Some helpful resources

Restaurants around the country are getting ready to reopen, or are open already. Here are several resources to help you know how to do it.

Please reach out to your local health authorities for the most complete and updated information

The National Restaurant Association Reopening Guidance

Eater: Where Restaurants Have Reopened Across The US

QSR Magazine: A Step-by-Step Playbook for Reopening you Restaurant 

The NYT: See How All 50 States are Reopening

The issue is moving to the front of industry discussions

Photo credit: Netflix

Recently, David Chang released his memoir Eat a Peach, in which the chef and restauranteur dives deep into not only the challenges he faced while building his Momofuku empire, but also his lifelong struggles with depression.  His is the most recent  example of how this important issue is beginning to be talked about seriously, if not openly, within food service industry. 

According to the National Institute of Mental  Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (46.6 million in 2017 [the most recent year statistics are available]). A survey by Mental Health America shows that service workers in tipped environments are more likely to develop mental illness than those in non-tipped, salaried industries. They are also likely to have the highest rates of heavy alcohol consumption.  Historically, and largely still, the restaurant industry has valued long working hours in high-stress, "make-you-or-break-you" environments, believing that if you can't make it you probably weren't cut out for the kitchen to begin with. 

Things are slowly starting to change. Programs like "I Got Your Back" and "Chefs With Issues" are attempting to open up conversations around the topic and provide support. With a high-profile chef like David Chang entering the discussion, progress continues. 

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

@renatapdx

As time passes our passion for cooking at home continues, but shopping for certain ingredients lacks hope due to inconsistency of sourcing products. So what does one do when they want to cook a delicious meal for their loved ones while in quarantine? The answer is... think locally!

Thanks to companies like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron who paved the way and became pioneers for home cooks to produce quality meals with the convenience of not only having it delivered to your front door, but have all the ingredients measured and ready to throw in the pan. Now, local restaurants are taking a page from that book and starting to supply their neighborhoods with meal kits in both savory meals and sweet treats ready to cook and consume.

@bratobk

Listed below is Paris Gourmet's recommendations of where to get your local "mis en place". So start clicking and planning your meals for this week... bon appetit!

***Did we miss a neighborhood favorite spot of yours? Feel free to comment below where to go and what you suggest to order.***

APPS & MAIN COURSE MEAL KITS

Brooklyn Benchmark Brooklyn, NY

COTE NYC, NY

Sous Vide Kitchen NYC, NY

BREADS & DESSERT MEAL KITS

Plum and Honey Brooklyn, NY

L' imprimerie Brooklyn, NY

ARTICLES THAT FEATURE MORE MEAL KITS

Eater.com NYC Restaurant Family Style Meal Kit

Theinfatuation.com 54 Restaurants Selling Groceries and Meal Kits

Newsday.com Long Island Restaurants Meal Kits

Purewow.com NYC Meal Kits

https://ny.eater.com/2020/3/25/21193746/floyd-cardoz-chef-dies-covid-19

"Floyd Cardoz, the pioneering Mumbai-born chef behind critically-acclaimed NYC restaurants Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar, has reportedly died from complications related to COVID-19, according to Indian publication Scroll.in. He was 59 at the time of his death.

Cardoz admitted himself to a hospital in New York shortly after his return from India on March 8, according to his Instagram account. He wrote in the post that he was feeling feverish and had admitted himself into a hospital in the city as a precautionary measure. The Hunger Inc., the hospitality company that he founded, put out a statement on March 17, confirming the news of his hospitalization.

The chef was a force in New York’s restaurant community — making his mark on the dining scene in 1998 with the groundbreaking Tabla, a fine dining Indian restaurant opened in partnership with Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality group. It debuted at a time when the higher end culinary scene had few Indian restaurants and was a critical hit, receiving three stars in the New York Times. A cult favorite, the restaurant closed in 2010 but to this day is remembered as one of New York’s greatest restaurants, particularly known for its bread.

He also opened Meyer’s North End Grill, and then went on to open several of his own restaurants in both India and New York, which were also well-received. In Mumbai, he had the Bombay Canteen and Goan restaurant O Pedro , while in New York, he had Paowalla in Soho, a space that he eventually turned into a lively and colorful restaurant called Bombay Bread Bar. It closed just last year."

Taking a deeper dive into the stats can only help

Landry’s Inc. chairman, CEO, and owner Tilman Fertitta preaches the concept “Know your numbers.”

But restaurateurs often wonder exactly what numbers they should know. Sure, there are the usual suspects - payroll, check average, covers, cost of goods. But to be a truly successful owner/operator in today's economy requires a deeper understanding of how and why guests come into your establishment, and what you need to do to get more of them.

Finances Online, an online B2B research platform, recently published a list of 75 restaurant statistics that can give every owner/operator greater insight into making their business thrive.

https://financesonline.com/restaurant-statistics/

With a little extra knowledge about customer attitudes and habits, you can find ways to delight your customers in ways that they may not tell you about themselves. 

The New York Times shared the story today of foodservice work places incorporating healthy physical exercise into their weekly routines.

The Wall Street Journal discusses the life and passing of Raymond Berthillon, owner and operator of the famed Parisian ice cream shop.

Meet the designer who transforms Gramercy Tavern in New York City into a holiday masterpiece.  Arriving at 1 am on Black Friday, she spontaneously creates the festive look that brings year end diners back annually.   [YouTube]

LA's Best Ramen Shops- Map [Eater LA]

And who could resist Sriracha: The Movie? [Trailer: Vimeo]