Drink

Consistency, Communication, and More Keys to Making Exceptional Call Drinks

October 29, 2023

Sitting in the stunning new The Late Great speakeasy, designed by Johnny Cash’s granddaughter and hidden under Nashville’s Virgin Hotel, we perused the menu of seasonal cocktails like apple butter Old Fashioneds, a vodka cocktail with yogurt and dill (watch for a drink of the week on this one), and a tequila-based concoction with chipotle, fig jam, and barbecue spices. “Think I can just get a Martini?” my sister asked. While I’m all about going for the most interesting cocktail on the menu, this week’s feature story is about making sure your staff can make guests that Martini exactly to their liking. Writer Stacey Lastoe talked to bartenders at New York City’s Apotheke; Knoxville, Tenn.’s Brother Wolf; and Portland, Ore.’s, imminent Too Soon about how they train their staff to accommodate drink requests of all kinds (and keep them consistent) for guests who want to go off-menu.

 
Liz Grossman
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Then you want to be sure your bar guests are getting the exact cocktail they’re in the mood for, be it something with a tropical banana Daiquiri vibe, a winter-friendly vanilla shake topped with toasted marshmallows, or a bloody Mary made with sake, aquavit, or mezcal. These drink recipes and more can be found on Plate, but only for registered subscribers, so start here and get mixing.

What else are we into this week?

Sometimes it takes a village to pull off tomato nigiri, and by village we mean the cooks and chefs of Tyson Cole’s Hai Hospitality, who collaborated on the vegan dish featured in our bite of the week. Senior Editor Caroline Hatchett had the nigiri as a surprise addition to her omakase at Houston’s Oheya and almost mistook the blanched, peeled, compressed, and citrus-and-chile fortified tomatoes for tuna. Find out how they pulled it off.

Did you catch PlateTalks last week? I interviewed Chefs to Watch Laurence Louie and Yenvy Pham about how they took over family businesses and created their own fast-casual concepts. They discussed the costs, challenges, and rewards of being an entrepreneur, along with other valuable takeaways any industry pro needs to know. They also revealed what they think it takes to build a successful restaurant, from the importance of checking your ego to surrounding yourself with the right people. Watch the talk here.

The end of the year is a good time to check in on your mental health before the busy holiday season descends (it’s just around the corner). Take a few nods from Chef to Watch Alexandra Holt, who after years of working in abusive kitchens, is running her own restaurant on her terms, and working towards industry change at Philadelphia’s Roxanne. Read her story here.

Speaking of mental health check-ins, today is the last day to enter to win one of five Mental Mise En Place journals, designed by Chef Philip Speer for industry professionals. Not only is it filled with daily mental health reminders (have you gotten outside today?), it’s got room for recipe ideas, notes, sketches, and more. Click here to enter for free. Just be sure you're registered or you won't qualify.

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