Food & Food Equipment News

Nirvana Brings Culinary Stars Back to Sanctuary for Second Annual Spring Food Fest

It’s not called Paradise Valley for nothing. Once again, Nirvana will transform  Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area, into culinary heaven with four days of food-related fun whipped up by world-acclaimed chefs, mixologists, and California winemakers. Held April 19-22, 2018, Scottsdale’s premiere food event is back for a second year of tastings, themed parties, fine dining and opportunities to get up close and personal with international celebrities from the world of food and wine.

Among the headliners are Sanctuary’s own Executive Chef Beau MacMillan, who will share the spotlight with star chef/television personalities Todd English, Chuck Hughes, Aarón Sánchez, Stephanie Izard, Scott Conant; master mixologists Jason Asher, Maxton Kennedy, and more. Also playing a starring role will be Arizona’s glorious spring weather and famous sunsets, with Sanctuary’s mountain perch offering the ideal vantage point.

“Scottsdale is an emerging hotbed for culinary expression, and Sanctuary is the ideal backdrop to bring together the nation’s top talent. We look forward to building on our community’s passion for fine food and drink during this second installment of Nirvana,” said Michael Surguine, Sanctuary’s vice president and managing director.

Nirvana 2018 will bring back crowd favorites from last year – Birds & Bubbles, Best of the West, the Master of Taste winemaker dinners and a Celebrity Golf Tournament. Three new events will make their festival debuts – Bourbon Street Blues, Rosé Parté, and Tequila & Tortillas.

Tickets to Nirvana are available at www.NirvanaFoodandWine.com. In addition to individual tickets, there are two value packages available: the Nirvana Passport ($444), offering a 20-percent savings for those who attend all events (excluding the celebrity golf tournament, Rosé Parté, and Master of Taste) and the Fiji Tastemaker ($256.50), which combines two main events, Bourbon Street and Tequila & Tortillas, at a 10-percent savings.

Those interested in turning their festival experience into a luxurious culinary getaway can book one of two Nirvana Packages. “Total Nirvana” starts at $2,025 and includes three nights’ (Thursday – Saturday) accommodations at Sanctuary, one of the most celebrated resorts in the U.S., tickets to all four main Nirvana events, and 20-percent savings on room and tickets. Or, travelers may opt for the “Nirvana Package” that starts at $1,827 with the guest’s choice of two Nirvana main events, and 10-percent savings on tickets and accommodations in a luxury casita, suite or private home. Book online at https://www.sanctuaryoncamelback.com/nirvana-food-wine-getaway/  or call 844-871-6042.

Nirvana enthusiasts can stay connected with the latest news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The 2018 line-up includes:

Bourbon Street Blues

Hosted by mixologist Jason Asher; presented by Bulleit Bourbon

Thursday, April 19, 7-10 p.m.; Infinity Pool and Lawn; $150 per person

Nirvana will kick off with a grand New Orleans-style festival, complete with a dazzling array of food and drinks. Live jazz will set a Mardi Gras mood featuring the Valley’s top mixologists. Guest are encouraged to dress in their best masquerade attire. Participating mixologists include Jason Asher, Brian Blevins, Maxton Kennedy, Bobby Kramer, Eric Wilson, and Libby Longlott. Chefs are Paul Boehmer, Audrey Enriquez, George Frasher, Brian Lieske, Beau MacMillan, Landon Post, and Lenard Rubin.

Master of Taste Dinner A

Hosted by chefs Matt Carter and Mark Stark; winemakers Rich Aurilia and Dan Kosta

Thursday, April 19; 7-10 p.m.; Casa Seven; $350 per person; limited availability

The Master of Taste dinners are intimate culinary experiences pairing top chefs from the Scottsdale area and California’s Sonoma County with a notable winemaker. The first of two such evenings will showcase the fine vintages of Napa’s Red Stitch Wines with owner Rich Aurilia, a former San Francisco Giants shortstop, and his wine mentor Dan Kosta of Kosta Browne. This very special event will be hosted at one of Sanctuary’s most luxurious private estate homes. Casa Seven’s dramatic glass wall affords dinner attendees a spectacular view of the valley below.

 

Birds & Bubbles

Hosted by chefs Stephanie Izard and Chuck Hughes, presented by Möet & Chandon and Woodford Reserve

Friday, April 20, 6:30-7:15 p.m. (VIP), 7:15-10 p.m. (general admission); The Sanctuary Ballroom and Lower Lawn; $225 VIP/ $150 GA per person

Fried chicken and Champagne prove to be an inspired pairing as an all-star line-up of local chefs put their own spin on the southern specialty, complete with side dishes, fine bubbly and live music thanks to American country singer/songwriter D. Vincent Williams & the Nashville Allstars. Festival-goers can book VIP admission to enjoy 45 minutes of personal time with their favorite chef. Participating chefs and mixologists include Lindsay Autry, Jacob Cutino, Rochelle Daniel, Michael DeMaria, Eddie Diaz, Ron Dimas, Jacob Ellis, Stephen Jones, James Garron, Kiefer Gilbert, and Bernie Kantak.

Master of Taste Dinner B

Hosted by chefs Dustin Valette and Christopher Gross; winemaker Tuck Beckstoffer

Friday, April 20, 7-10 p.m.; Casa Seven; $350 per person; limited availability

Nirvana’s second winemaker evening puts the spotlight on pioneering Napa vintner Tuck Beckstoffer and his eponymous Tuck Beckstoffer Wines. This intimate dinner will be hosted at Casa Seven, one of Sanctuary’s glorious private estate homes.

Celebrity Golf Tournament

Saturday, April 21, 8 a.m. registration and 8:45 a.m. tee; Mountain Shadows; $2,000 per foursome

Golf enthusiasts can tee off their day on Mountain Shadows, one of Phoenix’s premiere courses, with Nirvana’s fun-filled celebrity tournament. Each foursome will be paired with a renowned chef (including Sanctuary’s own Beau MacMillan), star mixologist or notable sports figure, with plenty of food, beer, wine and spirits on hand to fuel an unforgettable round.

 Rosé Parté

Hosted by chef Todd English

Saturday, April 21, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; $135 per person

A refreshing alternative for those who prefer pink to golf course green, this new-to-Nirvana event will pair fine bites with fashionable rosé against a backdrop of spectacular desert views.

Best of the West

Hosted by chef Scott Conant (Mora Italian) and mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim

Saturday, April 21, 6:30-7:15 p.m. (VIP), 7:15-10 p.m. (general admission); elements, Praying Monk, jade bar, Sunset Garden and Lower Lawn; $225 VIP/$150 GA per person

Nirvana’s closing night will bring together the best chefs in the West for a grand finale-worthy walk-around tasting that will take guests to indoor and outdoor settings throughout the resort. VIP attendees gain early access and extra time with the chefs, including Justin Beckett, Cullen Campbell, Ryan Clark, John Conley, Russell LaCasce, Branden Levine, Gio Osso, Jeremy Pacheco, James Porter, Joseph Rodger, Caleb Schiff, Matthew Taylor, and Chuck Wiley.

Tequila & Tortillas

Hosted by chef Aarón Sánchez and mixologist Maxton Kennedy

Sunday, April 22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; elements, Praying Monk, jade bar, Sunset Garden and Lower Lawn; $135 per person

Because it’s always five o’clock somewhere, Nirvana’s Southwestern-style show-stopping farewell brunch promises tequila, tequila and more tequila. Festival-goers can shake off the sleep with palate-wakening Mexican specialties and live music to celebrate their final morning in paradise. Participating chefs: Rene Andrade, Jason Asher, Lee Hilson, Beau MacMillan, Aaron May, Julio Mata, Peter McQuaid, Doug Robson, Lenard Rubin, Samantha Sanz, Ana Garza and Suny Santana.

Ice Cream Museum to Open in San Francisco

Museum of Ice Cream is planning to open in San Francisco. The San Francisco location will be the third Museum of Ice Cream, following two others in Los Angeles and New York City. Museum of Ice Cream opens its doors this September at the historic 1 Grant Avenue in the heart of the city.

Museum of Ice Cream features 10 thematically tailored, immersive installations produced entirely by its in-house design team. Interactive elements include a magical candy garden, psychedelic rainbow unicorns, a push pop installation, a cherry on top sky, the renowned Sprinkle Pool and new tastings, including an original Museum of Ice Cream flavor.

Driven by the wondrous joy ice cream evokes, Museum of Ice Cream San Francisco continues to bring people together through art, design, and innovation. Founder and Creative Director Maryellis Bunn was drawn to the challenge of creating and designing the next Museum of Ice Cream in a historical building with stunning architectural highlights. Located in an old bank near San Francisco's Union Square, Museum of Ice Cream's modern design and signature playfulness stands in stark contrast with the 108-year-old historic landmark. With several modern installations built around (decades-old) structures that have been hidden from public view, Museum of Ice Cream truly enhances the building's unique character at every turn. Underneath Museum of Ice Cream's 45-foot dome ceilings is the famous Sprinkle Pool - filled with over 100 million custom designed sprinkles.

Curating the best of California ice cream, visitors will indulge in one "scoop of the week," from a rotating cast of creameries, including Bi-Rite, It's It, Salt & Straw and CREAM. Visitors enjoy an exclusive mochi ice cream tasting experience by California-based My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream, an out-of-this world Pop Rocks® Cave, and a never-been-tasted, custom, Museum of Ice Cream flavor. The museum concludes with a Design Within Reach lounge and a new shop experience, unveiling art objects and merchandise available exclusively inside.

Michelin Guide Season Almost Here

Michelin has announced the release dates for the newest editions of its annual restaurant selections. Full listings for the new restaurant selections will be published on www.michelinmedia.com according to the schedule included below. The 2018 U.S. editions of the MICHELIN Guide will go on sale at local retailers shortly after the announcements, as well as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

For the 2018 editions of the MICHELIN Guides, readers will observe a new symbol: L'Assiette Michelin or the Michelin Plate. This symbol joins the coveted Michelin Star and Bib Gourmand as recognizing restaurants where the inspectors have discovered quality food. The stars and Bib Gourmands often garner the most attention, but each restaurant that is included in the guide has been evaluated by a famed inspector and subsequent inclusion in the guide, now marked by the new symbol, endorses restaurants that guarantee a very good standard of a food and wine experience.

The company, which began manufacturing tires in 1889 and developing travel guides in 1900, published its first "red guide" in the United States in 2005 with the New York City edition. Four American cities now feature dedicated dining guides, with Washington, D.C., the newest guide, joining the collection in 2016.

The MICHELIN Guide results — determined through a highly confidential and meticulous evaluation process by a team of anonymous food inspectors — draw excitement, speculation and conjecture every year. The Bib Gourmands, which are announced one week prior to the starred-selections, feature designations given to select restaurants that offer great food for good value, often known as personal favorites among the inspectors.

United Fresh Report Highlights Foodservice Menu Trends for Fresh Produce

The summer 2017 issue of United’s Fresh Insights for Foodservice report, a quarterly publication from United Fresh showcasing the latest innovations in fresh produce use in foodservice, as well as the creativity of chefs and foodservice operations in incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables to create flavorful and vibrant menus, is now available.

The report features “In Season” and “On the Horizon” updates, which are dedicated to the commodities and menu items that are currently on summer menus as well as items that will be featured in winter 2018 menus. “In Season” focuses on the variety of tropical fruits, along with endive, that are influencing warm weather menus, as well as on-trend premium cold pressed juices.

Looking ahead to winter 2018, “On the Horizon” highlights avocados, potatoes and unique ways that winter produce items are topping pizzas. “The winter season provides a prime opportunity to feature produce in menus,” said Jeff Oberman, Vice President of Trade Relations for United Fresh Produce Association. “Planning for menu promotions start months in advance, and produce companies should begin reaching out now to foodservice distributors and operators to develop exciting menu items that will capitalize on the coming holiday season and special events like the Super Bowl.”

“Top Chain Trends” spotlights menu items featuring sweet corn, onions and blueberries. Finally, the “View from Above” section looks at ways in which hotels are using produce to elevate their guests’ dining experience, featuring an interview with 2017 Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award winner Chef Matt Smith, CEC, Executive Chef of the Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square.

“Consumers are looking for healthy options when they travel,” said Oberman. “Fresh produce can play a key role in hotels’ ability to provide healthy and flavorful menu options.”

Fresh Insights for Foodservice is developed in partnership with Datassential, a leading market research firm dedicated to the food Industry, using data from its extensive menu database, MenuTrends. Incorporating feedback and input from the United Fresh Retail-Foodservice board, the report provides United Fresh Members and the broader industry a comprehensive look at how chefs and restaurants are featuring fresh produce on their menus. The report is sponsored by Tanimura & Antle.

Fresh Insights for Foodservice is free to United Fresh Members and $50 to non-members. To order the report, visit www.unitedfresh.org.

Sesame King Introduces Mix and Serve Hummus Kit

Sesame King has launched its Sesame King Mix and Serve Hummus Kit, which gives consumers the ability to make delicious homemade hummus in minutes. The kit contains a 15.5-ounce can of chickpeas, a 4-ounce pouch of Sesame King tahini paste and a packet of proprietary special seasoning that takes all the guess work out of making delicious hummus. The hummus is all natural, non-GMO, gluten free, vegan approved, trans fat free, cholesterol free and kosher certified. The new kit provides consumers with everything needed to prepare fresh traditional style hummus in the comfort of their own home in just minutes. The hummus is all natural with a subtle, delightful aroma and is rich in texture, fresh and delicious.

“We are very excited to be introducing our new hummus kit to retailers and consumers across the United States,” said Emile Maroun of Sesame King. “Consumers and retailers are looking for safe, new, exciting and innovated healthy products, and we believe that our Sesame King Hummus Kit meets and exceeds those expectations.”

Sesame King also offers consumers a line of tahini pastes that come in 16-ounce plastic jars and are available in Roasted, Light Roasted, Garlic, Olive Oil, Cajun, Honey and Chocolate flavors. Each flavor is rich in proteins and vitamins, made with no additives or preservatives, peanut and tree nut free, trans fat free, gluten free and kosher certified. Both the Roasted and Light Roasted Tahini pastes are Non-GMO Project verified. Sesame King tahini is the only manufacturer to pasteurize its tahini to ensure a clean, healthy and safe product for consumer usage.

Sesame King’s mix and serve Hummus Kit provides consumers with a powerful nutritional food choice that packs a kaleidoscope of healthy inclusions:

• Tahini is richer in protein than milk, yogurt, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, soya, sunflower, wheat germ and pecan nuts.
• Tahini contains natural lecithin, which reduces blood fat levels and provides protection from environmental pollutants such as nicotine.
• Tahini provides substantial amounts of many vitamins, including Vitamin E, which slows the aging of body cells and helps maintain proper focusing of the eyes.
• Tahini is also one of the best sources of Vitamin T (very few foods are). Vitamin T improves memory and concentration in combination with phosphorous also present in tahini, providing a potent brain and nerve food.

“As a leading manufacturer of tahini, our never ending goal is to produce tahini products that taste great and provide consumers with a healthy food choice. Healthy is good. Healthy and tasty is fantastic,” added Maroun.

Sesame King Tahini can be found at such fine retailers as Whole Food Markets, Market Basket, Shaw’s, King’s Supermarkets, Wise Markets, Tops Market, Balducci’s, Spartan Nash, Safeway Eastern, Albertsons South West, Acme, Pete’s Fresh Markets and Citarella Markets and at Restaurant Depots and many other fine markets and specialty health food stores or order online at www.sesameking.com and www.amazon.com.

Maryland Company Introduces Artisanal Snack Salami

By Robin Mather

Meatcrafters, an artisanal producer of specialty cured meats, debuted its Skinny Salamis at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York recently. Skinny Salamis are the only lactic-fermented meat snacks on the market, said Mitch Berliner, one of the company’s three founders and self-proclaimed “Chief Sampling Officer.”

“They are cured, uncooked products, made in traditional ways that date back to the Egyptians and early Romans. They are high in protein, low in calories, have no sugar or carbs and are gluten-free. They’re made from antibiotic- and hormone-free meats.”
Skinny Salamis are unique for several reasons, Berliner said.

“We were just at the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago,” Berliner said. “All the other meat snacks we saw were cooked, whether dehydrated like jerky or extruded and cooked like the familiar meat sticks.”

Meatcrafters is among the few companies in the US to have gained USDA approval to produce such products, and the only one in Maryland, Berliner said. “We don’t outsource our production,” Berliner said. “We do everything ourselves, from sourcing the meat from local farmers to grinding our own spices to producing and packaging the salamis.”

Skinny Salamis are designed to be a portable snack that fits easily into a pocket or purse. The snack salamis are available in three flavors: Original Black Angus Beef, Truffle (pork) and Street Cart Schwarma (lamb). Three more flavors will be available later this year: Merguez (lamb), Spicy Argentinean Chorizo (pork) and Casbah (pork), flavored with North African spices. The salamis come four to a package, and suggested retail is $6.79—$7.95.

Berliner said the company trialed its products at farmers markets and were selling more than 300 salamis a week from very early on. “And then a wine distributor tried them and said, ‘If you put this in grown-up packaging, I’ll buy it for distribution.’ So we went to work on grown-up packaging.” The company’s designed-from-the-ground-up packaging recently won awards for its graphic design, Berliner said.

Chefs visiting the market also liked Meatcrafters’ salamis, and they now appear on menus at restaurants in Maryland and Virginia, including Patrick O’Connell’s much-lauded Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia.

“We like to help local farmers,” Berliner said, noting that they work with local producers of Black Angus beef, heritage breed Duroc pork and all-natural lamb. “In addition to our own products, we make specialty sausages with our farmers’ meats so they can offer their own customers salami made from only their meat. We also make specialty sausages for brew pubs using their beers, and for local vineyards using their wines.”

Meatcrafters has been in business since 2009, producing duck breast prosciutto as well as a variety of specialty salamis. They include Chajari, an Argentinian-style salami flavored with garlic, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and whole peppercorns; Chorizo de Pamplona, an aged Spanish-style classic with cayenne and Spanish smoked paprika; Chesapeake, seasoned with Maryland crab seasoning; Cacciatore, a traditional Italian hunter’s sausage of Duroc pork flavored with sea salt, pepper and garlic; Truffle Mania and Porcini Salami, two fungi-forward flavors that capture the best of the much-loved ingredients; Cinta, another Duroc pork salami flavored with long pepper, lemon zest and mace; Ararat, a Duroc pork salami seasoned with smoked paprika, fenugreek and the Turkish pepper called urfa biber; a wild fennel pollen Duroc pork sausage called One Wild Fennel; a traditional Spanish salami called Fuet, simply seasoned with salt and pepper to showcase the flavors of the Duroc pork and the lactic fermentation; and Dillio, made with dill pollen, garlic and red wine.

The Landover, Maryland, company, founded in 2009 by Berliner, his wife, Debra Moser, and their friend Stan Feder draws on decades of experience the three share in charcuterie and the food business. Berliner, who’s been in the food business for more than 50 years, started as a food distributor. Moser brings a diverse background in food and business experience. Feder, who’s studied with charcuterie experts in Spain, Italy and the US, has a lifelong passion for salumi.

“We’re Baby Boomers who failed at retirement,” quipped Berliner. “We pulled money out of our retirement funds to start this company, and have never taken loans or investments from anyone else to keep going.”

The founders were inspired to start the company when they realized that “we had visited Italy many times and we didn’t know why there wasn’t more good American salami. So we were an upscale charcuterie and then, a little over three years ago, we thought, ‘why don’t we take our salamis and put them in a meat snack product?’ “

The “failing at retirement” thing seems to be working for the company’s founders. “We just knocked out a wall to expand our space,” Berliner said.

Umami Burger Opens at Hudson Hotel, New York

Umami Burger continues to grow its footprint with the opening of a location in Hudson Hotel, a pioneer of the boutique hotel movement located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, on July 10, 2017.

"Hudson provides the perfect backdrop for us to bring both New Yorkers and hotel guests the innovative and truly distinct dining experience that is Umami Burger," said Sam Nazarian, Founder and CEO of sbe, Umami Burger's majority shareholder that also owns and operates Hudson Hotel. "Umami Hudson also marks a major step in our plans to continue to grow the Umami Burger brand and offerings in New York and beyond."

The launch of Umami Hudson marks the first Empire State hotel restaurant, first-ever breakfast menu, fourth location in New York and 26th worldwide, and is yet another exciting development in 2017 for the cutting-edge gourmet burger brand. This year saw the opening of Umami Tokyo, the brand's first international restaurant; the debut of the Impossible Burger at nine of Umami Burger's West Coast locations and one of its most successful launches to date; and the unveiling of the redesigned Umami Burger at The Grove in Los Angeles in June.

As with all Umami Burger locations, the Umami Hudson experience is unique and authentic to the destination. In addition to Umami Burger signatures such as the original Umami Burger with Parmesan frico, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onions and Umami ketchup; and the Manly Burger with a house beer-cheddar cheese, bacon lardons, smoked-salt onion strings, Umami ketchup and mustard spread. Chief Operating Officer Gregg Frazer has created menu items exclusive to Umami Hudson including shareable bar-friendly appetizers designed to pair with Umami signature cocktails from the fully stocked bar, lined with 65-70-inch flat screen TVs, and specialty breakfast sandwiches that introduce the elusive Umami "fifth taste" to the most important meal of the day. The Hudson breakfast burger features an organic over-medium egg, miso-maple bacon, avocado, fresh tomato, arugula and American cheese, topped with garlic aioli on a brioche bun.

Cotton Patch Cafe Marks 50th Restaurant Milestone

Cotton Patch Cafe reached a significant milestone when it opened its 50^th restaurant in Hobbs, New Mexico, on June 27. The growing chain, known for its Southern comfort food and hospitality, is on track to increase in size by 25 percent over the next 18 months, with expansion into two additional states.

The new focus on growth comes on the heels of a brand refresh that included menu updates and a new restaurant design, launched in 2015, featuring cotton mill-inspired finishes throughout the dining area. By the end of 2020, the company is expected to have nearly all of its 50 restaurants reimaged with some or all of the new features. 

"After all our work to revitalize our brand in our core markets, we are well positioned to expand beyond our traditional footprint," said Cotton Patch CEO Kathy Nelson. "We look forward to bringing our Southern hospitality and culinary roots to new communities that we want to call home."

The company has opened six new locations in the past 12 months and has plans to open 10 new restaurants a year for the next few years, including in new markets in Missouri and Tennessee.

Nature’s Original Plant-Based Protein Goes ‘Beyond The Burger’ at International Bison Conference 2017

Move over bison burgers and sliders. The ‘steaks are on’ for expanding bison options for today’s health-conscious carnivores. On July 5, 2017, more than 600 bison ranchers will learn firsthand how to go ‘beyond the grind’ at the International Bison Conference in Big Sky, Montana, with butcher and author Adam Danforth, EatingWell Editor-in-Chief Jessie Price and ARCANA Restaurant’s Kyle Mendenhall.

"The first heritage animal is bison and, like so many others, we truly must eat them to save them,” Danforth said. “As North America's primal protein, bison’s clean, nutritious meat will support the health of citizens while responsible husbandry of the animals will regenerate landscapes and preserve farmland." 

WHO:  Three culinary muses have joined forces to create entirely new bison cuts and steaks, and demonstrate how to prepare them for optimum flavor:

• Adam Danforth, James Beard Winner 2015 for his book Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering, and International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) award-winning author of two books about slaughtering and butchering livestock
• Jessie Price, EatingWell Editor in Chief and IACP and James Beard award-winning journalist and cookbook author
• Chef Kyle Mendenhall, Executive Chef at ARCANA Restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, Chefs Collaborative member and producer of outdoor adventure cooking show Backcountry Gourmet

WHAT:  Consumers and chefs can help restore the bison herd in North America by eating bison more often. The butcher, the chef and the journalist will showcase through a live butchery demo, Big Green Egg cooking presentation and active Q & A  how to go ‘beyond the burger’ using lesser known cuts like flank, ribeye cap and even the hump for delicious new riffs on bison cooking.  Recipes will be posted at www.bisoncentral.com. 

WHERE: The Huntley Lodge (outside the Pavilion Tent)

  50 Big Sky Resort Rd, Big Sky, MT 59716 

WHEN: Wednesday. July 5, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

WHY: The National Bison Association and Canadian Bison Association, in partnership with the Intertribal Buffalo Council and Wildlife Conservation Society, will also make a live news announcement at the IBC on Weds. morning stating the new, audacious goal for bison restoration in North America and how to make it happen. With this goal in mind, teaching consumers how to prepare, cook and enjoy bison will be critical in growing the herd to help meet this goal.

"Bison is truly nature’s original plant-based protein,” Danforth said.  “Helping these majestic animals reclaim their position in North American landscapes will benefit farms and environments while the nutritiously lean meat will aid in the health of citizens."

HOW: In addition to the live event at IBC, recipes demonstrated will be posted on www.bisoncentral.com and shared via Instagram Story at @eatingwell.

For more information on the ‘Beyond the Burger’ Culinary Event or IBC, contact Emily Smith at Fresh Ideas Group via phone 303.903.4970 or email [email protected] and visit www.ibc2017.com.

Denny's on Demand Means Delivery

America can enjoy Denny’s anywhere with the new ordering platform, offering guests a quick and easy way to place a mobile or online order for takeout or delivery of their favorite menu items. Whether it’s pancakes by the pool, burgers on the beach or coffee on the couch, Denny’s is bringing the diner right to your door, 24/7.

“Denny’s has always been a place where America can come and get their favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, literally at any time of day or night,” said John Dillon, Chief Marketing Officer for Denny’s. “With ‘Denny’s on Demand,’ we’ve taken that same ‘always open’ philosophy that is synonymous with our brand and expanded it to easy-to-use technology, bringing access to our craveable diner fare straight to our guests’ fingertips. With the menu variety we naturally provide, America no longer has to compromise when it comes to getting the food they want, exactly when and where they want it. Whether it’s a Grand Slam® for dinner, a Fit Slam® for breakfast, all-new Pancakes at 3 a.m., one of our delicious burgers, or all of the above, the options are endless and now truly the world is your diner.”

Within the new platform, developed in partnership with leading digital ordering provider, Olo, Denny’s has carefully considered and improved upon all aspects of the ordering experience. ‘Denny’s on Demand’ includes a complete revamp of the brand’s mobile app, making it quick and easy for users to find their local Denny’s restaurant, customize and place an order, and pay for takeout or, where available, delivery via Olo’s Dispatch delivery network – all from the convenience of their smartphone or tablet. Ordering is also available 24/7 through new mobile and desktop functionality at Dennys.com, where guests can choose pickup or delivery time, track their order, and view their order history.

“We are proud to partner with Denny’s, a global brand that has been celebrated as American’s Diner for over 60 years,” said Noah Glass, Founder and CEO of Olo. “Denny’s is a forward thinking brand that has embraced technology, and with this launch takes service to the next level, offering the option to order and pay ahead for pickup at the restaurant, or to place a delivery order where available. This launch makes Denny’s one of the largest brands to tap into Olo’s Dispatch delivery network to bring convenience to its guests.”

In addition to the new online platform, the brand is also bringing ‘Denny’s on Demand’ directly to guests through its social media platforms. The diner will be one of the first to utilize a new online ordering functionality through Twitter, introducing an interactive way for users to select and order their favorite dish all from within a Direct Message. In the coming weeks, fans of Denny’s on Facebook will also be able to engage and place an order with the diner directly, any time of day or night, via a branded Chatbot and other on-page options. Fans will also be able to share their ‘Denny’s on Demand’ experiences through a variety of new and unique Snapchat filters.