit? Having them buy you dinner! The Bon Appetit Now website is currently running a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will win a $250 dinner-for-two gift certificate at the restaurant of your choice! I suppose it could be a dinner for one, or even four, depending on how much you (or your companions) can scarf down! Good luck!

Notes from 2009 Terroirs et Signatures de Bourgogne Tasting

Posted by R.K. Gella

To characterize the mood as sober would be slightly inappropriate, yet the peculiar listlessness during the second leg of the Terroirs et Signatures de Bourgogne trade tasting seemed only partially due to the late April showers and the evident jet lag that plagued several of the winemakers.

The new year hasn’t afforded much optimism for the wine industry – aligning in trend with other luxury markets, art, retail and real estate – while predicting a longer timeline for rectification. Late last month importers and investors where in Bordeaux for the campagne primeur, sampling the wines of the 2008 vintage, and negotiating the prices of en primeur, or wine futures.

However, the usual participants, those who extravagantly ran up wine futures in the decadent ‘80’s – hint: two parts, the first part containing “Wal”, but certainly not Wal-Mart – were noticeably absent this year, wearing their Ferragamo belts two notches tighter these days, their purchasing power stifled by the lagging economy.

The atrophy of demand and objections to honor astronomical prices – a case (12-bottles) of Château-Lafite Rothschild, a first-growth Bordeaux, went for £2,800 on the futures market in 2007 (this was down from a titanic year in 2005 when a case went for £4,000) – has left winemakers, merchants and farmers reason for critical concern. Prices need to come down if their market is to survive. But it hasn’t, at least not yet, especially for Bordeaux and Burgundy, the king and queen of the wine world.

If value is conditional on quality, the logic would be for price to maintain proportionality to the integrity of the product, but those wheels fell off decades ago. While we can debate quality from vintage to vintage there seems to be no arguing the inflating price tag.

In New York City, wine directors and sommeliers have been cribbing notes from David Copperfield, trying to make product disappear. Two-for-ones, half-priced, reduced priced, 15%, 20%, 25% discounts. One establishment has even opened up to the conditions of a Lower East Side flea market allowing diners to haggle with the sommelier on wine purchases.

This anxiety to sell wine, present in both the restaurant and retail industry, would perceptibly commandeer an alteration in business strategy on behalf of Bordeaux and Burgundy winemakers, but in reality there has been only a fragmental budge, seemingly a consolation offering as opposed to an economic overhaul.

In the meantime, casual drinkers and value conscious wine aficionados can take advantage of crumbling prices on the lower end of the market, particularly from burgeoning venues such as Argentina, Bierzo (Sp.), Mercurey (Burgundy, Fr), and Austria and sample reasonably priced wines form a series of new bio conscious winemakers.

Note: to the bottle of 1962 Chateau Cheval Blanc resting quietly in the basement of the 21 Club, I’m still waiting patiently on my Wal-Mart stocks to spike.

Starbucks Reports 77% Drop in Quarterly Earnings

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Ouch! Is Starbucks headed in the way of the big 3 auto dealers? After raking in cash, and expanding exponentially over the last few years, the coffee giant has been hit hard by the challenging economy.

This week, Starbucks announced that their second quarter earnings for 2009 saw a 77% decline in quarterly earnings, with the average customer spending 3% less per transaction. The company noted, however, that their reduction and reorganization plans had saved the company $120 million for the quarter. Owner Howard Schultz remains confident that Starbucks is headed in the right direction.

“Our focus on delivering value while staying true to the premium quality and values of the brand is paying off,” said Schultz.

In an effort to stave off slumping sales, Starbucks closed nearly 800 stores over the course of 2008, while trying to lure in customers with new coffee brewers and smoothies. By the end of 2008, Schultz was encouraged that his coffee brand would continue to grow.

NY Times’ Bruni Suggests Moving Bread to the Menu

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Author Frank Bruni has a great post today on his New York Times blog, Diner’s Journal, commenting on the recent move of many restaurants to begin charging for their ‘extras’, namely the standard bread and butter.

It seems many diners have a problem with being charged for items that were previously complimentary, so Bruni tries to take an alternate view, suggesting that more restaurants charge for bread and other assortments. He offers that perhaps, with charging for such items, you’d receive a higher quality of item, rather than the kitchen leftovers. He refers to the bread and butter starter listed on the Momofuku Ssam menu:

Here’s it’s $8 for those people who really care about bread and butter and are really planning on eating this bread and butter. Everyone else can simply move on to the next menu item.

I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment of many restaurant visitors who would rather pay for the bread and butter (and other complimentary items) when they wanted it, rather than having bread service included in the entree prices.

Moreso, the reason restaurants are needing to charge for such items is certainly because the lack of overall menu sales. By reducing pricing on main menu items, and eliminating the ‘free’ stuff, restaurants will inevitably save more money at the bottom line. I say absolutely!

Weekly Newsbits: GMOs in Your Kitchen, Swine Flu Renamed, Restaurants Resume Hiring!

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

A few of our favorite newsbits from today:

Rose over at A Little Bit of Green (which I found via Twitter from Real Food Media) has a great list of seven products you have in your kitchen that may be genetically-modified. I’m pretty surprised to see natural cleaning products on the list.

What do you do when there’s an unkosher flu going around? You rename it! Israel’s Health Minister, Yakov Litzman, has renamed the swine flu. I’m not sure if it helps or if it just offends a whole new group of people.

Could it be? Is it true? Nation’s Restaurant News is reporting that hiring is on the rise within the food and beverage industry. Though it’s still a bit low, at least 20% of restaurant managers who participated in a recent industry survey said they plan on adding to their staff over the next year.

What Food Items Are Surviving The Economy?

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Fast Company’s Anne Lee recently did a great rundown of what’s still hot in the food and beverage industry despite the economic downturn, complete with handy-dandy graphs.

What’s not selling? According to Lee:

• Bakeries
• Movie theatre concessions
• Coffeehouses
• Organic food

Though I’m disappointed, I’m not surprised at all to see organics on the list. Despite local production and lack of traditional pesticides, organics are still, surprisingly, the highest priced items in the store (or on the menu).

What’s hot these days? Instant food like macaroni & cheese, sandwich fixings, and brew-it-yourself coffee. Why? Experts say it’s the ‘comfort food’ factor.

It hits the spot when people are “feeling at home or feeling miserable,” says [Bill Patterson, a senior analyst at consumer market research firm Mintel].

Going Organic On Earth Day

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Organics, sustainability, ‘locovores’, oh my! In honor of today’s Earth Day celebrations, I’ve compiled a small pile of newsbits with a green focus. Remember – you don’t have to think about sustainability just one day a year. Reduce, reuse, recycle every day! Be cognizant of your carbon footprint, from your car to your lunch! Encourage your favorite restaurants to utilize locally produced, organic food stuffs. Build a composter in your own backyard! The environmental-friendly possibilities are endless. Happy Earth Day!

Today’s Los Angeles Times has a great article on ‘tackling the ethics of eating’. From buying local to producing food in your own backyard, you can incorporate sustainability with every meal. Love that steak dinner? According to author Mark Bittman, “Eating a typical family-of-four steak dinner is the rough equivalent, energy-wise, of driving around in an SUV for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home.” Ouch.

Thinking about developing your own organic garden? The Wall Street Journal’s Neal Templin takes a look at just how much money you can save by producing your own veggies at home. Especially in these tough economic times, a garden space may just the money-saver you’re looking for. Even the Obamas are doing it!

CNN also took a look at the benefits of buying your food items from local producers. Supporting regional farms and farmers by becoming a ‘locovore’ can help to reduce your family’s carbon footprint, not to mention the advantage of knowing how your food is being produced, from pesticide use to distribution.

Finally, as I’ve preached to many other restaurant and food service owners, offering a sustainable, earth-friendly business can oftentimes edge out your competitors. Nation’s Restaurant News reported on a recent study finding that 73% of consumers are purchasing ‘green’ products when making their buying choices. This includes supporting companies with sustainable business practices as well as providing recycled items, biodegradable items, and, of course, organics. Just keep your eyes open for greenwashing!

Weekly Newsbits: Best Burger Joints, Restaurant Cleanliness, Eating Like the Clintons

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Woohoo! Here are a few culinary newsbits to round out this week:

CNN has a quick article on five favorite burger joints around the country that are a do-not-miss. As a self-proclaimed burger connoisseur, I have to say their list is a bit too short for me, not to mention missing out on the tasty burger spots around the Pacific Northwest. Steakburger, anyone?

President Clinton’s former White House chef, David Macfarlane, and his wife went against the economic grain and opened their first restaurant recently in Minneapolis, MN. At L’Ecosse, you’ll find a more UK-centric comfort food menu, with breakfast and lunch items under $10. I only snickered a little when the article mentioned that the Macfarlanes were hoping for more family time after David’s high-profile cooking gig. Silly restaurateurs.

Yesterday, I posted an article on Accidental Hedonist about the importance of restaurant cleanliness when it comes to the dining decision. Spurred by a video of McDonald’s disarray in Australia, many have chimed in on whether restaurant hygiene really determines their eating habits. Either way, I’m still not touching a food cart, no matter how good the food looks.

Stay tuned next week when I cover my visit to Seattle’s Union restaurant, where chef Ethan Stowell has been nominated for a regional James Beard Award for Best Chef. (I’m always curious if the food is really worth the award!) I’ll also have our exclusive interview with Food Network’s Tyler Florence!

Twitter To Help Expand Restaurant Business?

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Nation’s Restaurant News noted this week that in an effort to help build business in this dismal economy, some restaurants are turning to new technology, like Twitter, to help bring in customers.

According to the article, restaurants like Fado’s Irish Pub, are noticing that customers are more apt to read the shorter, sweeter Twitter messages than click through email newsletters or marketing blasts. At a limit of 140 characters,  Twitter gets the message out to everyone subscribed to the restaurant’s feed, and according to many, the use of new technology is the only way to keep bringing in business. Reaching nearly 9000 customers electronically, through the use of Facebook, Twitter, email, and text messages, Fado’s Director of Marketing, John Piccirillo, thinks it’s imperative that restaurants are able to adjust to the changing times.

“Ten years ago in e-mail marketing, we’d see a 90-percent open rate and a 30-percent click-through rate. It was new, and it grabbed them. People paid attention in a way they wouldn’t with TV or radio….Using Twitter for customer service—monitoring every time somebody writes ‘Fadó’ or ‘Guinness’ and dedicating resources to follow up—has been a huge win for us,” Piccirillo said. “We can answer basic customer service questions from ‘where is the pub’ to ‘what time does the band come on,’ and customers think: ‘Wow, they’re paying attention. This is cool.’”

While I certainly agree that the food service industry needs to adjust as necessary, I still believe that today’s technology, like Facebook, Twitter, and even email marketing, will only work efficiently for restaurant owners if your demographic is tech-savvy.