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Juanito

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  1. Juanito

    Sysco

    Seems Mr Baugh was philanthropic....from his obit: ..... Baugh, a philanthropist who donated money to various Baylor programs, projects and buildings, was 91. He served as a trustee and regent from 1987-1996. "He's been an incredible philanthropist in the church and in the world," said Diana Garland, dean of the School of Social Work, which received funding for programs and projects from the Baugh family. "He certainly has made a significance for good at Baylor University and far beyond," she added. ........... Baugh's donations to Baylor were estimated at more than $20 million, according to the Associate Baptist Press. He founded the John. F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship in the Hankamer School of Business, which is now one of the top 10 entrepreneurship programs in the nation. The Baughs were some of the founding benefactors of George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
  2. Juanito

    Sysco

    As a distributor sales rep who has competed against SYSCO (successfully) for over twenty years, I can say without question that I take a back seat to no one in my dismay over the changes SYSCO has effected on the Foodservice industry. The business model of extorting money from manufacturers (sorry - they call it marketing dollars) has decimated small manufacturers of quality items, because they simply cannot afford to pay to play with the Tysons, Heinzes, and Con Agras of the world. Independent distributors have been forced to adopt similar models in order to compete. Only the largest markets can support small, artisinal producers of things talented chefs might actually want to buy and use, and the rest of the country eats Poppers. The last decade has brought us countless buyouts and mergers of foodservice producers, so that there are only a handful of players left. Thank you SYSCO. With all that said, I don't think personal attacks on the founder are called for, and whatever he did wrt charity is really none of our business. He obviously had a vision, and it has been successful, so let's give him his due.
  3. Know that according to the NRA, the average profit margin of restaurants is 5% Granted, that takes into account all the money losers as well as the wildly successful ones. From what I've observed personally, a well run operation will yield 10% and perhaps as much as 20% of sales - but you should be prepared to see less...... a lot less. And so should your investors. Again, from my experience (20+ years as a food distributor - watching people do again and again what you are contemplating) investor funded operations are a bad idea. All but the most savvy investors, schooled in the lean margins of the restaurant biz, soon want to see a return on their investment which you may not be able to provide. That's when the arguing starts, and big problems follow. I've seen it scores of times, and it isn't pretty. If you can use your own money, do it.
  4. Yesterday I made a batch of pasta. Two batches, really. Using Hazan's recipe of approximately 1 cup of flour to two large eggs, I made two cups worth, with four eggs. This I divided in half, then divided each half in thirds, and ran through the pasta machine to make my sheets. So far, so good. I then further processed the sheets into fettucine. This is where I need some help. The handling of the noodles was a problem for me. As they came out of the machine, I wrapped each bunch around my hand into a nest, and placed on towels to dry. When it came time to cook them (about 6 hours later) some of the nests didn't untangle in the water - so nesting is probably not the way to go for me. This was a dry run for an upcoming white truffle dinner, for which I have been elected to provide the fresh fettucine for six diners, so I can't afford to foul up the next run. Anyone have a suggestion? Should I just hang the individual strands over a clothesline like contraption? Or what?
  5. I'm a NYer - born and raised. Moved to SB twenty some odd years ago, but still make many trips per year back to see the family - and eat! Yes, Michelin stars are very different from NY Times stars - that's for sure. There are several places in and around the area that would merit multiple stars from the NYT - all have been mentioned in this thread, and there are others, as well. Something you should keep your eye on, if you're serious about your idea. The wine culture has exploded here - and the Santa Ynez Valley is ground zero for that explosion. IMO, some of the best food in the area being served today is at the Restaurant at the Ballard Inn - a small inn located in (where else?) Ballard, in the heart of the SY Valley. The chef has solid credentials, having cooked in some very high profile spots in SF and on the East Coast, one being Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger. His food is inventive and delicious. So yes, it can and is being done, albeit on a small scale - his restaurant only seats thirty or so. Other high profile chefs have been nosing around the Valley, shopping for locations. So it will happen - and when it does, competent foodservice professionals will migrate to the area to take advantage of those opportunities, deepening the labor pool. My advice to you? Don't be late. You want to get in before this occurs, not after. Occupancy costs are already high - they'll surely go higher when a "big name" chef locates here. Consider this: who would have thought the French Laundry could accomplish what it has, where it is? The SY Valley is ripe for something like that.
  6. But the Hungry Cat is really bistro dining, not approaching the starred dining in the initial post. I hope the HC does well, and I await its arrival with excitement. I wish they'd picked a better spot - that corner has been cursed in the past. I love their menu and I think folks will come out and support them - I sure hope so. The premise of Bobbo's post speaks to 2 and 3 star dining - and I still maintain that we have neither the labor pool nor the population to support such a venture. Who comes close? As I mentioned in my prior post, Miro. But it has a built in support system - a world class resort that draws people from far and wide. Would it work as a stand alone restaurant? I'm not so sure. Downey's - I would say this place would be on the short list Biltmore Four Seasons - yawn The San Ysidro Ranch is in the process of renovating its operation - perhaps when it reopens it will make the list - but again, we're talking about a resort with built in clientele. I like Wine Cask, Bouchon and Sage - but none have the ambience which would garner them two or three Michelin stars - or am I wrong? Who am I missing? Bobbo, if you don't mind, where are you cooking in the City?
  7. Yes, I think there is a market; that is, a subset of the population who are comfortable within that context of dining. They are positively screaming for such a place. However, I don't think that subset is large enough to make the venture a successful one. It's been tried. Restaurant economics in this town are indeed dismal. Add that to the scarcity of potential employees capable of performing consistently at that level and you have a recipe for frustration and failure.
  8. I would agree that one is not going to find NYC caliber dining in SB - the labor pool just isn't deep enough. If you want to come close, go to Miro, at the Bacara resort. Technically, not in SB, but just outside the city limits. It is the finest dining the SB area has to offer. Service, food and ambience flirt with the starred levels you seek.
  9. Trattoria Grappolo is the place you are talking about.
  10. To the best of my knowledge, it's pork butt that has been rubbed in spices, and then allowed to cure. (though with the Fed regs these days, it's likely that the one your local store sells has been cooked in some fashion) It's usually available in "hot" and "sweet" depending upon the spices used. This is a different thing from ham capocolla, which is simply a variant of ham, using some spices on the outside to give it a bit of a kick.
  11. Yes, Downey's is still great, with probably the best service in town. Your info is correct, Aja has morphed into Jade, under new ownership - former sous chef and wife purchased from the Aja owners, who have moved to Grant's Pass, OR, where they will open a new Aja. Have yet to visit Jade, so, can't comment. In no particular order, you could likely have a Downey's level meal at Wine Cask, Nu, Olio e Limone, or Ca Dario. Oh, I almost forgot, the hottest place in town - Sevilla - has gotten rave reviews. Beautiful people, and all that, but the food is terrific, too, and great service. The navy building restaurant is called the Waterfront - more recently, Chuck's at the Waterfront. A nice place to go for drinks and apps, I guess. Great view. Jerry Wilson no longer is cooking there. The restaurant at the Baccara, Miro, is spectacular. Bring your wallet. I haven't been near the Brown Pelican in twenty years. I don't think anyone takes it seriously around here. Bingo Hall? Just how long has it been since you've been here, anyway? The "bingo hall" has been torn down and replaced with a glitzy Vegas style casino and three diamond resort - complete with fancy schmancy restaurant, as well as an all you can eat buffet, and a 24 hour coffee shop. Blecch. There's no good Mexican food in the SYV anymore, at least in my opinion. People like Taco Loco (or is it Roco) and it's okay to be sure, but it's just fast food. You can do way better in Santa Barbara at El Sitio, Taqueria El Bahio, or La Super Rica. As to the outdoor beachfront breakfasts, I can't help you. I only eat breakfast out on the weekends, and then at the Cafe Del Sol by the bird refuge, but they don't do breakfast on the weekdays. Have fun.
  12. I'm a big fan of Patsy's in Harlem, and Louie and Ernie's in the Bronx. Thin crusted, judiciously topped pizza just floats my boat in a way few other foods match. So I'm always on the lookout for alternatives, new pizza hills to climb. For some time now, I've heard of this place, Johnny's, in Mount Vernon. "Just as good as Louie and Ernie's" they said. "You've got to try this place." So I did. First of all, it isn't a pizza place in the vein of the others, but a kind of dressed down red sauce joint that serves pizza. They don't sell slices, just pies. And there's waitress service. The double deck oven was manned by an older gent, kept busy shuffling pies this way and that, assisted by two younger kids making and topping the pizzas. I ordered a small margherita pizza. A few minutes later, out comes a 12" pie, cut into six slices, and set upon our table. As soon as I grabbed the first slice, my heart sank. Rigid. No give to the slice whatsoever. What we were served was a thin, cracker like crust, topped with a sweet, fairly tasty sauce, and sparingly applied mozzarella. Despite the margherita designation, I found no fresh basil on the pie. While it was tasty enough, and frankly, one I'd be happy to eat under most circumstances, the inclusion of this place into the ranks of Patsy's and Louie and Ernie's was a cruel misrepresentation, one which caused my high expectations to be dashed on the rocks, tainting whatever pleasure I might otherwise get from the pie. It's not even in the same league. What it is, is a decent to good pizza - okay to eat if presented, but certainly not worth a special trip from anywhere.
  13. Let's confuse the issue a bit more. I think what you all are referring to as "deckle" and what Irwin refers to as "blade meat" is aka "lifter meat" or "special trim" in the trade. It is used quite a bit in the Mexican market for shredded beef. J
  14. I have to disagree with you here - boxed beef ribeyes come in a variety of weight ranges, and the two I see most often (and I sell the stuff for a living) are 12 and ups, and 12 and downs. The 12 and downs most often weigh in at 11 to 12lbs - we are seeing far more larger ribeyes these days - the 12 and ups. I put one on the scale the other day and it was 15.65lbs - so 17lbs doesn't seem totally out of line.
  15. Catania's ain't what it used to be. I have been consistently disappointed the last few times I've been there. I used to really like their calzones as well as their Sicilians, but now, I don't know, something has changed. I think it's the Blue Moon, or Full Moon, not Half Moon, and I agree, I enjoy their slices. I haven't been to Johnny's in MT Vernon, but it has been recommended highly to me by people in the know - my next visit to the apple will be in a week or so and I must get there. I'll report back. One you missed in the Bronx, which has become my favorite, is Louie and Ernie's on Crosby Ave. Very thin crust, tasty sauce, cheese applied judiciously. When I'm in town I go there every day for a slice.
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