The Making of a Foodie

Foodie always gets her Chef

So, who is Chef Justin Wangler and why is he featured at the end of my Murphy-Goode application video? (Which you can still vote for until June 25! Just click the link above. Please! Seriously, I know that those of you that love me are tired of me asking for your votes. True story, I got a email from a friend wanting a restaurant recommendation in São Paulo, Brazil. Which, of course, I gave her promptly because I am fabulous like that. She started her email with: "Foodie, yes, yes, I've already voted for you.")

Please let me take the time to thank all of you, who have already cast your vote for me. You are the best and officially in my social media network. Don't be scared, it just means were friends.

So, back to the story, Chef Justin Wangler is the Executive Chef at the Kendall-Jackson Winery Estates. Jess Jackson, who owns Jackson Family Wines & founded the Kendall-Jackson winery purchased Murphy-Goode in 2006. The Murphy family still kept their original vineyard and Dave Ready Jr. also stayed on as Murphy-Goode's Winemaker. If you speak with anyone involved with either Murphy-Goode or Jackson Family Wines, they will make it very clear that Kendall-Jackson is a completely separate brand, with it's own team and unique marketing goals. But, what I found out in talking to Chef Justin, is what the brands do share, when the occasion arises, is one very talented Chef. Chef Justin to be exact. That means that Chef Justin is the official Murphy-Goode Executive Chef as he has cooked for them anytime they required his services. Jackpot, I thought. A Chef for Foodie to talk to . . .it doesn't get any better.

This whole crazy trip to wine country started because Test Kitchen, my underground supperclub, was turning 1 year old. I was thinking at the time that a Sonoma-based Test Kitchen dinner in wine country might be a great way to test taking Test Kitchen on the road. I had a friend out there with a house that we were going to use to host the event . . . all we needed was a Chef. This to my surprise turned out to be the most difficult part of the entire operation. Mostly because of the timing of when we wanted to do the event, July is their high tourist season. I also felt that some things just can't be done over the phone. To really impress someone, you need to go and look them in the eye and do it in person.

Al Samuleson who works for Majestic Wines and reps Murphy-Goode wines, when he heard I was looking for a Chef out there, he insisted that I go see about Chef Justin at the Kendall-Jackson Estates. Al set up my entire tasting room visit with some help from his friends at the Wine Center. It should be noted that Al Samuleson was also the person who posted a link on Twitter about the Murphy-Goode opportunity, and his tweet was the first I had heard about it. If fact, I did not know Al except through our Twitter conversations. I had never even met him in person until he sent me a DM and asked if I wanted to meet for lunch. Up until our lunch, Al had been the nice guy who retweeted my Forks & Corks announcements and told me how to fix my leaky toilet when I was trying to figure out why it was leaking. Seriously, he did. How appropriate I find out about this contest through a Twitter, a social media channel, right? I know. Crazy.

When I finally made it to the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, a gorgeous chateau sitting on 120 acres in Sonoma County, Chef Justin was waiting to take me on the tour of the famous Kendall-Jackson gardens. These gardens are special in that they plant and grow plants that have properties that can be tasted in a certain wine. Here I'll let Chef Justin explain it to you in his words:

Very cool tour! In the end, I was completely smitten with Chef Justin's soft-spoken, easy attitude. He is originally from North Carolina, which explains his love of okra and his accent. In this clip, I asked him how to prepare the Cardoon plants (also known as an artichoke thistle, which is what I had mistaken the plant for - an artichoke.) Chef admitted being from the south, so he had never seen or cooked with a Cardoon plant before and had made several failed attempts before he had an Italian tourist who was taking the tour with him explain to him the part of the plant that you used in cooking.

We discussed the challenges of being a Chef in a winery. I asked him point blank: "which comes first, your food or the wine?" Being a smart cookie, he answered "Oh, of course, the wines comes first, always. My job is to find food to pair with it, that highlights it and enhances it." What I loved about that answer was if someone were to ask me what my job as a Foodie is I would say the same thing as Chef Justin. Find good food, pair it with wine, highlighting & enhancing it.

Once the "official" tour was over, I asked Chef about winning the Chef's Challenge at Kendall-Jackson's Tomato Festival last year. Food & Wine hosts this Chef's Challenge event, inside the larger fundraiser known as The Tomato Festival, in which the Chefs compete by preparing dishes with tomatoes grown on property. When I asked him if they would be doing it again this year, he said, "We have already started getting the tomato plants ready, do you want to see them?" "Sure, Chef", I said, "lead the way."

Did you hear what David the groundskeeper said on the video? They have over 3,000 tomato plants they plant to produce the tomatoes needed for this annual food and wine festival. The Tomato Festival is open to the public, but is cheaper to attend if you are a Kendall-Jackson wine club member. This year the festival is happening in September 2009. If you happen to be in wine country, I highly recommend you pay a visit to the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center.

So, how did I end up with my Murphy-Goode Viking helmet? Well, I was standing in Chef Justin's office after the tour and I spotted it on the top of his bookshelf and asked where he got his. (See it in this picture? The viking hat is an important symbol in the Murphy-Goode brand, as Dave Ready Jr. and his family were originally from Minnesota . . .home of the Vikings NFL team. It could have been worse, I suppose. They could have been from Wisconsin and all of us competing would be running around wearing foam cheese on our heads. Good look for a Foodie, super funny for everyone else.) He said he had catered an event for Dave Ready Jr. and was given one. Then he said: "Here, I'll give you mine to take with you."  I said the Chef Justin, "so what is the story I need to tell Dave about where and how I got your viking hat." He smiled and said "I wouldn't tell him anything, act casual, and make him wonder where you got it." That tells me that Dave Ready Jr. is a prankster, and that Chef Justin is too. "Goode" to know.

Foodie went to wine country with the intent of looking for Chefs, and came back with the decision to run for a very goode job. As I was leaving, Chef wished me luck. I said: "well, if I am the lucky one that actually gets the gig, I look forward to working with you."  He looked at me, and smiled. Afterall, if selecting picnic spots are a part of my job description for a really goode job, I assume selecting the menu for the picnic will also be part of the job description.

Chef Justin and I have already started discussing possible picnic menus.

VOTE for Foodie

Listen, before you read any further, I need a big favor . . .if you haven't already voted for my video giving me an opportunity to become Murphy-Goode's next "Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent", then please click on the button above and do so right now.

I'll wait, go on.

No, I won't start without you. You are too important. Go on, now.

It just takes 30 seconds to vote. I promise. It's easy-peasy.

Come on, you'll get to see me in a video at a Test Kitchen event. (You know you want to see that, right?)

There is only one week left to vote in this race for "a really goode job", and I really could use your help. Every single vote makes a difference.

Now, would you mind asking someone else to vote for me? A spouse, a co-worker, the lady that cuts your hair, your postman, your children? Could you send out an email to your friends with a link to my blog where they can vote for me?

All done? Goode.

Thank you, so much for your vote. It really means the world to me.

Now just what is this all about, you ask?

In short, it's about me wanting to earn a place at the table in a PR and Marketing contest of sorts to find the one person in the world (me, I hope!), who for 6 months can and will help the MG winemaker, Dave Ready Jr. and the good people at Murphy-Goode Winery in Healdsburg, CA to share the story of Murphy-Goode wines with others and take their passion for wines and transfer it to others through what we have come to call "social media tools".  Basically, this person would blog, tweet on Twitter, post to your friends on Facebook and communicate with others in the food and wine industry through LinkedIn about your experiences and bring your story and the story of Murphy-Goode wines to life.

Did I mention that Murphy-Goode plans to pay their winning candidate $60,000? This kind of money coupled with the opportunity to get behind the scenes and learn the business of making, marketing and selling wines has brought out heavy-hitters from across the globe. There are social media stars with thousands of followers, there are interactive and technology experts that know how to build tools and measure the success of online campaigns, there are video production experts whose videos are really great, there is every type of wine industry person from distributors to retailers, wine bloggers and grape-heads of all sorts, standard issue PR/marketers, many with restaurant wine experience and then there are just the people who love to drink wine and party. Oh, and a few vikings and one lady who thought she was trying out for the Martha Stewart show, I think.

And, there is one Foodie . . .that's me. ;-)

Honestly, it's a big job for just one person. Which is why the smart folks at Murphy-Goode have cleverly designed the competition for this job to start the buzz about their wines and their brand long before any one candidate gets picked for the job. The video application submission and voting process is designed to cleverly encourage the thousands of candidates (myself included as evidenced by this blog post) to start a conversation about the Murphy-Goode wines with everyone in their network. Kinda like a pyramid scheme, only a good one. One where you don't have to do anything but listen to me, and try some of the excellent wines that Murphy-Goode makes. 

Murphy-Goode plans to cut the list of candidates to Top 50 and then to Top 10 and finally to a single candidate. That candidate will have already received the benefit of thousands of us who have been talking and tasting wines with our friends, learning more about the Murphy-Goode wines and the company in preparation for an interview and some of us have even done "in-the-field-research", like I did when I visited California wine country at the beginning of the contest.

I know that for me personally, I have convinced many people in my circle of influence to try Murphy-Goode wines, some for the first time. I know I have convinced at least one wine retailer in KC to start carrying Murphy-Goode wines due to my discussion around Murphy-Goode wines and I also know that I would not be even competing for this job had it not been for my connections and contacts gained through my social media network.

My drinking habits, as of late, are becoming more social . . .as I plan to share my stories of this journey with all of you.

I humbly ask for your vote for me for Murphy-Goode's Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent.

Secret + Special = Speakeasy

Remarkable service, knowledge and love of your craft should not be something that we are surprised by, but somehow in this day and age it does make a place stand out and, I don't know about you, but it makes me want to go back again and again. Support someone doing it right.

Eatie told me recently when we were deciding where to go for a drink that he has gotten to the point where he simply won't give a bar, drinking spot or restaurant his business if the total package isn't there. He wants to reward the good behavior and punish the bad and vote with his dollars. They don't even have to be ultra nice places. A dive bar with your favorite icy cold brew on tap served quickly and with a smile. Great! It's kinda like that old saying from your parents: "Doesn't matter what you want to be when you grow up, kid, just be the best."

Ryan Maybee has always impressed me. He very consistently manages to blow away my expectations around cocktails and wine, and his new place, Manifesto, located in the basement of 1924 Main, is no exception.  

Ryan and I have something in common. You see, he has a secretive underground speakeasy, called Manifesto. One where you have to go to the back door of 1924 Main, push the silver buzzer next to the door and tell the person answering how many is in your party. If they have room to serve you, you get buzzed in. If they don't, you can always text Ryan Maybee at 816.536.1325 to reserve your seats in advance for next time.

I, have an underground supperclub, called The Test Kitchen. With my concept, you have to be handed a card or be told about the website and then you have to go and sign up to hear about and attend secret dinners with awesome chefs in interesting locations.

Ryan came to one of my early Test Kitchen events, back when I was basically standing at the backdoor at each of our locations and accepting cash in exchange for the dining event of a lifetime. It was like a drug deal made in the alley, only the drug was food and wine. Can you imagine? When Ryan showed up to pay for his seat, said to me: "I am surprised to see you . . so. . .so out in front. I thought as the Founder you would be more behind the scenes at Test Kitchen."

I said to him: "Well, it's my club, and my business. First rule of Test Kitchen, no one touches the money but me. Second rule, I figure if you are a member of my club and brave enough to find your way to here to pay money to eat, it's only right you get to meet the person who is hosting this event for you."

Ryan got a thoughtful look on his face. I knew he was in the process of working out the details of his speakeasy and how to make it the authentic, true speakeasy experience and yet not turn people off with any sense of excluding anyone from partaking in the process that wanted to. And partake in Manifesto, you must . . .it's that good, really. Go. Now. What are you waiting for?

I always thought this quote from Michael Hebberoy said it best. (He helped revive the underground supperclub trend in the U.S. He started cooking dinner parties for friends in his Portland, Ore., living room seven years ago, after growing tired of formulaic restaurants.)

"At the end of the day, when you want to define yourself by your craft, you have to engage with consumer culture," he says.

Which means to me: "You can be a secret, just don't be stupid. Stand up and take credit for your work and your craft, as a means of engaging the people you serve to create fans for life and as a way to make a little money too."

Most people yearn for the more excitement and mystery in their lives. Something a little out of the norm, something special, something just for them.

That is what makes both Manifesto and Test Kitchen so much fun, because both Ryan and I deal in that trade. We sell fantasy, fun and excitement. 

If we are doing  our jobs correctly then we should be delivering that magic to each and every one of our guests. In the case of Manifesto, Ryan delivers on his promise in spades, and I can say that because I have taken numerous friends to the basement. I have sat at the bar, which I much prefer to a booth, as a way to get up close and personal with the bartenders and to watch them make these cocktails by hand.

The history of the speakeasy of course, came from the days of prohibition. A time when many places did not allow alcohol to be served, much less consumed. But the mother of invention is necessity, and that only spawned the idea of making secret places where people could gather together and commune with a spirit in their hand.

That spirit lives on at Manifesto, but with a much more modern twist to an old-fashion idea. Ryan's takes the same amount of care in choosing the quality of his ingredients as a Chef takes in choosing his to create a dish for you to eat and enjoy. A hand-crafted cocktail should use only the finest ingredients and might take some time to create, if done properly. A perfectly executed dish is absolutely no different. 

Watching Ryan, or one of his superbly talented bartenders (Beau, Brandon, Vic and Jen), actually making one of these cocktails in front of your eyes, will indeed give you a whole new appreciation for the craft of cocktails.

I am a gin girl, so one of my favorite drinks on his menu is The Brothers Perryman which contains Junipero, St. Germain Elderflower, Campari and Flamed Orange Zest for $11.

I am also a big fan of the Smokin' Choke under the Whiskey section. It has Applewood Smoked Jim Beam, Cynar (a liqueur made from artichokes, get it? It's the choke that's smokin') Maple Syrup, Lemon and Orange Zest for $11.

Finally, when one of Ryan's mentors and pals Doug Frost went to Manifesto he was tweeting about his love for a tequila. (Doug Frost is a huge fan of premium tequila.) He recommended a drink called Old Oaxacan. It has Del Maguey Mezcal, Agave Nectar, Peychaud's Bitters and Water for $11.

So, if you haven't made it down to Manifesto, you are missing one of the best cocktails in your life. As the menu says: Drink Early. Drink Often. Speak Easy.