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MEET THE CULINARY ENTREPRENEURS
Meet The Culinary Entrepreneurs, is an innovative lecture series featuring some of America's top culinary business owners. The sessions, held monthly at ICE®’s 23rd Street facility, introduce audience members to restaurateurs, specialty food retailers, caterers, and other proprietors who have established highly regarded local and national brands. The ongoing series was designed to supplement ICE®’s culinary management diploma program.
An ICE® management instructor moderates the 90-minute discussions, which focus on the lessons the entrepreneurs have to offer based on their own experiences. Whether audience members dream of opening a business or are already active in the food industry, they’ll learn from these experts’ wealth of knowledge and will be better equipped to launch their own ventures
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Randall Grahm - Owner, Bonny Doon Vineyard
Santa Cruz, CA
Monday, February 22 - 10am-Noon
Randall was born in Los Angeles in 1953 and attended Uncle
Charlie's Summer Camp; excuse me, the prestigious University of
California at Santa Cruz where he was a permanent Liberal Arts
major. Some time later he found himself working at the Wine
Merchant in Beverly Hills sweeping floors. By dint of
exceptionally good karma he was given the opportunity to taste
an ungodly number of great French wines and this singular
experience turned him into a complete and insufferable wine
fanatic. He returned to the University of California at Davis to
complete a degree in Plant Sciences in 1979, where owing to his
single-minded obsession with pinot noir he was regarded
as a bit of a holy terroir in the hallowed halls of the sober
and sedate Department of Viticulture.
With his family's assistance, Randall purchased property in the
Santa Cruz Mountains in a hypnologically quaint area known as
Bonny Doon intent on producing the Great American Pinot Noir.
The GAPN proved to be systematically elusive but he was greatly
encouraged by experimental batches of Rhône varieties. The late
great Bonny Doon Estate Vineyard (1981-1994) was eventually
planted to syrah, roussanne, marsanne and viognier
and produced achingly beautiful wines confirming both that 1)
California's temperate climate is well suited to the sun-loving
grapes of the Mediterranean; and 2) the blue green sharpshooter
doesn't know from Côte Rôtie. In 1986 Bonny Doon Vineyard
released the inaugural vintage (1984) of Le Cigare Volant, an
homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wine appears to have fallen
squarely in the node of a great wave of interest in
Mediterranean varieties in California.
As symptoms of his chronic Weinderlust began manifesting
more forcefully in the late 1980's, Mr. Grahm felt compelled to
cast his net further afield. Bonny Doon's Ca' del Solo vineyard
in Monterey County, planted just out of searchlight's reach of
the state pen in Soledad, has been planted to an esoteric roster
of Italianate and Spanish varieties such as nebbiolo, barbera,
dolcetto, moscato giallo and albarino.
In 1989, Randall was inducted into the Who's Who of Cooking
in America by Cook's Magazine for "lifetime achievement and
leadership in the improvement and development of American
cuisine." He was nominated for Wine and Spirits Professional
of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 1990 and 1993,
and when the Foundation came to its senses, walked off with the
award in 1994. In 1992, Ted Bowell of the Lowell Observatory in
northern Arizona named the "Rhoneranger" asteroid in his honor.
Randall unaccountably landed the Bon Appétit Magazine 1999
Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year award though that
distinction is still subject to a recount in New York State. In
2009 Randall was the recipient of the Green Wine Award by
Sunset Magazine and is a 2010 Inductee into the Vintner Hall
of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America.
Randall lectures frequently to wine societies and to technical
groups and occasionally contributes quixotically sincere
articles to wine journals. His occasional idiosyncratic
newsletters are frequently reproduced though never copied.
Since 2002 Randall Grahm has focused on Rudolf Steiner’s
biodynamic principles in both vineyard and winery.
In brief, biodynamic practices acknowledge the farm as a
holistic, self-sustaining organism. With the use of the
biodynamic calendar, Randall leverages knowledge of planetary,
cosmological and seasonal movements to optimize the timing of
the various agricultural activities, maximizing the strength and
quality of the plants and the crop. In May 2007 the Ca’ del Solo
Vineyard received Biodynamic® certification from the Demeter
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Greg Brewer -
Winemaker, Melville Vineyards & Winery
Lompoc, CA
Tuesday, March 9 - 1-2:30pm
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >
Having initially started his career path as a French instructor at UC Santa Barbara, Greg Brewer became immediately enamored by food and wine through a part time job at the Santa Barbara Winery tasting room in 1991. That employ quickly led to becoming more involved in production and eventually being hired as assistant winemaker in 1992 working with fruit grown in what would become the Sta. Rita Hills appellation ten years later. Greg was instrumental in the small committee which defined the borders of the appellation, and successfully petitioned to establish it by the harvest of 2001.
Feeling strong loyalty and commitment to place, Greg partnered up with Steve Clifton and formed Brewer-Clifton in 1996 which was and remains to this day entirely devoted to chardonnay and pinot noir grown within the small AVA. While Brewer-Clifton currently farms fifty acres with their own farming company, in the early years Brewer-Clifton relied solely on other growers as a source for fruit. A standout of those committed individuals was Ron Melville who, along with his two sons began planting their vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills in early 1997.
While Ron Melville initially had no intention of creating a winery, the relationship quickly evolved and he brought Greg on to design and create Melville Winery whose inaugural harvest was in 1999. Dedicated predominantly to chardonnay and pinot noir, Melville works solely with fruit grown the family's brilliantly situated estate in the heart of the AVA.
Motivated mostly by a reverence for raw materials, precision, negative space, restraint and tension between differing components, Greg launched diatom in 2005. With this endeavor, he strives to remove all extraneous elements when crafting chardonnay for this extreme project to demonstrate the most pure representation of place.
Philosophically through all three wineries, there is a very honest intent to best represent appellation in as lucid and vulnerable a manner as possible. There is constant reflection on how to further remove the imprint of the producer, and in so doing, to allow nature to express itself in the unadulterated manner it deserves.
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Eileen Crane - President & Founding Winemaker, Domaine Carneros
Napa, CA
Thursday, April 29 - 10-11:30am
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >
 It is no mere coincidence that Eileen Crane, CEO and Winemaker of Domaine Carneros, is equally at home in the separate yet entwined worlds of wine and food.
Eileen was raised with a keen appreciation for fine wine by her father, who first learned about wine as a soldier in France, and later as the head of the international department for Dean Witter, and of culinary arts by her mother, who taught home economics, ran a vocational school and later established USO camps throughout Europe during WWII. Eileen prepared for a culinary career prior to entering the wine industry. A master’s degree in nutrition, coupled with professional training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, form the foundation of her intimate understanding of the interplay of wine and food.
After two years of teaching nutrition at the University of Connecticut, Eileen turned a passion for wine into a profession, enrolling in the U.C. Davis Enology and Viticulture program. Upon completing her studies, she was hired by Domaine Chandon where she progressed to the position of Assistant Winemaker.
Her next career move—more of a leap—involved a task that most lifelong industry veterans never undertake. Hired in 1983 as winemaker and vice president of Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves, she was entrusted with the dual responsibilities of overseeing the design and construction of the facility in addition to developing the line of sparkling wines.
It turned out to be an experience that served her well. Selected personally in 1987 by Claude Taittinger for the position of managing Director and Winemaker of Domaine Carneros, Eileen oversaw the planning and development of the landmark chateau, vineyards and winemaking facility. In 2003, Eileen directed the planning and construction of Domaine Carneros’ second winemaking facility, dedicated exclusively to the production of Pinot Noir wines. She celebrates her twenty first harvest with Domaine Carneros in 2008.
With over 30 years of winemaking experience Eileen Crane is widely regarded as the doyenne of sparkling wine in America. She is one of a handful of women in the forefront of the wine industry in California. She is actively involved in numerous wine organizations, is a past President of the Carneros Wine Alliance and the California Classic Methods/Classic Varieties Society (CM/CV). She has also been an active board member in civic organizations such as Clinic Ole, providing affordable health care to the underserved in the community, and is currently Chair of Napa Valley Hospice & Adult Day Services.
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Jason Apfelbaum - President & CEO, Chef & Company
New York, NY
Monday, May 3 - 10-11:30am
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >
 Jason
M. Apfelbaum, 40, is President & CEO of Chef & Company,
LLC. Chef & Company is NYC’s premier corporate and fine
dining catering / event company. Chef & Company currently
employs over 350 employees & executes over 2000 events a
year. Their clientele includes Google, Audi, BMW, Nike,
Reebok, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Joseph Abboud, Coach, The
Canadian Consulate, Intel, Dreamworks, & NBC. Chef & Company
has been featured in the NY Times, NY Magazine, Fox News,
ABC, WCBS, Avenue, Gotham, The Discovery Channel, NBC’s The
Apprentice, Crains & Daily News.
Chef & Company operates
exclusively at several locations including NASDAQ, Stone
Rose @ The Time Warner Center, The Paley Center for Media,
The American Institute of Architecture and Café 516 located
in the worldwide headquarters of Coach Inc.
Mr. Apfelbaum is on the
Advisory Board of inMotion; was inducted in 2006 to the Hall
of Achievement at the Institute of Culinary Education and in
2008 was honored by City Year as a “Ripples of Hope”
honoree.
In 1996, Mr. Apfelbaum started A & J publishing (DBA “The
Renter”). The Renter was a monthly real estate publication
based in southern California. In 1999, The Renter was
purchased by the Los Angeles Times.
Mr. Apfelbaum attended the communication school @ Ithaca
College and currently resides in Westchester with his wife &
three children.
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Tito Beveridge - Founder, Tito's Handmade Vodka
Austin, TX
Tuesday, September 14 - 1-2:30pm
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >
Tito's Handmade Vodka is
the personal recipe of founder and master distiller,
Bert "Tito" Beveridge. Tito is a 40 something
Geophysicist who after several jobs in and out of his
field wanted to do something different with his life.
That change of gears 12 years ago led to a goal of
producing a world class vodka that consumers could enjoy
at a reasonable price.“I am proud that there is still
opportunity in America, for those that follow their
dreams and are willing to work very hard to achieve
them.” says Tito, who’d seen microbreweries and boutique
wineries starting up, and figured that the next logical
step was a micro distillery. He obtained the first
permit to distill in Texas History. He worked day and
night in his one man-one room distillery, cooking vodka,
catching some sleep here and there on the cot near the
still. Without investors or much of a budget, he rolled
the dice on his dream, running up as many credit cards
as they would give him. He slowly built a team, some of
whom cared so much that they worked for free in the
beginning. Eventually things started to fell into place,
despite the trials of being one man-one vodka in a
liquor business dominated by corporate giants.
That modest label is a testament to the pride and
confidence Tito’s has in its product. They’ve spared the
public the spokes-models and flashy ad campaigns;
leaving them to discover the difference for themselves,
without all the hype. Six times distilled, it is
arguably the purest vodka around. In fact, the brand’s
successful growth was kick-started by one such admirer;
well-known Las Vegas Mixologist, Tony Abu Ganim, one of
Tito’s first true fans. He championed it, entering it
into the 2001 Worlds Spirit Competition.In a stunning
upset, it earned the Unanimous Judges Decision Double
Gold Medal, beating the large imports and other
super-premium contenders.
Tito's Handmade Vodka is available in all 50 states, and
four Canadian provinces. Though the operation has grown,
Tito still works most days at the distillery; sampling
every batch himself, making sure his friends have the
finest vodka at the fairest price.
Tito lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and 3
beautiful children.
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Dan Rafalin
- Principal, AvroKO Hospitality Group
(Public, Monday Room, Double Crown and Madam Geneva)
New York, NY
Tuesday, September 21 - 3-4:30pm
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >
 Dan
has been immersed in the culinary world from the
beginning of his career when he received a Grande
Diplome in Culinary Arts from The French Culinary
Institute. He holds a Master of Arts degree in
Food Management from New York University and worked
as the financial and business analyst for the Clark
Wolf Company, a New York-based food, restaurant and
hospitality consulting firm before joining forces
with AvroKO to form AvroKO Hospitality Group.
Dan oversees operations of the group’s four New York
City restaurants.
Alongside Dan’s passion for the restaurant business
is a commitment to guiding the next generation of
professionals. Dan is an Adjunct Professor at New
York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food
Studies Masters Program, where he teaches Managerial
Accounting and is on the faculty of The French
Culinary Institute where he teaches management and
leadership in the schools Restaurant Management
Program. He is a frequent guest speaker on the
topics of restaurant development and operations for
the American Institute of Wine and Food, The French
Culinary Institute, New York University, Tufts
University, and Columbia University.
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Gary Hirshberg - President & CE-Yo, Stonyfield Farm, Inc.
Londonderry, NH
Tuesday, October 26 - 1-2:30pm
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER > |
Gary
Hirshberg is the husband of freelance writer Meg Hirshberg
and the father of three yogurt eaters. He is Chairman,
President, and CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading
organic yogurt producer and the author of Stirring It
Up: How to Make Money and Save the World (Hyperion
Books, 2008). Gary is a frequent speaker on topics
including sustainability, climate change, the profitability
of green and socially responsible business, organic
agriculture, and sustainable economic development.
Since 1983,
Gary has overseen Stonyfield’s phenomenal growth, from its
infancy as a seven-cow organic farming school to its current
$330 million in annual sales. Stonyfield has enjoyed a
compounded annual growth rate of over 24% for more than
eighteen years, by consistently producing great-tasting
products and using innovative marketing techniques that
blend the company’s social, environmental, and financial
missions. In 2001, Stonyfield Farm entered into a
partnership with Groupe Danone, and in 2005, Gary was named
managing director of Stonyfield Europe, a joint venture
between the two firms with brands in Canada, Ireland, and
France.
Previously,
he directed the Rural Education Center, the small organic
farming school from which Stonyfield was spawned. Before
that, Gary had served as executive director of The New
Alchemy Institute – a research and education center
dedicated to organic farming, aquaculture, and renewable
energy. Prior positions include serving as a water-pumping
windmill specialist and an environmental education director
with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. He also authored
books on wind-power and organic gardening.
A New
Hampshire native, Gary was one of the first graduates of
Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, and has received eight
honorary doctorates and was named a Gordon Grand Fellow at
Yale University.
Gary has
won numerous awards for corporate and environmental
leadership, including Global Green USA's “1999 Green Cross
Millennium Award for Corporate Environmental Leadership.” He
was named "Business Leader of the Year" by Business NH
Magazine and "New Hampshire's 1998 Small Business Person of
the Year" by the U.S. Small Business Administration. More
recently, 2009 was a year of big wins as Gary was named one
of “America’s Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs” by
Business Week magazine, Stonyfield was chosen “Business of
the Year – Manufacturing” by Business NH magazine and
Stonyfield won an EPA Clean Air Excellence award. Gary also
is featured in 2009's most successful documentary, "Food,
Inc."
Gary serves
on several corporate and non-profit boards including
Applegate Farms, the Dannon Company, Honest Tea, Peak
Organic Brewing Company, The Full Yield, Climate Counts,
Stonyfield Europe, Ltd, Glenisk, Ltd and the Danone
Communities Fund. He is the chairman and co-founder of
O’Naturals, a natural fast food restaurant company. He
served on the advisory panel for Newsweek magazine's Global
Environmental Leadership Conference and as an Advisor to
Renewal Partners LLC, Solera Capital, the Heinz Center
Leadership Summit and the Corporate Ecoforum.
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Bill Niman - Proprietor of BN Ranch and Founder of Niman Ranch, Inc.
Bolinas, California
Monday, December 6th - 10-11:30am
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >
 Bill Niman is a cattle and turkey rancher in Northern California, proprietor of BN Ranch, and Founder of the natural meat company Niman Ranch, Inc. He has been providing naturally raised beef, pork, and lamb to fine restaurants for more than thirty years. As his reputation for superior-tasting meat spread among discerning chefs, Niman began marketing meat to San Francisco Bay area restaurants (originally, under the name "Niman Schell" and later under the name "Niman Ranch"). In contrast to the so-called "modern" meat industry, Niman animals were always raised using traditional husbandry methods and eschewing chemical and drug feed additives. Over the years, Niman Ranch, grew to a network of over 600 farms and ranches, which all adhere to a strict code of animal husbandry. The company has gained a national reputation for having the best-tasting beef, pork, and lamb available. Bill Niman left the company in August 2007.
Niman was a member of the Pew Foundation's National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, which released recommendations for reform of the nation's livestock industry in April 2008. Niman has been named "Food Artisan of the Year" by Bon Appetit magazine and has been called the "Master of Meat" by Wine Spectator, the "Guru of Happy Cows" by the Los Angeles Times, "a pioneer of the good meat movement" by the New York Times, "the Steve Jobs of Meat" by Men's Journal, and a "Pork Pioneer" by Food & Wine. The Southern Foodways Alliance named him its Scholar in Residence for 2009, stating that he was "this country's most provocative and persistent champion of sustainably and humanely raised livestock." Niman co-authored The Niman Ranch Cookbook (Ten Speed Press, 2005), which was selected as one of the year's best cookbooks by the New York Times, Newsweek and the San Jose Mercury News. He lives and works his ranch in Bolinas, California, together with his wife Nicolette.
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