I’m finally back from Chicago where Furmano’s participated in the NRA (National Restaurant Association)… not the gun show. I’m pretty sure I have to explain that to everyone when I say that’s where I’m going. We always have fun and Chicago is a great city for this show. The McCormick Place Convention Center is centrally located with a lot of great places to eat nearby and plenty of things to see. I always come away a little happier (and a little fatter).
If you’ve never been, I highly recommend making the trip sometime. The show takes place at McCormick Place every year, at the same time each year, making it easy to carve out the time ahead of time if you’d like to attend. And, it’s probably the best time of year to go to Chicago (great weather to explore the city).
The show itself really highlights food and the food industry. As an operator, you get a good look at what new products are going to be available to you (and your competitors). You can find a source for just about any product you can imagine. Along with new foods and equipment available, it’s a great chance to meet and talk to others in the industry. I’m always surprised by the amount of conversations I have with people running into the same obstacles that either I have or have talked to someone who has. For me personally, I love being able to put names to faces of people I’ve been in communication with via phone or email. It’s so common these days to work with someone for years and never get to see their face. All in all, it really is a great show for people involved in the restaurant biz.
The main photo above is the look of our new both set up...as promised. We received lots of great comments on our set up. If we were in the business of selling display equipment, we would have made out like bandits at this show. Much thanks to our friends at Cal-Mil.
People really enjoyed the White Bean Mousse Canapé’s and Chicken Caesar Salad Skewers (made with White Beans instead of eggs). We received great responses on the samples!
Chef Paul, a Certified Research Chef, is a 2002 graduate of Yorktowne Business Institute School of Culinary Arts in York, Pennsylvania. There he was class valedictorian and received the Chef Michael Hostetter Memorial Award for Culinary Excellence. He is a member of the Research Chefs Association and the Refrigerated Foods Association and has over 15 years of experience.
Working in restaurants since the age of 16, Paul has spent most of his life working with food; a love he developed in family style restaurants, honed in school, and practiced in fine dining establishments. Never one to be defining himself with a particular cuisine, Paul explores the world's palate with excitement. "The world is full of people who have made incredible foods with what is in their backyard and we now have access to all those wonderful flavors and combinations," he says. That love and excitement for flavor he now brings to Furmano Foods.
