Food & Drink International - Winter 2017, Volume 2 - 97
Red Heat Tavern to being a 100 percent scratch kitchen where everything is made from high-quality ingredients. However, to differentiate the new concept, it placed a greater emphasis on craft beer and designed its dishes for a lower price point. All appetizers are priced at less than $12 and most entrees range from $14 to $21. "I think we offer a better value, a better bang for your buck, than our competitors," Frati notes. Even at those lower price points, Red Heat Tavern is able to deliver high-quality and exciting meals. "We look for bold flavors," Frati says. The restaurant specializes in American comfort food such wings, meatloaf, burgers and ribs. "You can get wings anywhere at this point," Frati says. "Most restaurants across the country offer some form of wings. We're not reinventing the wheel, but we're offering the best wing available." Guests can experience something new every time they visit. Red Heat Tavern offers a rotating menu of select dishes that changes every eight weeks to highlight ingredients that are in season. With the constantly shifting menu, it becomes even more important to be sensitive to guest allergies. Every staff members goes through allergy training and anything on the menu can be made gluten free with a few substitutions, even the skillet cookie and mac and cheese. If a guest has an allergy, their dish is served on a red plate as a signal that it was prepared correctly, giving the diner confidence they can enjoy their meal. beers, Red Heat Tavern works with area breweries to craft its own beer. The restaurant recently worked with Cape Ann Brewing Co. to develop a smoked maple porter made from 500 pounds of malted rye smoked on the Josper oven and then brought to Cape Ann for brewing. Working with local breweries is one way Red Heat Tavern supports Massachusetts' craft beer scene. Of the 24 beers on tap in November, 23 came from breweries within 100 miles of Wilmington, Mass. With the combination of good food, local craft beers and unique flavors made possible by the Josper oven, Red Heat Tavern believes it has developed a formula that can be replicated in other markets. The company plans to open five restaurants in 2018, including locations in South Windsor, Conn. and Bedford, N.H. Three more restaurants will open in Massachusetts in the cities of Westborough, Westwood and Milford. "We obviously feel very strongly that we have a good product," Frati says. "It's a product we believe in and is very scalable. "We believe the brand has mass appeal and has potential to grow coast to coast," he adds. Expanding Concept Finding ways to utilize the Josper oven in classic dishes such as wings is part of the excitement. Before Red Heat Tavern, Frati had never used a Josper oven and perfecting cooking techniques on the unconventional grill came with a learning curve. The oven can experience big swings in temperature, going from 500 F to 1,000 F in three minutes. Frati and his chefs had to learn to control the airflow to manage those temperatures and avoid burning food. "It takes a little practice to use because it's not like a regular charbroil grill that everyone has," Frati explains. When Frati and the owners began building the Red Heat Tavern concept they didn't want to build the entire menu around the Josper oven because they were wary of overworking one station. However, that has changed as the cooks have gained experience with the oven and are more willing to incorporate it into their dishes. "It's definitely an advantage to have such a great piece of equipment," Frati says. The Josper even plays a part in the restaurant's extensive craft brew program. In addition to carrying 20 to 30 local food & drink international * winter 2017 volume 2 * www.fooddrink-magazine.com 97