Author: Jessica Rubano

Ingredients:

4 Barramundi fillets
2 tsp. olive or canola oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. fresh or bottled lemon juice
5 leaves minced fresh basil
Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Gently saute the garlic in butter for about 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in lemon juice and basil.
  3. Add salt to taste.  Remove from heat.
  4. Coat fillets with olive or canola oil.
  5. Pan fry one side on high heat for 3 minutes.  Flip and cook other side 1-2 more minutes or until fish is cooked through.
  6. Transfer to serving dish. Spoon sauce over fillets.
  7. To plate, serve on a bed of mashed potatoes or greens, and add chopped fresh tomatoes for color.

Third-party delivery and guest loyalty programs may be undergoing a major change, according to attendees of the TechTable conference.

Several of the mega-forces shaping the restaurant business are set for a near-term change in direction, predicted participants at an industry event recently, citing third-party delivery and guest loyalty programs as particularly likely to veer sharply.

Here’s what they foresee for those sales drivers.

Third-party delivery has 2 years left

At least that’s the basis of Bareburger’s strategy to grow off-premise profits. Like a host of other operators, the full-service burger chain is pursuing delivery sales through arrangements with Grubhub, Uber Eats and a host of other third parties, CMO Nabeel Alamgir said at this week’s TechTable conference. “By 2020, we plan to leave all of them,” he said during a panel presentation entitled “Deliver us from Delivery.”

He explained that Bareburger is already striving to convert customers ordering through third parties’ apps into users of the chain’s own channels. Patrons of an Uber Eats or Postmates might be offered a 10% discount on their next order if it’s placed through Bareburger’s website. The chain can afford a discount that deep because the financial impact is still less than the 20% or 30% discount an outside service typically charges.

Alamgir noted at the start of the panel’s presentation that a service started by restaurants for restaurants would have been an attractive alternative to some of the third-party giants. “Let’s make our own platform. Let’s make our own Grubhub,” he said.

The restaurant loyalty card is dead

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Rich Melman’s model multiconcept operation in Chicago, had overcome a host of challenges to develop a single loyalty program for regulars at any of its 120 restaurants and 65 brands. Patrons were even willing to pay a $25 charge to enroll, which they could only recoup by dining in an LEYE restaurant at least three times.

But management detected a problem, and it was a biggie: “The average age [of members] was 47,” recalled Jennifer Bell, EVP of marketing and a partner in the firm. “It had been 47 for some time, and we had opened all these cool places for young people.” Its card-carrying loyalists weren’t the customers it was hoping to win and keep with each opening.

The company decided to jump to a new generation of loyalty program, a setup that would appeal to consumers accustomed to dealing with apps. It began the process of luring patrons to that new platform, an endeavor Bell described as dauntingly expensive. Servers were offered a $5 commission for every person they convinced to download an LEYE loyalty app. Bell also worked with Facebook to identify would-be members and solicit their enrollment.

It also discovered that patrons were more likely to redeem their discounts with an app. Some users of the LEYE loyalty card had run up credits of more than $1,000, but didn’t even realize it because the process for checking balances was complicated. With the app, the discount is instantly accessible and ready to be used.

The tough slog was worth it, Bell attested at TechTable. “Our app now has almost 300,000 people on it. We started with 7, 500,” she said. And the average age of loyalty program members has dropped to 38.

Third-party ‘partners?’ Try would-be competitors

A number of speakers characterized third-party delivery services as partners that bring considerable smarts and infrastructure to the relationship, but always with an agenda of their own. Many portrayed the relationship as a marriage of convenience, and one that could be upended by a transformation of the partners into full-fledged direct competitors.

Will it happen? Might the services start preparing as well as selling food, or otherwise look to eat their partners’ lunch? “I don’t see why they would not ultimately be a competitor,” said Bareburger’s Alamgir. He referenced such clear indications of convergence as the $200 million investment in Grubhub by Yum Brands, the parent of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut.

In some respects, “I think they [already] are. And they’re a good one.”

Deliveroo and other services are already opening kitchens and pop-up restaurants in Europe, and Amazon has revealed plans to open 3,000 of its Amazon Go prepared-food outlets.

Ingredients:

Relish:
4 lbs. DiCarlo Sweet Onions, Sliced 1/4″ Thick
1/4 cup DiCarlo Olive Oil
1 lb. 12oz. DiCarlo Fresh Basil, Shredded
3 oz. Jalapeno Peppers, Seeded, Chopped
1/4 cup DiCarlo White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper

Sandwich:
48 Slices Sourdough Bread
24 DiCarlo Portabello Mushroom Caps, (4 to 5 oz. each)
DiCarlo Olive Oil, As Needed
Salt, As Needed
1 lb. 8oz. Fontina or Monterey Jack Cheese, in 1oz. Slices
24 DiCarlo Fresh Basil Sprigs

Directions:

  1.  To make relish, divide onion between 2 sheet pans.
  2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over each pan; toss onions to coat.
  3. Bake onions at 400F, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes; let cool.
  4. Coarsely chop onion.
  5. Mix onion with remaining relish ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Serving Suggestion: 

  1. Grill or toast 2 slices of bread; reserve.
  2. Lightly score top of 1 portabello mushroom cap in a diamond pattern; on the grill side, cut a shallow X in the center where stem was attached. Brush mushroom cap with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake at 550F until tender and lightly browned, turning once, about 5 minutes.
  4. Put portabello cap on 1 slice of bread.
  5. Top with 1/3 cup relish and 1 slice cheese. Partially cover with second slice of bread.
  6. Return to oven until cheese melts, about 1 minute.
  7. Garnish with basil sprig.

Yield: 24 Servings

Corn, Jicama and Mango Salad with ShrimpIngredients:

1 c Sweet corn kernels, well drained
3/4 c Jicama, small dice
1/2 c Mango, small dice
1/2 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined, fine dice
1/4 c Rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Pepper, Ground White
16 Large shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked
Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine first four ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Combine rice wine vinegar and all seasonings in blender, blend and drizzle in extra virgin olive oil until emulsified. Pour half of the dressing over shrimp, set aside. Pour remaining dressing over corn mixture and toss lightly. Spoon salad over lettuce bed and place shrimp on top.

Seared Sea Scallop with Toasted Hazelnut Pomegranate Brown Butter SauceIngredients:

Pomegranate Brown Butter
2 cups pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, rough chop
5 tablespoons butter, browned
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chives, sliced

Celery Root Puree
1 large celery root, peel and cut into medium dice
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups water

Scallops
24 large sea scallops (U/10 is the size reference)
16 sprigs watercress
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pomegranate Brown Butter: Over medium heat, cook butter until it’s completely melted and starts to turn golden brown. In a small pot, reduce the pomegranate juice until thick and syrupy. Add the pomegranate arils, hazelnuts, brown butter and lemon juice. To finish the sauce when the scallops are cooked, add the sliced chives, salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a touch of water.

Celery Root Puree: Place the celery root, water and heavy cream in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the celery root is tender, remove from the liquid, and blend until smooth. If the puree is too hard to blend, use some cooking liquid to help loosen it. The consistency should be like a smooth potato puree. Season with salt and pepper, and reserve until serving.

Scallops: Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and then quickly sear the scallops, being careful not to overcook. This should take about 1 minute on each side for a perfect medium-rare temperature. Use a spoon to make a large swoosh across each plate with the celery root puree. Place three scallops next to the puree and spoon over the sauce. Garnish the plate with the petite watercress, and enjoy.

Smoked Gouda & Bacon Burgers with BBQ SauceIngredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt
1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of firm white bread
8 slices of thick-cut bacon
2 pounds ground beef chuck (20 percent fat), formed into 4 patties the same size as the bread slices
3 ounces smoked Gouda, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until the onion is crisptender and just turning translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and beef broth and remove from the heat. Season with salt.
  2. Heat a large griddle. Spread the butter on 1 side of each bread slice and griddle buttered side down over moderate heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the toasts to a plate. Add the bacon to the griddle and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes per side; drain on paper towels. Wipe off the griddle.
  3. Season the beef patties with salt and cook on the griddle over moderately high heat until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side. Top each burger with ¼ cup of smoked Gouda and cook until the cheese melts, 1 minute.
  4. Set the burgers on the unbuttered sides of 4 toasts. Top with the bacon, onion and barbecue sauce. Close the burgers and serve, passing more barbecue sauce at the table.

mahi mahi blackenedIngredients:

2 Mahi Mahi fillets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (more if you like it hot)
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped mango
½ teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno peppers
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
5 grape tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

  1. Combine 1 cup chopped mango, 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno peppers, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and a few halved grape tomatoes in a bowl. Squeezed juice of 1 lime over mixture. Stir together and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
  2. Heat a non-stick pan with a fitting lid over medium high heat and swirl extra virgin olive oil twice around the pan.
  3. Coat the Mahi Mahi thoroughly on both sides with a dash of olive oil, followed by the cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground back pepper.
  4. Once the oil is hot, place in pan and cover, which locks in the heat and tenderness of the fish and creates a slight crunch on the outside.
  5. Blacken about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once, until fish is cooked through. Thicker fish filets may take 4-5 minutes per side.
  6. Remove fish from the pan. Plate and top with mango salsa and serve immediately.

Gigli Pasta with Chicken and Pea-Mint PestoIngredients:

1lb. Gigli pasta
1 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
10 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken
Toasted pine nuts

Directions:

  • Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook as label directs.
  • Meanwhile, in food processor with knife blade attached, combine mint leaves, peas, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse until finely chopped. With processor running, pour in oil and water in a slow, steady stream until mixture is pureed and pesto is thick.
  • Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to saucepot; add pesto and chicken to pasta in saucepot. Pour reserved pasta cooking water into food processor and swirl to loosen any remaining pesto; add to pasta mixture and toss to combine. Transfer pasta mixture to serving bowl. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts if you like.

Ingredients:

Swordfish:
4 swordfish steaks, 8 ounces each, cut into 1-inch dice 16 to 20 wooden skewers, soaked for 20 minutes
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shredded unsweetened dried coconut
Lightly toasted Cilantro leaves

Sauce:
1/2 can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons sweetened cream of coconut
1/4 cup fresh or bottled key lime juice
1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh lime zest
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

For sauce: Place coconut milk, cream of coconut, key lime juice, serrano chile, ginger, and lime zest in a blender and blend until smooth; with the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulified. Pour the mixture into a bowl and fold in the coconut and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For swordfish: Heat grill to high. Skewer 1 piece of swordfish onto each skewer. Brush swordfish on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill swordfish for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Spoon some of the sauce onto a platter and top with the skewers. Drizzle some more of the sauce lightly.

Join us on April 16 at The Inn and Spa at East Wind in Wading River for a memorable day of food and fun!

DiCarlo Buying Show
April 16, 2024, 9:00am to 4:00pm

The Inn and Spa at East Wind
5720 Route 25A, Wading River, NY 11792

Don’t miss it!!!