Columnist Muriel Stevens: New York restaurants keep workers well fed

Friday, Sept. 28, 2001 | 8:46 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Friday. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com

Joining together to help those in need is a longtime tradition with the hospitality industry. In addition to the thousands of volunteers assisting at ground zero of the World Trade Center tragedy, some of New York's finest chefs and restaurants have taken on a task of heroic proportions, to provide a steady stream of hot meals to the work crews.

A 24-hour daily relief effort is under way by Spirit Cruises and a cadre of top chefs and restaurants (many of their restaurants are still closed to the public). The Spirit of New York cruise ship is docked a few hundred yards from ground zero.

In dozens of kitchens across the city, volumes of meals are being prepared daily and delivered by truck, car and on foot to Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers.

Food and relief workers board the Spirit of New Jersey and are then shuffled by the Chelsea Screamer, a local tour boat, to the Spirit of New York docked at the North Cove Marina, adjacent to the World Financial Center.

Among those who spearheaded the effort, Chefs With Spirit, are Tribeca Grill's Don Pintabona; Spirit's Steve Schwartz and Gregory Hanchrow and Gray Kunz (formerly of Lespinasse), Daniel Boulud (Restaurant Daniel) and Charlie Palmer (Aureole).

Other chefs, restaurants and food-industry professionals who volunteered to help are: Steve Hanson's B R Guest Group, Restaurant Associates and Fairway Market. Since last Friday an estimated 75,000 meals have been served to more than 10,000 workers.

The program will continue 24 hours a day throughout the effort.

On the home scene:

Locally, as in other prime resort areas, among the hardest hit by the decline in travel is the hospitality industry. A fund is being set up by Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, Nevada Restaurant Association, Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association and the Nevada Hospitality Foundation to provide relief for families of displaced hospitality workers and deployed military personnel.

A USO-style event is scheduled for Nov. 1 at Caesars Palace. This Salute to America will feature Las Vegas headliners and many dignitaries. Tickets are $100. Call 878-2313 or 878-9272 for tickets and information.

Restaurant changes:

Strip hotel restaurants are still reeling from the aftershock of the WTC tragedy. Low dining room cover counts have resulted in many layoffs, but counts were up last weekend, and this weekend promises to be even better.

Tom Kaplan, who is a partner and general manager for the Las Vegas Wolfgang Puck properties, told me that this week prices have been cut back 10-20 percent on the menus at Postrio at the Venetian, Lupo at Mandalay Bay and Chinois at the Forum Shops at Caesars. When Spago at the Forum Shops reopens today, after a complete refurbishing, both the cafe and dining room prices will also roll back. Cafe prices will be at least 20 percent less.

Why such a change? Said Kaplan: "What we are facing is a unique situation that no one in the hospitality industry has ever before faced. Like airlines and hotels, restaurants must maintain a cash flow. This is not a time to be greedy. We have to consider the best way to keep our tipped employees busy. No one at a Puck property has been laid off."

He continued: "Food portions and quality will remain the same. Nothing will change except the prices. Partner and executive chef for all of the Puck restaurants, David Robins, has been working on the new menus and they're wonderful.

"We like local business. It's always been a priority with us. Locals will be the benefactors. It's really a simple mentality -- we want to keep the staff employed and to be able to pay the rent. Other restaurants will undoubtedly be looking at their prices, too."

Eateries with mostly local clientele do appear to be surviving well and with no employee cutbacks. Restaurants with a small staff think of their employees as extended family and do their best to keep their family intact.

Michael Jordan, who with his wife, Wendy, owns Rosemary's Restaurant on West Sahara, said, "We're so grateful that things continue to go well. We're trying to stay focused and doing the best we can."

While I was talking with Chef Michael I could hear, in the background, the sound of the chefs prepping for dinner. The sounds affirmed what the chef had said, that dinner counts were good.

At Wild Sage restaurant on Warm Springs Road in Las Vegas, it was the same story. Owners Laurie Kendrick, her spouse, chef Stan Colton, and brother, chef Wes Kendrick have seen the numbers increase at lunch hours. Dinner reservations during the week have been light, but increase considerably Friday and Saturday. Are they worried? "No," said Laurie, "our catering and lunch business will see us through."

There was a bit of humor and a smidgen of philosophy from Arizona Charlie's VP of Food and Beverage Paul Tomba when he talked about the Sourdough Cafe at the Decatur location. "Ever since the tragedy our numbers have increased. Locals want comfort food, good prices and a familiar atmosphere. It's where they feel safe. We're still serving more than 2,700 covers per day."

Carlos Silva, director of operations for Memphis Championship Barbecue restaurants said that numbers since the same time last year have increased 25 percent. Dine-in numbers are stable; takeout has increased dramatically.

Strip eateries:

A shortage of visitors has affected many Strip restaurants, especially buffets. Some hotels, such as the Stardust, are no longer serving a breakfast or lunch buffet. Those meals have been discontinued until further notice, but the Coco Palms dinner buffet continues. Service daily, from 3-10 p.m. The venerable Tres Lobos Mexican restaurant is closed until further notice. William B's continues to offer dinner Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 6-10 p.m.; Saturday, 6-11 p.m.

Some hotel restaurant hours have been modified. There are changes at MGM Grand, Mirage, Bellagio, Treasure Island, Golden Nugget and New York-New York. Most changes are minor, affecting only the smaller eateries; 24/7 cafes still operate around-the-clock. Hours for the fine-dining rooms at all MGM Mirage properties are pretty much the same. Check the times when making a reservation.

It's no secret that the Aladdin was having a tough time even before the WTC crumbled, but I have never met a more positive bunch than the food and beverage department led by Bruce Howard. In spite of everything, spirits were high when we spoke. "When will St. James at the London Club reopen?" I asked. "We'll give you an answer, shortly." I was reassured after speaking with St. James Chef Jacques Van Staden, who is still "very much a part of the Aladdin." New London Club hours are 4 p.m.-4 a.m.

"Numbers last weekend at Tremezzo and Elements restaurants were good, and the buffet is holding up. There have been some changes at the buffet. No breakfast buffet; lunch, dinner and Saturday and Sunday brunch. Zanzibar Cafe is a 24/7 option," said Howard. I wish them well.

Across the way at Desert Passage, Joseph Keller, owner of Josef's Brasserie, is offering to locals only a complimentary bottle of wine when a lunch or dinner is ordered. A Nevada ID must be shown. Chef Keller and a number of our country's chefs are working with N.Y. Chef Michael Lomonaca on a fund-raiser that will take place in New York Oct. 11. Lomonaca, former executive chef at Windows on the World restaurant atop the WTC, was on his way to the restaurant that fateful Tuesday when he decided to first stop and pick up his glasses at the optometrist office on the first floor. That brief detour saved his life.

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