The Restaurant & Foodservice Show

The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York started yesterday and I had the extreme pleasure of attending.  I dragged my partner in crime and fellow foodie Sue along to keep me company. 

The Show runs from February 27 - March 1, is held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York and is only open to the trade.  It’s a must see for anyone in the foodservice/hospitality industry. 

To sum up, it was fabulous!  If you ever have the opportunity to go - don't miss it.

I have been many times in the past but haven’t attended in at least 10 years.  So much has changed and there are so many incredible new companies and products out there that are revolutionizing the way people dine and how restaurants are run.

Not a revolutionary product, but look at how beautiful those breads are.  They are courtesy of Anthony & Sons Bakery in Denville.  I could start at one end and eat my way to the other!

In addition to visiting all the vendor booths, getting information on companies, sampling foods and new products, there is also The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum which offers over 30 sessions to help professionals gain knowledge from some of the top foodservice professionals today.  There are also cooking demonstrations, contests, the Ultimate Barista Challenge, a Pizza Showcase, specialty pavilions as well as a Pastry Competition. More than you can possibly see in one day.

My main objective was to “shop” what’s new and get some new ideas, pricing, etc. 

This booth is from Imperial Bag & Paper Co. They have an amazing line of Eco Friendly products.  I just loved the display!

These are the tables and chairs I want for my restaurant!  They are gorgeous!  from the source NY - imaginative urban organic handmade and custom furnishings  

I have to say that one of the best parts of the day for me was attending the Foodservice Council for Women’s seminar on “The Key Secrets for Professional Growth for Women in Foodservice.” The speaker was Kathleen Wood and the panel included Ferdinand Metz CMC (Certified Master Chef), Don Fitzgerald, Ellen Koteff, Sally Minier.  It was truly insightful and I obtained a wealth of information.  It was definitely worth the hour and half.  So, a big thank you to all the speakers and panelists for taking the time to share their knowledge!

With our admission to the Foodservice show, we were also able to go to the New York Wine Expo. This is a 3 day event and is open to both consumers as well as trade.  Yesterday was the last day, but don't despair, they will be back next year.

 Prosecco and crab legs!  Can't go wrong!  Crab legs were courtesy of Alaska Seafood.

At the expo, you have the opportunity to try wines from New York State to California and from Italy to Brazil to Portugal and everywhere in between.  

I think we tried them all! 

And most were fantastic.  Here are a few labels that stood out - mainly ones that I know are available locally.

Sorry - I know the picture is not great.

One Hope Winery donates an astounding 50% of its profits to partner charities benefiting a variety of causes. 

They include Chardonnay for Breast Cancer, Merlot for AIDS Awareness, Cabernet Sauvignon for Autism, Sauvignon Blanc for the Environment and Zinfandel for Our Troops.  So, pick your cause and your favorite grape and support One Hope. 

And, of course, as I have written about before:

Middle Sister Wines.  That’s me standing there with Drama Queen clinking our Pinot Grigios.  My favorite is still Rebel Red but she wasn’t there yesterday – probably out on the town with the other middle sisters.  Check out these wines not just because they are really good but because you can pick one to match your personality.  That's almost as good as buying the wine because it has a cute label.

These wines are from the same company as Middle Sister:

You know me; I’m all about the labels!  I was both Monogamous (Cabernet Sauvignon which was smooth & velvety with flavors of plum and dried herbs) and Pro-mis-Q-ous (California red table wine which was ripe red & dark berry fruit with a touch of white pepper).  And both were wonderful!

So, that sort of sums up the day.  I would love to write about more wines but I can't remember much of what happened after about 3pm - I'm so dehydrated!  I'll go through my pictures and papers and tell you more about them in some future blogs.

That goes for the Food Service show as well.  I couldn't possibly tell you about all the wonderful things we saw and all the amazing foods we tried.  I'm sure I'll reference some in another blog or hopefully you'll get to experience them when Sit Drink Eat goes live.

Otherwise, you can always come with me next year.