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Re s ta u ra n t D a i l y N e ws Tu e s d a y, M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 4 5 0 EDWARD HIGGINS NAMED CHEF DE CUISINE AT SAN FRANCISCO'S BIX Bix, a stylish and legendary restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's historic Jackson Square district, officially announces the arrival of Chef de Cuisine Edward Higgins. Founded by Doug "Bix" Biederbeck in 1988, Bix has been variously described as a civilized speakeasy, an upscale supper club and an elegant saloon. It has captivated guests with its refined culture and modern American cuisine, which has been served in a soaring two-story dining room to the sounds of nightly live jazz for more than 25 years. Under the new leadership of Chef Higgins, the cuisine at Bix will con- tinue to be seasonally driven, incorporat- ing bright spring ingredients into the cur- rent menus, which pair perfectly with a classic cocktail menu. Higgins started his culinary educa- tion in Boston and formal training at Biba and Aujourd'hui at Four Seasons. Working with Tom Colicchio at NYC's Craft and Marco Canora at Hearth gave him an extensive education in individual ingredients and market-driven food. After helping Canora garner a Best New Restaurant nomination by the James Beard Foundation for Hearth, Higgins followed his dream of travelling to Japan and went to work at acclaimed restaurant Ekki at the Four Seasons Hotel in Marunouchi. In 2006, Higgins returned to New York to join Canora's team at Insieme, which earned a Michelin Star in its first year. Following Insieme, Higgins traveled to California to join Palo Alto's Quattro, where he was the Executive Sous Chef for four years before becom- ing Chef de Cuisine at Bix. With Executive Chef/Partner Bruce Hill's focus on the successful opening of his latest project, FOG CITY, over the last year, Chef de Cuisine Edward Higgins has taken over the reins at Bix and couldn't be hap- pier. Rather than following trends, Higgins has allowed the menu to evolve without losing its fundamental character. Some of Chef Higgins' creative additions to the Bix menu include appetizers such as theBix Chili Glazed Fried Chicken, as well as entrees like theGoodman Ranch Veal Chop pounded with king oyster mushrooms, garlic and parsley. He contin- ues to offer tried-and-true Bix favorites, including Steak Tartare with shallots, capers, parsley and mustard (photo, right) and the Chicken Hash à la Bix with mas- carpone vodka sauce. Chef Higgins' cook- ing philosophy and varied background works in perfect balance with the Bix menu, combining his love of refined pres- entation with tasteful, well-sourced Bay Area produce, meat, and fish. Just in time for spring, Chef Higgins is incorporating some of the season's best and freshest ingredients into menu items, result- ing in dishes like Zuckerman's Asparagus Soup with saffron aioli and toasted brioche; Pacific Halibut with spring vegetable ragout, yuzu butter and mint; and Duck Breast with stuffed morel mushrooms, fava beans and Rainier cherries. Bix's bar program, which has prided itself on being at the forefront of the San Francisco artisan cocktail movement since the restaurant opened in 1988, con- tinues to offer high-quality libations with freshly squeezed juices. Jacketed bar- tenders hold forth behind a gently curved bar, mixing what many have called the city's best classic cocktails. These expertly crafted concoctions include the Perfect Manhattan with George Dickel Rye, Dolin Dry & Carpano sweet vermouths and Angostura bitters, shaken tableside; as well as "new classics" such as The Boxcar with scotch, Zucca Amaro, honey and smoked ice, and the Elixir No. 3 with rye whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, Benedictine, and lemon juice. Evoking a feeling of refinement and elegance in an intimate yet swinging and convivial environment, Bix remains an equally perfect place for a special occasion, a business deal, a romantic date or a casual cocktail. ONLINE SOURCE FOR JAPANESE ARTISANAL CUTLERY By Lorrie Baumann Ask around enough, and you'll find many, many accomplished chefs who are passionate about their knives. Hosea Rosenberg, Owner of Blackbelly Catering in Boulder, Colo. and the fifth- season winner of "Top Chef," says he grabs his eight-inch WﾜSTHOF chefs knife for most tasks around the kitchen, but he uses Shun for fileting fish. "The thing about knives is that it's much more important that you have a sharp knife and a flat cutting board than a particular brand of knife," he says. "It's like a car; you want to test-drive it first." Matt Greco, the Executive Chef at The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards in the Napa Valley of California, loves his Misono knives. "There are a lot of good knives out there, and they get beat up because you work with them every day. Misonos do a good job," he says. Should you happen to ask Chef Suvir Saran, the Executive Chef of Devi in New York City, about his favorite knife, this New Dehli-born chef with life- long passion for the traditional flavors of Indian cooking who serves as Chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for the Culinary Institute of America will tell you that his absolute favorite is his Takeda Aogami Super Gyutou. It's an 8.3-inch chefs knife made in Japan that sells for around $300. He also recommends the 8.2-inch Sakai Takayuki 33 layer Damascus Gyutou. "These are good beginner knives that will last a lifetime," he says. And then he might, with just a little prodding, tell you where he's buying these knives. It's one of those best-kept secrets that New York chefs are passing around among themselves, he says. And then he spills it: he's buying them from Chubo Knives, from Owner Jeremy Watson, an American who has lived in Japan for many years and who's selling Takeda, Sakai Takayuki, Misono and other Japanese cutlery brands online at chuboknives.com. Prices are very rea- sonable, Saran says. Shipping is free on orders over $100. The chefs who know about Chubo Knives haven't done a very good job of keeping the secret, because Watson him- self says that he's selling to any number of people who aren't professional chefs. "I don't know if there's a difference between knives for home cooks and knives for professional chefs. A quality knife is a quality knife. More than half go to professional chefs but a large number also go to home cooks," he says. "Many chefs in culinary school get a starter kit of European knives, but as they start working in the restaurant world, they tend to pick up an interest in Japanese knives that way," says Tara Hohenberger, Chubo Knives Marketing Director. "They want to be using the knives the chef de cuisine and executive chefs are using, so the learning curve happens that way." "European knives are great, but if you start with European and move to Japanese, you'll notice that Japanese are lighter," says Watson. For chefs who are using their knives for long hours at a time, lighter weight means less strain on hands and wrists. Coupled with that, the Japanese blades are thinner, so the users are able to get very precise cuts, and they're typically made of much harder steel, so that less sharpening is needed. "The angle is steeper, which gives you a precise cut. For professional cooks that's what it's all about is not damaging the product when you're cutting it," Watson says. While Watson founded Chubo Knives only two years ago, he's been selling kitchenware, and knives in par- ticular, to restaurant chefs for much longer. "I've had a lifelong love affair with all things Japanese, and it came from that – things Japanese and things food-related," he says. "I started work- ing in the hospitality industry, in restaurant supply, for a company that dealt with a lot of Japanese products, and that's how I became intensely interested in and passionate about knives." He currently has offices in New York, Florida and Tokyo. All of his retail sales happen online. "It's been a long process of selecting prod- ucts. I spoke to a lot of chefs about what they were using and what worked for them and what didn't work," he says. "When I launched the company, I went to Japan and talked to bladesmiths and looked for products that weren't part of the American market." Naturally enough, his own favorite knife is Japanese. "I have a couple [of favorites], but if price isn't an object, I really love the Takeda knives. They're just beautiful, hand-forged, have an awe- some balance, and they keep an incredi- ble edge," he says. "The other one I like is the Sakai Takayuki. It's the 33-layer Damascus that's just a really beautiful knife, and they perform really nicely. A nice hand-hammered look and nice mahogany handles." ANNUAL ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF CRAFT BREWERS TO U.S. ECONOMY REACHES $34 BILLION According to new data from the Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade association that represents the majority of U.S. breweries, small and independent American craft brewers annually contribute $33.9 billion to the U.S. economy. The figure is derived from the total impact of beer brewed by craft brewers as it moves through the three-tier system (breweries, wholesalers and retailers), as well as all non-beer products that brewpub restaurants sell. "With a strong presence across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, craft breweries are a vibrant and flourish- ing economic force at the local, state and national level," said Bart Watson, Staff Economist for the Brewers Association. "As consumers continue to demand a wide range of high quality, full-flavored beers, small and independent craft brew- ers are meeting this growing demand with innovative offerings, creating high levels of economic value in the process." In addition to the national impact, the BA examined output of the craft brewing industry by state, as well as the state economic contribution per capita for adults over 21. The top five states in terms of overall economic contribution of the craft brewing industry are California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado. The top five states in terms of per capita economic output are Oregon, Colorado, Vermont, Maine and Montana. The BA's data was compiled based on studying the economic contributions of the craft brewing industry in 2012. For some or all of 2012, 2,347 craft breweries operated in the United States, comprised of 1,132 brewpubs, 1,118 microbreweries and 97 regional craft breweries. During this timeframe, craft brewers sold an estimated 13,235,917 barrels of beer, with a retail dollar value estimated at $11.9 billion. The industry also provided more than 360,000 jobs, with 108,440 jobs directly at breweries and brewpubs, including serving staff at brewpubs. For additional study statistics and methodology, including state-by-state data, see the economic impact page on the Brewers Association website at www.brewersassociation.org.