and designers have captured all sides of the Valley with award-winning and insightful writing and investigative features keep our 385,000 readers in touch with the Valley's latest trends Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker PICKERINGTON − Getting furloughed from Starbucks led Robin Nevin to a new business endeavor as she recently opened Sorso Coffee at 7849 Refugee Road "Instead of going back into working for corporate my family decided that we would go on our own venture and open our own shop," Nevin said "You can find some items that you find at all the coffee shops like basic lattes But we also have some custom items like Italian sodas We've got all kinds of smoothies and combination tropical drinks with coconut milk The new business also serves some baked goods Nevin was working through Starbucks' management program when she left there She said she was a little leery about starting her own business MORE: Aces of Trades: Laura Johnston has numerous duties at Fairfield Center for disABILITIES I know the coffee part of the business and my husband (Spencer) knows how to run a business because that's what he's done for 30 years in his trade but we wanted to wait for the perfect location." That perfect location is across from Pickerington High School North because of the amount of foot traffic It sits in a strip mall that also features a Kroger store We've got a good amount of regulars already coming in We've got names and faces and recognition already." She said this seemed like the right time to open her first business "My kids are getting older and I felt like we could really do this and succeed at it," Nevin said which she said is has been the hardest parts of opening a business "Just because I don't have family time at home," Nevin said she said she enjoys spending time with her family "We like going to local places like Easton and shopping around and seeing what's out there the last year we've done a lot of research at coffee shops We spend a lot of our time hopping around the small businesses and checking it all out." By Dan Pashman where I meet the 80-year-old chef Pietro Lonigro Chef Pietro tells me it happened by accident—and it didn’t exactly start with him He began working at the restaurant at age 14 running errands and learning to cook from the restaurant’s then-owner Chef Vincenzo often cooked a standard dish of spaghetti with tomatoes and dried chili peppers Usually they would have thrown the pasta out And they were surprised to find that they actually liked those crunchy burnt bits using one of my favorite Italian words to describe them—croccante meaning “crunchy.” The word even sounds crunchy They started serving this crunchy new pasta to customers who asked them to punch it up: more crunch the name comes from the dish’s spice—it was called spaghetti all’assassina even before the accidental burning On my visit I found it to be hot by Italian standards but barely medium to my palate overall.) Chef Pietro says that when he eventually bought the restaurant in 1974 He added the technique of rotating the pasta in the pan to char more of it which also had the effect of further reducing the sauce into a sticky tomato paste Eventually he settled on the spaghetti all’assassina he serves today the dish remained a little-known Barese specialty thanks to a guy named Massimo Dell’Erba—a physicist by day and passionate eater and home cook by night Massimo organized a dinner with a few friends at a local restaurant Even though spaghetti all’assassina was not on the menu at this particular spot “It was an amazing evening,” he told me when we met at Al Sorso Preferito Massimo created a Facebook group and named it Accademia dell’Assassina—Academy of the Assassin Their mission was to taste the dish at all the restaurants in Bari that served it with a rigorous scoring system that rated each version on crunch the Facebook group had hundreds of members each with a different opinion about who in Bari makes the best spaghetti all’assassina and perhaps most contentious of all: whether the spaghetti should be raw or partially boiled before it’s fried in the pan with the sauce Chef Pietro insists on briefly boiling the pasta first because he says otherwise it burns too much in the pan Others prefer the increased char and crunch that they say comes from skipping the boiling Dan PashmanWhen Massimo leads me into the kitchen at Al Sorso Preferito to talk to Chef Pietro and watch the chefs there make the dish all of these issues continue to provoke strong debate (in Italian) between Massimo At one point I turn to my friend Antonello “They’re fighting about everything!” he replies even the guy who INVENTED a dish can be accused of doing it wrong.) thanks to the influence of social media and the work of Massimo’s academy “there is not a restaurant in Bari that doesn’t make the assassina,” he tells me “A lot of them have invented their version,” including a popular variation made with broccoli rabe instead of tomato sauce and another done with stracciatella cheese So spaghetti all’assassina is a perfect example of how Photo: Dan Liberti • Food Styling: Jillian KnoxGet the recipe > Excerpted from the book Anything’s Pastable by Dan Pashman Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Photo: Dan Liberti • Food Styling: Jillian KnoxADVERTISEMENTADADGet the recipe > ADVERTISEMENTADADWant more SAVEUR?Get our favorite recipes Articles may contain affiliate links, which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use. From the top businesses and professionals to the people who make it all happen Arizona Foothills Magazine’s annual Best of Our Valley contest recognizes Arizona’s crème de la crème across more than 400 categories From the best doctors and best resort down to the best cup of coffee you can find around town each Best of titleholder is chosen by those who know the city best – our readers we’ll be highlighting individual winners from Best of Our Valley 2018 insights and thoughts on what it means to be a part of this exclusive list The Best of spotlight is on Sorso Wine Room Interested in participating or want to recommend a business, professional or individual for Best of Our Valley? Best of Our Valley 2019 is now accepting nominations. Click here to find out more and website in this browser for the next time I comment How the 32-year-old restaurant secured its own chapter in the culinary history of New Orleans If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy New Orleans restaurant Bennachin’s namesake is one of the West Africa region’s most popular dishes — a plate of fluffy jollof rice winkingly described on the menu as “African jambalaya.” Accompanied by a buttered roll and jama-jama a side dish of spinach sauteed to a deep green hue The rice bursts with the heat of ginger and red bell pepper Bennachin at 1212 Royal Street has made an indelible mark on New Orleans cuisine by specializing in West African cooking — the culinary ancestor of three iconic Louisiana staples: jambalaya The bennachin (from which jambalaya is a descendent) sorso wolengho ni mano (a forebearer of red beans and rice) serve to remind diners that their favorite Southern foods can be traced back to African culinary traditions “There’s no question that so many of these dishes that are considered to be iconic Creole dishes have roots in West Africa and the Caribbean,” says Theresa McCulla, author of Insatiable City: Food and Race in New Orleans McCulla traces this obscuring of African foodways in New Orleans’s culinary progression back to racial animosity at the end of the American Civil War “you really see the line hardening between Black and white,” she says authors of local cookbooks and tourist guides omitted the African roots of iconic New Orleans dishes in their pages you find a really concerted effort among many white New Orleanians for the first time to excise anyone of African descent from being considered a Creole,” McCulla says Bennachin has paved the way for other restaurants centering African diasporic traditions in New Orleans such as Senegalese restaurant Dakar NOLA at 3814 Magazine Street Ethiopian restaurant Addis NOLA at 2514 Bayou Road and Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Abyssinia at 3511 Magazine Street to reclaim the dishes and culinary approaches descended from African countries New Orleans residents and travelers can now pick and choose between a growing list of African diasporic restaurants but Bennachin counts among the longest-standing with owner Fanta Tambajang persistent in sharing authentic dishes from her homeland Tambajang didn’t originally plan to open a West African restaurant in New Orleans she left Gambia — her eldest son in tow — when her husband moved to Ohio for his education “Ohio was very cold for me,” says Tambajang adding that the family’s lack of an established support system in an unfamiliar place also felt destabilizing who attended Xavier University of Louisiana at the time suggested the idea of Tambajang and her budding family relocating to New Orleans Encouraged by descriptions of the city’s exceedingly warm the family moved to the Crescent City — without visiting first Tambajang felt pleased by New Orleans’s weather which reminded her of West African cuisine She soon crossed paths with other African immigrants bumping into them while she shopped at local stores They specifically sought Africans who knew how to successfully grow rice so they could propagate the crop in Louisiana By 1721, enslaved people from West Africa made up 30 percent of the city’s population, according to the National Park Service more than half of New Orleans’s population consisted of freed and enslaved people of African lineage Through centuries of forced labor and the brutal injustices that continued in the U.S many in these communities held onto their heritages can be traced and credited to the tenacity a district dotted with oak trees and shotgun houses and another son — the youngest — followed in 1988 While Tambajang’s husband finished his education cooking and serving the cult-favorite chain’s fried chicken she landed a job as a cashier at a Time Saver convenience store Tambajang had already found companionship in her cousin but began to branch out and make new friends The pair fell into the habit of sharing home-cooked West African food with each other It was Ntube who first proposed the idea of starting Bennachin together the two officially opened Bennachin’s original location in Metairie’s Fat City relying instead on help from family members to get the restaurant off the ground recalls spending weekends with her mother in Bennachin pretty much,” Salimatou says — throughout her childhood Salimatou continued to watch her mother cook She would stand at her mother’s side to pass her ingredients for yasa a chicken and cabbage dish with rice that’s similar to the American South’s smothered chicken Salimatou was raised with her two brothers in the Algiers area on the West Bank serving customers in the dining room and cooking in the kitchen She took culinary classes at Delgado Community College and briefly worked at a fine dining restaurant where she’d prepare appetizers and desserts for a steady stream of travelers and locals Salimatou ultimately graduated from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in business spurred by the hope of carrying on her family’s restaurant legacy The restaurant relocated to its current space in the French Quarter in 2003 Salimatou eventually took the place of Ntube who left Bennachin for another job around the time of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 she might want to come back to New Orleans,” Tambajang says of her friend and former business partner.) Behind the restaurant’s nondescript pair of double-doors managing their five employees and doting on their customers “She jokes around and calls me her secretary,” Salimatou says As Salimatou weaves around the restaurant, ordering supplies and handling employee payroll, diners watch afternoon traffic roll by on Royal Street from the window nook while they await plates of sisay singho, a chicken dish with plantains and coconut rice, or domoda, a beef and peanut stew with rice. One large art piece depicts a Ghanaian slave castle a coastal stone fort where enslaved people were imprisoned before being trafficked around the world — a gift from Tambajang’s late uncle and a visual portal to one origin of New Orleans’s African diasporic community travelers have gravitated to New Orleans’s food scene and their historic writings describe a bounty of diverse food and people That reputation endures two centuries later as visitors continue to flock to the city to eat and drink — simple pleasures that often act as a veil over the many traumas enslaved people endured in New Orleans’s past that food also served as a mobilizing agent for Black Americans “The same people who were being segregated and commodified and stereotyped used food to their own ends to purchase their freedom or the freedom of their family to build lives for themselves,” says McCulla Tambajang started serving the cuisines of her homeland at a time when Americans in New Orleans were less familiar with native African dishes even as those flavors and preparations manifested in familiar forms as Creole-style gumbo she’s watched New Orleanians learn to appreciate West African food they were hesitant to try it,” Tambajang says people are open-minded to try new things.” and French influences can be found in certain ingredients like andouille sausage Sorso wolengho ni mano takes more time to prepare than jollof rice because the red beans need to soak overnight the remaining liquid after the soak period is replaced with fresh water Customers compare the dish to “olden-day Creole cooking,” Tambajang says the only discernible difference between sorso wolengho ni mano and red beans and rice is the absence of pork it tastes just the same — no difference,” she says A well-known locals’ tradition in New Orleans is the preparation of red beans and rice for Monday dinners, but the meal’s genesis is murky. Enslaved people and Acadians — the French-speaking forefathers of Cajuns — are considered potential sources, according to Louisiana’s travel authority sorso wolengho ni mano counted as the main dish craved by Bennachin’s Monday crowd New Orleans holds the Krewe of West Africa Culture Festival and the Essence Festival of Culture — America’s largest Black music festival — which has hosted Nigeria Day and Ghana Day to celebrate their respective cultures Segments of the city’s African immigrant community also get together informally every so often and different households alternate hosting social gatherings It makes the city “feel like home” for Tambajang Bennachin has secured its own chapter in the history of New Orleans cuisine — and for the Tambajang family it’s preserved a love of culture and cookery across generations Salimatou says she wants her children to chase their dreams little kids — ‘I want to cook just like you,’” Salimatou says Spring brought a wave of change to the Valley’s dining scene with several beloved spots quietly shuttering others because of personal pivots or unforeseen tragedies From the glowing robata grill soon replacing Chauncey Social in Scottsdale to the heartbreak behind Sorso Wine Room’s goodbye While some restaurants promise a return in new forms Here’s a look at restaurants that closed recently in Phoenix Scottsdale and Tempe — and what we know about what’s next for each space Chauncey Social in Scottsdale closed quietly on April 1. In its place, Clive Collective Tell Your Friends and Neon Spur is opening Kuza inspired by Japanese robata cooking with seafood meat and vegetables grilled in front of diners The family-owned deli was sold so that the current owner Stan Zawatski who runs the shop with his sister Susan and his daughter Crystal Located just north of Camelback Road at 5042 N the deli started serving sandwiches in 1949 The shop changed hands a few times before landing with the Zawatski family in 1972 The family decided to sell the shop so Stan can retire and Crystal can go to nursing school Chilakil to Go on Van Buren closed on April 3, according to an Instagram announcement "We sincerely thank you for your loyalty — it has been our pleasure to serve this community," the post read The food trailer on 99th Avenue and Thomas Road as well as the brick-and-mortar in Glendale remain open Crackers and Co. CafeCrackers & Co. Cafe ownership announced plans to close in an Instagram post "It is with upmost regret to inform you our landlord has denied renewing our lease.Thereby Elliot Rd.) will be closing in the near future." They promised to update followers as soon as they know more and we are truly honored to have served you over the years We will cherish the memories and connections we've built together." Donut Parlor located at the corner of Elliot Road and Priest Drive in Tempe they continue to make and deliver doughnuts Note that this is a different business with no relationship to Parlor Doughnuts which has locations in Ahwatukee and Tempe Eat Up Drive InEat Up Drive In in Arcadia suffered a fire on April 27 the restaurant is closed until further notice Tammie Coe announced plans to close her pizzeria in an Instagram post on April 4 "After four incredible years serving the Roosevelt Row community we are closing this chapter with a huge thank you to everyone who made our time here so special Don't worry we are just hitting pause-stay tuned for things ahead." Coe said she wanted to focus on expanding with more grab-and-go spots and maybe even a Hot Daisy at the airport The Gilbert family-run restaurant, which opened in 2018 at the corner of Val Vista Drive and Williams Field Road, announced its closure on social media and its website we share that Pescado Borracho has closed its doors as of Sunday 4.27.25." They thanked the guests for coming "through our doors Pescado Borracho's sister restaurant High Tide remains open The Cambodian restaurant on Indian School Road and 13th Place is temporarily closed the owners did not respond to The Republic's request for more information Husband and wife-owned Sorso Wine Room closed after 10 years. In a heartfelt Instagram video on Feb owners Mark and Lauren Teahen told their followers that they'd closed the wine room because their landlord "This decision has been gut-wrenching and one that we have not taken lightly," Lauren said "Our children have grown up in this building We have experienced so much in our community over the last decade that we are so very grateful for." XanaduXanadu coffee shop closed after owner, Randall Denton was sentenced to a year in jail and lifetime supervised probation for attempted child sex trafficking A sign on the cafe's door on April 25 announced that it was closed indefinitely I write about restaurant closings: This one gutted me Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @baharcreative on Instagram Hungry for more? Sign up for our newsletter Dining with azcentral and the signage has been installed at Scottsdale Quarter Sorso Wine Room is slated to open in March alongside some three dozen pairing bites like charcuterie At the core is an Italian-designed Wine Emotion dispenser a machine that allows pours at precise temperatures without bottle spoilage customers will be able to purchase wines by the bottle Sorso ("sip" in Italian) is the brainchild of Mark and Lauren Teahen a former Major League Baseball player with the Kansas City Royals a Valley native and pharmaceuticals professional and decided to make Scottsdale their permanent home Details: Sorso Wine Room, Scottsdale Quarter, Scottsdale Road and Greenway-Hayden Loop. 480-794-0875, sorsowineroom.com Carey Sweet covers dining news in the Northeast Valley ShareSaveLifestyle SpiritsSardinia’s Eclectic Wine Regions—The NorthByTom Mullen Wine is produced throughout the island of Sardinia with many regions having features that create unique vintages Yet be wary: maps of Sardinia’s wine regions appear at times inconsistent—showing patches of agricultural terrain varying in size and title can provide entertainment—a geographical vinous treasure hunt that may incite you to travel Sardinia and Sicily—two Italian isles in the Mediterranean Sea—differ in both subtle and significant ways They are about the same size (Sicily is 6% greater in land area) while Sardinia has less than a third the population of its sister island (1.6 million compared to 5 million residents—as of 2019) Sardinia has between half and a third the quantity of wine grapevines found in Sicily (100,000 acres as opposed to 240,000 acres) About 21 million years ago the terrain that now comprises Sardinia separated from what is now mainland Europe to form an island agronomists will emphasize that this break wrenched away land from what is now the region of Provence Hence Sardinian soils—and their impacts on wine—derive from French rather than Italian roots Similar geologic subsoils may be reason for a preponderance of Cannonau (Grenache) grapes growing on Sardinia although more than two thirds of the total grown is from five grape types—predominantly red Cannonau (29%) and white Vermentino (17%) While Cannonau grows predominantly in the south Vermentino white grapes are generally cultivated in the north (and form 80% or Italy’s overall Vermentino production) Other popular grapes grown on Sardinia include Carignano and Cagnulari for reds Local Mediterranean island conditions are excellent for viticulture: hot Average rainfall is about 15 to 22 inches (400 to 550 millimeters) The island has 17 Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wine classifications and one higher Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) level (Vermentino di Gallura—in the north) Emerald Coast (Costa Smeralda) in Sardinia An energetic and inclined individual could visit many of the island’s wine regions during one long weekend Spending a week would obviously be more sensible Sardinia might lack the Middle Earth volcanic beauty of the Azores islands the surreal and sometimes bizarre landscapes of the Canary Islands and the statured pedigree of island festivals on Madeira Yet the island abounds with cheerful locals rough and attractive mountains and coastlines as well as rich plates—Italian pasta merged with a bounty of fresh seafood Island infrastructure is generally good—including roads (although local driving etiquette can be eye-opening) Northwestern Sardinia (and much of the isle) includes dry mountain landscapes reminiscent of those of the Rio Grande Valley in the U.S or the inland countryside surrounding Saint-Tropez in France The northwestern 35 mile (55 kilometer) long Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) includes halcyon ports and suave yachts cruising below winding coastal hillside roads—similar to Saint-Florent on the French island of Corsica further north The road from northeast Costa Smeralda to the northwest passes between roadsides fluffy with perfumed maquis scrub and lush green landscapes interspersed with patches of desert brown soils—resembling the eastern approach to the California wine town of Paso Robles This is where white Vermentino di Gallura DOCG quality wine dominates—both in terms of size of the wine region Glass of Vermentino white wine with culurgione pasta in Sardinia Try sampling wines at Cantina Li Duni—a winery named after surrounding sand dunes The glass walled wine tasting room faces the gulf of Asinara and its islands Their Renabianca Vermentino di Gallura DOCG wine is made from ungrafted grape vines It is lime/lemon colored and includes magnificent aromas of peach honey and intense florals—lilacs and lupines feels oily smooth in the mouth and includes flavors of gin and tonic also a Vermentino di Gallura Superiore that is a complex and layered beauty—soft as a lemon pie with a creamy/silky texture consider a plate of pecorino sheep cheese and caramelized figs sample with a Sardinian classic dish—culurgiones These semi-funnel shaped pasta shells are stuffed with ricotta cheese Tasting these wines provides clarity: Vermentino is a chameleon It can have the sublime mouth feel of a buttery Chardonnay can be as florally aromatic as a Viognier and can sometimes be as layered as a well-crafted Chablis North of the city of Sassari—in northwestern Sardinia—is Sorso a town and also a wine region that faces northward toward miles of beaches on the gulf of Asinara It is renowned for its appellation of Moscato di Sorsi-Sennori DOC wine Mario Bagella is a fifth-generation winemaker with a trimmed beard and bright brown eyes His grandfather was the first to plant Vermentino grapes in this region Mario convinced his father to sell their family wine in bottles rather than in bulk Winemaker Mario Bagella in the Sorso region of northern Sardinia ‘Sorso is one of the most important wine areas in Sardinia There are 1,100 hectares [four square miles] of vines in this region known as Romangia because it was conquered by Romans Cannonau grapes—in the same family as Grenache—cover 60% of vines here There is also the Cagnulari red grape—very rare as well as yellow Muscat and dry Muscato.’ Mario’s grapes grow over soils bulging with fossilized shells They grow without herbicides or insecticides and he drapes seaweed over vineyards to reflect certain wavelengths of sunlight His wine ferments with indigenous yeast and because he is allergic to sulfites He does not age wine in barrels and keeps it unfiltered ‘In filtering you lose a lot of years of hard work could lose 30 percent of the aromas/flavors.’ Isorso Cannonau wine from Mario Bagella in Sorso Bagella sells his family wines to the Netherlands yet he lacks desire to surpass 30,000 bottles because he wants to keep his work load manageable His own art work—images of raptors and owls—are on his wine labels Bagella’s Isoro line of Vermentino and Cannonau wines comes from grapes up to 12 years old while his Olieddu estate wines (named after a nearby topographical ridge) originate from vines up to 50 years old for Cannonau ‘We are cauterized by exposure from the Mistral wine It brings aerosols with salinity all season long to our grapes.’ They are slightly honeyed with beautifully soft flavors His upper end 2019 Olieddu Cannonau (Grenache) is a creamy and layered treat tarragon and treacle as well as maple syrup It is delicate enough to masquerade the aromas of a Pinot Nor elegant yet full-bodied wine tastes similar to the Alpine wine from the Lagrein grape and shares characteristics with Armenian wine made from the Areni grape ‘Cannonau evolved to be elegant here—with tannins not strong It’s also versatile because of the salty breeze—which keeps vines dry and healthy This wine is fruity with spices in the back ground Mario also produces a high-end wine from the rare indigenous northern Sardinian Cagnaluri grape He explained that the reason goes beyond his personal interest in the wine His 2019 Olieddu Cagnaluri includes bright aromas of sage tobacco and Marie biscuits and opens up to a wider aroma profile with tar and treacle It is a complex and layered but soft wine with deft tannins and flavors of chocolate his importer organizes tastings of this wine with cigars Whereas many Sardinian winemakers appear recalcitrant to respond to email or phone calls (in any language) Mario and his family always welcome any curious passerby ‘My parents live upstairs and my father works with me The northwestern Sardinian city of Alghero has been populated for 6,000 years Sella Mosca has produced wine for 120 years It was founded by two men from the Piemonte region of Italy—a wealthy lawyer and an engineer—who visited the island on hunting trips they noticed how the sandy soil had prevented the spread of the phylloxera louse that decimated European and international vineyards in the 19th century Bordeaux soon became their biggest customer Tasting notes for several Sella & Mosca wines from Sardinia are below green apples and gooseberries on the first nose Pair with mussels or with a creamy dessert pastry Fresca and honey dew melon mid palate and some mint on the finish A fun and creamy wine with well enfolded acidity Pair with a barbecue opening plate of sardines or with a lime doused roasted snapper fish The color of brick or Nebbiolo in this reserve wine aged for two years; six months of that in wood—a combination of chestnut and oak A perky Mediterranean set of semi-spicy aromas reminiscent of Nerello Mascalese from Sicily Cannonau is a late ripening grape with aromas of red and black cherries and chocolate biscuits as well as a slight acidic tang also reminiscent of a Nebbiolo cocoa powder and brandy mid palate and a slab of chocolate and orange slices on the finish Good for pairing with charcuterie or wild game or even cheese fondue In the mouth a sleek river of dark black fruit mocha and a bit of cumin and black pepper mid palate well-structured and semi-beguiling—a vibrant mix of fresh acidity and oily tannins and fruit that includes blueberries A robust wine to pair with goulash or minestrone soup layered and lambent wine mid palate with flavors of maraschino cherries Pair with sirloin steak or with hand-torn bread loaf chunks slathered in honey and molasses Ever wondered how a hedge fund dream turned into a thriving career in financial consultancy? Meet Stan Sukhinin, the fractional CFO advisor from Sorso in Austin Stan was already captivated by the world of finance setting him on a path that included investment banking and a bold move to start a hedge fund in New York—only to pivot to financial consulting during the pandemic We promise you'll uncover not just his story of resilience and adaptation but also the innovative methods he employed to master client acquisition in a field where technical skills often overshadow business development acumen.In our conversation with Stan we unravel the complexities of managing client relationships and the art of business development within financial consultancy Listen as he shares insights into conducting effective discovery calls and the strategic decision-making involved in recognizing when to refer clients to other experts for mutual benefit Learn about the transition from hands-on client work to focusing on expanding a consultancy and discover the secrets to attracting high-end clients using platforms like LinkedIn Tune in for a masterclass on elevating your accounting business and staying ahead of industry trends with strategies that promise to unlock your business's full potential Send us a text 1);}.css-4hf0t5:focus{outline:none;}.css-4hf0t5:hover{border-color:rgba(215 Ever wondered how a hedge fund dream turned into a thriving career in financial consultancy? Meet Stan Sukhinin, the fractional CFO advisor from Sorso in Austin Send us a text powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com If you've ever wanted to know about champagne Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche Panera Bread’s unlimited beverage deal became somewhat less of a deal last week The fast-casual chain on Friday raised the price of its Unlimited Sip Club monthly subscription by $3 per month to $14.99 plus tax from the previous price of $11.99 plus tax The annual subscription rate remains $119.99 plus tax That makes the annual program an even better deal at least for those who purchase a lot of drinks at Panera Bread members would be paying about $180 for a unlimited beverages over the course of a year Sip Club membership gives consumers access to more than 20 of the chain’s beverage options including any size hot and iced coffees and teas Members can get a drink every two hours during regular café hours as well as free refills of the same beverage at any U.S Not included, however, are cold brew and espresso drinks, as well as “other beverages,” which the chain does not specify on its website Sip Club membership includes all the perks of Panera’s free rewards program members-only challenges and a birthday treat Panera officials did not respond to request for more information about the subscription price increase It’s not clear whether beverage prices have also gone up The chain recently announced a menu overhaul rolling out in April that will add nine new dishes and upgrade another 12 is also designed to streamline offerings and simplify operations so a number of items will be cut from the menu such as the flatbread pizzas and some specialty drinks though company officials have not said which Panera's experiment with subscriptions began first with a coffee program in 2020 at an $8.99 monthly rate the program had more than 600,000 paid subscribers The coffee program was so successful, the chain expanded it with more beverages, launching the Unlimited Sip Club in April 2022 at $10.99 a month (plus tax) for access to all 26 of the chain’s self-service beverages at the time The subscription program was expanded further with the annual subscription tier added last year Panera officials said Sip Club members accounted for about 25% of transactions and the subscription perks helped build the brand’s larger loyalty program to nearly 48 million members Perhaps inspired by Panera’s success with the program other chains have also been adding paid subscriptions to loyalty offerings with the goal of boosting frequency launched a “stickscription” program for $6.99 per month which included a free Piada Stick and regular fountain drink every day of that month with the purchase of an entrée the sticks were about $2.99 and drinks were about $3.49 Chuck E. Cheese is testing a three-tiered membership program with offerings that start at $7.99 per month for certain perks and goes up to $29.99 for bigger discounts on games and food The fast-casual Sweetgreen’s tiered loyalty program includes the Sweetpass+, offering both a $10 per month membership and an annual subscription for $100 which includes various perks and discounts said last month the loyalty program has not had the hoped-for impact on same-store sales CFO Mitch Reback at the Bank of America Consumer & Retail Conference last week put the blame on the fact that Sweetgreen's program is “relatively complicated and hard to explain.” The Los Angeles-based chain plans to tinker with the Sweetpass program this year to make it simpler easier and faster for guests to get rewards Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here Get today’s need-to-know restaurant industry intelligence Sign up to receive texts from Restaurant Business on news and insights that matter to your brand Tech Check: The big online ordering company is reportedly weighing a sale The two-unit outfit wants customers to order its food every day It's betting that an ever-changing menu and a gamified loyalty app will keep them coming back The Bottom Line: Wendy’s is implementing a system collecting profitability data from its operators It remains surprising that more restaurant franchises don’t do this Do not sell my personal info Privacy Policy Code of Conduct Contact Us RSS Airdrie’s Sorso Lounge was nationally recognized in Mott’s Clamato’s Best Caesar in Town competition earning the title of the Best Caesar in Canada along with a $25,000 reward Sorso beat over 255 other restaurants across the country that were also competing for the title with their Suffering Caesar We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentLondon Richard, managing partner and lead bartender of Sorso Lounge who created the recipe, said his goal was to create a Caribbean-themed drink. “I did a profile breakdown of what I taste when I drink (Mott’s Clamato), then I started trying to find complimenting ingredients and flavor profiles,” said Richard. “Ultimately I kind of threw all that out the window and went with my gut on it. I have a background in the Caribbean, so I started to go in that direction,” he said. “I really wanted to create this drink that transcended beyond Canadian cocktails.” The Mott’s Clamato Best Caesar in Town competition took a different format this year because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Traditionally competitions are hosted in-person, starting at a regional level to eventually compare Canada’s finalists. Instead of making the caesar in-person, Sorso was nominated by their customer base, and Richard sent the recipe and a step-by-step guide on how to craft the drink to the judging panel. Judging determined 80 per cent of Sorso’s final score, with public votes determining the final 20 per cent. The support from Sorso’s clients and customers ultimately paid off when the Suffering Caesar was named best in the country. A unique aspect of the Best Caesar in Town competition is that Mott’s wanted to see the reward fulfill a purpose, said Richard. “They wanted to see a purpose for the $25,000, which I’ve never seen before from any competition. It’s always been a cheque or a trip, whereas Mott’s said put it towards your bar or restaurant, which I thought was amazing,” he said. Yet instead of investing the funds back into the business, Sorso Lounge is using the reward to give back to the Airdrie community. So far, Sorso has competed in the Airdrie Health Foundation’s annual Charity Golf Tournament, hosted a silent auction to donate funds towards service dogs, and donated to Fen Vet, who are offering a program to pay for vet bills for people having financial troubles. Richard said Sorso chose to donate the money back into the community because it was Airdrie that helped them survive the pandemic. “The last year-and-a-half has been an extremely difficult financial struggle for all small businesses, and we’re definitely no different than anybody else,” said Richard. “We’ve definitely face potentially closing our doors, but it’s because of our customers during all of those closures that still supported us. If it wasn’t for them, 100 per cent we would have closed.” He said he wants to see the money go towards as many community initiatives as possible. “We’re not just going to divide it between 25 people or anything like that. We’re going to try to stretch it out as much as we can to try to give back to the community as much as we can.” transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy In a long interview with the journalist and historian Sandro Romano a couple from northern Italy asked for something good and substantial to eat “So I invented a plate of spaghetti with a tomato sauce and a generous dose of chilli making the sauce tighten well and thus creating a tasty external crust.” “Sei un assassino” (“you are a killer”) was the customer’s response and a dish was born Antonacci worked for Francavilla and his wife Al Sorso Preferito served mostly cold cuts they started serving a couple of hot dishes including spaghetti all’arrabbiata with tomato and a fiery amount of chilli and thanks to the kitchen’s well-seasoned iron pans Rachel Roddy’s spaghetti all’ assassina is cooked in the sauce.I love these slightly different stories because they celebrate Francavilla and the city of Bari and also remind me that stories and recipes are like sauce in a pan: they move differently in each telling and in each pair of hands an absorption technique that takes place directly in the pan with water (or other liquid) added little by little to the initially dry pasta and mixed until absorbed thanks to the reduction and starch from the pasta the small amount of sauce is dense and tasty in order to recognise when the spaghetti has caught you must listen to the pan as you would a good story Bring 500ml lightly salted water to a boil in a large saucepan Use a frying pan large enough to accommodate whole lengths of spaghetti – a cast- iron one would be ideal allowing it to spread into the sauce (it won’t be a single layer then ladle in a third of the boiling water and turn up the heat Now begins the process of observational cooking: use a spoon to move the spaghetti around as it simmers vigorously in the sauce – this will get easier as it softens and curves – and add more boiling water as needed because this method takes a bit longer than the standard cooking time on the packet One the pasta is cooked but still has some bite start the process of toasting: allow the pasta to catch on the pan and even some parts to burn while others turn golden crisp but keep moving the spaghetti around so all these parts are evenly distributed Bar Nancy (2007 SW 8th Street) officially "set sail” on Calle Ocho The nautical themed bar is owned and operated by an eclectic crew of industry vets hailing from popular bars like the Broken Shaker The whiskey heavy bar menu features a variety of classic cocktails with unique twists created by David Perez and Derek Stilmann like the Smile You Son of a Bitch made with Casa Noble Crystal Tequila lime and served with a squeaky shark toy and the Over the Barrel with Great King St Glasgow The bar is now open Sunday to Wednesday from 5 p.m SOUTH BEACH — Swanky Los Angeles lounge Doheny Room has opened up shop on South Beach inside the Delano Hotel (1685 Collins Avenue) Described as “sceney yet discreet” the lounge offers craft cocktails a ‘anti-club’ playlist with music like classic rock and hip-hop It is now open every Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m SOUTH BEACH — Scarpetta’s (4441 Collins Avenue) bar has a new pop-up inside of it dubbed offers guests cocktails infused in a cold drip cocktail tower Several cold-brew infusions will be offered daily as well as the opportunity to create your own bespoke cocktail from house-infused spirits Drinks like the En Fuego made with Jalapeno-infused Corazón tequila lemon and agave and the True Bleau with Barr Hill gin grapefruit soda and a pea flower infused ice cube are on hand in addition to bites seven days a week at Scarpetta’s lounge through the summer More bottles are sold in the run-up to Christmas than the rest of the year put together and choices on supermarket and merchants’ shelves can be overwhelming as the hard work of tasting the lot has been done for you crowd-pleasing Estevez Chilean Sauvignon Blanc honey-flecked quince and golden apple-stashed Crémant de Loire down from £8.99 at Aldi to just £4.99 from December 27 Those who want to keep their alcohol down should try Casillero del Diablo’s light Festive fizz doesn’t have to mean champagne There are plenty of other sparkling wines for less than half the price that will still set the party alight creamy crémant is made by the same methode champenoise just a few hours drive south of the Champagne region —try my favourite chardonnay Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs from Waitrose Or plump for one of Aldi or Asda’s tastebud-tingling Crémant de Loire sparklers still with a little of those yeasty flavours and persistent bubbles you get from champagne Russian state TV criticised the PM for not holding her wine glass by its stem – so here are three tips to help her perfect her etiquette Given the tales of Russian trolls infiltrating British media, we perhaps should not attach too much weight to Russian state TV’s recent takedown of Theresa May’s dress sense There is one element of current affairs show Vesti Nedeli’s critique as is common practice in respectable society,” noted an outraged Dmitry Kiselev though I would suggest a red burgundy rather than the chianti that Shaw chose.) The rationale behind holding a wine glass by the stem is to avoid warming its contents in your hand (that and getting your grubby fingerprints all over the bowl) Delicately holding the vessel by the stem is altogether more elegant than a rather crass grabbing of the glass So what other wine crimes should one aim to avoid in polite society 1 Avoid small glasses Countless column inches have been wasted on the selection of the correct glass Manufacturers (hardly disinterested parties) would have you believe you need a different one for each grape variety For most wines (including champagne) a reasonably large glass 2 Fill it to the right level More important than size or shape is how full it is Leaving two-thirds empty will allow you to swirl the wine ostentatiously (to release its aroma) before appraising the smell 3 Sniff before you slurp When offered a wine to taste a quick sniff is sufficient to detect the musty aroma of the dreaded “corked” wine this does not mean there are bits of cork floating on the surface The writer is former editor of the wine magazine Decanter Time Out Abu Dhabi Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from your city and beyond Home » Music » Sorso at the Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi We check out the glam new nightspot in the Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal Angela Beitz heads out to a glamorous new night spot at one of the city’s most opulent hotels to see how it measures up against its rivals in the capital The Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal may have only officially opened on March 10 but it’s already made a huge impact on the capital Construction has reportedly cost Ritz-Carlton and its partner more than Dhs1.5 billion (approximately $408.3 million US) so expectations are high for this latest super hotel We’d heard a lot about their modern and innovative restaurants but it was their Venetian-inspired bar that was the reason for our visit this time around ServiceSorso means ‘to sip’ in Italian and this is how the Ritz-Carlton suggest you enjoy your evening drink It’s probably some of the best we have experienced in the capital Bar manager Robin Charnaud is an expert when it comes to mixology and creating fresh new beverage ideas for guests Robin explains the concept behind the bar is to provide a traditional Ritz-Carlton experience right down to the menu which is covered in a striking satin fabric There are only about six signature blends on the menu and with names like Girl In A Yellow Dress Wasp’s Wings and Venetian Perfume it’s hard not to be intrigued The staff are also more than happy to make you your own drink if nothing on the menu takes your fancy A great point of difference at Sorso is that all of their syrups and purees are made from scratch in-house They have everything from peach and cherry puree a thyme-infused ingredient for one of the signature blends and even a syrup they use which smells like Christmas The bartenders topped our drinks up throughout the evening and brought a regular stream of excellent bar snacks – the olives roasted cashews and cheese covered breadsticks are also all made in-house Décor and atmosphereWe sat at the back of the room on one of the very comfortable sofas looking at the bar which was buzzing with bartenders busily creating drinks The bar itself is situated off the main lobby and is quite intimate The décor is mainly black and red; looking like something out of a traditional production of La Bohème it has a real French boudoir vibe about it The hotel is designed to reflect aspects of Venice with most of the chandeliers and lamps containing Murano glass and a black carpet which features words written in Italian such as Venezia and Ti Amo Wednesday and Thursday nights from singer/songwriter Lisa Theunissen accompanied by Alistair Cusik on piano FoodThe food at Sorso is designed to be shared and consists of tasty dishes like tempura fries roasted chicken wings with pomegranate fries and mini black Angus sliders the coconut-coated prawns and the lamb chops The calamari were coated in oatmeal and came with a grilled lemon and a delicious Romesco sauce that was packed with nutty flavours and loads of coriander coated in lots of coconut and coriander and came served in a very cute cut out coconut half with sweet chilli dipping sauce perfectly cooked and lightly covered in a tandoori rub sat on a black slate platter accompanied by mint yoghurt with a mango chutney fabulous drinks and great live music all add up to a fun night out Perfect to unwind after work or for a special occasion like a birthday where you can drink and order great bar food to share ConsThe bar was a little empty on the night we visited but this didn’t dampen the atmosphere. It’s also a little bit of a trek from downtown, but frankly it’s worth the trip for the lamb chops alone. Open daily 5pm-11pm, Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal opposite the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (02 818 8282) Whether it’s a working lunch or a midweek treat An exceptional café where desserts are as dramatic as they are delicious A hidden jazz bar made specifically for dessert-lovers Lebanese-leaning seafood spot with views of the sea Unexpected spot that serves up the best Vietnamese bowls in the city Subscribe to Time Out Abu Dhabi’s newsletter to get expert a CBC investigation has found.Ministry concedes 'false but few charges filedCBC News · Posted: Feb 01 2013 5:22 AM EST | Last Updated: February 1 2013Phil Robb was hired as a sales representative for a Simple H20 distributor in 2011 but left when he caught on to the deceptive sales pitch (CBC)Social SharingOntario's Ministry of Consumer Services has taken few steps to stop an Ontario-based water filtration company using deceptive sales tactics Ont.-based Simple H20 was using bogus scientific tests and misleading claims to sell expensive water purification systems to homeowners Marketplace co-host Tom Harrington spoke to a ministry official who agreed that the company used "false misleading (and) deceptive representations," but the ministry did not lay charges until December 2012 The ministry filed four charges against the president of a Simple H20 distributor he faces penalties for misleading practices and failure to refund within 15 days "I think (Simple H20) should be fined and I think they should be shut down," he said "I think they should have to replace all the money to the people that they have stolen from Because it is stealing … because their testing is not true." Watch Marketplace's episode, Back On The Case but quickly left when his wife saw the Marketplace story exposing the company’s scary sales pitch which exaggerates the risks and the amounts of chlorine in drinking water "They were saying about if you didn't buy one of these machines… your babies are absorbing this chlorine which leads to all these different kinds of health risks all kinds of different things," he said Marketplace also found Simple H20 sales representatives use chemical drops to make tap water appear cloudy and dirty customer says a sales rep claimed he was a city employee inspecting water quality The consumer services ministry received almost 60 inquiries and complaints against Simple H20 since the 2011 Marketplace report Spokesman Stephen Puddister said the ministry has "an ongoing investigation into the company," but added that "aggressive sales tactics (are) not illegal." When asked why the ministry was slow to lay any charges Puddister said the investigations are a gradual process "We do as much as we can in terms of what we have at our disposal and going after the companies getting retribution back for the consumer," he added He encourages dissatisfied customers to make their voices heard a consumer can continue to file complaints with the ministry," he said "All I can say is that we’re committed to looking into everything that we receive from the consumer with documentation And from there if we have to start a new investigation Watch Marketplace's episode, Back On The Case It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem With various options on the market ranging from $50 to a staggering $5,000 choosing the best water filtration system for your home can feel like navigating a maze Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own In an era where health consciousness is on the rise the journey toward wellness begins with the water you drink Ensuring families consume not only clean water but also healthier water is a growing concern in today’s society making investing in a competent water filtration system more critical than ever choosing the best water filtration system for your home can feel like navigating a maze. made after hours of research and lab tests particularly North American families with a keen awareness of health and wellness Let’s cut through the jargon and list the top 5 water systems based on contaminant reduction At the top of our list is the superior Sorso Water System What sets Sorso apart is its holistic approach to water purification marrying cutting-edge technology with impressive attention to health benefits Sorso’s system extends beyond merely purifying the water It starts with high-efficiency reverse osmosis and various kinds of carbon filters Then Sorso enhances the health of the water by adding back natural minerals (Mg K) to optimize the pH level and make the water alkaline It naturally ionizes the water for better hydration and what we like most is that it enriches the water with hydrogen molecules to create powerful antioxidant (neutralizing free radicals) and detoxification properties. Price: average Under the sink – water on demand The Berkey and Santevia systems provide decent contamination reduction and pH level enhancement but trail behind in terms of convenience Their systems are a more economical choice yet fail to offer the comprehensive filtration and health-enhancing features found in other systems There’s also a need for a manual cleaning process to prevent mold Price: cost-effectiveAbove the sink – gravity feed The Culligan and Kinetico systems (which are relatively similar) remove 99% of contaminants as they use carbon-based filtration and reverse osmosis their overall health benefits and pH level regulation usually do not compare favorably Price: average to highUnder the sink – water on demand the fridge filter system falls short in its ability to reduce contaminants This system is a decent choice for those prioritizing cost over optimal water health benefits Kangen Systems perform well in pH regulation but do not purify but only filter the water before the electrical ionization process they are much more expensive due to the company’s multi-level marketing methods making them less attractive for families looking for a cost-effective yet thorough solution Although Sorso offers our favorite water system each brand above is a great choice depending on your needs and budget and is much better than tap water or water from plastic bottles. Jon Stojan is a professional writer based in Wisconsin He guides editorial teams consisting of writers across the US to help them become more skilled and diverse writers In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and children Passwords: businesses need to put greater consideration about how people can mess up what seems to be a solid system Image: ©AFPUS President Donald Trump said Sunday he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the United States Regulars attending Athens's main Roman Catholic church have discovered their donation box is now hooked to a digital payment system Oil prices slumped on Monday after eight OPEC+ members announced a sharp increase in production.