Tequila analogue? See mocktail guide inside

Do you know your non-alcoholic lingo? Today we'll share some terms that you and your staff should get familiar with as mocktails rise in popularity. We also chat with a New Hampshire top toque who's found a way to support rising chefs in the kitchen. But first: Check out the iconic restaurant chain that saw a 31% sales increase in established locations last quarter, due in part to TikTok. 

On the menu:

💠 Diners want to order direct
💠 Can science determine the perfect cacio e pepe recipe?
💠 Pumped-up pancakes bring in guests
💠 What Americans don't get about French food

Champion chef stages opportunity for other cooks

Three-time Chopped champion Evan Hennessey is the owner and chef behind Stages at One Washington, a six-seat chef's counter tasting menu experience, and The Living Room, an intimate cocktail lounge counterpart, both in Dover, N.H.

In 2023, Hennessey launched the Staging at Stages program, allowing up-and-coming chefs to work alongside Hennessey to curate a custom menu, present it to the general public and walk away from the experience with 50% of the proceeds. Hennessey talked to The Prep about his approach to networking with, and promoting, other chefs. 

You often shine the spotlight on other chefs—what is your philosophy on camaraderie in this industry?
Cooking and being a chef is not a winner-takes-all game. I believe that giving everyone a chance to be seen helps the entire industry get a chance to thrive. Not one person can drive an industry. It takes a team, and a large one at that, to succeed. Also, it makes me very happy to see others grow and succeed. 

What benefits does a "staging" process bring chefs?
Staging allows cooks the opportunity to learn from another chef without having to fully commit to a job. During the process, the cook is able to step away from their daily routine to get a glimpse into what others are doing, therefore opening their eyes to more flavor combinations, techniques and ingredients. It also affords the ability to network, which in the restaurant industry is a huge way that cooks find more opportunities. 

What's on the horizon for chefs?
Better and healthier lifestyles. Maybe this is my own personal hope, but it does seem that more chefs are turning away from negative and toxic lifestyles to ones that are more personally fulfilling, which in turn helps their work. 

Just for fun: What's your go-to midnight snack?
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Also, just slices of aged cheddar cheese and dry-cured sausages.

Above: Evan Hennessey at work (Courtesy of Vinny Marino, Ethos & Able Creative) 

We’re remembering: Wolfgang Zwiener, who died earlier this month at 85. The restaurateur spent 30+ years at Peter Luger as a waiter and later opened Wolfgang’s Steakhouses.

What we’re keeping an eye on: The growing preference for going direct. A recent study from NCR Voyix found that 58% of surveyed consumers prefer to contact the restaurant directly rather than deal with a third-party app. 

Restaurant tech on our radar: Miso Robotics welcomes the next generation of its Flippy Fry Station robot.

What we’re following: The run-ins with ICE officers that have been reported at restaurants across the country, from Cleveland to Philadelphia.

Plus: Scientists studied how to create the perfect plate of cacio e pepe.

Speaking mocktail drinkers' language

As mocktails become more commonplace (and potentially profitable), restaurant staff should make sure they are talking about them comfortably with guests. Punch recently released a handy guide to non-alcoholic vocabulary. A few of our favorite new terms include: 

ANA or Adult Non-Alcoholic: The term specifies that a drink is for adults and meant to "capture the experience and/or social function of drinking alcohol" like a grown-up. We're not talking about a juice box, thankyouverymuch.

Analogue: In this context, it is a non-alcoholic version of a drink traditionally containing alcohol. A spirit-free tequila could be referred to as "tequila analogue" because it has a direct alcoholic counterpart.

Zebra Striping: A British term for alternating non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks throughout the evening. You striping tonight? (Punch)

Pancakes are popping off

Unusual pancakes are popping up on menus around New York City, Bettina Makalintal and Emma Orlow report in Eater. There are new additions to the trend, like the knafeh pancake, made with shredded pastry dough at Middle Eastern spot Hen House, and the puffy masa pancake topped with seasonal fruit at Cocina Consuelo. Those pancakes are joined by the internet-famous hazelnut maple praline-covered one at Sunday in Brooklyn and the Japanese soufflé pancakes that have been a hit on Instagram for a few years. All these pancakes have something in common, the authors write: “Souped-up pancakes are a hedge against the belief that you can just make brunch at home. Anyone can make a decent enough flapjack. But an over-the-top pancake? That’s what going out is for.” (Eater)

60

Percentage of operators who plan to offer more live music or entertainment at their restaurants in the year ahead.

(Popmenu)

💠 Meet the 'Top Chefs' of Season 22 

💠 French chefs reclaim the Bocuse d'Or

💠 This 200-year-old cottage in Ireland has a Michelin Star

"Often in the psyche of the American people they look at French cooking in the context of three-star restaurants."

-Jacques Pépin, chef and author, on how Americans misunderstand French cooking

(🎧Longer Tables with José Andrés )

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