Meeting News - October 20, 2008 - (Page 8)

Chef Talk Convention Center Chef Proves Big Meals Aren’t Bad Meals By Rayna Katz It’s an oft-held belief that in the world of food, big quantities equal subpar quality. Craig Bianco, who was hired as corporate executive chef this summer by the RK Group—a San Antonio catering ﬁrm that oversees the San Antonio Convention Center and other venues—is doing all he can to eliminate that perception. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and a four-year stint at a leading San Francisco property, Bianco knows a thing or two about turning out a good meal. MeetingNews listened while he worked. What are you trying to achieve with these new menus? Q A Q A You’ve been changing the menus at the San Antonio Convention Center (SACC). What can you share about the new offerings? We have basics, like plated lunches and Mexican-themed receptions, but we added some gala dinners and a wider variety of salads, steak, and seafood. A meeting planner may not have the budget for ﬁlet mignon, so we have skirt and ﬂat-iron steaks. In ﬁsh, I’m looking for whiteﬁsh alternatives, like Barramundi and Baja sea bass instead of Chilean. These are more economical options. We’re also swapping out big fruit or cheese platters for smaller plates we can replenish. This allows us to provide something fresher. Roasted sea bass with country bacon crisp and heirloom tomato is a creation of the RK Group. When someone wants We need to be able to something, we do everyprovide a nice meal for thing we can to make it work. different tiers of service. For a group of teachers, we did Can planners request lasagna, Mexican buffets, and items that are not on your things like that, but then in banquet menus? the past few weeks, we had some high-end groups in, so Yes, we’re trying to cuswe had action stations tomize more and not just Craig Bianco (where guests have options push out a menu. Corporate Executive Chef for what a dish can be, like an The RK Group omelet station) and sushi. You worked at the Westin We hosted a gala for St. Francis, where you Wendy’s, and I did a lobster did some cooking with celebrisalad, a morel-crusted steak with roasted ﬁnger- ty chef Michael Mina (his signature, eponyling potatoes, melted gorgonzola cheese, and a mous restaurant is there). What did you learn tomato, asparagus, and corn medley for 1,200 from him that’s now in use at the SACC? people, plus a seasonal dessert. But the next day, we did 2,000 boxed lunches. I helped facilitate banquets based on his menus. So the business there was very simClearly, you are able to do many different ilar to here. types of meals, but how do you get potential customers to seriously consider How can you make items from a restauhaving a banquet at a convention center? rant menu, which are meant to be cooked a la minute (to order), in a banquet We want to prove that we can compete with setting? River Walk hotels. So we’re making our own stocks, and we’re using vegetables and other We rethink how it’s done, and we do it in items that are indigenous to the area—it’s more steps versus one ﬂuid action. ﬂavorful and economical. But it’s up to the salespeople, and us, to say, “This is how it looks, As meeting and convention planners’ tastes, etc.” budgets get further squeezed, what can And then, we host site visits where we offer a they do to save money while providing quality? tasting room right off the kitchen. I get really Ask questions in the tasting. I ask my purinteractive with customers so that everyone in veyors, “What else do you have in this price the room is in agreement. And we take pictures of everything so we can duplicate what was range?” Planners can do the same thing with us. made for the tasting. Q A Q A How are you dealing with those situations? Q Q A A Q A Q A Q A 8 MeetingNews October 20, 2008 Are you seeing smaller budgets or planners expressing more concern over cost? We’re seeing full breakfasts go down to continentals, and we’ve noticed the receptions before dinner getting shorter—things like that. QWhat A ’s your favorite food? A simple pasta with a simple steak, or a roast chicken, and some seasonal vegetables. If they’re cooked well, they’re eaten right away. r Contact Rayna Katz at rayna.katz@nielsen.com www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - October 20, 2008

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