December 2005

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Hot Plates
It’s no secret that finding out what sells well at other operations is important in menu planning. Chefs from across the industry share recipes for signature dishes with proven success.

Four Stars: Join the Club
Odds are stacked in favor of club sandwiches, the tiered classic created at the turn of the 20th century. Here are four flavorful 21st century versions that update the venerable favorite.

SPECIAL REPORT

Kitchen Consequential
Skilled chefs are a common element that unites foodservice’s diverse business segments. With a new year approaching, R&I profiles innovative kitchen professionals who are raising the bars for cuisine, service and experience. In upscale hotels, fine-dining and casual-theme restaurants, college dining halls and hospitals, these leaders point the way to the future.

BUSINESS

Pay Attention
A great chef is worth his or her weight in truffles, but since dollars are the preferred currency, what’s the right salary? There is no one answer. What’s offered to and expected from kitchen professionals varies widely depending on location, menu, clientele and area economy. The profession’s recent celebrity status also opens new channels of compensation.

OPERATIONS

Tooling Around
Treasured kitchen tools are indispensable components of a chef’s culinary identity.

DEPARTMENTS

R&I Insider
McDonald’s wraps up a nutrition-information initiative; Chick-fil-A’s 2006 calendar cowtows to heroes and heroines of the past; Galatoire’s plans its rebirth while Maisonette bids a final adieu; Via Christi Regional Medical Center shares an Ivy Idea; Menu Focus warms to sun-dried tomatoes; and Table Turns reports who’s new in kitchens and boardrooms.

The Ten-Minute Manager's Guide to...Managing Holidays
The Ten-Minute Manager addresses the complexities of staffing during the busy winter holidays.

EDITORIAL

Viewpoint
It’s hard to imagine that those who wove Peter Drucker’s words into their practices didn’t reap benefits.