Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/674905
18 / the tasting panel / may 2016 THE MESSAGE As a Whole H usband-and-wife team Adam and Stacy Jed hoped to bring "whole foods" to the people of San Francisco at a reasonable price when they opened their Bluestem Brasserie in 2011. They looked to large European meeting spaces like La Coupole and Bofinger for inspira- tion, but wanted to also showcase all of the regions of the U.S. "Bluestem Brasserie was a simple concept of bringing great tasting, healthy food to the urban downtown Market neighborhood," notes Stacy. When the pair says "whole," they mean it, practicing whole-animal and -product utilization. "This is not a "buzzword" for us," Adam explains, "rather it's a cornerstone for how we do business. Restaurants today need to operate with the ideals that we cannot waste any valuable resources. Without whole-product utilization, Bluestem would not exist. By using everything that a product has to offer, we waste very little, and more to that point, actually need less garbage service—resulting in making every penny count." At their location, the guests range from locals to business professionals and visitors, so it's important that they offer approachable food and drinks, while staying seasonally appropriate, healthy and interesting. One thing is for certain: you will never feel blue while dining or drinking at Bluestem Brasserie. —Emily Coleman (See the full report on our Speed Tasting that took place at Bluestem Brasserie on page 110.) PHOTO: HARDY WILSON Adam and Stacy Jed, owners of San Francisco's Bluestem Brasserie. PHOTO: HARDY WILSON Adam and Stacy Jed, owners of San Slow-roasted DURoC pork belly with beluga lentils, caramelized shallots and salsa verde. Let's DURoC this Pork Party S mithfield Foods rolled out their premium pork offering DURoC at an upbeat launch party at Pistola-LA in Los Angeles. From pasta to pastries, the room was filled with the sights and aromas of the heritage breed at various tasting stations featuring pork cheek, bacon, pork belly and more. Each tender, juicy bite showcased the DURoC pork's heavy marbling and rich color, a trademark of the red hogs whose breed dates back to the times of Christopher Columbus. Smithfield's Chef's Table event featured creations from Pistola's Chef Vic Casanova, who closed out the night with flourless chocolate cake with bacon- infused gelato and candied bacon. Pig, pig, hurray! —Becky Tsadik PHOTO: STEFAN COLSON, MAN WITH A CAM PHOTO: MIK MILMAN Expanding Wine Perceptions, From Berlin to L.A.'s Backyard C asual mention of Germany evokes memo- ries of Old World Europe, sturdy beers and explosively sweet Riesling wines. For this reason, Wines of Germany used the milieu of Berlin's future-thinking arts scene to challenge members of Los Angeles' spirits media and wine trade to expand their perspectives on Germany's wine producers. The wholly interactive "Taste the New" experience required guests to use all of their senses to expand their knowledge of German wine through inspired food pairings and a series of stimulating activities involving sound's impact on wine flavor, blind tastings and informative touch screens. The moment a guest stepped into The Holding Company event venue, they were transported into Berlin's art scene via an installation that introduced them to Aged Rieslings such as Karthäuserhof 1995 and Hans Lang 2002; bright, mineral toned dry wines from the Weissburgunder such as Franz-Ritter Pinot Blanc Trocken 2015 and Selback-Oster 2014 Pinot Blanc; fresh and citrusy Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) from producers Binz, Huber and Villa Wolf; and rich, complex Spätburgunder Pinot Noir from August Kessler, Gutzler and Burg Ravensburg. Berlin may have provided the inspiration for the event, but Wines of Germany's mission was to fully immerse guests into the nuances of different German vari- etals, their terroir of origin, the various production regions and wineries doing their part to expand the horizons of international trade and consumers. Matthew Kaner, Wine Director of noted L.A. wine bars Bar Covell and Augustine Wine Bar, along with visiting members of the German wine establishment gamely took on hosting duties. —Elyse Glickman Wines of Germany challenged members of Los Angeles' spirits media and wine trade to expand their perspectives on Germany's wine producers. C ries sturdy sweet reason, used future-thinking challenge Angeles' wine perspectives wine Wines of Germany challenged members of Los