Soup-aganza

Here's a case where my real life and my work life combine in a way that makes me quite happy to be me. I'm currently at home recovering from throat surgery—OK, so that's the not-so-fun part of being me—which has restricted my diet to Jell-O, Gatorade, Popsicles and a whole lot of soup. But I decided to turn my current condition into a research opportunity and will be writing an article about soup. As research, I've been tasting some pretty tasty liquid creations from some of Atlanta's restaurants. Today's lunch was a feast of seven soups:
Miso soup from Doc Chey's—getting enough protein is challenging in my present state yet this soup came chock full of welcome and easy-to-swallow nuggets of tofu. Problem solved.

Chicken and coconut milk soup from Spice Market—if my throat were healed I'd love this soup, but it was way too spicy for me to eat it today without an intolerable burn on the cauterized parts of my throat! (But that was good news for Dean, who devoured the leftovers and loved every spoonful!)

Chicken vegetable from Alon's—very rich with meat, this soup has a comforting homemade quality. I also tried lentil with lemon and cumin from Alon's—an Egyptian recipe from owner Alon Balshan's mother, it was among my favorites.

Carrot ginger soup from Star Provisions—visually simple with complex taste; another favorite.

Gazpacho from Figo—I'm not typically fond of cold soups, but this one was very tasty with just the perfect amount of spice.

Seven Onion Soup from Salt Factory in Roswell—based on the description alone, I wouldn't have imagined how absolutely fabulous this soup is. Definitely the most pleasant surprise and my No. 1 favorite of the day, from a restaurant that I'd never heard of previously but now look forward to visiting once healed! This soul-satisfying, thick, rich soup is somehow like French Onion yet more sublime. Decadent and satisfying, it's served topped with toasted croutons and shaved manchego cheese and chive oil (a puree of chive, garlic and olive oil).

Now that it's officially fall and the weather is getting cooler here in Atlanta, could the timing of this research project be more perfect!!?!!

Georgia Winegrape 2009 Harvest: Washed Out?

After eight days of nonstop rain and with so much of the Atlanta area flooded, I wondered what the storms have meant for North Georgia's wineries. For a front line report I checked in with three winery owners: Craig Kritzer, David Harris and Mary Ann Hardman.

Craig Kritzer, Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonga

"Frogtown is harvesting, as I respond to you," reported Kritzer at 6:30 p.m. on September 21. "We were fortunate to have harvested over 70 percent of our fruit before the last seven days of rain." In fact, the day before the rains started, Frogtown Cellars had harvested 30 tons of fruit that was then processed over the next two days. "We could not harvest more because we were out of harvest bins," explained Kritzer.

"As a result of our decision to take fruit earlier than we have in the past," he said, "I would say the weather will have an impact, but not anywhere like 2007." (That year, temperatures dropped to the low 20s for three Spring days and killed over 80 percent of the fruit.) Kritzer is very upbeat about the vintage 2009 fruit already fermenting in his winery: "The best sanigovese, marsanne, and roussanne we have ever harvested has come in this 2009 vintage," he said. "I think the cabernet franc, merlot, chardonnay, seyval blanc, vidal blanc, petit verdot, muscato, touriga and tannat harvested before the rain will all produce quality Frogtown wine; with very little being declassified to our second label, Thirteenth Colony. The vast majority of the fruit on the vine as of today is cabernet sauvignon and norton." Though he predicts that the rain will have a minimal impact on the norton, his attitude toward the cabernet is, "we will have to see how it comes in and how it performs in tank."

David Harris, Blackstock Vineyards in Dahlonega

"The rain, of course, is why I bought all these steep slopes," said Harris, who has already harvested approximately 60 percent of his crop. He's pleased with his 2009 grape quality and yield with chardonnay, viognier, touriga as well as some sangiovese and some merlot. "Cabernet is not ready," he said, and the rain has caused that grape to suffer some damage in terms of quantity. "What is left may be salvaged with high quality, if the weather turns back dry," he said. "Same for what is left of the merlot. What is left of our sangiovese and much of our mourvedre is less fortunate, having taken a bigger hit on breakdown."

"We are very definitely taking a heart-breaking quantity hit, but still questionable if it will mean a quality impact," said Harris, adding that he is very thankful he "neglectfully" hadn't picked grapes planned for his "white merlot": "I definitely have a nice 'diluted' candidate for that now, but it shouldn't hurt the quality of our blush wine." Picking low-quality fruit on a "rescue" mission hasn't even been an option for him because of the non-stop rain. "But we can still get some significant quality if it would dry out to typical fall weather and we leave some things to mid-late October which is our typical dates for wrapping the harvest up," says Harris. "Right now, I'm planning for the worst and hoping for the best."

Mary Ann Hardman, Persimmon Creek Vineyards in Clayton

At Persimmon Creek Vineyards, harvest hasn't yet started. "Our Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes usually hang on the vines until late October and early November," said Hardman. "We are letting them hang throughout the rain, as we have another month before we usually harvest. The sun will hopefully shine again before the month's out! This is the old European way of the vigneron (wine grower)...figuratively and literally wading through the whimsicalities, curve balls of nature."

"I think it is important to remember that wine is not made 'labelled, capsuled, corked on the vine,'" says Hardman. "Mother Nature has everything to do with the vintage--wine truly is a savor of the earth. Real wine is not made in a facility; it is a product of the earth, terre, soil. That connection to the earth is truly what gives wine character."

The bottom line: Despite heavy harvest-season rains, three North Georgia winery owners speak with optimism about their 2009 vintages. Cabernet grapes may suffer the hardest hit.

The Johnson Studio

Bill Johnson and his team members at The Johnson Studio are the creative architect and design force behind many of Atlanta’s most popular restaurants. For a feature in Sunday Paper, I recently interviewed Johnson. Unfortunately, not all of our conversation could fit into my article; fortunately, I can post more of it here:

HSP: How does Atlanta’s architectural design style compare to other cities?
BJ: That’s a tough question. I’d say that Atlanta is a very progressive city, but it’s not New York or Los Angeles. I find Atlanta to be more progressive than most other places—including Chicago, Washington D.C. and Denver. Atlanta embraces new ideas. Atlanta is a very young city, populated by people who are a range of ages. The strong younger population in Atlanta is very open to new ideas; the older people are open to new ideas as well, they’re not struck in a rut. We see ideas and concepts take off here.

New York is the industry leader and will always be—it’s a world leader. There are things that work in New York that probably wouldn’t work anywhere else, it’s so diverse with an amazing base of people. People go to New York for a New York experience.

Las Vegas is different—it’s expected to be theatrical, so you really have to crank it up a couple of notches because the level of expectation there is so over-the-top, so highly developed. People to go Las Vegas expecting to be over-stimulated.

Atlanta is more a living, breathing town where real people live. We have a lot of tourists and depend on their business for the restaurant industry to thrive, but at the same time it’s locals who drive the restaurant business, so we really have to have something that works and is appealing on an ongoing basis. We’ve seen restaurants come and go, places that people went to one or two times but didn’t want to go back. The restaurant business is a very tough business. You don’t often get a second chance. People have to enjoy going and have a reason for coming back.

HSP: What typically comes first, the menu or the blueprint?
BJ: The restaurant concept always comes first. The design follows the concept. To me the design really reinforces the concept and the food. I still believe the primary reason people go out to restaurants is to enjoy good food. There are other reasons, of course, but food is the main reason. What the chef does and the food being presented is reinforced by design. The design sets a stage, puts people in the right frame of mind. 'Very casual and funky' or 'beautiful and elegant' have different presentations, which starts at the front door—or even before that because the approach to the building sets expectation. It’s very important to me to understand the concept, what type of restaurant it’s going to be, the level of formality and type of food and style of food. Food can be very simple and elegant and really minimalistic or really kind of crazy fun and varied. All those factors can be reinforced in the physical surrounding space.

HSP: How will the restaurants of the future differ from those of today?
BJ: I think we’re going to see a trend towards more and more casual dining. I think we’re going to see more versatile restaurants and by that I mean places where people can go and eat as much or as little or as well as or as simply as they choose. I think restaurants will be giving people the choice or option to have the fine dining experience or just a nibble and a glass of wine and/or just take something home. I think we’re going to see restaurants making an effort to accommodate what people want, and I think the restaurants that are going to do well are ones that give people something unique or local or ethnic or whatever is special in some way. I think the ones that are going to draw people are ones that do whatever they do extremely well. I think there’s always going to be a market for creativity. People are entertained by going out to eat and enjoy new experiences. People want to be amused—and I mean that in serious way. People enjoy different experiences that make them take notice—not everybody; some people think it’s great to find a restaurant that they like and then go there forever, and those are great guests that restaurants need. But there are also people who enjoy new things, enjoy seeing what’s happening today. I think that need to explore different boundaries and to do different things will always be there.

Taverna Fiorentina

Taverna Fiorentina has been open almost two years, yet I just recently visited for the first time. Afterwards, to learn more about the restaurant, I talked with co-owners Chef Paolo Tondo (originally from Florence, Italy) and Sommelier Jasmin Reyes Scott (who hails from Madrid, Spain).

HSP: What drove you to open your own restaurant?
PT: Because we love long hours, hard physical labor, working nights, weekends and holidays! No, just kidding. It is the perfect recipe for a successful restaurant – two partners – one from the kitchen and one from the vineyards. Each of us brings our own unique set of talents to the partnership and to Taverna Fiorentina. We love it!

JRS: It was a moment of insanity, then I woke up and it was too late. Truthfully, I came out of a divorce and had to make some life decisions. The challenging part is being a working single mom, being able to find that balance between family and work. I love it, my kids love it and they are my biggest supporters. I am, also, able to have more flexibility in my schedule. It's very important that I be “present” for my children. I am doing what I love. It's not all glamorous, but I find every day rewarding and positive. Never a dull moment in the restaurant business! Next, I'm going to write a book about opening and operating a restaurant...a satire. I've got a lot of material for a reality show, too.

I also did it so that I was able to work the wine end of the business, which is my passion. I have always wanted to own my own business, as well. Owning a restaurant is an adventure and I’m not sure I can describe the high you get when you have given your guests great food, great wine, great service and they thank you for it! We are performers; we are “on stage.” It’s great exhausting fun because we love what we do.

HSP: Why this restaurant? What’s your concept?
PT: I wanted to bring my Italian cuisine to Atlanta diners and subsequently strive to keep Taverna Fiorentina as authentic as possible. Taverna Fiorentina is a neighborhood restaurant offering a bustling yet intimate dining environment and authentic Tuscan dishes. The best ingredients, simply and respectfully prepared, characterize the authentic Tuscan cuisine at Taverna Fiorentina.
We’re an authentic trattoria where folks in Vinings get to enjoy great Italian food and wine without venturing too far away. A place to relive that dream vacation through Tuscany. A unique lifestyle experience. We are first generation Europeans. The restaurant is intimate, you get to know and become friends with the owners. Taverna is a “word of mouth” recommended restaurant. We greet you at the door and invite you to linger and enjoy our authentic Tuscan cuisine and hospitality.

HSP: Do you currently have any special offers or deals?
PT: Yes!

Our “Margin Menu” is a three-course prix fixe menu for $25 per person (not including tax or gratuity). It’s available nightly from 5:30 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close.

Our “Sunday Family Dining Stimulus” is a memorable occasion featuring seasonal, comforting family recipes. No matter what the menu or season, Sunday Dinner always embodies the heart of Italy: good food, good wine and good company. Bring the family together for dinner at Taverna Fiorentina on Sunday night and children 12 and under eat a meal off the children’s menu for free with the purchase of an accompanying adult entrée.

“Tuesday Wine Tastings” are $18 per person from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Taste five wines with complimentary hors d'oeuvres.

The CostCo “Restaurant of the Month” promotion invites neighborhood restaurants to participate. CostCo places a display at the exit of the store, which has photos of the restaurant, our take-away menu and a special offer for CostCo members. We are currently the “Restaurant of the Month” and have offered $10 coupon off lunch for two and $20 coupon off dinner for two. With the sheer volume of members that shop at Costco, we are receiving exposure to many people who otherwise might not know about us and have provided a substantial incentive that is driving traffic to the restaurant.

The Cobb County Convention & Visitors Bureau has organized the first "Cobb County Restaurant Week," September 19-26, to promote dining in Cobb County. Participating restaurants offer a three-course prix fixe menu for lunch at $15 per person and for dinner at $30 per person.

JRS: We are still here, and have witnessed so many other restaurant closings. Our creative marketing strategies kept loyal to our brand; and didn't make huge concessions to the economy. It's important that Taverna Fiorentina stay authentic and loyal to our clientele. Paolo and I have never been afraid to step in and get our hands dirty. You will always find us on the floor, behind the bar, answering the phones...whatever we need to do. Our hearts are in this place and we hope it shows.

Photo courtesy Taverna Fiorentina.

Huguenot Torte

Funny thing about history: Different folks remember it differently. So getting to the roots of a dessert recipe isn’t easy, even in a place like Charleston, South Carolina where culinary traditions not only run deep but thrive on current menus.

“Huguenot torte is one of those great stories that differs greatly depending upon who is telling it,” says Douglas Beard, vice president of food service at Middleton Place Foundation. A confection that is something between macaroons and pecan pie, huguenot torte combines pecans, apples and vanilla into a batter than transforms from silky to crunchy as it cooks. That it’s southern is clear in one bite: It’s VERY sweet.

“The story I grew up hearing was a grand one,” says Beard of the dessert’s invention. “The short of it is that the French Huguenots brought the recipe with them centuries ago when they immigrated from France to Charleston and replaced walnuts with pecans in the dish out of necessity. It is a wonderful story that evokes images of high seas adventure, poor immigrants looking for a new beginning and the idea of a true ‘melting pot’ of cuisines from around the world which have helped to shape what has become lowcountry cuisine.” The only problem with that culinary tale is that it’s not necessarily true.

“According to Chef/Author John Martin Taylor, who is a very credible source on the history of southern foods,” says Beard, “the name ‘huguenot torte’ does not surface in the Charleston area until the late 1930s when it was served in the Huguenot Tavern. It is widely accepted that the recipe is actually an adaptation of Ozark Pudding, which has similar ingredients.”

One key fact is consistent in all versions of the recipe's history: The dessert originated in Charleston. What’s more, it remains popular on menus throughout that city (including at Middleton Place, which is where I tasted it and snapped the photo).

Make it .

4th & Swift

As a self-employed person, I know how the current economy can lead to second-guessing and doubting one’s career choice. While researching a forthcoming article, I recently chatted with Jay Swift—who as chef/owner of 4th & Swift is responsible not only for his own paycheck but his employees’ income as well. Since not all of our conversation could fit into my article, here are some highlights:

HSP: How long has your restaurant been open?
JS: We opened on June 21, 2008 so we have been open a little over one year. Our business has tracked with the recession: We opened strong last summer and had a very strong fall, winter and early spring. July and the first three weeks of August were tough, but now things are really starting to pick up.

HSP: How do you describe your restaurant to people who've never been there?
JS: 4th & Swift is a chef-driven restaurant that strives to create a home-like, comfortable atmosphere. Guests and friends can experience every part of the restaurant with a transparency and honesty that can only compare to being at home. From the dining room, a window nearly ten feet tall allows the guests views into the kitchen to watch the preparation of food.

My approach is to update comfort food favorites with contemporary techniques, seasonal ingredients and transform classics to new standards. The menu changes daily and seasonally to focus on the bounty on the season.

We seek to appeal to locals who wish they were in New York, and out-of-towners who want to know they are in Atlanta. This vision is threaded through the entire dining experience.

HSP: How do you ensure that your bar offerings complement the food menu’s seasonal fare?
JS: Our wine list is driven by a combination of either small, hand-crafted wineries, those producing sustainably or more, and/or those with rich traditions that have not bowed to fads or fashion—what’s more, we change the wine list about eight times a year to stay with the seasons and changing menu. Our cocktail list is conceptualized and crafted in-house based on house-made infusions, fresh herbs and distinctive liquors all with a recognition of the season and the menu. Our beer list is comprised of only 12-14 beers, but the structure is set very much like that of the wine lists and is pound-for-pound as solid a list as you will find anywhere.

HSP: What can we look forward to on the fall menu?
JS: It’s seasonal and inspired by what's available. For example, I’m going to have a pumpkin crème brulée on the dessert menu—made with fresh pumpkin not canned pumpkin. But we don’t have any pumpkins yet.

HSP: Do you have any special programs or systems in place to attract guests during the current economic climate?
JS: We introduced our “Dine At Dusk” program on June 1st to attract early diners to the restaurant: it's a three-course prix fixe menu priced at $35 from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. Unlike many other restaurants, our prix fixe menu allows diners to chose their small plate, large plate and dessert from our current seasonal menu.

HSP: What drove you to open your own restaurant rather than work for someone else? Love it or regret it?
JS: After more than 30 years in the restaurant industry working for someone else, I decided it was time to open my own restaurant. I would guess that almost every chef has that dream at one time or another and I was fortunate that I was able to realize mine with the opening of 4th & Swift.

I think for me the driving force was that I wanted to put my food on the plate without any "outside" constraints, direction or limitations. And I wanted to create an environment that I would enjoy dining in if I were a guest at the restaurant. I wanted to create a true neighborhood restaurant without pretense where my guests could “eat real food.”

I think you have to love it! Despite all of the “glamorization” of our industry, being a restaurateur is hard work and I believe that you must have a passion for what you do. No regrets—even opening right into the teeth of the recession!

Link to 4th & Swift.

Photo courtesy of 4th & Swift.

Lowcountry Cuisine: Charleston vs. Myrtle Beach

Courtesy: Middleton Place

While researching lowcountry cuisine for a recent article in Sunday Paper, I spoke with Becky Billingsley, a food writer who is based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Becky shared some interesting insights that didn’t fit into my article:

HSP: What’s your definition of lowcountry cuisine?
BB: I define our cuisine as shaped by the history and geography. We have the rice, French, Spanish, Scottish and English influences from history, and seafood and an abundance of produce from a long growing season due to geography. Don't forget that in addition to the ocean seafood we have five rivers emptying into Winyah Bay down in Georgtown, so the rivers were a main source of food for many years.

HSP: Does lowcountry cuisine in Myrtle Beach differ from that in Charleston?
BB: Our version can be every bit as refined as that in Charleston. One of our Grand Strand chefs just went down to Charleston two weeks ago for an ACF-sanctioned culinary competition and walked away with first place. In that case the first place chef, CEC Robert Beuth of Litchfield Plantation, prepared Whole Roasted South Carolina Quail with apple smoked bacon; wild mushroom and caramelized onion stuffing over sweet corn and herb risotto; and wilted spinach with natural quail jus.

But on a home-cook day-to-day basis, I'd say our regional lowcountry cuisine is generally a tad more humble and tends toward chicken bog and shrimp and grits rather than pileau (fancy name for chicken bog) or polenta (Spanish grits). Even saying that, I was heartily impressed last weekend at our annual firehouse cook-off. The three fireman teams had polenta as one of their mystery ingredients, and they did a fine job treating them like glorified grits.

Overall, I'd say any perceived gap or difference in the cuisines between Myrtle Beach and Charleston are quickly melding. All the great chefs from either place reach into tradition to find simple recipes that glorify our home-grown ingredients.

Read Becky Billingsley's Myrtle Beach Restaurant News.

Success

Ah, if only achieving success were as easy as ordering a tart off the menu!

Such is the implication at Holmenkollen Restaurant in Oslo, Norway.

To be fair, it's hard not to feel successful while dining at such a gorgeous place with wondrous edibles. For example, here's an absolutely delicious cider and check out the fjord view in the background: As an entrée I enjoyed salmon, asparagus and mashed potatoes, which was topped with a luscious creamy dill sauce: Can't believe I opted to skip dessert. Imagine where I might otherwise be today!

Sweet-Tart

This interesting dessert is currently served at Restaurant Eugene as the finale to the five-course tasting menu. Pastry Chef Kathryn Wharton says, "It's a take on lemon meringue pie. It features a shortbread cookie, lemongrass semifreddo, torched meringue and pickled ginger juice and red wine vinegar with candied ginger on top." The dish, a fusion of Southern and Asian flavors, delivers a sweet-tart tang and would certainly make a refreshing finish to a decadent meal.

I found this dessert tasty, even though I'm not really a fan of pickled anything. (I may get kicked out of the South for admitting that.) As you can tell, I've been tasting a lot of desserts lately as research for a forthcoming article for Where Atlanta magazine. This dessert is strikingly different from all the sugary concoctions out there. (Hey, I do like sugar! That should save me, for now anyway.) And isn't the color combination just gorgeous!?!

An Indecisive's Dream Scenario

Love ice cream sundaes but have trouble deciding which flavor to get? Head to The Café or The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead for what's arguably the best value in town: generous one-scoop sundaes decked out with all the trimmings for just $3 each.

The sundaes pictured here include raspberry sorbet, chocolate fudge cake ice cream , lemon sorbet, lemon meringue pie ice cream, and salty pecan ice cream.

Can't decide on a flavor? Don't. At these prices, it's possible to enjoy multiple sundaes for less than you'd pay for just one dessert elsewhere.

In creating the dessert menu--which is packed with tasty options including the sundaes, fried cheesecake, chocolate diner cake, key lime pie, cookies and more--Executive Pastry Chef James Satterwhite says, "The idea is like when you walk into a pastry shop and are faced with lots of options. The concept is to bring in things that are focused on quality and on the comfort food trend plus offer people smaller portions so they're more likely to try or even share something to reduce overall calorie intake."

In other words, more value and less guilt.

Canoe's Float

It's cute that a dessert on the menu at Canoe is what a canoe does: float.

The idea for this treat is simple: instead of the traditional vanilla ice cream and root beer combination this version uses orange ice cream and ginger ale--plus a deliciously flavored layer of cream on top. It's served with candied ginger biscotti and priced at $8. It's reminiscent of an orangesicle, but more refreshing.

It offers proof that sometimes simple ideas yield great results.

Banana Cream Pie at Park 75

Banana cream pie with chocolate sorbet is on the new dessert menu at Park 75 for $9.

Mmmm....bananas and chocolate. So tasty. And in this case, so pretty. "It's not easy to get that," says Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker about the decorative schmear on the plate.

But here's what I especially like about this presentation: the banana cream pie and the sorbet are located far apart from one another on a long oval plate. In this restaurant, the path from kitchen to table is short, so odds are the frozen portion of the pairing won't be puddling by the time you get it. But if you're the sort of diner who likes to to linger over dessert, perhaps enjoy a sip of coffee after each bite, you don't have to worry: Your pie won't get soggy.

Now that's smart plating.

Heritage Link Brands, LLC

Pictured: Selena and Khary Cuffe, owners of Heritage Link Brands

In 2005 less than two percent of South Africa’s $3 billion wine industry was owned by blacks (who comprise over 80 percent of the country’s population). Upon learning that fact, Selena Cuffe was determined to make a difference. She and her husband Khary founded Heritage Link Brands, LLC, which is today the largest company in the United States dedicated to importing and distributing wine produced by indigenous Africans and people of African descent. Heritage Link Brands’ wines are available in close to 1,000 outlets across the nation, including at the restaurants Capital Grille in Atlanta and N9NE: The Steakhouse in the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Many of the company's customers are household names: Disney, Jewel-Osco, Sam’s Club and United Airlines. For insight into the company and its objectives, I talked to Founder, President and CEO Selena Cuffe.

HSP. What sparked your interest in wine?
SC: I grew up in California, which is not to say that makes me predisposed to be in wine, but when I think about things I did in college (I went to Stanford) in terms of fun diversions, friends and I would go to Napa. I grew up in Los Angeles and one good thing about being a college student in the early ‘90s is that California wine country was less on the map than it is today, so to go and taste was virtually inexpensive. That was always my frame of reference for wine, just as a consumer. I never thought, “Oh, this is so fun I want to go into this business.” For me, the driver has been, “What am I doing to make a difference on this planet?” That question is what led me to get into the wine business eventually. This particular opportunity was too good to pass up, all the stars aligned. It’s a great opportunity to not only do something in an industry that’s fun and impacts how people enjoy their lives but at the same time does something of high impact with specific producers in Africa.

HSP: What led you to this specific niche?
SC: While traveling in South Africa I was just reading the newspaper and saw an advertisement for the First Annual Soweto Wine Festival—which is not even in wine country, it’s a two-hour flight from Cape Town. The festival was targeting black diamonds, which is what the new middle class in South Africa is called. Historically, particularly during Apartheid from 1948 to 1994, blacks were shut out of the wine industry as owners or managers though they were involved in a variety of other ways. I thought, “Wow, this is really different. This township must have changed a lot.” So I got in a car and went to the wine festival. It was unlike any other I’d been to: There were virtually all black Africans; growing up in the U.S. as a black woman I’m in the minority. On top of all the atmospheric elements like African jazz was great wine. I asked, “Where can I get this wine in the U.S.?” They said, “Sorry, sister, we don’t have our wine distributed in South Africa let alone in the U.S.” Over a couple of glasses I struck up some really interesting conversations and thought, “Wow. If I don’t do it someone else will.” I called my husband and said, “This is an opportunity of a lifetime.”

HSP: How can wine play a role in social justice?
SC: Any product can play a role in social justice in a myriad of ways. Looking at ours in particular, from inception we exclusively source wines from Africa (The Continent Collection) and more recently have added wine produced by people of African descent throughout the world (The Diaspora Collection). These wines are produced of handpicked grapes from producers who were historically relegated to just being workers—this is equivalent to pre-Emancipation slaves picking cotton in the U.S. Producers involved in our brands are held to a certain standard as far as conditions in which workers work, are treated and their standard of living. (A good percentage of South African workers still live on the farm.) One hundred percent of our producers are certified sustainable. Another whole level is how the wines are marketed and sold. Working with previously disadvantaged members of the South African community for Black Economic Empowerment is bringing democracy and equality to the wine industry.

HSP: How do you source the wines and verify that producers’ claims are true?
SC: We require documentation showing they’re certified as a Black Economic Empowerment company. We take them through a very rigorous methodology. We get recommendations. Once a year we bring wine through a focus group of prime prospects—selected from among the slew of requests we get from producers in South Africa to consider their product—to see if their wines pass the sniff test with people who buy our wines in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Orlando, Boston, San Francisco and Atlanta. We do blind taste tests and packaging tests against competitor products. We rank wines in all cities and those that do well go on our distribution list.

HSP: How can a company driven by social matters be profitable?
SC: I think not enough companies establish and require certain principles that really are the core of company strategy. I don’t see social justice and profitability as mutually exclusive. It’s just like any other requirement you establish for your business in terms of guidelines. The way you make any company profitable is to have a good business plan with a pretty distinct understanding of who your customers are. You’ve got to pay attention to good business structures to stay in business. I think more companies should think about how their business is good and that ultimately will drive consumer loyalty.

HSP: How have customers responded? What’s been the impact of the current economic climate?
SC: Customer response has been great. We just celebrated our second anniversary. We’ve been lucky enough to get in the door and get reorders from some of the biggest names out there.
Given the economy and given how wine as a product does during downturns, if anything it’s strengthened our business. Our strategy from the get-go has been to make wines in our portfolio household names. Consumer behavior in a downtown is to more critically evaluate how they spend their money. People are taking a second look at what they buy. We find they want some wine that not only tastes good but also has special meaning.

Photo courtesy of Heritage Link Brands, LLC

The Chocolate Bar

As research for a story that I'm working on, I'm currently trying a lot of different desserts. (Yeah, tough job and I'm the somebody lucky enough to do it.)

Tonight I stopped by The Chocolate Bar in Decatur. I'd heard many good things about this place when it first opened. Though the buzz has since died down, I've been wanting to try it and was predisposed to like it: They serve chocolate. What's not to like?

Technically, this was my second visit. My first occurred a weeknight evening in July while my "niece" was visiting. After a great dinner at Taqueria del Sol, we'd wandered down the street to buy ourselves each one piece of chocolate candy. It just so happened that the same afternoon I'd had a chocolate covered caramel at Bissinger French Confections in the Galleria Mall in Edina, Minnesota that was way too sticky to make eating it a pleasant experience. So, in hopes of erasing that disappointing chocolate memory, from this candy assortment I once again chose a chocolate covered caramel. Though small and arguably overpriced, it was creamy smooth with blissful flavor layers of cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Absolute yum.

So tonight when I sat down at a table to have a look at the menu and choose something that I hoped would be amazing, I was a bit let down by the options. For a place named "The Chocolate Bar" there sure are a lot of things on the menu that aren't chocolate. Take the passion fruit crème brulée for example. Probably tasty and perhaps nice as an option for folks who don't crave chocolate. But... Really? How many folks see the name on the door and wander in thinking, "Gosh, I really hope they have non-chocolate desserts on the menu"??? Here's an idea: How about putting a chocolate crème brulée on the menu?

Since nothing on the menu seemed to scream, "Try me!" I asked the server, "What's the most popular item on your menu?" She shrugged and explained she was new. She then wandered into the back and returned with the manager in tow. He insisted that all of the menu items are good, but pointed out a few bestsellers, including the chocolate pot de crème, priced at $5 (photo above).

That dessert was good, but not great. It was pleasantly chocolate, but easy enough to stop eating after a couple of bites. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect desserts at a dessert-focused restaurant to be better than good, most especially if the item is among the bestsellers. This had an offending thick skin on the top (reminiscent of what happens to instant pudding left in the frig overnight without a proper cover) and the Szechwan-Cocoa Nib Crisp laid across the top was too sticky. The contrast between the two elements was odd in its extremes.

Our server was new, and I'm willing to forgive her timidity, confusion and general look of panic. But the overall vibe in the place was unwelcoming: I couldn't shake the feeling that the staff was anxious for us to leave so they could resume their conversation. We were the only customers yet treated more like intruders than welcome guests.

It does seem unfair to judge a restaurant based on one dining experience and only one dish on its menu. Problem is, this singular experience and dessert did not inspire me to want to return. So, please post your comments to help round out this review! That said, as of now my...

...Bottom line: Bittersweet chocolate bars are good but this Chocolate Bar is a bitter disappointment. Skip it if you're looking to sit down and have a wonderful dessert. If, however, you're walking by and fancy splurging on a lovely piece of candy then step right in.

Taverna Fiorentina

Nothing can brighten a dreary day better than pizza, and with gray skies and a chilly temperature, today's lunch called for two:
The "Fiorentina" pizza in the foreground was topped with spicy salami, tomatoes, mozzarella and spinach. The second pizza was topped with olives (with pits, sort of annoying), artichokes, tomatoes and mozzarella. Both were good--the thin crust was a perfect blend of crispy and chewy--but if I had to choose a favorite I'd go with the olive pizza (despite the pits).

Pizzas are only available at lunch; the lunch menu also (and the dinner menu exclusively) features many Italian classics. I haven't tried any dishes other than pizza yet, but the chef/owner is originally from Florence, Italy and his recipes are authentic.

Bottom line: Cozy Italian bistro makes a darn good pizza.

Link to Taverna Fiorentina.