Being disconnected isn't so bad...

I was expecting that blogging from the beautiful south of France would be a simple task, but good luck finding an Internet connection! Needless to say, being disconnected for a couple of weeks wasn't so bad. In fact, this recent trip has taught me a lot about living life and making the most out of it; recognizing the pace at which we live, here, and focusing on one primary goal that everyone should have: being happy.

The purpose of my trip was to visit my family; most of whom I haven't seen in about ten years. Interlaced with family visits and introductions were trips to the local market, a stop at a vineyard in Bandol, medieval village tours, and eating some of the freshest, most delicious food that we will just never find here. When you have tasted fruit from Europe, the stuff we have here will never come close.

In addition to the above, inspiration for the new restaurant was through the roof! From local bread shops on every corner to fabulous cafes in the heart of Paris, I couldn't have more ideas flowing through my mind. I expect that as I begin my real estate quest over the next few weeks, some ideas will make it to the final plan, which I will, of course, share with all of you.

In the meantime, instead of blogging directly from France (which I couldn't do anyway), over the next few days, I will be posting highlights from the trip. You'll see some of the places I loved and some of the dishes we devoured. Perhaps, dear reader, you will understand why people love it there so much... or at least inspire you to go there and see for yourself.

Maze by Gordon Ramsay Setting up for Summer Restaurant Week!

One of my favorite restaurants is Maze by Gordon Ramsay in Manhattan. I take my mom to The London Bar every year for mother's day for their amazing traditional British afternoon tea. I have also had the pleasure of having a delicious 3 course dinner at Maze, as well as sampled their brunch menu. So it is safe to say, I LOVE this restaurant. 

That said, I am sure, dear reader, you would understand my sheer excitement when I received an email about Maze by Gordon Ramsay participating in  New York City’s Summer Restaurant Week! I WILL be there and you all should too...

In case you have never heard of Restaurant Week, it's an annual event for every food lover, which will take place this year on July 12th through the 25th. The event usually features various restaurants in New York City celebrating food with discounted menus and other events of their own. Maze’s Executive Chef Markus Glocker (right) and Pastry Chef Ron Paprocki have designed a special tasting menu for the three-course pre-fixe lunches and dinners during the week. Look at this menu! I already know what I'm having...

Course 1

• Octopus terrine w Kalamata olives, crisp potatoes, pickled shallot & sauce vierge
• Asparagus veloute w braised morels & elephant garlic
• Marinate fingerling potatoes w Holland leeks, poached quail’s egg & prosciutto

Course 2

• Carnaroli risotto of parsley w preserved lemon & marscapone
• Roasted chicken breast w spring morels, pickled ramps, new potatoes, fiddlehead ferns & thyme jus
• Pan fried halibut w butternut squash, gnocchi & brown butter vinaigrette
• Dry aged strip loin 8 oz. w creamed spinach & pommes anna ($10 supplement)

Course 3

• Carrot cake w cream cheese frosting & walnut praline ice cream
• Vanilla custard w citrus fruits, brown sugar oats & mandarin sorbet
• Chocolate pudding w stout ice cream, pretzel & peanut butter powder

Side dish selections ($5 supplement) include:

• Pomme puree
• Oven roasted cippolini onions w thyme & honey
• Steamed green asparagus w toasted almonds

The three-course lunch/$24.07 and three-course dinner/$35.00.  Reservations are highly recommended (if not, required) and can be made starting June 28 by calling (212) 468-8889.

MAZE, by Gordon Ramsay, offers a less formal and lively surrounding in which to enjoy the sophisticated cuisine of this accomplished culinary team. This stylish gathering spot, for lunch or dinner, has redefined the dining experience with dishes that are elegant and innovative, yet attainable.  Modeled after his popular Michelin-starred London restaurant of the same name, MAZE offers a seasonal menu served among exquisite interiors designed by the renowned David Collins.  Showcasing the best of modern British style coupled with Manhattan’s vivacity, MAZE personifies culinary perfection without pretension.

Lunch hours are daily 12:00p.m. to 3:00p.m. and dinner hours daily 5:30p.m. – 10:30p.m. You can also visit them online at http://www.thelondonnyc.com/gordon_ramsay.  The London NYC is located on W. 54th between 6th & 7th Aves.  

Living... and Learning

I have a new motto: Failure means you're learning.

I have been in process with a specific potential location over the last few weeks. I was asked to keep it confidential for various reasons and some things I still can't disclose. Nevertheless, this morning, I learned that someone else beat me to the punch.

So back to the real estate drawing board. I have to say and I am bummed. It was a corner space in the middle of a small town with about four churches within one mile of the place. Seriously, perfect for breakfast, lunch, and the average fresh croissant and cappuccino. BUT! I can't be discouraged; it just didn't work out and wasn't meant to be.

Lesson learned: Don't put your eggs in one basket.

While situations were progressing I decided to back myself up. I started the blog, accepted a catering event, and considered alternatives if things didn't go through. What would I do? Fortunately, I thought about it and will be calling my realtor after getting back from France. Giving up is not an option for me and this process will likely offer a few learning opportunities, but never failures.

If you feel like you are failing, you aren't, you are learning. Take everything that doesn't go your way as an opportunity to do something different, or better! The restaurant business is intense and you need to be strong enough to be intense along with it.

Good luck, and keep at it!

Back to Baking!

If anyone out there has been reading my blog, I know, I've been slacking. So with that, what better way to stage a mini-comeback than with a delicious new treat! During my short disappearance, I had the great pleasure of hearing from the folks at Sun Valley Dairy, makers of Voskos Greek Yogurt.

As I may have mentioned before, I'm interested in making some healthier choices for the restaurant menu, even for some of the baked goods. As healthy as I will be, however, I won't skimp on quality and freshness. Voskos greek yogurt is just that. I hope to serve Voskos regularly on the menu, particularly for breakfast. In the meantime, I like to substitute greek yogurt in pastry recipes that call for sour cream or buttermilk. Its just, well, healthier! Besides, there is enough other stuff :)

Here is the delicious recipe I put together today. Before you try it, remember to buy the Voskos greek yogurts!

Currant Almond Cupcakes with a Cointreau Glaze    
1.25 cups  unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh orange zest1/2 cup Voskos greek yogurt (non-fat plain is the best for this recipe)
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tin with paper liners; I used the minis here, but you can choose larger cakes, if desired.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 1 minute or so). Mix in the oil, orange zest, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the yogurt until combined. Blend the flour mixture until completely incorporated and the batter is smooth. Add the currants and almonds.

Add about 2 tablespoons of the batter to each lined mini-cup. The batter should come to about 1/8 of an inch from the top for the cakes to fluff up. Bake for about 13-16 minutes (depending on your oven!)

For the glaze: 1.5 cups Voskos greek yogurt (non-fat plain is best, but you can use vanilla), one shot of Cointreau, one cup confectioners sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer on high until the mixture thickens slightly. The glaze will still be thin, but creamy.

Remove the paper liners before serving and coat the cakes with the glaze. Garnish with any leftover orange zest.

Rue La La and Zagat Team Up for 48 Hour Once-in-a-Lifetime Event!

Are you a member of Rue La La? This site is so cool! Rue La La is an exclusive, invitation-only online shopping destination where members are invited to discover premier-brand, timed private sale lifestyle (fashion, travel and home) boutiques at incredible value.

They usually feature clothing, accessories, home wares, and an occassional resort spot or restaurant. But this time, Rue La La is teaming up with the source for quality dining, travel and leisure activities, Zagat!

Rue La La and Zagat have teamed up for their first-ever private online sale, offering “once in a lifetime” meals at five famed New York City restaurants! Members can purchase unique packages with customized menus at 21 Club, Aureole, Bouley, Bar Boulud and Butter. Definitely click on these links; the menus look absolutely delicious and amazing!

Here is the kicker: these experiences also come with a complimentary one-year membership to Zagat.com! Membership includes online tools to search, sort, and browse restaurants by reliable Zagat Ratings, Zagat Reviews derived from millions of surveyors and compiled by Zagat editors, make informed dining decisions when you are on-the-go by visiting ZAGAT.mobi from your web-enabled phone, and enjoy savings of up to 25% on Zagat gifts and guides purchased in our online store.

The boutique at Rue La La launches at 11 AM on Friday, May 21 and runs for only 48 hours. Rue La La is invite-only, but readers can click this link to sign up: Ruelala.com/zagat.

Have fun and enjoy!  Questions? Email me!
contact-at-38milesfrommanhattan.com

Business Plan - Company Description

This element of the business plan is the best place to begin. This is where you can really put on paper your vision, dreams, and goals and lay the ground work for the rest of the plan. This is where you start getting excited...where I start getting excited :) So what do you write?

You are starting your own business, so you must have some creativity. Tap into this a write a story. The very first words a potential investor reads in your business plan should grab their attention. The key, is making them want to read more, and ultimately, your entire plan. This section should be about two, or so, paragraphs. Short and sweet. Here is what I have prepared:

Local area residents have seen it before. It’s the place they met with friends, brought their kids to enjoy a special treat, or for local middle and high schoolers to hang out after school. Calming, green walls were adorned with elaborate golden frames holding the hand-painted images of fruit on a tree, or simply as transcribed from still life. The deli case is filled with delectable desserts, irresistible to customers young and old, choosing from the fluffy carrot cake with orange cream cheese icing or the oversized cupcakes topped with chocolate ganache. On a steamy summer day, one couldn’t pass up the refreshing Lemon Freeze Smoothie, blended with rainbow sherbet and homemade lemonade, and a splash of strawberry syrup. The menu favorite, Tomato & Mozzarella Paninni, satisfied the taste buds of hundreds. Each dish was accompanied by a glass of freshly brewed iced tea and completed with a creamy, hand-steamed cappuccino. Whatever the joy, customers will find it at the The Café.

After the initial decription, the following components are included in a little more detail:

• Overview - Pretty much what the description above is but not so creative. More like a paragraph or two of descriptive info about your place. This is where you describe the type of place you are opening, type of food and beverage and any other details that will make your place unique.
• Operating hours and staffing - How many days will you be open and for how many hours? You may want to talk about how many managers you want to have, staff memebers, and anyone else you'll likely add to payroll.
• Menu Items - Run wild here. Develop your menu as much as possible, from beverages to full meals and sides to desserts. Once you have this established, it will help you with the rest of the plan on multiple levels, such as food costing and relating to your target market.

I won't give away the whole plan just yet. But stay tuned for the next section (my fav.) the marketing plan!

More than 38 Miles from Manhattan...

It's official! As of June 17th, for two weeks, I will be in... France! The first 9-10 days I will be in Toulon and Nice (the south) and the last 4 days I'll be in the beautiful, glamourous, delectable city of Paris. It will be an amazing trip.

I do have family in the south, hence my traveling there. However, I'll be blogging daily about the wonderful excursions and delicious food, among other things. I will especially be making notes about any possible restaurant ideas, menu items, and pastries I find. We do have a couple day trips planned to the Bandol Winery and Venti Mille (the France/Italy border). Looking forward to comments and a great trip!

More details to come as we approach take-off....  T-minus 35 days!