Madison, the town overflowing with restaurants, coffee shops, bars and micro breweries now has a great resource for food entrepreneurs! The UW School of Business, Small Business Development Center has partnered with Credible Consulting to offer a 4 week curriculum that puts food entrepreneurs ahead of their competitors in the tough food based business world. This course offers important business basics and industry expert advice for a long term, sustainable future in the industry. Setting the Table for Success is for any owner who wants to build a solid foundation for their food business- be it a food cart, cafe, restaurant or even a wholesale product. Register today! Classes start September 23rd.
Since arriving on the Madison restaurant scene in 2010 Nostrano has consistently impressed me, enlightened me about new food, wine and libations and held a place in my top 3 favorite restaurants in town. EVERYTHING they make is fresh, seasonal and hand-made with precision and delightful detail. Nostrano is only open for "Apertivo" (their version of happy hour) and dinner. Although they are right off the square in a lovely historic building on Hamilton, they are still not on many people's radar (or at least not the people I'm telling). It's smart of them to take part in Restaurant Week because it allows them to showcase what they do and guests can try them at both lunch (only this week) and dinner for a modest price. Another crazy smart move Nostrano makes during Restaurant Week is to create beer and wine pairings for all three lunch and dinner courses. Beer pairings were an additional $12 and wine was an additional $15 at lunch. Nostrano also offers their popular marinated olives as a starter for $6. Over the years, I've heard many restaurants complain about Restaurant Week. There are various issues and reasons, but one of the big complaints of the higher end ...
Day 3 of Restaurant Week was a gloomy, misty one so I was happy to join my friend Phillip for lunch at one of my favorite Madison restaurants, Osteria Papavero. I don't throw around the "favorite restaurant" phrase with abandon, but I do get asked the question a lot. The answer depends on a few factors, but Osteria Papavero is always on the top of my special occasion list. The quality of the food and quaintness of the space keep bringing me back. I have been to Osteria at least threes times in the past five years of Restaurant Week and the food never disappoints...unfortunately, this time, there was some disappointment. We started with a Farro and Pesto Salad and Wild Mushroom Soup for appetizers. Farro is a grain similar to barley. It was cooked to a slighty chewy al dente that pushes back just a touch when you eat it. This is as it should be. The farro was tossed with high quality, flavorful olive oil and pesto that was so bright it made me think of summer.
January in Wisconsin brings a bleak reality check for all of us...the holidays are truly over and the gray, cold days and depressing end to the Green Bay Packers season are here to stay. Thankfully, Madison Magazine's Restaurant Week arrives at the same time and brings distraction. Today was Day 2 and what's better on a Monday than going out to lunch? My companion and I chose Inca Heritage because of their interesting & adventurous menu options. We hadn't made reservations, as you often need, but when I called at 11:45 am they were gracious and happy to get us right in. Inca Heritage is located on the north end of Park Street and only street parking is available, but we found a spot right in the neighborhood with no problem (less than 1/2 blocks walk). When you walk in the door you are greeted by the vivid marigold colored walls and the wonderfully warm and friendly staff. Our service continued to be warm and gracious and was also prompt. For appetizers we chose the Spicy Tuna Causa
Tomorrow I have the pleasure of speaking and training members of the Waunakee Chamber of Commerce on tips to keep their home kitchens and breakrooms safe for their families and employees. There's a lot of surprising mistakes you can make that can't set you up to make yourself or others sick! The public is welcome! "Wake Up Waunakee" -Waunakee, WI Chamber of Commerce October 1, 2014 Ever wonder if your own home kitchen or break room is as safe as a restaurant's kitchen? Do you know what temperature the refrigerator should be at? Do you want to assure you are cooking, cooling and storing your food in a safe way? Cheri Schweitzer is a former restaurant manager and public health inspector turned restaurant consultant. In honor of National Food Safety month, Cheri will help educate us on the do's and don'ts of safe food preparation and storage. She'll also tell some funny health inspector stories and take your questions about what restaurants NOT to eat at! You won't want to miss this funny and informative morning that will definitely bring value and safety to your kitchen.
Credible Consulting has again partnered with the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) to aid restaurateurs and food start ups start and run their own food venture. This 8-week course provides comprehensive education about the methods of running a successful food business. Extensive information on topics unique to the food service industry are provided including restaurant start up costs & budgeting, managing your staff, licensing, menu creation, food and labor cost control, branding & marketing your business and the most important things to do BEFORE you sign a lease or open. If you are planning on starting a food business or have already started one but need help making it successful, this is the course for you! Classes start July 8th at the WWBIC Madison offices and run from 6:30-8:30 pm.
After many years of debate, the Wisconsin legislature and food safety regulatory bodies have come to an agreement and will be adopting the FDA 2009 Food Code in July. The new code takes effect in September. One of the bigger updates require the "Person in Charge" at a restaurant (and their staff) to have a greater knowledge and training on allergens and the effects they have. In order to help my clients address this and do some training, I've created the following informational fact sheet. Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by the body’s immune system. A food allergy occurs when the immune system responds to a harmless food as if it were a threat. Each year, approximately 12 million Americans have allergic reactions to food, 3 million of them are children. Food allergies occur most often in infants and children, it they can appear at any age and be caused by foods that have been eaten for years without a problem There is no cure for food allergies. Strict avoidance of the food(s) that causes these symptoms should be observed by the allergic person. Knowledge of ...
About eight years ago, the hot buzz word in food was "artisanal." Previously reserved to describe a skilled craftsman of a particular trade, savvy marketers latched onto this word and attached it to every bread, cheese and slightly different food item on menus and in stores across America. Now calling something "artisanal" seems passe' or almost silly. Today's big buzz words are "Local", "Fresh" and "Sustainable." I'd like to add "the stuff our grandparents made and ate" to that list, but it's not a word. Still, we do need a word or phrase to describe the growing interest in canning, pickling, fermenting and meat processing that harkens back to our grandma's dusty, musty root cellar filled with jars of would be science experiments fit for a horror movie. Sorry Grandma! But back to Fresh & Local... So what does it all mean and how do we make sure it’s meaningful? QSR Magazine recently published a great article on this topic entitled "Buzzwords, Defined" It's worth a read to clarify the words you are using and guarantee you are differentiating your brand in the direction you and your customers ...
Yesterday was Easter and we hosted brunch at our place. I love keeping guests busy by setting up a "Make Your Own Juice" bar complete with our Jack LaLanne Juicer! It's so simple to just put out some freshly prepped fruits & veggies (don't forget the lemon wedges and ginger root to give it a kick) and just let guests go about concocting their own creations. Fresh, delicious, super good for you and a little adventurous food fun. My mix of Strawberry Ginger Tangelo juice was promptly mixed with Moscato d Asti. Hello Spring and boy did that pink juice look lovely! All that juicing got me thinking about an interview I did back in December for the Wisconsin Restaurant Association magazine. I was asked about upcoming trends for 2013 and here's part of what I predicted... "The desire for seasonal ingredients and exceedingly fresh flavors has pushed the retro kitchen trend of juicing into the hottest kitchens and bars in the nation. Locally consumers are willing to pay $5 for ...
If you are a restaurant, cafe or bar, you SHOULD be celebrating Saint Patrick's Day....and Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, Groundhog Day, National Ice Cream Day and any other day you can jump on to increase sales. You don't have to be a bar and sell green beer. McDonald's has practically built an icon with Shamrock shakes. I'm dating myself but do you remember Uncle O Grimacey? I wonder why McDonald's no longer uses overweight monsters to market their food programs??? Every year McDonald's spike shake sales for their normal vanilla shake by adding what is basically green corn syrup. Brilliant from a marketing point of view! And don't even get me started on the sheer genius of selling potatoes, carrots, cabbage and rye bread (with a side of corned beef) as an entree. What is cheaper than cabbage, potatoes and carrots??? I guarantee the food costs on that plate make your accountant and Uncle O Grimacey smile! Ok, so you don't sell beer or entrees? What about breakfast items like irish tea, scones, bangers? How about irish oatmeal or Baileys ...
Tip #2: Front Door First Impressions Why the garbage? Read on... How often do we have to be told first impressions are important? Well I’m going to tell you again, but with a bit of a twist. Does your parking lot, building, lobby, foyer, reception area, reception desk (or whatever you might have) make a good impression? You need to be sure it does because your clients are making decisions about you before you even talk to them. And what about your gatekeepers? Your hosts, receptionists, front desk support? Have you ever been to a restaurant with a grumpy host or hostess. Not fun huh? This job is often overlooked, but is actually one of the most important jobs in the place. Make sure you hire someone amazing for this role! Someone who always smiles and never has a chip on their shoulder. If they don't smile in the interview, you can be sure they won't once they work for you. Also make sure they are great on the phone. And please, no robots. Come up with something better for them to say than,”How are you?”, "Have a good day." and "Thank you" Be ...
This week I had the honor of speaking at "Leader to Leader," a biannual business leaders event organized and executed by those sharp & savvy brand builders over at The Creative Company. The Creative Company is an award winning digital media, web design and PR agency that has been helping build brands in Madison, Dane County and beyond for 25 years. Twice a year, Laura Gallagher and her amazing team, pulls together some of the areas finest leaders from a wide variety of industries. This weeks event included leaders from construction and architecture, local retail leaders like Vom Fass and Little Luxuries , professional service firms such as Wegner and Cresa Corporate Real Estate and banking and finance leaders as well. We had an ambitious agenda that included learning from world class leaders who shared, via video, how they weave storytelling into their brands and we brainstormed how each of us can be a more conscious and effective leaders. I spoke on the art of customer service and shared my top 5 tips for making restaurant hospitality work in ANY business. Here's segment#1. Watch ...
For years now I’ve been faithfully going to a little chocolate & candy shop in Madison. I don’t remember how I discovered it, but I was hooked once I did. It reminds me of old fashioned shops I went to as a kid and they still do things that old fashioned way here today. Their candies fill vintage jars all over my home year round and their dark chocolate nonpareils and divine pastel cherries were carefully tucked into brown craft paper boxes, tied with orange raffia and sent home with all the guests at our wedding 13 years ago. It is probably not the one you think. And it's probably not your second guess either. It's James J Chocolate Shop. They are in a little unassuming spot squeezed between an acupuncture clinic and Mexican restaurant (what??) in a strip mall just off of HWY 12/18 as you exist onto Midvale. They are easy to miss, but should not be! Madison is filled with wonderful chocolatiers, caramel, toffee and truffle makers for sure. I love them all, but they get lots of attention. James J doesn’t seem to. Maybe they are so busy they don't need to advertise? ...
This evening I'm giving a presentation to the Council of Independent Managers at The Madison Club. I thought I'd share one of the topics I'll be discussing here on the blog: How can we ALL be more safe in our OWN kitchens? How safe is your kitchen? What grade would I give it if I came and did a private health inspection? The FDA estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually –that's 1 out of 6 Americans getting sick each year. These illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths every year. That means 60 people in each of our 50 states will die this year just from something they ate! Here are the top priorities restaurants have in place, and the ones YOU should too, to keep your family safe? #1 Wash Your Hands (before, between & after prep) Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, sneezing, handling pets, handling raw meat, smoking, eating or basically touching anything besides the food you ...
It's January in Wisconsin and the snow is falling.....and falling.....and falling. Snow days are terrible for the restaurant and retail business, but owners should not be so caught off guard. Let me tell you why..... Owners and managers need to be clever about getting customers in the door on days like today or other inclement weather days. They need to think about their winter plans and promotions well in advance. When cool weather arrives in fall, plans should be made for “Winter Warmer” bar specials, additional soup offerings, snow day discounts and social media scrambling. Pictures of your restaurant or bar full of customers having a great time, should be taken so you can pull them out, post them to Facebook and say, “Hey, you should be here, it’s awesome!” If you build a reputation as a place that’s a warm, welcoming and fun hangout during the storm, they will come. If you serve amazing soup and comfort food that appeals to your region, they will come. If you build a social media following and invite your tweeps over, again, they will come. One of the best examples I’ve seen this season is a
