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TOQUE OF SAN FRANCISCO


THE CHEF's

By Tom Luther

Trends show up at the least expected place and in a time that is unpredictable. New Years Eve, the dawn of the over-hyped New Millenium. The party of the year - of the decade. Of the century as some overly enthusiastic p.r. promised. Instead of throngs of people showing up, a trend showed with such clarity that it could be called dramatic.

Reports of cancelled major events featuring high profile entertainers came from all over the country. Major events that were held reported disappointing attendance numbers. We witnessed this at the San Rafael Millenium Party that featured major entertainers Huey Lewis and the News, Bonnie Rait, Charlie Musselwhite et cetera. While it lived up to its hype, especially we `Baby Boomers' in attendance, reliving our rock n' roll roots with Huey, not enough of us ventured for `The Bash of the Century'.

What gives? Let's take a look. Have you heard of the phenomenon called `cacooning'?: The term was coined by marketing guru Faith Popcorn in her book Clicking. This is her word for a major trend, one of 20 that she defines in her book, a reflection of many years of marketing research while working with major and minor companies in the U.S. Cacooning is another word for couch potatoism. We all can all understand, intellectually, but probably we foodies probably haven't had the experience. Well not much, anyway?

So where were the revelers on New Years Eve of the new millenium? Cocooning!?!? Yes, I'm reporting these results from many conversations with all kinds of people of all ages, professions, personalities, and any other category you can think of, as well as personal experience at Pacific Restaurant, and Le Colonial on New Years Eve. Many restaurants were closed to give their employees the night off to be with their families, or avoid the exorbitant wage rates expected, or the hassle of unruly crowds.

This, my fellow trend watchers, is not isolated to this particular date or event. Ms. Popcorn reports this phenomenon is real and growing. We all need to keep this in mind when thinking about marketing our restaurants. We have seen the evidence of this with the growth of take out sales ( via Waiters on Wheels, Dine 11, etc. )

Another trend that is identified by marketing gurus and the focus of the Psychology/Spirituality Community, is the subject of relationships. The book most often referred to is by Mill Valley author John Gray "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus". We all desire satisfying relationships, and I am delighted to report that chefs are coming out of the closet, er, kitchen, to engage their customers as guests in their home - this is the hospitality business, folks.

Perhaps one of the Masters of Hospitality is Giovanni The Margarita King, owner of Barcelona Restaurant, in the Financial District of S.F. This is his name, really. And he really goes the extra step, well, mile, even, as "Mr. Hospitality". He works the dining room and bar like a politician at a fundraiser. Although he didn't have any babies to kiss, he schmoozed, with everyone, even kissing a few ladies hands, much to their delight. Relationship building and Entertainment at its best.

You can feel the energy level rise in the dining room when the chef or owner or manager venture forth to make contact with their customers. Michael Hart, chef and owner of Nasturtium Restaurant, made our dinner memorable with his presence in the dining, not just because he made a special effort on our behalf, but also because he chatted with several other patrons of his restaurant. "People want to know how much you care, before they care how much you know" is still true many generations later.

Daniel Olivella, the Chef/Owner of B 44, the latest Spanish entry in our local culinary world, walked the room, making very good eye contact and conversation, despite the evidence of a hard days work on his professional attire. Kelvin Ott, the Chef of Clouds Restaurant in Yerba Buena Gardens is another personable Chef who makes the effort to make himself known to his patrons. I discovered that not only is he a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and Real Restaurant Co., but also a refugee from the computer world. He, like so many chefs, are multi-talented artists, musicians, writers, wine aficionados not forgetting they are all magicians.

The talent range of this new generation of Chefs is another trend. While some may refer to this trend as 'fusion food', this is much more of a development reflecting the individual Chef's talents. Executive Chef, Grenet Xavier at Barcelona studied under the acclaimed French Chef Joel Robuchon of Jamin Restaurant in Paris, one of three chefs in the world elected "Chef of the Century"' and the first chef in Europe to earn three Michelin stars in a matter of three years. His translation of classic Spanish and Catalan recipes recreates Mediterranean flavors of herbs and olive oils with a deeper flavor profile than standard French or Spanish cooking. For example, his Guindilla (crushed olive and Spanish pepper, combined with olive oil ) and bread is killer on the taste buds. Explosive, yet balanced flavors. For starters, you have a selection of 28 to choose from - ( try the Pimientos de Piquillo ). The "Paella Valenciana" is not to be missed, if you love paella.

The Executive Chef/Owner/Operations Director of Straits Restaurants, S.F. and Palo Alto, Christopher Yeo studied Food and Beverage Management in his native Singapore and then moved to London to study hair design at Vidal Sasoon. He and his wife Kelly, established Yeo's Hair Salon in S.F. in 1980. His plate presentations are creatively balanced with a hint of folk art like you see on display in the restaurant. His cuisine is a blend of Thai, Indonesian, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Nonya. We especially loved the Indian Nan bread, the mussels ( which were about the freshest in my memory ), the Sea Bass en Papillote.

Azie Restaurant showcases Jody Denton's range of culinary creativity, this time his menu features Asian-inspired French cuisine, which translates to Japanese style presentation and portions. The Nine Bites sampler of appetizers are a work of art as well as delicious.

This reminds me of Yoshi Kojima, the masterful chef at MC2 ( MC squared ). Yoshi began in his native Japan and eventually became proficient in the art of French style cooking. Try his lobster poached in a truffle sauce served with a slaw of fennel. Or the foie gras w/carmelized apple rings with cognac rum sauce with raisons. Or kiwi w/custard sauce ( port wine reduction w/marscapone sauce. He is one of the best in our culinary scene.

Speaking of wine, one of my favorite subjects, new contradictory trends abound. In the Marketing World, also one of my favorite subjects, we call this phenomenon `fragmentation of the marketplace'. Wine lists in new restaurants reflect different philosophies of niche marketing. At the high end you can order a glass of Cote Rotie, Chapoutier,('95) for $16.75 at Azie, the newest concept from Jody Denton, Chef/Owner, who also oversees the culinary production next door at Lulu's. Wine Director Booth McKinney, revealed his favorite niche, "I would have all French Rhone Wines on the wine list, if I could." He's not kidding, either. Of the 13 red wines by the glass selection, 9 are Rhone style wines, (13 white wines also ). Or if your passion is classic Burgundian, you can indulge yourself with an '88 Romanee Conti for $2,200.

A contrast to this philosophy is Alan Cohen's G.M. of Dragonfly, George Chen's new restaurant in Corte Madera. Their wine list is an eclectic collection of California varietals, carefully balanced by wine regions of the state. And reasonably priced, typically 2.5 markup on the bottle. Their wine by the glass price range is between $5.to $8. There is even a 3 litre bottle of Cabernet for $95! Now here is a wine list philosophy after my heart, not to mention wallet.

In a totally different marketing niche, the Spanish Wine Niche, is B 44's list. The extensive Spanish Wine selection accentuates the whole dining experience, making it a truly synergistic ambiance.

Music is trendy by its very nature. Restaurateurs are capitalizing on this in very creative ways. Azie Restaurant has a live DJ spinning tunes all throughout the dinner hours, creating a contemporary scene to keep the youngish audience entertained while responding to requests. Incidentally, check out the art on the walls of this Urban Mod a la Japanese split level design. The subject will surprise you, if you really know about classic erotic art.

The music at B 44 is, not surprisingly, Spanish. A video screen plays a running, or maybe I should say topping, video of acrobatic performers standing 9 people high, forming a human totem pole. They are not moving as fast as the beat of the music. Music is so integral to Barcelona's business, they feature live Flamenco musicians who perform on a stage in the dining room, as well as disco style music in a huge room in the back of the facility for dancing.

The musical flavors are not just ethnic oriented, either. Tim Dale, g.m. at Le Colonial presents an impressive lineup of live jazz on Thursdays through Sundays. Formerly, Trader Vic's, the remodeling has transformed it into a French Colonial ambiance complete with twirling fans, vintage lamps, stamped tin ceiling, rattan furniture Oriental Rugs and low wooden tables.

Jazz is popular in restaurants all over the S.F. Bay area as well. Straits Cafe, Palo Alto features live jazz on Fridays and Saturdays. Dragonfly Cafe & Jazz Bar is their official name. The lounge area is set off by a beautiful grand piano to accentuate the ambiance and remind patrons that jazz is taken seriously on Thursdays through Saturdays. My mail is not complete without a reminder that one of the California Cafes is featuring live jazz, often a big name group.

The trends come, sometimes slowly and quietly, and every now and then with a surge. There are many sources for researching where , what and when the next trend may be. A great opportunity for sources in our local industry is a new Marketing Conference, to be held on Monday, Feb. 28, 2000, the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. "Restaurant Marketing 2000: Build the Buzz" as it is called, is organized by Susie Biehler & Co. See you there.


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