An Open Letter to Would-be Restaurant Owners

Dear Future Restaurant Owners:

So you want to open a restaurant. Great! Good for you! I am all for new business ventures, especially in the food industry. But, please, please don’t open (not even a soft opening) until you’ve got all the nuts and bolts (or in this case, forks and knives) firmly in place.

Now I know that the industry term “soft opening” means a restaurant is open but still working out the kinks. I get that. What I don’t get is how you, as the owner of a new restaurant, open without really training your staff. Or, how you as that owner, are dressed like you’re working at a construction site (even if your restaurant is extremely casual). You are the “face” of your restaurant; your appearance sends a message.

Case in point: I went to a new restaurant in our area this week. They don’t have a web site yet (mistake #1), but the person who answered the phone was very friendly and helpful when I asked about hours, menu, etc. She told me they had a limited menu right now and would have a web site soon. OK, fair enough. I decided to give a try.

Upon arrival, the hostess showed us to a table and gave us menus (food and beer). When our server came over, I said “I know this is a tap house so you have lots of beers, but do you have any wine?” Hmmmm, this seemed to stump her. Off she went to ask. I could see her speak to someone who was apparently a manager and I could hear his answer, “of course we have wine, go get the wine list at the bar.” Mistake #2. This should have been covered in training 101. As an aside, the server blamed the hostess for not giving us a wine list.

The wine list is small, but I’m still OK because I know their focus is beer. I ordered a Dr Frank semi-dry Riesling (NY Finger Lakes), and my husband orders Tito’s on the rocks. Our drinks arrive; the wine glass has lip smudges around the rim...I send it back.

Next, we have a couple of questions about the menu, which she had absolutely no answers for and had to keep running back to ask the manager (she said it was her first day; see Mistake #2 above for not fully training her BEFORE she hits the floor). I order the crab cake, and my husband, skeptical about the offerings, goes with the New England clam chowder. Twenty-five minutes later, my crab cake is delivered, lukewarm. Ten minutes later, still no soup. Now, I’m pretty sure they are not making the chowder from scratch at 6:30pm, so all they have to do is warm it up & ladle it out. We flag down the server who goes to check on it, and a few minutes later, it is delivered. 

We both stare at the soup. It is greenish-brown in color. I have never seen New England clam chowder in that color palate. My husband gives it a taste & pushes it away. He asks me to taste it. It is horrendous. Tastes nothing like chowder of ANY kind. In fact, I’m not sure what it tastes like, other than awful. In hindsight it tasted like a roux (a mixture of fat and flour used in making sauces); a bad, metallic-tasting roux. In addition, it had soup-skin floating on top, which indicates the soup had been sitting out for quite awhile. We  tell our server about the soup. She is apologetic, takes it away, and speaks to a gentleman I think is an owner. 

What NE clam chowder SHOULD look like!
(Credit: Serious Eats)

A few minutes later, he comes to the table. He is dressed like a construction worker (which is ok, if you are actually a construction worker and going to work at a construction site). He says “you don’t like the soup?” Notice there was no greeting? I say “no, it’s inedible.” He says “I had it today, it was fine.” I said, “it had skin on it.” The owner says “you coulda just let it sit there.” What does that even mean?? Then he walks away. OMG. (Big) Mistake #3. I felt like channeling Gordon Ramsey on Kitchen Nightmares: “TAKE THIS SOUP BACK INTO THE KITCHEN & HAVE THE CHEF TASTE IT!”

We pay the bill (the soup was taken off), leave a good tip for the waitress (the lack of training and kitchen failures are not her fault), and exit stage right. 

So, let’s review: Mistake #1, no web site. It’s not 1991 (the year the WWW went live). There is no reason why any restaurant cannot have a web site up and running prior to opening. It gives the public a sense of what to expect (hours, menu, pricing, BYO or full bar, handicap accessible, owner/chef bios, etc). Even if you don’t have a full site at launch, put something out there. 

Mistake #2, staff training. I know, you’re crazy busy trying to get everything done for your new venture. But trust me, if you don’t get this right, your new baby is going to fail, and it won’t be pretty. Today everyone is a restaurant critic, and people have no second thoughts about posting a bad review on Yelp, Open Table, Google, etc. A few bad reviews can tank your restaurant. For me, the service is right up there with the food. They are equal parts of the equation. And good service starts with you, restaurant owner. You may think you know how to train servers, but if you’re a newby to the restaurant biz, or have only run a small “mom & pop” establishment, you better get some help in this department (there are companies that can handle this for you so you can focus on the million other details of opening a restaurant). FOH (front of house) training is not as simple as it sounds. I eat out alot, and it never fails to amaze me how poorly wait staff have been trained. Even if the food is stellar, poor service will definitely influence whether I return to a restaurant again.

Which brings me to Mistake #3, customer interactions. I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that we won’t be returning to this restaurant, based mostly on how “Mr Owner/Construction Worker” handled my complaint. If he had said “I’m so sorry to hear the soup didn’t meet your expectations. What else can I get you?” Or, “we’ve just opened, I appreciate your feedback on the soup; let me get you something else,” I may have given it another try in a few weeks. But he obviously was not interested in customer satisfaction and ensuring that I return. 

This restaurant lost a customer, and that’s a shame, because with some careful planning, thorough training and attention to detail, he could have had repeat business; and not just from me, but from all the friends I would have told about his new restaurant.

Note: pictures in this post were not taken at said restaurant.

Montclair's Zeugma Mediterranean Grill

I am not prone to gushing, but when I say “you need to get to this place,” believe me!

I was a guest at a press dinner (my meal was complimentary) a few weeks ago and visited Zeugma for the first time. They’ve been open over a year, and while I had seen clippings and heard chattering about it, somehow I never got there. This is  Mediterranean cuisine kicked up a notch. Read on for more details.

Executive Chef, Can Alp, who was born in Turkey, has designed a menu that blends middle Eastern dishes with European influences. For instance, his delicious “muhammara” is made with a sweet pumpkin puree instead of the usual red peppers and has a slightly spicy finish.

Beet Heaven

In his “beet heaven” dish, he takes labneh, the creamy yogurt spread popular now at many restaurants, and adds organic baby beets and lemon for a wonderfully bright and flavorful dish. 

Rip a piece of his homemade pita bread to drag through the “sauced eggplant,” redolent with green peppers, onion, and garlic, and you’ll be in heaven.

Turkish Dumplings

I could have made a meal of the “manti,” and the “borrek,” two dishes I was not familiar with. Manti are terrific little Turkish dumplings stuffed with shiitake mushrooms in yogurt sauce, and drizzled with paprika oil and parsley oil. Chef Alp rolls pastry and stuffs them with spinach and feta to create the delicate borrek. 

Borrek

Not to be missed if you are a fan of grilled octopus is Zuegma’s version. A hearty serving with grilled zucchini topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted cherry tomatoes, and a fabulous Kalamata olive dressing. 

Looking for a salad but something a bit different? Try the Roasted Artichoke and Kale Salad and you won’t be disappointed. A beautifully composed dish of baby arugula, artichokes, kale, mixed greens, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, blended together with a light lemon balsamic dressing.

Roasted Artichoke and Kale Salad

For my entree, I chose the grilled lamb chops. Although they were cooked slightly more than my requested medium-rare, they were seasoned perfectly, and served with a delicious black garlic roasted eggplant puree, a bit of harissa sauce, and a delightful side of fresh mint, arugula and parsley.

Chef Alp does double duty as Zeugma’s pastry chef, and wowed us with what’s known as “Z-Chef Special.” You can definitely see how his experience in Paris has influenced him here. He takes delicate French meringue, whips pastry cream with strawberries, and plates it on a gorgeous lake of raspberry sauce. 

As if that wasn’t enough, he brought us a delectable warm, dark chocolate fudge brownie topped with pistachio gelato and crushed pistachio. And then, the pièce de résistance a beautiful poached pear soaked in a spiced red wine with “floss” halvah, vanilla bean gelato, in a sangria reduction! Magnifique!

I loved that much of Zeugma’s menu is designed for sharing. Take advantage of the menu sections labeled “mezzes” (small appetizers) and “in the middle,” (slightly larger plates) and craft your very own Mediterranean feast.

To re-confirm my original sentiment of “Get yourself to this place!” a couple of weeks later I went back anonymously. And I’m happy to report that the food and service were just as good as I originally experienced. 

Zeugma is BYO but is also a retailer for California’s Domenico Winery, selling both full and half bottles (no wine by the glass).

They are open for lunch Monday-Friday, dinner every day, and brunch Saturday and Sunday.

Zeugma Mediterranean Grill

44 South Park Street

Montclair

973-744-0074

www.zeugmagrill.com 

Hours and menu items subject to change.

Kimchi Mama Expands in North Jersey

Seafood Bibimbap Bowl

Tooling around Caldwell in mid-August, I noticed that a new restaurant had seemingly sprung up overnight in a small row of stores on busy Bloomfield Avenue. Kimchi Mama, owned by Leslie Newport and her family, offers traditional, slightly kicked up a notch, delicious Korean cuisine.

Leslie’s stepfather, Pyung Ho Hwang, a chef for 20 years went to culinary school near Seoul; but interestingly, he went to culinary school to master western food because he already knew how to make Korean food. Leslie explained that food is such a big part of Korean culture that you learn from your family. When he got to the United States, he realized that everybody wanted him to make Korean food, not American food. He worked as head chef in various restaurants in Bergen county, while Leslie’s mother, Seung Ae Hwang, is an entrepreneur, who has owned other restaurants.

Leslie grew up in Florida, where she worked in the hospitality industry and social media marketing. When Leslie’s mom opened the original Kimchi Mama in Fair Lawn, she asked Leslie to join her. The first Kimchi Mama opened in Fair Lawn about three years ago.

Glass Noodles

I asked Leslie how they chose Fair Lawn and Caldwell for their first two restaurants, as Korean food is not that well known in those areas. She said that was precisely why those cities work so well. It would be easy to open this type of establishment in, say, Edgewater or Fort Lee, areas more akin to this type of cuisine.

Their mission is to make Korean food accessible, easy, and less intimidating to people who have little or no experience with it. They designed the menu accordingly. Even though all of their recipes are traditional, everything is geared toward making itvery user-friendly. In the beginning, they needed to spend some time explaining the food, both to staff and customers, which sauce goes with which dish, and how you don’t dump the rice in because it will soak up all the broth. 

One big misconception people have around Korean food is that it’s all spicy. It’s not. Everything can be customized because they make everything to order. This is not conveyer belt food. They start the cooking process when the customer orders, and all the produce, protein, etc., is brought in fresh and whole and broken down on-site. Leslie’s stepfather makes all of the sauces and kimchi in Fair Lawn and  it comes to the Caldwell location fresh every day.

They’ve had a great reception in Caldwell (which has been open for about 6 months). In addition to the food just being downright delicious, people have become aware of the many health benefits of Korean food, such as kimchi (a traditional side dish of fermented vegetables), which has gained immense popularity in recent months. For instance, on trendy menus you’ll see kimchi hot dogs or kimchi fried rice. Korean food is at the forefront of Asian cuisine now so Kimchi Mama’s timing is right on.

Dumpling Soup

On my first visit for lunch, I fell in love with their miso soup. Unlike any other I’ve had in various Asian restaurants where it’s usually a thin, bland, watery consistency, this was thick and fragrant and absolutely addictive. More, please!

Another hit were the dumplings - both the vegetable and the beef fillings were delicious, tucked into a very light and crispy dough.

When we went back for dinner, we ordered the Korean Dumpling Soup (homemade beef bone marrow broth topped with more of those great veggie dumplings!), the spicy pork Bibimbap, and wonderful a stir-fried chicken (bokkeum). Everything was terrific! Tip: if you go and plan on enjoying beer or wine with your meal, bring your own glasses. Kimchi Mama only has plastic cups.

Leslie and her parents want people to know that family is everything to them. They make their customers feel like they are dining in their home, and their employees go the extra mile to make everyone welcome. 

In the future, they might offer tastings, or hands-on classes to teach people how to make kimchi. But for now, they are laser-focused on customer service, food quality, and spreading awareness about the deliciousness and health quality of their food. 

Just as I was putting this article to bed, I got a note from Leslie letting me know they’ve just opened their third location in Palisades Park, a full sit-down restaurant. Caldwell and Fair Lawn are set up more for takeout and delivery with minimal seating. The Kimchi Mama empire is growing!

Kimchi Mama

691 Bloomfield Avenue

Caldwell 

973-228-4371

Closed Monday

Tuesday-Thursday: 11am-9pm

Friday-Saturday: 11am-9:30pm

Sunday: 12pm-9pm

7-09 Fair Lawn Avenue

Fair Lawn

201-703-2905

Closed Monday

Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-9:30pm

Sunday: 12pm-9pm

280 Broad Avenue

Palisades Park

201-585-1083

Call for hours

A Taco Affair - Little Falls, NJ

Ahi Tuna and Fried Avocado 

The quiet Main Street of this historic Passaic County town is about to see a lot more action. In the last few months, three new restaurants have opened on one block - two with an Italian accent and one with a decidedly more international flair. 

A Taco Affair opened June 1st and has been going gangbusters since. Jessica Phillips, chef/owner, is pleasantly surprised. Not that she wasn’t confident that customers wouldn’t love her food, but she was thrilled by the enthusiastic reception her little restaurant has received. On opening day, her hardworking staff of just four cranked out 1,000 tacos!

I recently sat down with Jessica for a wide-ranging interview:

The Cook’s Tour: What does “A Taco Affair” mean?

Jessica Phillips: “It’s a play on words, something fun and easy to remember. Lets people know this is not your traditional taco place.”

Jessica Philliips

 Your bio on the web site says you graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2006 and then moved to Boston. Where did you work in Boston?

“I worked for Restaurant Associates, doing corporate food service,  including Harvard Medical and Google. That kind of environment really prepared me for this because you do everything, from cooking to managing to customer service.”

Po Boy

 Where does your interest in food come from?

“My parents. My mom was an amazing cook and we also went out to eat a lot. I really wanted to be part of that.”

Did you always want to be a chef?

“Yes, always. I think cooking is the coolest thing ever. I worked at a pool snack bar as a teenager and loved it. The manager encouraged me to go to culinary school.”

Why tacos?

“It’s an easier step for my budget and growth. I love the Spanish culture. I worked with a lot of people with a Spanish background and they really taught me about the cuisine, the culture.” 

Who are your biggest food influencers?

“People I met or worked with - moms, cooks, etc. I love learning about other food cultures.”

How did you choose Little Falls as the site for your first solo venture?

“I was the sous chef at The Grove in Cedar Grove for five years. One day I saw an ad for a store for rent - it was actually the store next door. I met with the owners, I loved the space, and I took the leap! We started renovating in November.”

What is your favorite item on your menu?

“The tiki masala. I love Indian food. At The Grove we did Indian cuisine and I really love the spices, the techniques.”

From top: Bahn Mi, Fried Chicken, Brisket

What are your favorite foods to cook with?

“Spicy peppers, herbs, I love citrus in everything. It really brightens things up.”

Why is there no guacamole on the menu?

[laughs] “A lot of people have asked that! In the near future we are going to start doing Guac Wednesdays with guacamole bowls and your choice of chips, toppings, shrimp, chorizo.”

What is your ultimate vision for A Taco Affair?

“Maybe a couple of locations? Open a fine dining spot eventually.”

Finally, what would you like our readers to know about A Taco Affair?

 “That we love what we’re doing, we want to provide awesome quality, we want people to smile and be happy. Come in, get to know the staff, me, the community.”

A few days before our interview I ducked in to sample some of A Taco Affair’s offerings. Late one afternoon, in-between lunch and dinner, the place was hopping. Some of the delicious and creative tacos I tried were the “Po Boy,” Jessica’s take on the New Orleans classic. It was stuffed with spicy Cajun popcorn shrimp, tomato, green cabbage, and Old Bay mustard aioli. Another winner was the “Smoked Brisket.” Jessica smokes the brisket in-house and adds coleslaw and crispy red onions (this was my favorite). The “Bahn Mi” was a riff on the Vietnamese sandwich of marinated pork, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and Sriracha aioli - this had a nice spice at the back-end. There are a number of fun side dishes, too, such as Mexican Street Corn, Beef Brisket Pinto Beans, and Carolina Green Rice. But one that I had never seen anywhere else was the Buttermilk Fried Avocado with Chipotle Aioli. The crunchy coating enveloping the creamy avocado with the spicy aioli was a big hit.

I didn’t get to try the Tiki Masala taco, that one intrigues me most! I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

A Taco Affair

81 Main Street

Little Falls, NJ

973-812-8226

Open Monday-Saturday, 11am - 9pm

Closed Sunday

The "No Agenda" Weekend

A couple of weeks ago, I started talking with my husband (more like lobbying) about getting away for a quick two-day trip somewhere. Nothing fancy, just something to help me pretend that summer really isn’t almost over. Of course, I should have thought about this earlier. WAY earlier. Anywhere I wanted to go was either booked up, or the hotel prices were so exorbitant, even I couldn’t justify it. So I gave up and resigned myself to a weekend at home. The last weekend before Labor Day. The next to last weekend of “official” summer. Do you hear the tinge of sadness in my voice? I even held off on making any local plans with friends for this weekend in the hope of a last minute breakaway. But, alas, it was not to be.

So now with nowhere to go, and no local plans, I am embracing the “no agenda” weekend! That's right, we're just going to throw caution to the wind and do whatever we want, go wherever we want, laze about in the sun, maybe even show up at a restaurant without a reservation! Oh, the horrors!

Of course with all this lolling about we’ll need a cool beverage, so perhaps I’ll make this cocktail that my friend, Pam, sent me the other day (recipe below). It sounds so crisp and delicious.

What will we eat? Who knows? Maybe we’ll go out, maybe we’ll stay in. No agenda, remember? We had a delightful meal the other night at a cool Mediterranean spot in Montclair called “Mish Mish.” We could go back there for breakfast or brunch. 

And for dinner? I have been craving a lobster roll and with no trip to Maine in my near future, I think we’ll try the ones at Gus and Co (also in Montclair). The rolls looked divine when we were there buying soft shell crabs a few weeks ago. 

Luckily, if we need a sweet, dessert is already taken care of.  Last weekend I made this delicious Frozen Yogurt Bark, which is totally chilling in the freezer.  Fun and easy to make, frosty and sweet with raspberries, blueberries, and toasted almonds, it’s the perfect end of summer treat. You can use other fruits, nuts, or seeds to add different textures.

Pre-frozen yogurt bark

What is it that my Italian friends say?  “Dolce far niente,” literally, “sweet doing nothing.” That’ll be me this weekend. Hope you have a lovely, “no agenda” weekend, too.

Cucumber Vodka Cooler

Ingredients

- 2 cucumber slices

- 1 oz. simple syrup

- 2 basil leaves

- 1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

- 1 oz. white cranberry juice

- 2 oz. Praire cucumber vodka

- Muddle first 4 ingredients three times in a mixing tin

- Fill glass with ice (medium size glass) and pour ice into tin and muddle ice with rest of ingredients 7 times

- Cup mixing tin and shake vigorously for 10 seconds

- Pour contents into glass

- Use 1 Basil leaf for garnish

Dough Pizzeria, Caldwell

Heirloom Stracciatella

Summer in New Jersey. Can’t beat it. Warm temps, beautiful beaches, rolling countryside, and gorgeous Jerseyfresh produce. I went in search of how a local restaurant makes the most of the bounty.

Dough Pizzeria, owned by Ed Simmons, exemplifies what makes “the Garden State” a chef’s playground. Their chicken comes from Gladstone Valley Farms in Peapack (pasture-raised, non-GMO), the pork in his homemade sausage is from Riverbend Farms in Far Hills, and of course, his produce is Jersey-grown (Circle Brook Farms in Stanhope). Let’s not forget about seafood: Jersey clams are on the summer menu. 

I asked Ed about his favorite produce. He likes “challenging, unique” greens, such as escarole, collards, jicama, broccoli rabe, and kale. He is definitely a veggie-forward kind of guy — his current breakfast smoothie consists of kale, spinach, and avocado. 

Ed’s philosophy is to offer patrons high quality, healthy ingredients  with excellent customer service, at an affordable price. 

Falafel

Dough has a rich and varied menu. Obviously, there’s pizza (almost every table orders a crispy, wood-fired pie). But there’s also a creamy stracciatella, served with heirloom tomato, avocado, and watermelon; tender meatballs, and interesting salads (on one of my visits, I had a wonderful escarole and strawberry salad). The new summer menu highlights a quinoa salad dotted with summer squash, radish, blueberries, and pistachios in a lemon-cumin vinaigrette; little neck clam pappardelle served with bacon, Jersey corn, in a white wine butter sauce; Jamaican-jerk pork medallions (a special); and the currently on-every-menu- around (but for good reason) poke (raw tuna with jicama salad, crispy wonton, candied ginger, and avocado). There's also a lovely vegetarian falafel served with butterhead lettuce and cashew tzatziki.

So how did a guy from Sussex county come to own a pizzeria in Essex county? Ed started working in local restaurants at age 14, discovered he was good at cooking, and put himself thru culinary school at the CIA. He  worked in New York City at various restaurants but was laid off after 9/11. This lead to a big life decision: he realized he didn’t want to work for other people anymore. While he and his wife opened a children’s fitness center, he continued to work in the food industry, working at Columbus Bakery in NYC where he learned all about pizza. At home, he began experimenting with wild dough starters and practiced his craft for four years before opening his own restaurant. But he didn’t want to open a typical pizza joint. He focused on developing a spot where the chefs could be creative in utilizing local foods, where guests are warmly welcomed, and where exemplary service is job #1 for the staff. 

When you’re looking for a restaurant that stays true to its’ (Jersey) roots, think Dough in Caldwell. Fresh ingredients, local farmer partnerships, sustainable practices, and delicious food.

Dough Artisan Pizzeria

437 Bloomfield Avenue

Caldwell, NJ

973-226-3300

#Jerseyfresh

Photos courtesy of Dough Pizzeria