by Max Trujillo | Sep 30, 2019 | Eat, October 2019
Based on Raleigh’s booming economy, growing population and love of, and support for, the food and beverage industry, it makes sense that outsiders would set up shop in the City of Oaks—not unlike yours truly, who moved here from California six years ago for a better life. Raleigh offers new opportunity on a relatively undeveloped canvas.
So, naturally, here come the celebrity chef carpetbaggers! What exactly is a carpetbagger, you may ask? It’s something of a derogatory word, so I write this with a tongue-in-cheek touch of irony. Essentially, the term “carpetbagger” refers to a Northerner who moved down here to make money off of the rebuilding South post Civil War, an era known as Reconstruction.
Here in the Triangle, we’re not rebuilding, but rather, creating a thriving restaurant scene. So it’s not necessarily a bad thing to get outside help. As I pondered the city’s ongoing development, it dawned on me that Raleigh hasn’t had a ‘Celebrity Chef’ join our ranks. We’ve got home-grown talent like Ashley Christensen, Vivian Howard in Kinston and chefs like Scott Crawford and Cheetie Kumar who, though not from Raleigh originally, really made their names here.
The Celebrity Chef is what’s coming next, from reality cooking show talent to big-city chefs expanding their empires. Katsuji Tanabe from Bravo’s “Top Chef” is opening a restaurant in Raleigh, and Atlanta’s Ford Fry is opening one in Cary. Both are already big names.
Back in Los Angeles, I worked for one of the most famous chefs of our time, Wolfgang Puck. Say what you will about his frozen pizzas and canned soups—which are better than most—he defined the Celebrity Chef persona on the West Coast. Puck forced the hands of other chefs to constantly get better if they were going to compete with his talent and marketing genius.
So what’s good about this and what’s bad?
First, the positives.
These out-of-town talents didn’t become successful without being really damn amazing in the kitchen. That means we’ll see a push for even higher quality dining experiences. And think about the variety and selection. Instead of a handful of options, our city’s restaurant scene will look like Christmas morning under the family tree.
We’re already seeing Raleighites embrace locations from larger restaurant companies. Think about the Dillon: you have Barcelona Wine Bar, O-Ku Sushi and the Oak Steakhouse. Capital Grille in North Hills is always buzzing. Granted, for every Shake Shack that opens, you get a failed Wahlburgers. Yikes.
Which leads me to the bad.
Get ready for prices to go up, lines to get longer, 100 percent having to make reservations and needing to take an Über, because good luck finding a parking spot. Sadly, these are some of the aspects I loathed about living in a big city. There’s also the real threat that Raleigh’s charm as a mid-sized, largely non-corporate Southern city could get lost along the way. So it’s our duty to remind outsiders of Raleigh’s spirit, part of the reason why they moved here in the first place. We have to keep supporting businesses that are locally owned. But we can still be welcoming and have fun exploring and trying new things. A little bit of them and little bit of us can make it better for all. They’re coming, it’s inevitable. But it doesn’t mean Raleigh will change for the worse. I mean, you’re reading a rant written by, like, a totally chill West Coast carpetbagger, bruh…there’s room here for everyone.
by Max Trujillo | Apr 22, 2019 | April 2019, Eat
Dear Restaurant Guru,
My husband and I were out to dinner recently and while the food and atmosphere were great, the service was lousy. Our waitress ignored us to start with, then forgot our drinks. She didn’t check back after she brought out our food and never offered us dessert. When she brought the check, I didn’t want to leave her a tip. I thought that would get her attention and maybe she would do better for the next customer. My husband thought not tipping would be mean and reminded me she makes less than $3 an hour. What’s the right tip when your waitress or waiter sucks at their job?
Sincerely, Miss Tipping Point
Dear Miss Tipping Point,
When we go out to dine, we have high hopes that the cuisine will remind us of our childhood: The environment will feel like a vacation, and the service will be so good we don’t even think about it. Let’s be honest, that’s the best service of all. But when the server is so bad that you’re compelled to take action, not leaving a tip is the wrong move, and here’s why:
Tipping presents a sense of power over another person’s income, and not leaving a tip seemingly gives us the last word. But let’s think about what actually happens.
As a server, I was taught to never look at my tips during the shift and reconcile all of my checks at the end of the night. Because regardless of good or bad tips received, it wouldn’t affect my demeanor throughout the night. It’s a way to stay cool and calm during a crazy shift. So the bad server may not even know whether you tipped or not.
Also, tip pooling is common in today’s restaurant culture. That’s where all tips are collected at the end of the night and divided among the staff. President Trump recently made tip pooling legal again, so the lack of tip will affect a whole group of people’s incomes, not just your server’s.
Finally, that bad server isn’t going to learn their lesson based on your actions. They might not have been trained properly or were having a bad day or simply suck at their job. Either way, you’re not fixing the problem by not leaving a tip.
Here’s the solution: Tell a manager. You can discreetly speak with a manager before you leave, or for those that get anxious about confrontation, send them an email. I have been on the other end of well-written emails with constructive critiques that helped me manage my service team. Businesses love feedback, even when it’s not completely positive.
But for the sake of humanity, PLEASE leave the negative online reviews for some other jerk to write.
Here’s a tip, always leave 20 percent.
by Max Trujillo | Nov 14, 2018 | Buzz, November 2018
Dear Restaurant Guru,
We have a baby who does well out in public so we like to bring her with us when we go out to eat. She’s still too small for a high chair, and restaurant staff is usually helpful when we bring her in, though occasionally they seem annoyed at having to accommodate her, her stroller or stroller seat. Should we include the baby in our total party number when making reservations, even though she’s not taking up a seat at the table? Should we always give a restaurant a heads up that we plan on bringing a baby? How can we know if places really don’t want us to bring her along? We like to have her with us but we don’t want to be a nuisance to servers and other customers! Also, what’s the etiquette on bringing babies/small kids to bars and breweries?
Sincerely, Baby On Board
Dear Baby on Board,
I encourage parents to bring their sweet little cherubs to restaurants, but let’s keep it in perspective. Whereas you may consider your baby to be the cutest thing that’s ever graced God’s green Earth, others may have a difference of opinion. Dining with children is a wonderful experience for kids and will create fond memories, but perhaps the nine-course meal at Herons at the Umstead Hotel isn’t really appropriate? I always have a hard time asking the sommelier to decant the ’95 Chateau Lynch-Bages while ordering a grilled cheese with the crusts cut off.
Finding a kid-friendly restaurant is typically easy, especially if they put their kids menu online. During the reservation process, I would highly advise mentioning the baby, either by raising the total number of your party by one, or adding that information in the comments section of your reservation. Restaurants love to get as much information as possible when preparing for the evening. And they may end up putting you in the section with the server who actually likes kids! A little heads up makes it better for everyone.
Lastly, I like your style. You’re not letting a little thing like parenthood slow down your beer drinking. With that said, bringing a baby to a bar might be a little suspect. A bar is for adults, though I’m a fan of taprooms and beer gardens, which are opening all over town. Many of these places provide board games, corn hole and even produce non-alcoholic beverages like root beer and natural sodas (much to the dismay of previously elected officials). It’s a great place for multiple families to meet and socialize. Bear in mind, there are other adults consuming alcohol around your family, so be responsible and pay attention to the kids.
by Max Trujillo | Sep 21, 2018 | Eat, September 2018
Dear Restaurant Guru,
I’ve always believed that fruit flies in a restaurant are a sign the restaurant is dirty and I shouldn’t eat there. Lately I am seeing fruit flies in lots of Raleigh restaurants. Are they all dirty? Should I skip all of those spots?
Sincerely,
Lording over the Flies
Dear Lording over the Flies,
It’s the dog days of summer, historically known for sudden thunderstorms, fever, and causing dogs to go mad. But in a restaurant, it’s the season of the flies. There’s no hope. There’s no help. You can’t run. You can’t hide… and I’m only half kidding.
During this time of year, every restaurant and bar needs to be extremely clean. Any bit of lime juice, simple syrup, accidental spills or uncovered product will spell disaster for an establishment. Fruit flies typically invade with your produce order from the farm. They’re attracted to rotting and fermenting fruits and veggies. Here’s the scary part: a fruit fly will lay about 500 eggs in its 10-day life cycle.
But let’s not freak out.
Any restaurant with a strong cleaning schedule will still get some flies, because it’s nearly impossible to be perfect. But, keeping all areas dry and clean, tossing out bruised fruit and veggies, and wrapping up food and liquor bottles at night will definitely help.
*Side note – I recently got back from France and they have a ‘laissez faire’ approach to flies, but I guess that makes sense? After all, it’s a French term. Americans tend to have a hatred for these mercurial monsters, and I am no different.
In short, should you skip these fly-ridden places? No. But consider the restaurant’s fly-plight is universal during these times.
When dining, I recommend avoiding the patio, the bar service well and any place that keeps ketchup bottles on the table. It may be as simple as out of sight, out of mind.
by Max Trujillo | May 31, 2018 | Eat, June 2018
Max Trujillo and Matthew Weiss, hosts of the NC Food & Beverage podcast, give us a glimpse of the most glamorous evening in food
There’s a reason why they’re called the Oscars of Food.
The annual James Beard Foundation Awards has recognized culinary leaders across the country in national categories—including Best New Restaurant and Humanitarian of the Year—and regional ones, such as Best Chef Southeast—since 1991. The coveted grand prize, a Best Actor or Best Actress equivalent, if you will, is Outstanding Chef; this year, Raleigh’s own Ashley Christensen was one of five finalists up for the top award.
As longtime supporters of the North Carolina food scene, we traveled to Chicago to support Christensen, one of three finalists from the state, whittled down from a list of 16—16!—local semifinalists. Spoiler alert: this story doesn’t end with Christensen bringing the medallion home to Raleigh. The honor went to Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune in New York City. But for Christensen, who won the regional award for Best Chef Southeast in 2014, and all the other chefs and restaurateurs, there’s a lot more to it than winning; it’s about a sense of North Carolina pride.
Asheville chef Katie Button was a finalist for Best Chef Southeast, and Kinston’s Vivian Howard, a presenter that evening, was a finalist for Outstanding Personality/Host for her work on PBS’s “A Chef’s Life.” (By the way, Howard won an Emmy for her program the week before the Beard Awards, no small feat!) From chefs to brewers, journalists to TV personalities, our state is making an impact on the food industry, and Christensen is leading the charge. Christensen has always taken a principled stance on equality, made a commitment to community and given a voice to many who haven’t been heard. Receiving a James Beard Award isn’t simply just about being a good cook. Yes, it’s an achievement in culinary excellence, but it’s also an honor of a person’s commitment to bettering humanity.
Kris Moon, Vice President of the James Beard Foundation, spoke to us about how the awards this year reflected both ethnic and gender diversity across the board. Considering the widespread revelations of sexual harassment in the food industry, a person’s character in the kitchen has come to mean even more to those in the food community.
In tagging along with Christensen, Howard and Button, we learned the extent of their devotion to and awareness of others.
For instance, in an effort to bring awareness to eliminating food waste, Button used whey (a byproduct of an Asheville cheese-making creamery) and the ends of bread, which would otherwise have been thrown out, in a dish she was preparing for the awards show.
And there was a touching moment in the pressroom when we were chatting with Howard and she was hoping for a Christensen victory. In other industries, there may be an assumption that these two leaders would be natural rivals, but that’s absolutely not the case here. What was clear in Howard’s sentiments was her recognition of and reverence for Christensen’s talents and humanitarian efforts. And Howard credits Christensen for being among the first to welcome her back to the North Carolina food scene after years of working in New York.
Backstage, we spoke with the Humanitarian of the Year winner, José Andrés. He was recognized for his work in Puerto Rico with his organization World Central Kitchen. As we chatted, we heard the announcement for Outstanding Chef, Christensen’s category. We didn’t hear her name called. Sure, there was a sense of disappointment, but the truth is, she is a winner. Our winner. She was one of only five people, from all over the country, that exemplifies the spirit of community, leadership and creativity that won her the Outstanding Chef nomination.
Just three days later, in the heart of downtown Raleigh at the ThriveNC food festival, Christensen was onstage in front of a standing-room-only group of admirers, doing what she does best: teaching the community how to cook in a socially responsible manner.
Attending the Beard awards typically means a deluge of delicious food and copious amounts of creative cocktails, and the wonderful food and drink were certainly there. But what we’ll remember most about the experience, beyond all the deliciousness, is the warmth and the reverence these culinary experts have for one another. And that’s what we’re always proud to find and spotlight in the food scene here at home.
