2006 Tabletop Performance Awards

There is an old saying that goes �what you see is what you get.� And in foodservice nowhere does that notion apply more than to the tabletop.

By the Editors -- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, 10/1/2006

Before customers sample an operation’s food they form their own opinions of the facility based largely on what is in front of them. That’s why a well-thought out and well-executed tabletop goes a long way toward establishing a customer’s expectations during the crucial time between when they are seated and the first course arrives. In order for a tabletop to be successful it must complement a facility’s overall décor while giving the operator a blank canvas on which to present their culinary creation properly. This year’s winning and honorable mention entries accomplished that and more. With that, we invite you to take a look at 14 tabletops that are setting the standards for the foodservice industry across five categories.

FE&S would like to thank this year’s judges for our annual Tabletop Performance Awards: George Macht, CHA, CFE, FMP, professor, Hotel/Motel Management, Foodservice Administration, Beverage Management and Culinary Arts/Pastry Arts, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; Peter Schonman, corporate executive chef, Biaggi’s, Bloomington, Ill.; and Dennis Semro, principal, Page & Semro Marketing, Bloomingdale, Ill.

FIRST PLACE WINNERS

Virtues Restaurant
Akron, Ohio

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Category: Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of less than $30

Specifiers: Anne Ladd, tabletop specialist, S.S. Kemp & Co., Cleveland; Don Smith, director of Food and Nutrition, and Chef Tony Mohseninia, Virtues

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (Neo specialty plate; Monaco plates, mugs and bowls; Simplicity pizza plate; Natural Expressions cups and saucers)
Flatware: Walco (Ultra)
Glassware: Libbey (Endeavor)
Accessories: American Metalcraft (bread basket and tiered serving tray); Vollrath (salt & pepper shaker, and Triennium water pitcher and teapot)

Why It Won: The furniture, china and all the other elements tie into the overall color scheme making this a contemporary but not necessarily cutting-edge setup, which our judges believe will extend the overall lifespan of the tabletop. The tabletop features lots of space, making it feel more attractive instead of cluttered. Visually, the lamp base, salt & pepper shakers and other elements all flow together.

Andrews Restaurant
Delafield Hotel Delafield, Wis.

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Category: Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of more than $30

Specifiers: Nancy Barber, sales rep, The Boelter Companies, Milwaukee; Andy Ruggeri, Andrews/Delafield Hotel

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (Antoinette)
Flatware: Allied Buying Group (Marseilles)
Glassware: Libbey (Ahlure)
Accessories: Hollowick (Tenlight Crystal); Candle Lamp Co. (Licorice Amber, and Amber Shade); Tablecraft (salt & pepper shaker); Snap Drake (Sequal Almond)

Why It Won: This very elegant tabletop features stemware that balances well with the china allowing everything to flow, according to our judges. The surrounding furnishings also enhance this traditional setting.

St. Mary’s of the Woods
Franciscan Communities Avon, Ohio

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Category: On-Site Foodservice

Specifiers: Bob Butler, sales rep, and Anne Ladd, tabletop specialist, S.S. Kemp & Co., Cleveland; Executive Director Janet Harst and Chef Tom Steinmetz, St. Mary’s of the Woods

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (Antoinette plates, ups, bowls and saucers)
Flatware: Walco (Contineo)
Glassware: Cardinal (Lancer, Cabernet and Artic)
Accessories: Steelite (Antoinette tea- and coffeepot, creamer and sugar bowl); Cardinal (Palmera footed dessert); Libbey (Summit salt & pepper, and Winchester sugar caddy)

Why It Won: Our judges feel this is a very elegant tabletop that gives residents the sense of going out to dinner or visiting someone’s home. The gold napkin color and table lamp tie in with the china’s accent color and the rest of the elements to create a tabletop that our judges described as “brilliant, spectacular and shining.”

The Willow Room
Belle Vernon, Pa.

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Category: Catering/Banquet Facility

Specifiers: Anne Ladd, tabletop specialist, S.S. Kemp & Co., Cleveland and Pittsburgh; Chef Adam Gooch and Christina Tomich, banquet manager, The Willow Room

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (Piccadilly)
Flatware: Bon Chef Silver (Sombrero)
Glassware: Libbey (Teardrop and Perception)
Accessories: Steelite (Monaco creamer and sauce boat)

Why It Won: The room has an overall cohesive look and the tabletop ties into that nicely. The tabletop avoids looking too cluttered or crowded, allowing the china to “leap off the table,” according to our judges. And the functionality of the china meshes well with the style of service common to banquet halls.

Belle Haven Country Club
Alexandria, Va.

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Category: Club/Resort

Specifiers: Rick Snyder, account manager, Singer Equipment Corp., Elverson, Pa.; Colin Mack-Allen, club house manager, and David Tyson, general manager, Belle Haven Country Club; Carl Mancini, manufacturers’ rep, Mancini Associates; Frank Mascetti, manufacturers’ rep, Key Impact Sales; Barry Trevor, manufacturers’ rep, Settables

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Pickard (Custom) and Oneida (Vision)
Flatware: World Tableware (Kings)
Glassware: Cardinal (Cabernet)

Why It Won: Our judges described this beautiful tabletop by saying it is exactly what you would want in a country club setting: elegant, classy and nothing bawdy. The well-thought out napkin placement allows the logo plate to “pop.” The logo plate’s gold rim also fits well in this environment. Our judges feel the rose in the centerpiece does a good job of connecting with the color of the surrounding walls.

HONORABLE MENTION

TAZA
Woodmere, Ohio

Category: Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of less than $30

Specifiers: Julie Kennett, sales representative, S.S. Kemp & Co., Cleveland; Faddy Chamoun, owner, TAZA

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Fortessa (plate and bowl); American Metalcraft (rectangular white platter); Steelite (Creations glass tray; Simplicity white cup; Slimline soup stand); S.S. Kemp (Jocelyn oval platter); Churchill (Alchemy rimmed oval dish, 13_ and No. 6; large Eclipse dish; Equation shield pasta plate and squared soup plate; X Squared square bowl and oblong plate; Espresso cup and saucer)
Flatware: Oneida (Verdi Sant’Andrea coffee spoon, dessert fork, dessert spoon, soup spoon, and dinner knife and fork)
Glassware: Libbey (Inverness 12-oz. beverage, 9-oz. rocks, 16-oz. cooler and 12-oz. teardrop goblet)
Accessories: Hollowick (votive lamp); Churchhill (Andringham jug creamer, and Sandringham sugar packet holder); Vollrath (Triennium-Satin coffeepot); Leeds (combination salt & pepper mill); Willow Specialties (oval poly basket)

Worth Mentioning: Our judges like the diversity of the china and the fact that no two pieces seem to look the same. The silverware gives off an appearance of being big and weighty, drawing kudos from the judges, too. Overall, the facility features good colors that blend nicely with the tile behind the bar to give the facility a certain texture.

Frickers
Fremont, Ohio

Category: Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of less than $30

Specifiers: Bob Hatton, account manager, The Wasserstrom Co., Columbus, Ohio; Cris D’Andrea, operations manager, and Ray Frick, owner, Frickers

Winning Elements
Chinaware: G.E.T. (6” and 9” custom bowls, 7.5” plate, 9.5” x 7.25” and 11.25” x 7.75” platter); Cardinal (7.5” ROC plate)
Flatware: World Tableware (Dominion)
Glassware: Anchor (Custom 16-oz. and 22-oz. shaker/beer and New Orleans)
Accessories: Pronto Products (Custom table caddy)

Worth Mentioning: The use of color plates blends nicely with the overall atmosphere and the items selected are well-suited for their application, according to our judges.

Copper Blue
Chicago, Ill.

Category: Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of more than $30

Specifiers: Michael Gold, key accounts manager, Edward Don & Co., North Riverside, Ill.; Michael Tsontan, Copper Blue

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (O! Luna Lunar deep and concave plate, Solar plate, large and small Eclipse plate, Spume container; OLA salad bowl, skewers platter, base plate, snacks platter, boat bowl, Espresso cup and saucer, jug, square plate, Cappuccino cup and saucer, tealight, bread and butter saucer; Creations clear curved square; Solar Nouveau bowl and plate; Monaco plate and Nouveau bowl)

John Palmer’s Bistro 44
Concord, Ohio

Category: Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of more than $30

Specifiers: Tricia A. Lindbloom, CFSP, sales rep, S.S. Kemp & Co., Cleveland; John and Michelle De Joy, John Palmer’s Bistro

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (Vogue Solar plate and saucer; Albalite Monaco plate, low cup and Contour bowl; Monaco Distinction bowl; Creations plate); Oneida (Spectra plate)
Flatware: Walco (Iron Stone 5-piece place setting, demitasse spoon and butter knife; steak knife); World Tableware (Pesce cocktail fork)
Glassware: Cardinal (Cervoise goblet; Shetland highball and Old Fashioned; Cabernet brandy; Vandome martini); Steelite (Artist burgundy, white wine, flute and port)
Accessories: Tablecraft (Ponticella oil and vinegar); Service Ideas (wine chiller); Vollrath (Triennium-Satin coffeepot, creamer and covered sugar); American Metalcraft (Space/Time Continuum basket); Chef Specialties (Westin salt & pepper set); Crate & Barrel (matte aluminum wine coaster); Artex Linen (Alliance Sandalwood)

Worth Mentioning: The different plates for the different menu items make for a visually appealing tabletop. The wood tables blend well with the multiple pieces of china and eliminate the need for tablecloths by keeping the atmosphere more casual.

Virtues Restaurant
Akron, Ohio

Category: On-Site Foodservice

Specifiers: Anne Ladd, tabletop specialist, S.S. Kemp & Co., Cleveland; Don Smith, director of Food and Nutrition, and Chef Tony Mohseninia

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Steelite (Neo-specialty plate; Monaco plates, mugs and bowls; Simplicity pizza plate; Natural Expressions cups and saucers)
Flatware: Walco (Ultra)
Glassware: Libbey (Endeavor)
Accessories: American Metalcraft (breadbasket and tiered serving tray); Vollrath (salt & pepper shaker, and Triennium water pitcher and teapot)

Worth Mentioning: The china nicely accents the room, brightening up its subdued color, according to our judges. The ensemble naturally draws the eye through all of the elements, which brings focus to the center of the table.

Meadow Ridge at Willow Valley
Lancaster, Pa.

Category: On-Site Foodservice

Specifiers: Jeff Mellinger, sales representative, Singer Equipment Co., Elverson, Pa.; Sharon Habanec, assistant director of dining services, Mark Olszewski, director of dining services, and Mark Siems, dining services manager, Meadow Ridge

Chinaware: Syracuse (Baroque)
Flatware: Oneida (Julliard)
Glassware: Libbey (Teardrop)
Accessories: Sterno Group (table lamps); Tablecraft (salt & pepper); Libbey (Winchester sugar holder); Cardinal (Fleur salad plate)

Worth Mentioning: The pattern makes the china look thinner and perhaps a little more elegant and does a good job of tying the entire room together. Our judges also liked the accents the lampshade and napkins provide.

Sarasota Catering Co.
Sarasota, Fla.

Category: Catering/Banquet Facility

Specifiers: Melissa Price, sales rep, Edward Don & Co., Sarasota, Fla.; Lance Thompsen and Linda Turner, owners, Sarasota Catering

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Villeroy & Boch (Bella dinner plate, salad plate, bread and butter plate, coffee cup and saucer)
Flatware: IMCO (Adonis teaspoon, tablespoon, salad fork, European dinner fork, and dinner knife)
Glassware: Cardinal (Cabernet 16-oz. iced beverage/beer, 16-oz. tall wine and 20-oz. balloon wine)
Accessories: Artex (120” round Ivory linens and Ivory napkins); Falcon (Chiavari Natural Wood chairs with Ivory Pads); King Arthur (60” round tables)

Worth Mentioning: The elegant, uncluttered look ties in well with the rest of the room. This classic tabletop has a good visual flow that leads the guest’s eye to the center area, which is well-used and conversation friendly. This helps create an atmosphere that is welcoming and inviting and not intimidating.

Café Zuzu at Hotel Valley Ho
Scottsdale, Ariz.

Category: Club/Resort

Specifiers: Alexa Kinney, sales consultant/owner, R.W. Smith & Co., San Diego; Executive Chef Chuck Wiley, Café Zuzu and Hotel Valley Ho

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Churchill (Alchemy custom oval 13” and 11”, custom mug, oval bowl, oval pasta bowl, square bowl, ramekin, 8” and 10” oval cook ‘n serve, and 7” round cook ‘n serve); Staub (round cocette and oval roaster); Villeroy & Boch (Groovy dessert plate); Steelite (liquid sugar jug)
Flatware: Corby Hall (Opra dinner fork, dinner knife, tablespoon, teaspoon, soup spoon, icedtea spoon and demitasse spoon)
Glassware: Libbey (Duratuff water, iced tea and juice); Cardinal (Cabernet wine)
Accessories: Tablecraft (satin vase)

Worth Mentioning: Polka-dotted plates and cups give the tabletop a retro feel, according to our judges. They also like the large wood grain on the tabletops, which seems to complement the plates.

The Club at Olde Stone
Alvaton, Ky.

Category: Club/Resort

Specifiers: Brock Bodart, vice president, Dykes Restaurant Supply, Brentwood, Tenn.; Larry Morrow, manager, The Club at Olde Stone

Winning Elements
Chinaware: Churchill (Alchemy logo charger and plate, salad plate, bread and butter plate, saucer, elegant cup, mug and rim soup bowl; X-Squared square plate and bowl)
Flatware: Oneida (Astragal dinner knife, pastry fork, cocktail fork, dinner fork, butter knife, bouillon spoon, dessert spoon and iced tea spoon); Walco (steak knife)
Glassware: Wine Star (red and white wine glasses and champagne flute); Cardinal (Cabernet martini and beer glasses; Mendicino brandy, sherry and cordial glasses; Palmier shrimp cocktail/sorbet); Anchor Hocking (Soho highball and Old Fashioned glasses)
Accessories: Churchill (Alchemy mini jug, ramekin, oval dish, rectangular dish and oval pasta bowl); Cardinal (Lude large and small ashtray); Walco (Soprano sugar bowl without lid, 5-oz. creamer without lid, 12-oz. creamer); Orion (copper hammered charger and napkin ring); Tablecraft (Abbey salt & pepper shaker)

Worth Mentioning: This club’s classy interior connects well with the tabletop’s elegant look. The tinted water glass reflects well and the flowerpot complements the base table and other elements. Our judges also feel the rectangular olive dish represents a nice and unusual touch.