Page 28 - July Hawaii Beverage Guide

Tailor the Program
“We no longer have ‘one program,”
shares Sandy Block, a Master
of Wine and VP of Beverage
Operations at Boston-based Legal
Sea Foods, “but among the 34
restaurantsthereareactuallyabout SamuelBarickman changes up his wine and saké
the pour line. Whatever the means, portion control is important for
pro t margin.
rotation situation
At Zuma, Samuel Barickman
20 different lists.” Locations in academic communities such as Cambridge lean toward more imports, while the more commercial Copley Square location gravitates to well-known varietals such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The average pricing for the restaurant’s wines run from $9 to $16.50 BTG, although upscale pours can include Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon for $18.50 a glass and Dom Pérignon for $32.
Focus on Casual Options
pours quarterly as “traditional Japanese food is strongly rooted in seasonality.” Of course, chefs of all persuasions like to seize the changing of seasons, so if the menu gets a quarterly update, glass offerings might bene t from adjustment as well. Specials can help use up the types of wines that are on their way out. With chalkboards and laser printers, BTG adjustments can be made relatively ef ciently.
Keep BTg Front and Center
In Houston, Sean Beck, the sommelier and beverage director of Backstreet Café, Caracol and Hugo’s restaurants, put the BTG list on
glass becomes by-the-carafe. Ryan Valen- tine, Director of Beverage, notes that the individual mini-carafes add a touch of air as well as accuracy: “Our associates use carafes and pour them to the same height every time to ensure consistency.” The res- taurant pours approximately 40 wines by the glass, ranging from $10 to $40, includ- ing some higher-end Coravin selections.
Keep the BTg Options Focused
At San Francisco’s Moroccan- in uenced restaurant Mourad,
Sommelier Tara Patrick says she tries “to keep all the BTG selections appropriate to the menu.”
In Mourad’s case, the menu is heavy in Moroccan in uences which often highlight spices like sumac and dried
High-quality food and shorter dining
times are where the growth in
the restaurant business has been
focused for the last few years. A
perfect salad, paired with a local
rosé, is both easy and pro table to
serve. Block believes the hospitality Sandy Block Mexican restaurant Xochi.
the front page of the menu of the group’s new Oaxacan
industry overall is moving to more causal wine lists and BTG choices.
Keep Track of Your Pour
Have you ever seen those big wine stems on the bar full of colored water? They are there to help bar staff keep track of how many ounces are in an average glass pour. Make sure yours is consistent. At Legal, a sh logo on the house glasses denotes
Mourad Restaurant, San Francisco
He uses it to show off the
basics of the wine program and to move unusual wines such as 19-year-old Aligoté or a barrel-aged South African Chenin Blanc.
Ryan Valentine
Carafes Can show Off
& Measure
At the Columbus, OH-based, 14-unit Ocean Prime group of restaurants, by-the-
Ocean Prime
fruit. In turn, Patrick favors low-alcohol, unoaked, fruity wines such as Spanish Garnacha and red Bandol. The restaurant offers ten red, nine white, ve sparkling and three rosé wines by the glass. n
Zuma Restaurant, NYC
BTg
Offerings