Side Dishes

I Fix Broken Restaurants

After reading this, the next time you hear the term restaurant consulting you’ll have a better idea of just how intricate it really is. Television shows like Restaurant Impossible only give the public a glimpse into what it takes to fix broken restaurants. Read more...

Havana Club’s El Museo del Ron / ALL About Rum

Features

I recently learned that Bacardi’s first name was actually Don Fecundo Bacardi and not Ron! I was crushed! All these years, I thought Ron Bacardi was a real guy! Then, I learned that RON was Spanish for Rum…and not the first name of the producer! Read more...

Delicious Ecuador is The Republic of the Equator

Food for Thought

Ecuador is located in one of the most privileged areas of the planet, and has a cuisine that offers a variety of dishes with different combinations of ingredients. Join us as we explore Ecuadorian cuisine! Read more...

Chocolate and Coffee Tasting at Edible Canada / A Decadent Affair

Dessert

I was invited to an event at Edible Canada, held in Granville Island, Vancouver, BC. This extravaganza was hosted by Wendy Boys of Cocolico, a local chocolatier, along with Canadian Master Coffee Roaster representative, Marie-Claude Dessurealt of Van Houtte Coffee. Read more...

A Tale of Two Cocktails from Old Havana, Cuba

International

From 1932-1939 Ernest Hemmingway lived at the Hotel Ambos Mundos (Both Worlds) in Old Havana, where he preferred renting a certain 5th floor room for $1.50 per night, as it provided him an excellent view of the Harbor and the cool breeze. Read more...

Campers

Front of House

You know the scenario. A busy night in your restaurant, tables turning as they should, everything going according to the book, but some guests just have to stay a little too long. They just sit and sit and sit seemingly forever! It’s the dreaded customers called Campers! Read more...

Great Service = Big Tips!

Front of House

As a hospitality employee working for gratuities, the endless search for that elusive BIG TIPPER continues. Could you be the server or bartender who gets the BIG ONE tonight (get your mind out of the gutter)? Try these “tricks of the trade” to make more money than ever before. Read more...

Tip Making Tips for Tip Makers

Back of House

This short piece is a simple pep talk to remind all you servers, bartenders, managers, hostesses, musicians and aspiring chefs to keep trudging along towards your life goals. They are much closer than you think. Don’t stop now…you’re almost there! Read more...

What’s the Culinary Difference?

Food for Thought

As a food critic, I dine at a variety of restaurants. At each stop, I cannot help but notice just how different each establishment is from another, and I’m always amazed. Some are still stuck in the early 80′s, some restaurants think they are on the cutting edge. Read more...

Simply Salt

Side Dishes

The delicate white crystals sitting in shakers on practically every dining table in the western world is another “taken for granted” product (like black pepper) that we know as salt. Hard to believe, but salt was actually being used long before history was recorded. Read more...

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