Miscellaneous

🍽 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, previously wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), lived in Thailand (circa 1994-1999) writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times. He's a Tufts University magna cum laude history graduate (1990), studied at Le Cordon Bleu (1986), and worked for ABC News during the Tiananmen Square protests (1989). Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, joined Disciples d’Escoffier (2014), and authored entries in food encyclopedias (2012, 2015).

🍴 Hai Hospitality announced the opening of their eighth Uchi restaurant in Washington, D.C. late this year. Located at 17th and M Streets in the central business district, the Japanese restaurant by chef Tyson Cole will feature a design inspired by the National Geographic Museum and the film “In the Mood for Love.” Uchi will boast 185 seats, with 18 at the bar and 14 at the sushi counter, and offer two private dining rooms. The original Uchi opened in 2003 in South Austin, serving nontraditional Japanese cuisine.

☕ Orée Boulangeries launches Loutsa, a premium coffee brand, enhancing its coffee experience across all locations. New shelving and baskets for Loutsa coffee bags are installed in stores, with a spring rollout planned for additional retail items like ground coffee, beans, granola, and chocolates. Orée collaborates with French influencers in London and establishes a coffee training centre in Kensington to boost staff expertise. This initiative is part of Orée's commitment to match its artisanal pastries and breads with superior coffee offerings.

🍎 Isaac French's orchard project, set to bear fruit in Year 3, is both a fulfilling endeavor and a long-term investment, with trees producing for 20-60 years. Beyond harvesting fruit for cider, dried fruit, jams, and jellies, plans include hosting small weddings and seasonal events. The orchard offers intangible benefits such as meditation and gatherings. Further experiences with the orchard are teased for readers.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, joined Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn," wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008, and contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times in Thailand from 1992 to 1997. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Thorn also attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. His work on food and beverage trends won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. Inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, he's a Colorado native currently residing in Brooklyn, NY.

🍨 Tamara Keefe founded Clementine's Naughty and Nice Ice Cream in St. Louis, MO in 2015. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the company has seen a 2,000% revenue increase, expanding from one to eight locations. They offer unique alcoholic flavors and award-winning vegan options without a coconut or soy aftertaste. Clementine's ice cream contains 26-28% air compared to commercial brands' 100% overrun. Their pints are heavier due to high butterfat content and less sugar; they use 10 pounds of strawberries and two pounds of sugar per batch, unlike larger brands that might use six pounds of sugar for four pounds of strawberries. Keefe grew the business, earning a spot on "Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things" in 2019, by sending ice cream to Oprah's team monthly for two years. In 2023, Clementine's moved to a 25,000-square-foot facility with an in-house bakery and expanded into Illinois, planning the first Kansas City shop and aiming to open 40 parlors in five years.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, covers F&B trends and guides coverage. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, he also wrote "Kitchen Dish" column for The New York Sun (2005-2008). Prior to joining NRN, Thorn lived in Thailand writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate (BA in History), he studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and Chinese culture at Nanjing and Beijing Universities. His work includes contributions to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (2012) and Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015). Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014. Native of Denver, he resides in Brooklyn, NY. His expertise spans French cuisine and Asian culinary trends, restaurant operations, and service trends. Email: [email protected], active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), and Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).

🍷 Sonesta International Hotels Corporation launches "Global Table by Sonesta" to debut in 2025, featuring Wines of Rioja as its inaugural partner. From April to June 2025, nearly 40 Royal Sonesta and Sonesta Hotels & Resorts will offer Rioja wines, coinciding with the region's 100th anniversary. Events include tastings and dinners at select locations like Washington DC, Boston, St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Toronto, Columbus, White Plains, and Miami Beach. This initiative is part of Sonesta's evolving food and beverage programming, with plans to spotlight different regions or trends annually.

🔊 In an innovative move, an audio article has been made available for download through a Buzzsprout link. Users can now enhance their content consumption experience by listening to the material at their convenience. No specific dates, locations, numbers, or statistical information provided. The 'why' centers around catering to diverse user preferences and potentially increasing accessibility. The 'how' is through a simple download via the provided URL.

📖 Joanna Fantozzi, with over seven years in restaurant and hospitality journalism, is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since August 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey and a master’s from CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she held roles at Insider and The Daily Meal and has contributed to The New York Times and Forbes. Joanna has been an editor at Informa since October 2018.