Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
THE DRINK & THE DISH Lewellyn: I threaten them with violence. Kidding! Organic is truly the word that sums it up. We hire great people, give them the tools, set the expectation level and then get the hell out of their way. I really try hard to not micromanage people. We share in suc- cess and failure together. We often joke about our hiring practices; we refer to it as an adoption process rather than a hiring process. 732 Social does not name its menu items and creates dishes with season- ally available ingredients grown locally. This pumpkin dish with squash, yam, duck liver and leg took 30 minutes to cook. The farmer grew these pumpkins specifi cally for this November- December menu item. other distilleries started cutting their whiskey back to 86 proof, someone asked Booker why he didn’t follow the trend. His reply: “Why would I pay to ship water all over the country?” He made some damn fi ne whiskey. B.A.: What are your “best practices” to create synergy and harmony with your bar and kitchen? Rice: I’m fortunate to have a very dedicated staff in our kitchen as well as at the bar. The synergy between us is almost organic—everything is made from scratch. The kitchen helps with the prep for the bar, from brandy- ing our cherries and making brines for our olives, to making our house made syrups and sourcing out local ingredients for our house-made bitters, as well as providing the freshest and highest-quality fruits and herbs that we use in our cocktails. When the kitchen is working on recipes that involve spirits, they consult us for appropriate fl avors that they can draw out of them to enhance the dish. It’s really as simple as this: We eat and drink the same. We never say “me” or “them,” only “us” and “we.” B.A.: What do you most enjoy about working with one another? Rice: We share the same reverence for a complete dining experience. We also share the same dedication to our concept and standards. Jayson is as dedicated to the classic techniques of his craft as am I, without compromise. We both are more concerned with the fi nal product being an overall experience, while still being approach- able, than we are with the bottom line. We want you to enjoy a dining experience on Tuesday, not just on your anniversary. Lewellyn: Enjoy?! Let me tell you what pisses me off. I have spent the better part of my natural life getting to where I am in my career. Social was a celebration of my reaching the top and beginning my decent into mastering the experience. Then this guy [Larry] whips up one of the most unbelievable and comprehensive bar programs I’ve ever seen—in like a month and half. On a serious note, I trust him, and among partners trust is something that usually takes a lifetime to gain. His dedication and passion helps me stay motivated when outside stress goes center stage. B.A.: One of my favorite things about your restaurant is the calming vibe. Tell me about the experience you hope your guests take away from a visit to 732 Social. Rice: I want them to feel as if they just had dinner at a friend’s house where everyone had fun, including the host. I have a couple of mantras I share with the staff: We are inviting our guest into our home for dinner, so let’s make sure they know we appreciate the fact that they came. For the bartenders, “Have a good time,” “Make great drinks,” and “Make it look easy.” The last thing you want to do is go to someone’s home for dinner and drinks and listen to them spend the evening letting you know 30 / the tasting panel / january–february 201 1 how much work went into it. Lewellyn: I want all of the work we put into this to make people want to come back soon. I want people to be proud of us, almost as if they feel like showing us off to family and people they run into that haven’t had the experience yet. AN OLD FASHIONED SHOW DOWN 2 oz. Rittenhouse 100-proof rye ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ½ oz. Cardenal Mendoza brandy 1 pull chocolate bitters 6 drops kümmel (caraway liqueur) 2 drops vanilla extract 1 pull house-made sassafras bitters 1 pull house-made Sheldon bitters ½ oz. Demerara syrup 2 orange chips ■ Built in the traditional Old Fashioned style, with the fi rst orange chip fl amed and the second expressed just after straining over ice. Serve in a traditional bar glass. DRY WHITT MANHATTAN 2 oz. Maker’s 46 bourbon ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1oz. Vya dry vermouth 6 drops house-made blood orange bitters 1 pull Peychaud’s bitters 1 pull house-made Toulouse-Lautrec bitters ¼ oz. house-made orgeat syrup Lemon zest ■ Use the traditional Manhattan build, using the Toulouse bitters as a rinse. Strain-serve up in a coupe glass; add 2 additional drops of blood orange bitters and zest with lemon.