Marine Stewardship Council

The horror of the Gulf Oil Disaster (it’s much past the term “spill”) has emphasized the fragile state of the world’s water and the species that live there.  It’s an interesting paradox that Chefs, who prepare fish in their restaurants, work to protect these same fish species and their eco systems.  On closer consideration, it’s logical that someone who cares deeply about the quality of the food they create also cares about the quality of and care given towards each of the elements they use.  The concern chefs have for seafood is why so many consult the Marine Stewardship Council when choosing what seafood to feature on their menu.

I was referred to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) by Corporate Chef Anthony Carron to answer some of my questions about seafood populations.  The MSC is the world’s leading certification and eco-labeling program designating sustainable seafood.  Their third-party reviewers apply the world’s most strict standards for sustainable fishing practices and seafood traceability to seafood markets around the world.  For their traceability standards, every business that handles the fish must pass the audit before the fish earns its sustainability seal.  In practice, the shorter the fish’s trip from water to chef—whether home or professional—makes it not only more fresh, but easier to certify that it upholds the MSC standards.  The MSC works with fisheries, retailers, chefs, and consumers to educate them on the benefits of MSC certification.  To ensure that the momentum continues for years to come they also work with children, school lunch programs, and also with developing countries—which supplies half of the world’s seafood.  And, to make it easy for consumers to support sustainable seafood, the MSC marks their approved seafood with this image:

Look for this logo designating sustainable seafood

Putting all the work of the MSC at your finger tips is their incredibly user-friendly and informative website.  Not only is it in eight languages, which speaks to their global influence, but is useful for both those in the industry and consumers.  I like exploring the map of certified fisheries.  Little bubbles mark MSC sustainable fisheries around the world; it’s an easy way to see what parts of the world are serious about sustainable fishing (hats off to those in those in the North Sea and consumers in Germany), and which parts need help.  By clicking on one of the bubbles, information about that fishery pops: fishery name, date certified and reassessed if applicable, species name (common and scientific), specific location, photo and a link to a more extensive page where you can track the fishery.  Tracking the fishery includes information on the number of fisheries, fishing methods, ability to download the case study that lead to certification, times of year for fishing, tonnage, commercial market locations, and fairly detailed information about that specific species.  Choose your country within the where to buy tab and you’ll see a list of companies and brands certified by MSC for consumers and suppliers for chefs.

Devastatingly permanent damage has already been done to the Gulf Coast.  We can help keep remaining populations throughout the world healthy with responsible environmental practices the help of the Marine Stewardship Council.

Because I love my Alaskan Salmon, and I betting you love your Patagonian Scallops, let’s help in the fight!

TES

SUMMER BRINGS HAPPY HOURS

I imagine living in Las Vegas is similar to being one of the behind the scenes guys at Disney World.  I smile and nod when people come to the realization that people live in Las Vegas, it’s not just a play ground.  I have a fairly steady stream of visitors.  Going to a meeting in one of the casinos, no matter the time in the day, I’m bound to pass a bridal party, someone in a bathrobe, a group in bathing suits, and at least one yard drink—neon colored plastic glasses 3 feet long filled with some adult beverage, with a strap to loop around your neck for added support.  Being in work clothes in a casino I usually allow myself and extra ten minutes to account for the times I’m asked by tourists, who assume I work there, to take group pictures and give directions.  During the summer it doesn’t get dark until after 9 pm, it’s still at least 90 degrees when I leave the office, and I want to pretend like I’m on vacation like all the people around me . . . dammit!  Enter, the glory of Happy Hour.

STRIPSTEAK has a prime spot near the Mandalay Bay pool (which includes a wave pool!) and has recently launched an “After Beach” Happy Hour.  The Happy Hour is nightly between 4 and 6 pm, which means you can enjoy it either on your way back from the pool, on the way to dinner.  Happy Hour features $3 bottles beers, $7 cocktails—including the Daily Mojito—and half-price lounge menu items.  With choices like half-price oysters, American Kobe Sliders, and Roasted Beets I am in danger of creating dinner out of Happy Hour . . . again.  If you want to make a meal of Happy Hour and you happen to be with one of those—usually a boy—who needs a designated entrée as part of his meal, STRIPSTEAK’s Angus Skirt Steak is also offered at half price during Happy Hour.

At MGM, whose Lazy River may be the perfect pool environment, SEABLUE’s Happy Hour runs Sunday to Friday 5:30 to 7 PM.  The $1 Oysters and $1 Shrimp garner a lot of excitement, but the menu also includes Lobster Corndogs, Salt & Pepper Calamari, and Chermoula Chicken Skewers.  Specials on Sangria by the pitcher and draft beer makes SEABLUE feel like a true Mediterranean escape, especially with the sound of water rushing down the walls.

Swim over to AMERICAN FISH for special prices in the bar and lounge during Happy Hour Sunday through Friday from 5 to 7 pm.  Enjoy $7 select cocktails, $5 lounge food items, $7 select glasses of wine, and $4 beers.  If you choose a $4 Pabst Blue Ribbon, you’ll get an AMERICAN FISH koozie—one of the most unique and well-priced souvenirs on the Strip.

If you’re just having too much fun soaking up the sun and miss the traditional happy hours, NOBHILL TAVERN has a late night Happy Hour nightly from 10 pm to midnight.  The specials include $4 bottle beers, $8 select cocktails (including the famous Nobhill Cablecar), and a whole slew of snacks and finger foods.  My favorite is the BBQ Pork Sliders . . . or maybe the Maine Lobster Rolls.  It’s a great way to get the night started before going out, or wind down after seeing Cirque’s Ka in the near-by theatre.

Don’t let the long days of Las Vegas summers pass without taking advantage of these Happy Hours.  If you see a girl taking advantage of happy hour in business clothes, don’t feel sorry for her.  After all, we locals don’t have to take vacation days to indulge in Las Vegas.

TES

OUR TOP CHEF

I am so excited for tonight that I can hardly stand it, and it’s been a long-time coming!  Stephen Hopcraft, Executive Chef at SEABLUE at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, will make his debut as a “Cheftestant” on this season of Bravo’s Top Chef in Washington DC.  Yes, I’m looking forward to cheering on one of our own but I also can’t wait for all the Top Chef viewers to see the energy, always entertaining personality, and absolutely hilarious one-liners that I get to experience so often.  Hopcraft competed in Food Network’s Chefs Vs City where he and Pastry Chef Santanna Salas (now of BOURBON STEAK DC) took on—and beat—Chefs Aarón Sánchez and Chris Cosentino in a food obstacle course taking place in and around Las Vegas.  If the antics in that one episode were a preview of what’s to come on this season of Top Chef, we’re all in for some laughs.

For Hopcraft, his career in the kitchen all started with a dream.  After graduating from high school in Cleveland he moved to California to pursue his dream . . . of following the Greatful Dead around the country.  He found a job in a kitchen to finance his travels and tickets.  Soon, cooking became a passion; he found that he could express himself and use his artistic side when creating dishes.  He decided to enroll in the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where he could still catch some Dead shows, and created a career from what started as simply a pay check.  Shortly after graduation Hopcraft connected with Michael Mina, then Chef at Aqua, and the two have worked together off and on ever since.  Before Mina founded Mina Group Hopcraft worked with Mina in a number of restaurants; then, when Mina established Mina Group he called on Hopcraft to help open ARCADIA in San Jose, STIPSTEAK in Las Vegas, and finally to lead the helm at AAA Four Diamond SEABLUE.

You can catch Hopcraft virtually on Top Chef, and in person in the SEABLUE kitchen.  If you need another place to get your Hopcraft fix, he’s starting to get the hang of Facebook.

Go Hopcraft!

TES

$5 for 5 Days at RN74 to Benefit The Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund

The oil spill in the Gulf Coast has been devastating to ecosystems, people, animals, communities, and businesses; and we will all continue to feel the effects for decades to come.  In an effort to help those directly affected RN74 is taking part in Dine Out for the Gulf Coast this weekend.  June 9, through June 12 at RN74 in San Francisco, guests who order selected items will be also be helping to raise funds for The Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.  Immediately, the fund will make emergency grants to nonprofit organizations helping the victims of the oil spill.  Long-term, the fund will address the long-term economic, environmental, cultural effects of the disaster, and strengthen coastal communities against future environmental catastrophes by investing in solutions.  100% of the funds will go to the communities, with no administrative fees.  Restaurants across the county are participating so check their website to find a location where you can eat well for a good cause. 

RN74 Executive Chef Berthold is paying tribute to the Gulf by focusing on Gulf Prawns for this fundraiser.  During lunch, $5 of every Prawn and Shellfish Curry—served with mussels, scallops, spinach, lemongrass, and Thai basil—will be donated towards the fund.  At dinner each order of Whole-Roasted Gulf Prawns with semolina dumpling, pickled green tomatoes, and yellow corn will send $5 dollars directly to the Gulf.  Guests can also show their support with a Vieux Carre.  A cocktail specially conceptualized for this weekend’s fundraiser, the RN74 Vieux Carre substitutes cognac for Calvados—an apple brandy.  “Vieux Carre” (Voe-Care-Reh) translates to “The Old Square”, referring to the French Quarter in New Orleans.  $2 from each of these cocktails will go towards the fund.  For those of you not able to take advantage of this special cocktail at RN74, the recipe:

Vieux Carre:

1 oz rye whiskey

1 oz Calvados

1 oz sweet vermouth

dash Peychaud’s bitters

dash Angostura aromatic bitters

1/2 oz Benedictine

lemon twist for garnish

Cheers,

TES

WINE PICKS FOR MEMORIAL DAY

Before my time at Mina Group when choosing a wine at the grocery store only two things mattered to me: price, and the label.  Yes, I’d pay a little extra if the label was interesting enough that I would like to have a blown-up print on my wall.  If the name of the wine had a cute pun involved AND a cool label, I was sold!  (I know, I know, as my friend Steph says, I’m a marketer’s dream.)  I’ve learned more about wine bit by bit working at Mina Group and look for different things when choosing a wine.  One rule of thumb that is easy in practice: the better a bottle of wine, the more specific region listed on the bottle.  For example, a wine that lists Arroya Grande Valley, CA on its label is probably a better choice than the one that simply lists California.  I still question myself when I’m buying wine to bring to someone’s house, especially if that someone happens to work in the industry or I know they enjoy learning about wine.  A fun label continues to be the tie-breaker if it comes to that point.  Aaron Patrick, Sommelier at BOURBON STEAK in Scottsdale, with some sure-fire wines to enjoy with barbeque this Memorial Day, as well as some notes to help educate yourself (with useful average prices included!):

My first suggestion on a HOT Memorial Day barbeque would have to be something white and refreshing. Here are two wines that will keep you refreshed on a warm day.

Whites:

Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco. Also know as Pinot Blanc in other regions, this northern Italian example is crisp with mouth watering acidity that will keep you refreshed. $16

Vacheron Sancerre. Sauvignon Blanc is an easy “Go-To” on a hot day. This one from the Loire Valley has great minerality and Grapefruit/ Lime notes that make the wine a tasty refreshment. $28

Wine storage serves as the entry-way at BOURBON STEAK in Scottsdale, where Aaron Patrick is Sommelier

If you can’t find either of these wines, stick with a Pinot Grigio or Albarino as they are much more accessible.

Reds:

As for red, it really depends on what you are eating. Steaks, Burgers, Chicken, Fish? Anything actually covered in BBQ sauce? Here are a couple of wines I think will run the gambit:

Betts & Scholl OG Grenache. Soft elegant wine with supple blueberry fruit, low tannins and high acidity. Very food friendly and a great wine. $24

Au Bon Climat ‘La Bauge Au Dessus’ Pinot Noir. Jim Clendenen is an amazing winemaker and his pinots have great fruit, tannin structure and balanced acidity that will really work with some grilled items. $28

If BBQ sauce is in the mix, grab a Zinfandel and enjoy!

Aaron Patrick TIP: If you are having trouble finding any of these wines just Google it. You can comparison shop by just putting the word BUY in front of any of the names of the wines!

He makes it sound so intuitive!

Happy BBQing!

TES    

LETTING THE EXPERTS DO THE WORK

“I know where my appendix is, but if I need it removed I’ll be going to a Doctor.”  I heard this quote yesterday and thought about some of my eating adventures while in New York for the James Beard Awards.  Sure, I could spend hours reading through menus but who better than a Chef to serve as your guide, navigating through a menu?  It’s a similar feeling of having a Chef put together a tasting menu for you but this time he has more skin in the game as he’ll be eating it as well.  I’ve also observed that Chefs like to eat things similar to what they cook—intuitive, but still good to see.

Thanks to some timing snafu within the group, a few of us showed up to our Mina Group pre Beard Awards lunch at Pulino’s Bar & Pizzeria three hours before the rest of the group.  Lucky for me, RN74’s Jason Berthold was in the early group and we sat back and asked Jason to orchestrate the meal.  Our lunch was terrific, but I’m not going to be able to list exact dishes we had; their website doesn’t have menus.  Sorry!  We started by sharing a beet and burrata salad and a chilled asparagus salad with rhubarb.  The food has the Nate Appleman, Chef at Pulino’s and San Francisco’s SPQR alum, signature of fresh, simple, seasonal plates.  When ordering pizza Jason kept it classic, and we were rewarded.  The Margherita with tomato, mozzarella, grana and basil was tasty but it was the Pesto pizza that I couldn’t get enough of.  The oozing mounds of cheese scattered on top of the pesto layer made it like a claw game, choosing the piece that has ultimate ratio of non-cheese to cheese bites.  One of my favorite pats of the restaurant, tables made from police barricades: do not cross line.

Pork Buns at Fatty Crab

I again benefitted from those more knowledgeable choosing the food when after the awards a group of Mina Group people when to Fatty Crab in West Village.  We all arrived at different times and in a room that was small with a group so energetic, it was a bit disordered.  No fault to the serves, who were fantastic, we were the chaotic ones.  We all ordered our drinks and then, like magic, plate after plate arrived at the table.  Michael Mina and Patric Yumul, VP of Operations, had ordered their favorite things for the table: Steamed Pork Buns; Softshell Crab, Coconut Rice; Chicken Claypot with ginger, green gili, tofu; Creekstone Short Rib Rendand braised with kaffir lime, coconut and chili; and others that I can’t remember.  The Chicken Claypot was outstanding, once we all remembered the “strange chicken texture” was in fact tofu and not chicken.  There were so many plates getting passes in so many directions all I can say is that the food was good, very good.  Patric was so concerned with my experience, or that I not spill on my dress, that he constructed the Pork Buns for me.  I decided to take the perspective that he felt responsible for my dinner, and not the perspective that he considers me incapable of putting together my own sandwich.  Then again, I am the same girl who asked what BOH and FOH meant when I started here, and I only recently deduced what an “order fire” is, so maybe he is justified in assuming I couldn’t put that pork bun together on my own.

Now I am back home and back to ordering for myself.  I don’t know that I learned the intricacies of ordering by having the professionals ordering, but I sure had fun doing it!

TES

CLIFF’S NOTES TO THE NEW MINA GROUP WEBSITE

Observant surfers may have noticed that the Mina Group website has had a facelift in the last week.  In addition to looking pretty, in my humble opinion, the website has new features as well some mainstays that are more user-friendly and accessible.  Explore the new site yourself if you like—let me know if you come across any issues—or let me give you a head start on the new and improved.

The home page has been redesigned to give quick access to many useful places.  The reservation button on the home page allows you to select any restaurant for a reservation.  Additionally, each of individual restaurant pages allows you to make a reservation immediately.  In the Know is a rotating list of five “headlines” of the newest things going within Mina Group and our restaurants.  It gives you quick information to the latest happenings; it’s like the backstage pass to the fun.  If you want to learn more, click on the “headline” to see more information on the particular special.  These will change often, so check back now and then.  Similar to the In the Know section, the promotions page will list events and specials, both one-time and ongoing, taking place at all our restaurants.  Click on Stay In Touch to sign up to receive periodic information—primarily through email—from our restaurants about special events, new menus, and special offers.  You can choose to receive updates from restaurants you frequent, those you are interested in, or all of our restaurants, and can opt out at any time.  Also, by signing up for updates you are entered to win a copy of James Beard Award winning cookbook MICHAEL MINA: The Cookbook.

If you need a recipe now and can’t wait to win Michael’s cookbook you can find plenty of resources under the recipe tab.  Broken into cocktails, appetizers, Michael Mina classics, seafood, sides and desserts these recipes use home cook measurements so we can all try to make our restaurant favorites at home.

I’m really excited that the site is now compatible with all the tech gadgets out there—iphone, ipad, blackberry, etc—so you can see menus, make reservations, get directions, and look up a phone number on the go.

Of course, you can always find me here, as well as @EatingSweetie on Twitter.  Thanks for visiting!

TES