The main subject of our April issue: Vineyards and wineries from all around the world
You can reach our Digital Magazine at https://issuu.com/fooddrinkmagazine and https://www.magzter.com/US/HGH-Perfect/Food-Drink-Magazine/Food–Beverage/All-Issues.
This is a review that I’ve been cooking up for the better part of six months, primarily because it’s a place that takes multiple visits to truly understand. The place I’m talking about this time, of course, is LT Bar + Grill. This chic little number was under construction for the better part of a year, right over at The Shops At Riverside.
Every time I passed by the restaurant, I peeped the outside and inside. I saw the beautiful wooden exterior and the modern wood and stone interior. It looked so chic! I just had to get a seat in there! So, I did. And let’s just say, appearances weren’t deceiving here…
When you walk into a place like LT Bar, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve made it. Everything about the bar has that warm yet elegant vibe that you expect to see among the wealthy. It’s not gaudy, but it still has that country club ambiance with just a pinch of modernized Art Deco.
People there are pretty cool. I’ve actually struck up conversations with fellow drinkers in the past. With that said, this is absolutely not a casual type of place. If you want super-casual, go to a place like Applebee’s. This is a place where you should dress up elegantly and be on your best behavior—even if the acoustics in the restaurant can get a little loud!
This is a restaurant that made me do a triple-take when I spotted the menu. The menu has several different styles of food available: sushi, contemporary American, and fusion. I shouldn’t have been shocked, though. The restaurant is spearheaded by French chef Laurent Tourondel—a veteran of the Manhattan food scene.
To get a full idea of each menu type, I had to go back three different times to sample each type of food. Here’s my verdict on each:
The drinks were as varied as the food was, and that’s just the way I like it. Though they do have beers, I was far more impressed with the wine selection. Each wine was excellently sourced, and it was pretty easy to ask for a pairing from the staff.
The cocktails? Oh yeah, they know their mixology and they are often deceptively strong. You might want to grab an Uber if you decide to drink. If you’re not feeling like a Western drink, don’t panic. They have a decent assortment of junmai sake.
LT Bar and Grill is not your average restaurant. This is the kind of restaurant that is friendly, yet at the same time, runs like a well-oiled machine. Seating is done promptly, and there’s never any confusion about who goes where. Their COVID-19 process is also quick and automated, which means that you can spend less time signing papers, and more time eating.
One thing I definitely suggest is asking your server for a good drink pairing. It’s pretty clear that they’ve trained their staff on pairings, and that can lead to some seriously wonderful food and wine pairings.
If you’re a foodie, then you need to understand that LT Bar and Grill has a deceptively casual name. This is not your typical grill. It’s a veritable wonderland of food, and I mean this in the best way possible.
LT isn’t just a bar or a grill. Heck, it’s not even just a restaurant. It’s an experience where you get to eat like a rockstar and enjoy every second of it. It’s a foodie paradise, and as a foodie myself, I can say they’ve earned me as a regular.
 | The Shops at Riverside 390 Hackensack Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601 |
 | https://www.ltbarandgrill.com/ |
 | (551) 287-6333 |
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New Fund Will Prioritize Grants for Independent Restaurants Owned by Women and People of Color
Sacramento, Calif. (April 1, 2021) – The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), a non-profit that invests in and empowers California’s restaurants and its workforce, has received more than $1.25 million from SoCalGas, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), and others to launch the Resilience Fund. The fund will provide grants of up to $3,500 to single-unit restaurants across California, with priority given to woman- and person of color-owned restaurants.
“The Resilience Fund will provide critical financial support to our hardest hit small businesses, many of which are owned and operated by women and people of color,” shared Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District. “Throughout the pandemic, we have seen the economic impact across the County, leading to greater job loss and reduced hours resulting in less pay for workers. The Resilience Fund will help our small businesses retain their workers and help ease the economic burden of the pandemic as we rebuild for a better tomorrow.”
Grants given by CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund are intended to be used on payroll and related expenses so the restaurant operator can free up funds for other expenses such as rent, technology upgrades and outdoor dining retrofitting. Additionally, restaurants that receive a Resilience Fund grant will also receive support services and resources to improve their business for the long-term. Over the past year, through the non-profit’s Restaurants Care® program, CRF has helped more than 1,200 restaurant workers, their families and businesses and believes that by investing in the lasting success of these restaurants, we can also preserve jobs and communities throughout California.
“What’s really unique about our Resilience Fund is that it supports the business as well as individual restaurant workers,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of the California Restaurant Foundation. “a portion of the funds raised will provide grants for cooks, servers, dishwashers and more who face unforeseen hardship and have nowhere else to turn and the rest will go to the restaurant. So yes, we’re helping restaurants keep their crew on payroll, while also offering a safety net for when things get tough. While we’re delighted to see restaurants opening up and COVID cases drop, the recovery will take years and we’re doing what we can to help.”
“There’s a long road to recovery for small businesses, especially restaurants,” said Maryam Brown, SoCalGas president. “With these grants, our goal is to help independent restaurant owners who have been hit hardest by the pandemic and support local restaurant workers.”
Resilience Fund applications will be open from April 11-18, 2021 and can be found at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Grants will be available to single-unit, California-based restaurants in the following counties: Alameda, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Joaquin with a staff of 50 or fewer employees. To qualify, the restaurant must currently be open and have experienced a revenue loss of at least 20% from 2019-2020. Priority will be given to restaurants owned by women and people of color.
The Resilience Fund is currently accepting additional support from corporations, foundations, and individuals who want to aid in the restaurant recovery. Donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience.
“We recognize the hardships that many of our customers are facing from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many local restaurants are struggling to stay open. These are important businesses that bring people together and power local economies. PG&E has long partnered with our small and medium restaurant business customers to help them improve energy efficiency, lower operating costs and improve the performance of their building and cooking systems. We’re supporting the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund to help ensure local restaurants can keep serving their customers and investing in our communities,” said PG&E Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Marlene Santos.
For more information about the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Resilience Fund, please visit www.restaurantscare.org.
About the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF):
California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California’s restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information visit www.calrestfoundation.org.
Media Contact
Kathryn Kelly Kathryn@powerhousecomm.com
Powerhouse Communications www.powerhousecomm.com
When it comes to San Diego, the first food that comes to mind is taco without a doubt. Although tacos are a traditional Mexican dish, they are now almost a symbol of San Diego. In fact if you’re visiting San Diego and haven’t tried a few tacos, your visit is not really complete.
Well then, where to eat the best tacos in San Diego? The list we have created below can give you an idea. If you have experience with restaurants on this list, please share your experiences and vote to help build the top restaurants ranking.
In the Christian world the holiday of Easter is associated with various Easter customs and foodways (food traditions that vary regionally). Preparing, coloring, and decorating Easter eggs is one such popular tradition.
Also, many countries have traditional Easter dishes that are unique to them. Here are some of them: (we give it as Flip Cards so you can test yourself. Guess which Easter dinner belongs to which country. Click on the food picture and flip the card to learn the correct answer.)
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I remember back in the early 1990’s going to Planet Hollywood in London’s Leicester Square, being excited because of the link to some of Hollywood’s biggest names of the time. When Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger famously endorsed and backed this new restaurant concept that would compete with Hard Rock and TGI’s there was a real buzz through the hospitality industry. The walls of the restaurant were adorned with real Hollywood memorabilia and there was always that possibility of perhaps seeing someone famous! From memory, although the experience was one I still remember, the food was slightly underwhelming.
Other actors signed on to promote the restaurant chain which enjoyed rapid expansion throughout the world before declaring bankruptcy in 1999. Obviously Planet Hollywood is not unique in this market of restaurants backed by movie stars or sports stars. Other restaurant chains soon followed in the ‘90’s including Fashion Café backed by Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer, but with little success and eventually closure. So what is it that entices fabulously wealthy celebrities to invest in the incredibly risky business of restaurants?
The restaurant industry is notoriously difficult to make money from and there are many high profile people who have dabbled and failed very quickly – Brittney Spears, J.Lo and Chrissy Hinde to name a few. Staffing issues, long working hours, skills shortages and general poor management all lead to a high percentage of restaurants failing. But it seems that everywhere you turn there is a new restaurant opening with a famous name attached to it. One theory is that celebrities are so used to eating out that they become very comfortable in the surroundings of the hospitality industry and think that they can do this themselves.
After all a good restaurant will make it look easy – the reality is very different! Another reason is that movie stars and sports personalities have a very high degree of disposable income and are coaxed into various investments during their careers. And there is something very romantic and glamorous about owning your own restaurant. But unless you have a working knowledge of the restaurant industry it is difficult to understand where your money may be going and why you are suddenly faced with a pile of debt and, in some cases, court cases for food hygiene violations or money mismanagement.
Some celebrities make wise investments on the basis that they can improve their own profile and when they link that with something that they are passionate about themselves they are at the start of creating a brand. Take David and Victoria Beckham for example, both successful in their own right as a pop star and international footballer, but when they started branching out into other fields such as fashion they soon became household names around the World. For a restaurant chain the marketing opportunities of having a celebrity backer are enormous.
In these days of social media, the potential client reach for a restaurant is huge. Successful celebrity restaurateurs include Robert De Niro, Jimmy Buffett, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Redford. Recently Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton has opened a vegan burger chain.
Neat Burger has launched in Mayfair, London with the backing of Lewis Hamilton, a confirmed vegan himself. The concept is very simple in that they are offering a traditional burger menu but with only plant based products. They have a tie-in with the US based company Beyond Meat and have developed recipes that will be unique to Neat Burger.
During 2021 Neat Burger has some grand expansion plans for the UK, Europe and into America. At present with worldwide Covid restrictions still in place these expansion plans may be put on hold and Neat Burger, like the rest of us, will have to hope that they have sufficient funds to last out the crisis. Time will tell if Lewis has made a wise investment but certainly at the moment his profile around the World is huge and it will continue to grow with his other investments.
Many sports stars have such short careers that they need to look to the future and keep their profile high whilst still competing at international level. One thing is for sure, however, there is always a buzz in the hospitality industry and amongst customers when a super star opens another restaurant – long may it continue!
When you think of France there are certain things that spring to mind instantly – wine, great food, the Eiffel Tower and romance. All these are true but after having visited France since my childhood and now having lived here for the past 6 years I can honestly say that the French are slightly obsessed with Foie Gras. You will not find a restaurant menu
for a special occasion that does not include Foie gras at some point. So what is it and why has the subject raised its ugly head again?
The literal translation of Foie Gras is fat liver – yes appetising , I know! It is produced from the fattened livers of either ducks or geese, mainly in the south west of France, and it tastes heavenly! Smooth, rich, creamy, flavoursome – just some of the many adjectives to describe this controversial food. And did I mention expensive? When you think that you can buy ox liver for about 4 euros per kilo,or some exceptional calve’s liver for about 15 euros per kilo, a 500/600g “lobe” of Foie Gras could set you back upto 40 euros! But if you witnessed the way it flies off the supermarket shelves at Christmas time you would know that the French firmly believe it is worth every Euro cent.
There are various forms in which you can purchase Foie Gras. Most chefs will buy a whole liver or “lobe” raw, either fresh or frozen. The liver can need deveining before being incorporated into a dish, which is a slightly fiddly process. It is possible to buy it pre-sliced and ready to use. The other way of buying Foie Gras is in a tin, cooked and ready to eat. This is much cheaper but it can also be argued that the finished product is of inferior quality.
In the majority of cases on restaurant menus you will see Foie Gras described as “mi-cuit” which translates as half cooked. It does sound so much more romantic in the French! But the idea is to heat the liver sufficiently so that it is safe to eat. If you overcook the liver the fat will just dissolve and you are left with something that resembles butter.
Once cooked the foie gras has the texture of a paté or a terrine and, more often than not, served as a starter quite simply with some toasted brioche or with salad leaves and some chutneys, although one of my favourites is to serve a griddled slice of Foie Gras under a fillet steak. When having it as a starter, or an “apero”, drink a nice glass of champagne or try a sweet white wine such as a Muscat de Rivesaltes, which is produced in the region where I live.
The controversial part is in the production and the treatment of the ducks and geese. Foie Gras is produced from male birds that are kept caged and are force fed so as to enlarge their livers. You may have seen pictures of feeding tubes put down the gullets of the birds and feed poured in. Rightly, this method of treating animals has caused an uproar.
A simple internet search will produce some horrifying stories. My job here is to inform and not to get involved in the politics of the argument. There are always two sides and each side will be able to state their case very powerfully. It is up to you, the reader,to decide whether or not you will continue to purchase Foie Gras. There are, however, a number of countries that have banned the import of Foie Gras and it is for this reason that I said the issue has raised its ugly head again.
In the United Kingdom the production of Foie Gras using force feeding was banned under animal welfare laws in 2006 but the UK still imports, mainly from France, about 200kg per year. There is now a call for it to be banned entirely and, as you can imagine, has become a political battle ground. Since the beginning of 2021 Britain is no longer a part of Europe, politically at least, and has claimed sovereignty over its rights to trade freely.
Since New York banned the sale of Foie Gras and associated products there has been an increased call for Britain to follow suit, notably from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s girlfriend, Carrie Simmons. She is patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation and is able to use her position to be heard.
Many restaurants have started pulling Foie Gras from their menus because of protests outside their doors from environmental campaigners. There are anecdotes of customers being abused when entering or leaving restaurants, a situation that can only degrade as time goes on. But should a restaurant be forced to withdraw a legally produced and imported product from their menu just because it offends a group of people? Will restaurateurs soon be giving in to the vegetarian or vegan brigade?
The French, as you might expect, have responded in typical Gallic fashion calling a proposed ban “an attack on the freedom of British lovers of foie gras” There are once again tensions between the Uk and France but whatever the French may feel there is a growing trend away from meat products that directly affect animal welfare during their rearing.
In the Christian world Easter is a major religious festival starting on Good Friday commemorating the Crucifixion and finishing on Easter Sunday celebrating the resurrection. It is also a massive weekend within the hospitality industry. In some countries, the United Kingdom included, it is a four-day weekend with a holiday on the friday and monday. In some Catholic countries there is a full week of parades and festivals leading upto the Easter weekend, known in Spain as La Semana Santa. This year Easter falls on the weekend of 2nd to 4th April – the date varies each year depending on the first full moon after the spring equinox on March 21st.
For bars and restaurants it is often the first time following a long winter to really hear the register ring! Certainly here in Europe we look forward to the longer, warmer days and the opportunity to get out. This year, however, like last year the majority of catering establishments are going to have to rely on a takeaway service.
There are many food traditions associated with the Easter holiday. In Britain we eat a buttered toasted teacake known as a Hot Cross Bun to signify the Crucifixion. The cross on the top of the bun is made using flour paste and, upposedly, the spices in the bun are to represent the spices used in embalming Christ. The origins of the Hot Cross Bun are somewhat mixed with the obvious claim that they were first introduced by an English monk in the 12th century, but there is also a version that explores their pagan origins. Cross Buns were baked to celebrate the spring festival and the goddess Eostre. The four quarters of the cross represent the phases of the moon.
One of the dishes you are most likely to see on European plates on Easter Sunday is roast lamb and there is à historical reason for this. Going back to the Jewish festival of Passover a lamb is traditionally sacrificed and the blood smeared on the door so that God would “Pass Over” and not take the family’s first born son. In Christianity the lamb has always signified sacrifice -think “sacrificial lamb” or “like a lamb to the slaughter” – and there is symbolism that Christ represented the lamb.
It is seen as coincidence that in Europe Spring Lamb is just becoming available at the time of Easter. In fact most lamb born in Spring would not be available until after Easter and the land consumed during the holiday was most likely born in December.
One further food based tradition around Easter is the giving of Easter Eggs, these days normally chocolate eggs but not always so in the past. The chocolate is the easy part. Many people will give up some form of luxury for the period of Lent before Easter. Following “Mardi Gras”, when you use up the luxury ingredients in your store cupboard, Lent is a time
of abstinence and ends on Easter Sunday, hence the luxury of chocolate.
But why eggs? Like many Christian traditions the giving of eggs is rooted in Pagan festivals. Eggs are an ancient symbol of new life and have long been associated with Spring celebrations. In Christianity, Easter eggs are representative of Christ emerging from the tomb and of resurrection. Many nations still paint and decorate hard boiled eggs around the Easter holiday either as a Spring tradition or in the belief of a religious practice.
You may also ask about the Easter Bunny which has absolutely nothing to with the religious side of Easter but is again a Pagan symbol of Spring and the rebirth of the planet and new life. Let’s be honest, rabbits are well known for their rapid reproduction especially as the warmer weather sets in.
Have a very Happy Easter, eat well and support your local restaurant!
A big lavish wedding is something that nearly every bride dreams about but over the past twelve months many have had to rethink their wedding plans. Couples throughout the World have had to postpone what was meant to be one of the biggest days of their lives. The stationary had been chosen, the Dress had been bought, the venue, the band and DJ all booked, the catering sorted and, possibly, several hundred invitations sent.
Three things have happened with weddings since the outbreak of the pandemic – couples have simply postponed their wedding and re-booked an alternative date, some have decided to get married but without a large reception or party hoping for that at a later date and some have chosen to downsize and continue with their planned date. Those that have reconsidered and made new plans, smaller plans, are starting a new trend in micro-weddings, mini-weddings or minimonies.
Hospitality venues have been among the hardest hit businesses during the Covid pandemic, many of which rely on hosting large wedding receptions every weekend. Venues that work in conjunction with specialist wedding planners and will arrange everything from start to finish – the decor, the catering, the entertainment, the party favours etc.
I recently read that the average cost of a wedding in the USA is now $30,000. That is a massive business and no wonder there is a whole industry built around getting married. But it is an industry that is on the verge of collapse until large scale wedding ceremonies can once again take place – or is it? One of the beautiful things about the hospitality industry is how well it adapts and how well those that work within it also adapt.
During the height of the pandemic virtually all wedding ceremonies were postponed, churches were closed and, of course, all hospitality venues were closed. If wedding ceremonies were carried out at all it took place in a government building and there was nowhere to have a party after. But as some hospitality started to open again during 2020 it was possible to hold small parties and the micro-wedding was born.
A small wedding is normally classed as having less than 50 people but a mini-wedding could be as small as the couple and two witnesses. Certainly in the UK during the summer of 2020 wedding parties were limited to ten guests, although it was possible to have thirty guests at a funeral!
So why choose a mini-wedding? What has transpired since last summer is that some people love the intimate and more relaxed feel of a small wedding. A lot of the formalities have been removed even to the extent that brides are choosing not to wear the large “meringue” dress. A small gathering with your most cherished friends and family members can give you the opportunity to really be a part of the celebration.
Do you really need a flock of bridesmaids all wearing the same dress and the same Louboutins? The formal setup of the past with the bride and groom on display on the top table and, maybe, 150/200 guests, most of whom you don’t know but felt obliged to invite can just be far too stressful. Now that embarrassing family member who always thinks they are telling a funny anecdote but is actually relating a cringe-worthy event that everyone knows and would rather forget can join the party from afar.
One of the great growths we have seen during the pandemic is the use of video conferencing and calling. Skype, Zoom, Facebook Live etc have become tremendously popular in our everyday lives as a way of staying in touch with our loved ones. Another area in which these apps have found a niche is to broadcast events. Create a live stream of your wedding reception – why not? Invite everyone, give them the login details and enjoy your day!
Surely another factor for the continuation of smaller wedding parties has to be the cost. Before the pandemic it seemed as if every couple were trying to outdo the couple before them. I made comment earlier about the Louboutins but it derives from a true story concerning a distant family member who was insistent that her bridesmaids had the same shoes that she would pay for (more likely her father!) at a cost of around 400 British Pounds each.
When my wife and I married we had 22 of the most important people in our lives – registry wedding, church blessing and photographer followed by a reception. Because our number was small we spoke directly with Chef and wrote our own menu (he even phoned me the night before to ask about home made breads), we were seated round one large table, we were able to talk and interact with all our guests and we danced to our own playlist.
Having worked on large and small wedding parties I can certainly see the benefits of a mini-mony and hope that the trend continues.
There has been a surge in recent years of people hosting dinners at their homes, informal, home cooks being paid to host some strangers for a meal. I recently wrote an article about Dining Clubs, their origins and their current popularity but this has been taken to a new level, particularly in these Covid affected times. It is now possible to go for dinner and enjoy a cooking class at the same time or spend a day out in a city and then join a small group cooking and learning about that city’s food.
If you have a passion for food, travel and culture there is no better way than learning from a local about the food of that area. In Barcelona, for example, you can get a guided tour of the world famous market followed by a group class in cooking paella and making sangria, all taught by local people who just want to share their passion. It is a fantastic way of discovering a new city and its culture.
For further information on Barcelona cooking classes follow this link to tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187497-Activities-c36-t203-Barcelona_Catalonia.html
As the saying goes “When in Rome….” Learn how to make pasta, pizza or other classic Italian dishes with local foodies. It gives you a chance to get off the beaten track and away from the traditional tourist traps. These are only two examples of places to visit followed by cooking. There has been an explosion in food experiences in recent years and virtually every city has its own version of a city tour and culinary class. You do not need to be a great cook to take part as it is far more about the experience. It is worth searching through traveller review websites to find one that suits you.
Whilst looking at reviews for various classes three things become evident for those that receive good comments. Firstly, the person hosting the course is absolutely passionate about their subject, whether it be their city or the food that they are sharing. The second is that small groups work best and everyone benefits from some one on one time with the host. And lastly, and possibly the main thing, is that cooking becomes fun.
Over the past year it has become increasingly difficult to host people in your home and as we all know tourism has suffered desperately, so many of these cooking classes have moved online and it is now possible to learn from the comfort of your own home.
Once you have booked the experience you will be given a link to join the video call and also given a list of ingredients and equipment that you will need. Some will make suggestions for wine pairings and even music to help get you in the mood! The experience might be slightly different but it still gives you the opportunity to sample some international delights and possibly make some new friends around the world. The hosts are still as passionate and there are now some renowned chefs giving classes because their restaurants are currently closed. In terms of price, expect to pay from 10 Euros to 40 Euros for an online class.
There are a few companies now organising online cooking experiences but two of the biggest are Airbnb – look for their experiences section – and Eatwith – again search for their online experiences or cooking classes. We all hope that travel will get back to normal fairly soon and we can start experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of those great cities once again. When it does I highly recommend searching out a local cooking class. Cooking and sharing food with other like-minded people is, in my opinion, one of life’s great social pleasures.
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