Grappa in a waterglass

I know some time has passed since the team has come home from Italy but I was downloading the Italy pictures the other night and I came across the best picture.
It appears to be an American hanging out in Italy without a care in the world.
What possibly would be going through his mind to make him use hand gestures like that?
Perhaps he was channeling the godfather.


This years contest has been shifted to early summer so look for the regionals to start a later than last year.

As always good luck and may the Top Chef win!

Bragging, Bragging, Bragging....Warning to those who will try....

Brian and Kim Windschitl, Rebecca Holder, Beppe aka "The Man", Danelle and Jordan Eback



Italy 2008


When we got off the plane in Florence, the skies were clear and sunny. You could see the simplicity of Italy in the sparse Florence airport. Although weary from the long flight we eagerly awaited the arrival of our trip mates wondering what great adventures might lie ahead. Finally, everyone made it to Italy and the adventure of a lifetime is ready to begin. On the way to our first stop, at the Ruffino Estates we were blown away by the incredible landscape which unfolded before us. Our eyes constantly scanning to take in every sight not wanting to miss a single second. The hour long drive through the winding hills left us wondering where exactly is this place? Way, way at the top of a mountain is where we would finally stop at the two huge stone gates sourounded only by cypress trees. As they opened, and we proceeded to drive in we were in awe of massive stone castle right in front of us which stood proudly high in the sky. The view was spectacular. It was 360 degree of pure beauty that went on for miles.




It was so quiet and towering cypresses trees all around us. There were lemon and lime bushes everywhere. It was a truly amazing beginning. We were greeted warmly and immediately shown to our beautiful rooms to get ready for dinner.
That night we went to the kitchen with Chef Aldo and made pizza in the wood burning oven. Everything was laid out for us and Chef’s gentle way and good humor made us all comfortable immediately. The Chianti, food and conversation flowed freely as an unforgettable sunset laid the perfect backdrop for the evening. He had all these fresh ingredients ready to go. The grappa in the sitting room was the perfect way to end our first day.
The first winery visit was to Lodola Nuova Estate (Ruffino) were we toured the estate when the harvesting of grapes was going on. We met up with our Ruffino guide Beppe who truly embodied the spirit of Italy and Ruffino. The 5 course lunch, including fresh made pasta, with wine and the blind tasting of Super Tuscans was unforgettable.
Day three we visited Felsina for a tour of the winery and the olive oil production. One tree produces one bottle of olive oil. The massive caves were the barrels were stored gave it that old world charm. How simple everything was but how much pride was in everything they did.

Saturday night was a true treat when we visited Rocca della Macie and had dinner with Sergio and Daniela Zingarelli. A winery started by his father a movie producer in Italy. They invited us in to their home were we sat at the table and ate and drank and shared stories. Many of the stories were similar to ours in the states. The same opportunities with raising a family, economy, work ethics of the younger generation, and being eco friendly. The food was full of flavor but very simple. We tasted 8 wines and then selected 3 for dinner.

The truffle hunting was incredible walking with Franciscan and Lia (the dog) who seeks out the truffles for her master to unearth. After the hunt we went to a local restaurant for a 5 course truffle lunch with wine. Beef carpacioo, risotto, prosicutto and so much more. Each dish featuring the black truffles that make the region so special.
Barilla Pasta was incredible in Parma. We went to the Academia Barilla for a cooking class. We made a 5 course lunch with wine. It was amazing how simple and flavorful everything was. Brian Koster, from Barilla, really went above and beyond ensuring that our stay in Parma was perfect. The first night we were there we walked to find Guido Barilla’s favorite pizza restaurant. It was off the main path in the back of a warehouse. No English spoken but we were able to enjoy the wine and food. Riding bikes with all the locals was very exlierating.
Banfi’s Elizabeth Koening took us on an adventure. The size of Banfi was amazing and how it started so small. We had Aperitifs in the reading room of the castle. Dinner at the restaurant which would be 3 stars but they only serve Banfi wines. The service was impeccable. The wine was outstanding.
It was a once in a life time trip. The hospitlay of the Italians was so warm and genuine. So much planning went into it and I would recommend everyone go.

I am planning on it next year by winning another contest so bring your best game on!


Ciao!
Brian Windschitl

The Best Pasta Bravo

There is no magic in the coming months. It's going to all be about taking care of each guest.

Yes, we can use Reggiano Parmesan, Proscuitto di Parma, Buffalo di Mozzarella and Porcini mushrooms as much as we like, sure it acknowledges our pride, our Chef Culture.

Now, Go run a consolidated system sales report and highlight the top 10 items.

Any Reggiano? Di Parma, Porcinis?

While those items are critical to who now we are and to how we will continue stretching the brand, the sales reports reflect what got us here......the Core Business. Things that have stood the test of time and continue to this day to define what Bravo is to the majority of our guests.

These stalwart, older than old school items...

When is the last time you pulled a Bravo out of the window and tasted it with the management team or better yet the cooks? Was the garlic cooked properly/enough? Was there enough sauce in the pasta? Seasoning? Was the compound butter added in at the end or with the chicken?

That's what your guests know about.

They may never have an affogatto or a eat the Proscuitto Porcini Risotto, but I'll be committed to their exceptional experience none the same and I know you are too.

Chef Where Art Thou??????

Just like the rest of you I've been chasing the bright shiny object;

• wine list




• menu




• feature cards

there's always something that keeps me off the blog. Part of it is sometimes, you may not believe it but....not much worth reporting really happens.....

paint dries

you get cooler gaskets

You skip the 5th produce delivery that week

Not exactly like the world financial systems collapsing into a dark abyss.

Sorry, That really did happen.

I have asked the team that just returned from Italy to drop in on the Blog, So in the coming weeks please be on the lookout for the stories and photos.....

Drop me a line on the blog here on on my e-mail and let me what you would like to see posted as well.

Off they go....

The team is ready to go. Final preparations are made, itineraries double checked, passports, e-mail ticket confirmations, film, cameras, clothes, toiletries.......

partaking on such a trip is daunting, what to take for the weather? How much clothes will I need? am I nervous?

Having been on the trip last year I can tell you that that is a journey that you go on not a "vacation" you are in a different country with a different language, cultural expectations, etc.

I can tell you though that we will be taken care of very well, we are escorted by Ruffino, Barilla, Banfi, Palm Bay Imports and some of Solera's main accounts. It is an amazing trip.

They will be staying in a 1000 year old castle, take a tour of the worlds biggest pasta plant and go on a truffle hunting expedition, the prize of the worlds cuisine......

Tuscany will be the inspiration for the trip and will be reflected on the features this coming January as part of "Tutto Fresco"

Stay tuned................

BLOG LOBSTAHHHHHHHHHH!

Homarus Americanus........ the great American Lobster

Lobsters live on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms from the shoreline to beyond the edge of the continental shelf. They generally live singly in crevices or in burrows under rocks, they typically eat live food, consisting of fish, mollusks and other crustaceans. Occasionally, they will scavenge if necessary, and may resort to cannibalism in captivity. Lobsters grow throughout their lives and it is not unusual for a lobster to live for more than 100 years. In fact, lobsters may exhibit negligible senescence, in that they can effectively live indefinitely, barring injury, disease and capture, they can get Gianormous. According to the Guinness World Records, the largest lobster was caught in Nova Scotia Canada, and weighed 44.4 lb.

Why all the wikinonsense you may ask? Well for the last 36 hours I was in Nova Scotia Canada at the Clearwater Seafood Plants. They are the largest single processor of scallops in Canada and one of the biggest with lobster. We had a chance to see their facilities, they were impeccably clean and amazing. They are the only processor in North America with the technology to do raw unshelled lobster!The way they process the scallops assures freshness processing on the boat within an hour of being pulled from the ocean...Check out the pics.....

Waiting..........

Have you ever seen the picture of a menu item or food item in the paper that just looked so staged that it didn't look like real food?? Well, meet Paul and Kate whose job it is to make food look better than it would normally look if you took a picture of it while not making it look staged.

The last time I had done photographs for a Magazine at a food studio it was at least 15 years ago... before digital, My how things have changed, Although many things still stay the same with the mechanics of it, Lighting, last minute placement and lots of Windex for the plates. It shoots quicker because you don't have to develop test shots. But can I tell you it's still like watching paint dry especially for all of us who thrive on deadlines and action.

We brought 5 of each dish and in some cases used all that we had for the picture, you never know what will happen under the lights. Correct that, you know EXACTLY what will happen under the lights of the cameras. We also had to order new plates for the shoot. The plates once they get commercially washed, show up pitted in the photos.


Chef Mark did a great job with the food and Keeping the tempo up and I want to give a shout out to him. We may do another shoot soon to capture some more of the Bravo Classics, anyone have any coffee?

Finally!

Well.....it's out, yes, there are things which did NOT go smoothly and continue to be short term issues. But never the less I feel extremely good about the content and the direction the menu continues to go in. For the first time ever, I think I can say that our lunch menu is actually a lunch menu! For years it was simply, not the dinner menu.

I have had the great opportunity to share the last few days with the team from Glenview. It has reminded, confirmed and grounded me, frankly it was that I needed. Being in the Glenview store just makes even more poignant the fact that body of Bravo is not the shiny new penny Deerfield or the Monster of Lehigh Valley or the Phoenix reborn Oaklahoma City and their SSS gains (which, by the way are FANTASTIC and incredible all rolled in a 3 calorie mint). It really is about Glenview and your store, places where the teams work as a team, where ego and posturing take a back seat to the guest experience. In this time, with consumer confidence, and all the other blah, blah, blah the way it is these teams are winning. Winning in Loyal, Lifelong Guests, Winning in guest counts, Winning in creating experiences, little bits of time that the outside pressures feel just a little bit less.....more bearable after the experience.

So THANK YOU for all the hard work that you are doing everyday, in spite of any obstacles that, in the doing of your job, gets thrown to you.

Please take the time to thank the people in your store that make your successes possible. We are all pulling in the same direction.

Matt

This one thing I've been thinking about.

Since the contest ended on Wednesday and we all said our goodbyes I've been thinking a lot about our chefs. If you look at the group shot of all the contestants on the stage, there is over 45 years of Bravo culture and history there. That's good and bad. We need to be true to who we are but if we don't grow in every way, we won't find ourselves on the top of the hill when the dust settles.

We now have that shot.

As many of you know I am a passionate person and feel very strongly about Bravo, It's where I've hung my hat for 14 years, and many of you feel the same way I do.

Thank you, I consider it a privilege to work for you and this company.

Matt

What a day and a half............

The last day and a half has been pretty amazing. A lot of hard work by a lot of people, but still pretty amazing.

We had over 15 judges for the event. Lori Daniel from Two Chefs on a Roll ran the dessert breakout session with all the judges and winning chefs. Chef Bruno from Barilla returned as well as Chef Eric from Sartori. We also had Chefs from Joseph's Pasta, Taste It Tiramisu, Culinary Concepts, Hormel, Alto Sham, Jade Range, last years winner Jason Frabotta and Chef Phil. Sue Doody was also in attendance in the judging panel as was Jason from the CW, and our special guest judge, Nancy Silverton, a founder of the West Coast artisan bread baking movement, founder of LaBrea Bakery, James Beard winner, 7 time cook book author and Restaurateur. Her 2 new restaurant (of 3) Mozza and Osteria Mozza with Mario Batali is on my best of eats for 2007 list.

The evening brought a wine dinner at Lindey's German Village on the newly remodeled terrace. Our evenings guest of honor, Chris Doody spent some time with us, told some very funny stories and reminded me why I signed up for the ride. It was great to see and old friend and someone who I respect immensely. Dinner from the hands of Chef Steven Fusaro was magnificent, he brought his experience at Esca in New York to all of us. One of my favorite courses was the Grilled Sardines......Reminded me of, ... Forget it it's too long of a story.

A huge thanks to Judith Anter from Icon Estates and Dan Frey from Solera Imports for creating the perfect wine pairings.....


Morning came and the drawing of the spoons to see order of presentation, Maynor first, Jorge, then Mike Minch, John Leonard, Leon and finally Jordan.

Nerves were frayed. Presenting 5 dishes at the allotted time, in front of 15 judges, many of whom they had only briefly met!

From the get go Maynor came out swinging with his Chicken Magnifico. The dish is a straight down the middle total home run Bravo fit.................

Jorge was second out and he basically summed it up by saying that the reason he chose to make that dish was because Bacon and Mushrooms were just plain delicious.

Dr. Minch had one of the most daring entries into the competition with his Peach and Prosciutto Flatbread. I know.... Trust me, you just need to taste it. That dish was wild in it's scoring getting the most first place votes.

John's dish was a picture of perfection. Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast stuffed with orzotto. Really stong presence on the stage and great spiel.

Chef Leon's dish the Banana upside down pie was flawless in its flavor, interesting in it's texture and very original.

Jordan came out with his Ravioli Ratatouillo with a Chef's White Toque on his head and a stuffed Ratatouille sticking out the top. The dish itself was very fresh, loaded with vegetables. it had an intense fresh flavor.

Scoring was close. There was 1.05 points between 1 and 3rd and 3 points between the top score and the bottom score!!!!!

In the end it was Jordan who triumphed, congrats Jordan Eback you are Bravo's 2008 Top Chef!!!




I would like you all to know that there was an amazing amount of energy in the last week to pull this event off. I would like to personally thank Tim Kenrick, Tom Barnett, Alison Peters, Lisa Gillenwater, Mary Arnholt, Stephanie Dubois, Chad Howell, Tina Davis, Mike McCoy, Shelia Wiley, Lady Di--Diane McLaughlin and Karen Brennan for making this event a huge success.

I also would like to thank our sponsors for the event. Joseph's Pasta, LoPiccolo Brothers Produce, Produce One, Icon Estates, Solera Imports, Wasserstrom, and Zink Marketing








And finally I would like to thank every Executive Chef and our entire chef teams for their hard work, creativity, dedication and passion. Thanks for playing in the Bravo sandbox.





Matt

The Final 6

Here it is the final 6 that will compete for the honor of Bravo's Top Chef!!!

John Leonard -Virginia Beach














Leon De Leon - La Cantera - San Antonio










Jorge Martinez - Belden Village - Canton



Jordan Eback - Cranberry - Pittsburg



Mike Minch - Willowlake - Indianapolis



Maynor Hernandez - Deerfield (formerly Cincinnati)

Wish them all Luck and Proper Preperation!

Best of luck Gentlemen. We have Corporate Chefs from all around the country flying in to spend time with you, taste and Judge your dishes.

See you soon.

Matt


p.s. If you want to see the dishes up close; follow the flickr link.

PORKAPALOOZA 2008

Holy Grain Fed Heirloom Variety, Berkshire, Kurabota, Feedlot pork Batman!!!!!!!

Seriously; we all ate the following pork products............

Prosciutto
Bacon
Pork Chop (S)
Pork Shoulder
Sausage....And veal & beef and the winner was chicken but that doesn't play into the rant.


Serious eating. We had two guest judges for the event; Melissa McCrady -WTMJ-NBC Affiliate and Terry Love (Love After Dark) WLOB. Both Judges were brilliant and spot on on their observations and opinions.

There were some great great entries and in the end it was the Rookie Chip Feggert (from Evanston) almost taking the top spot!

.9 of a point separated first from third!!

John Leonard (Virgina Beach), was his regional winner and will compete for all the marbles in Columbus in the second week in May. His dish Orzotto stuffed Romano Chicken with Green Beans was a panel pleaser.

.4 of a point separated John from runner up Jason Capella (Jordan Creek). His dish Porchetta del Mio Muse - Braised Pork Shoulder was outstanding! Jason actually travelled to the corners of Iowa to find the particular breed of pork for his dish!!!!!

.5 back was Chef Fegert with his Fennel Roasted Pork Chop stuffed with prosciutto and fontina which one Judge described as "Floral and Liberated" (Gary)

Enjoy the pics and keep an eye out for updates before the finals in May.

Chef Norm setting the bar high

"Going outside the walls but staying within the boundries"

Biggie summed it up very appropriately during his presentation of his dish "Pasta" Fagioli.

We saw a lot of great dishes and presentations from Joe's crew. Lance Juhas was in town for the judging as well..

When the dust settled the top three from last year were still in the top three this year, but all in different spots! Chef Jordan Eback pulled out the top spot by just 1/2 a point!!

I would like to personally thank the three judges, John Fedko, Phil Spano and Theresa Colaizzi they were very encouraging to the chefs and were all drinking by 10:30am. I wonder if that had any affect on the scoring.....

Please join me in congratulating Jordan, our latest regional winner and our 5th finalist for the grand prize awarded on the 7th of May in Columbus, a Trip to Italy!!!

Enjoy the pictures. Tomorrow we have a final cutting for the May Bravo menu and then the book will be final, so wish us good luck and that our presentation goes well and although it's 18 items it's really going to be fairly easy.

Chef Shon Mickles entry.....

Desserts!- or the story of sugar shock

The 4th competition was held in Arlington Texas at the newly opened Bravo along highway 20.

Having talked to the chefs, they were all excited to have been given the category!!!!!! (read not so happy)

Chef Leon took the top spot and will be at the finals. Guest chefs included Chef Tony Rotello from Frontenac who was in town to open Brio Allen!

Well, again the strength and talent of our chefs was evident. I will let the pictures do the talking, See you tomorrow night after the Pittburgh Pasta Fest.

A Small Village in Tuscany ........

Just a great shot by Jason taken on the trip last year.

Next Week in Dallas and Pittsburgh

Next week brings round 4 and 5 of the Chef Competition. Laura's region has desserts and Joe has pasta. Last round in Detroit was a surprise with Chef Mike Minch's flatbread the winner. You may have looked at it and thought......peaches.....proscuitto....Wha????? Sort of like blueberry encrusted snapper with a Kiwi-Gruyere Hollandaise, but I'm telling you all it was GREAT!!! Again lot's of great Ideas and concepts that are easily transferable to OUR menu. Remember our core values. Responsibility for moving the brand foreword. There isn't a time when I talk to one of you about a menu item, possible new item or issue with and item, that doesn't make a difference. Keep the feedback coming.

Gary's contest is in Glenview (Chicago) on the 17th. and when the group is set we will send out more detailed information about the dishes and better pics.

On a side note if you would like to see anything on the blog as a topic or just any thoughts or ideas drop me an e-mail or just post back to the blog itself.

Breakfast Just Isn't For Breakfast Anymore

And then there was breakfast, Or more correctly Brunch. What a great day in Livonia; Sal's hospitality, Chef Mike Meyer's and Drummonds positive vibe. We had some very stiff competition. With ties for 3rd, 4th and 1.5 points between first and 4th. Some entries were a big suprise. Get ready, Next week, Laura and Joe's regions are coming up. Best of Luck!!!!

First Two Chef Contests

After having the first two chefs contests, I am more excited than ever about the our chef culture at Bravo. (Please see the first post about our core values). I have a good bit of news as well, we will be having a special guest judge for the finals in Columbus on May 6th and 7th. Nancy Silverton will be joining us. The originating force behind La Brea Bakery. She has authored 7 cookbooks and is the owner of three restaurants, La Campanile (with Mark Peel) and Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza (with Mario Batali)

I can honestly say that you will be seeing all of the dishes we have tried so far in the next 12 months, either on a feature card or on the menu.

Bravo to our chefs!!!!

Bravo Top Ten

· Line Check
Done with a purpose everyday. Scale, thermometer, and spoons are utilized. Temperatures documented. If it is not right, it is wrong. 30 days of reports on file.


· Recipe Adherence & Recipe Knowledge.
Speed sheets and recipe cards are used at all times. Utensils and measuring cups are available for all cooks, including prep, everyday. Managers are actively learning and teaching the food. Specs quizzed verbally.


· Expo
Actively managing food quality from the cooking surfaces to the window. Recipes are validated during cooking process. Expo begins immediately after line check. Proper BDI spec, Ticket times and red lines


· Food Costs
Food costs better company expectations. Systems of ordering and production are executed. Invoices and inventories are accurate. Product Manager depth of knowledge is evident. Proper projection of cover counts.


· Sanitation
Principles of food safety are executed in receiving, storage, and production. Proper cooling techniques are utilized. Chemicals are stored away from food. Chefs demonstrate and teach Serve Safe practices.


· Cleanliness
Define and teach the difference between clean and dirty. Chefs demonstrate and teach, “Clean as you go” culture. Kitchen checked out by Chef every night. Nightly, weekly, and monthly cleaning systems are in place.


· Organization
Storage areas are labeled and zoned. Product is fronted. Open boxes are removed from storage areas. All areas in the kitchen are “neat” at all times. The dish room is managed every single shift.

· Communication
Equipment, staffing, product availability and all other pertinent operational issues will be communicated in the Red Book. Avoid separate notes. If additional paper is needed, attach note inside the Red Book.


· Equipment Maintenance
All equipment is kept “like new”.


· Professionalism
We treat each other and our staff with respect. Foul language will not be commonplace.

Where we start from

Being a Bravo Chef is a balance of our core values….

Passion
Dedicated and with great conviction, pride in we are the heart of the organization

Excellence
Makes the tough call, unwilling to compromise and holds our standards above the competitive set

Responsibility
World class operator as well as a chef. Intense focus on exceeding safety and financial goals

Creativity
Committing our cumulative knowledge to move the brand foreword in food and operations

Guest Focus
Understands that their actions build the guest experience, each guest, each meal each and every day

Mentorship
Creating the next level of leadership, making diamonds from coal

Entrepreneurship
Ownership in all things that happen in the store, maximizing the opportunities for business growth, BEING the solution