Films you can really sink your teeth into

I’ve been thinking of doing a blog post on this topic for awhile but am happy to have been scooped by CBC’s Things That Go Pop! blog.

Last week, in recognition of the opening weekend of Julie & Julia, Things That Go Pop featured a multi-course round-up of cinematic yum-yums in a post titled Delectable films about food.

From Big Night to Babette’s Feast to Waitress, more than two dozen food films are profiled, nearly all of them SFW (safe for work), though you might want to think twice about clicking on the 9 1/2 Weeks video clip if your IT administrator can’t be plied with Apology Cake.

“It’s a comfortable way of enjoying an adult beverage …”

Because I have a mental age of about seven-and-a-half, phrases like “adult beverage” always crack me up.  It brings to mind those old cocktail placemats with exotic, colourful drinks like Grasshoppers and Mai Tais.

But in the context of the above quote, what it actually refers to is the ability to order a glass of wine or beer with a burger at some innovative quick-service restaurants in the U.S.:

 

“We simply wanted to create a different kind of dining experience,” says Jeff Harvey, CEO and president of Burgerville, a 39-unit chain in the Northwest which recently added wine and beer to one of its restaurants in Vancouver, Wash.

As the article goes on to note, “serving beer and wine isn’t a step to take lightly.”  There are a myriad of licensing and service training hurdles to be overcome, as well as resistance from more traditional-minded customers.

Still, it’s a concept shift that is proving popular in the few test markets where it has been deployed:

 

Sales are up at the Vancouver restaurant selling beer and wine, but says Harvey, “That wasn’t our motivation. My measure of success is really more the dialogue that’s happening at the tables.”

What do you think about the idea? Is this something you find interesting as a customer or a business owner?  Or is it better to keep sandwiches and Sidecars separate?

Taking it to the leader: an interview with Garth Whyte

Taking a break from the weird and cheeky observations normally housed on this blog to bring you intelligent and insightful observations from an entirely different source, CRFA’s new President and CEO.  Enjoy!

Full name: Garth Whyte
Age: “I was born 5-5-55”
Hometown: Ottawa (born in Nottingham, UK)
Current position: President and CEO, CRFA
First job: Paper route
Education: B.A. in English and Geography and M.A. in Public Administration (Carleton University), Canadian Securities certification and extensive executive training

Garth Whyte joined CRFA in June 2009, following a successful 23-year career with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Recognized as one of Ottawa’s top lobbyists by the parliamentary affairs journal, The Hill Times, Garth has held several senior positions involving government affairs, strategy development, membership and operations. In this interview with Newsbite blogger Jeni Armstrong, he talks about his vision for CRFA and the challenges ahead.

JA: I’m going to borrow a format from our friends in the States … if you had to lay out a mandate or a vision for your “first 100 days” at CRFA, what would that include?

GW: Well, I’m working on that right now, actually. First off, it was important for me to meet the board, meet the staff and get to know our members better. I would like CRFA to be the “go-to” association, so that restaurant chains and independent restaurateurs understand that without question they should be a member of CRFA, and so that government knows that without question they should come to us for input because we are the voice for Canada’s restaurant and foodservices industry.

In terms of the first 100 days, that means that we have to set the table for that kind of shift. Everyone should be celebrating the high quality of food that’s offered by all Canadian restaurants. I think a lot of people take that for granted. I think we have to start pushing politicians to recognize what a great product we offer, and what a great service we offer, all across the country. And they need to understand how unhelpful it is to keep throwing up barriers to restaurateurs who are trying so hard to do a good job.

Why yes, I would like a lick of your flavour bar*

I know there are many who think that bacon-with-everything has been played out — though as a vegetarian, I beg to differ — and yet who among us would turn down the opportunity test-drive a bacon-flavoured lollipop?

Ranking #4 in the list of “Seven Bacon Products You Probably Didn’t Know Existed,” Das Foods’ brilliantly named Man Bait maple bacon lollipop was also featured in a rundown of “What’s Hot on the Food Horizon” in the Houston Chronicle.

Other flavour trends cited were: blood oranges, chocolate and salt, yuzu and superfruits, which have demonstrated remarkable sticking power trendwise (we identified them as a trend back in 2006 (PDF)).

* it’s not every day you get a gratuitous Üter Zörker reference, folks!

Megabites vs. Megabytes

Late last week, Serious Eats posted an interesting article inspired by Eater, which was in turn inspired by a decision made by the owner of a NYC restaurant to ban photography inside the restaurant.

I have to admit that I’ve never personally had the Prairie oysters to be able to take photos of my meals in restaurants, but I’ve never really had a problem with others doing so (where else would all of the great restaurant-based food porn come from?).

UPDATE: Serious Eats has now posted a great follow-up article culled from CHOW’s Table Manners column, “How to Politely Take Food Photos in Restaurants.”  It includes this sage advice:

 

Don’t use flash, don’t move around the table too much, and don’t take so many photos that the dish’s temperature drastically changes by the time you get to eat it.

Sounds about right to me!

Brunch = brutal + lunch

Hidden in a sidebar to last Saturday’s G&M feature, “Brunch is hell” were Ivy Knights’ fantastic tips on “Being a better bruncher,” which included:

• Sticking with the menu,
• Ordering all drinks in one go,
• Making a reservation,
• Arriving all together (if in a group), and
• Ordering brunch like you would dinner, ie: with appetizers.

Great tips for customers, but if you’re looking for the real scoop on why “brunch in Toronto (is) so brutal for patrons and servers alike,” you’ll have to read the full story.   It includes some great quotes from restaurateurs and their staff, culminating with Brad Long’s over-the-top description of one particularly heinous brunch experience that would be very funny if it wasn’t also very likely true.