Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal

Venue: Santorini Taverna

City Pages' food editor Rachel Hutton reviews Santorini, the Greek restaurant that made its home in St. Louis Park for years before recently moving to Eden Prairie. (The owners are thinking of building a hotel on the old property.) She gives the food a good review, but her description of the packed house is what I find intriguing. I've had several conversations with people lately about the restaurants around town, and we keep saying the same thing: "What recession?" I've recently been to a packed Vincent in Minneapolis and a packed McCoy's in St. Louis Park. My hair stylist was at a packed Zelo two weeks ago.

As a side note, after looking closer at Santorini's menu and Web site, I found they have three private rooms for special events, holding anywhere from 25 to 80 people. On their menu they also boast room for up to 300, which I think means you can rent the entire place, perhaps? The restaurant also offers off-site catering. And if Greek food isn't your thing (though all the authentic food looks quite yummy), the restaurant offers burgers and salads as well. Another cool thing I noticed is that the proceeds of a couple dishes - My Big Fat Greek Platter, Potato Salad, Salata and a burger - benefit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the restaurant's nonprofit community partner. As we all know, partnerships like these can turn out to be quite the win-win situation.

Back to my previous point: What restaurants have you been to that seem to be still bustling during these hard times? Why do you think that is? For us, going out to eat is my family's luxury right now, the one thing we aren't ready to give up yet.

(Photo courtesy of Santorini Taverna)

--Amanda Fretheim Gates   
Managing Editor

Spoonbridge Gets a New Cherry

OK maybe it's not a NEW cherry, but the beloved, iconic sculpture at the Walker Art Center's Minneapolis Sculpture Garden apparently needs some freshening up. After 21 years enduring Minnesota weather, the cherry was plucked from the spoon yesterday and will be stripped of all its paint and coating and refinished until it's good as new. The Walker's blog has a detailed description of the technical process, plus great pictures of the removal on its Flickr page from photographer Cameron Wittig. 

The cherry is expected to return to its perch atop the spoon in early April, but check the Walker blogs for more updates!

--Marni Ginther
Assistant Editor

Photo from the Walker's Flickr page, by Cameron Wittig.

James Beard Awards 2009

The James Beard Foundation announced semifinalists for its 2009 honors. Once again, several Minnesota names made the list in different categories. The list also looks very similar to last year at this time, with a few additions. Nominees will be announced on March 23.

Outstanding Restaurateur
Larry D’Amico and Richard D’Amico, D’Amico & Partners, Minneapolis

Outstanding Restaurant
Lucia’s Restaurant, Minneapolis

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Justin Schoville, Söntés, Rochester
Sameh Wadi, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Minneapolis

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Khanh Tran, Cosmos, Minneapolis

Outstanding Wine Service
La Belle Vie, Minneapolis

Best Chef Midwest
Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, Minneapolis
Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, Minneapolis
Scott Pampuch, Corner Table, Minneapolis
Alexander Roberts, Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis
Lenny Russo, Heartland, St. Paul
Stewart Woodman, Heidi’s Minneapolis

Good luck everyone!

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

"Doing More With Less" at ISES Monthly Program

I just got back from the subtly Mardi Gras-themed ISES monthly program at the United Way downtown with Managing Editor Amanda Fretheim-Gates. What a great speaker panel, meal and general networking opportunity! I got to meet several folks in person who I had talked to over the phone for stories in our upcoming spring issue, as well as the ever-helpful ISES media contacts, Paula and Lynn. The Cajun-style meal was super tasty, just a teensy bit spicy and was plated on lovely green table settings by Après.  

The program topic, “Doing More With Less in 2009” was definitely timely and pertinent to things I’ve been covering for the magazine. However, the main takeaway for me wasn’t necessarily the wealth of tips on doing more with less (although they were great). The main thing I’ll remember is the generally positive vibe in the room and in the comments people made. The attitude was summed up well by panelist Julie Orlando of the Salvation Army: “The challenge and the opportunity are one and the same.”

Martin Bastian Speaker Series

I just got back from the sixth speaker event that Martin Bastian Productions has put on in the last couple of years. It took place at the W-Foshay, in the second floor event space. It featured Gen Y and all-around business expert Peter Sheahan, and keynote and event facilitator Joe Calloway. Martin Bastian orchestrates these events for their clients - those people who want to test drive a speaker before actually hiring them for their own event. It's also a way to discover new ways to use speakers, other than talking heads that just fill spots in the conference lineup. You'll learn more about what Martin Bastian can do in our spring issue, coming out in April.

Here's what I liked about today's event:

+ The space. The W event space is very nice. The extra touches like the fun coasters and water on the tables were cool, and I especially liked the little toy they gave everyone to play with. I'm one of those people who likes to keep their hands moving while sitting and listening to someone talk. (This doesn't mean I'm not paying attention.) Usually I doodle on my notepad. Today I had the little toy to keep my hands busy, and I could keep my eyes up on the stage.

+ The time of day. The event went from 7:30 to 10 a.m. You don't feel like your whole day is gone, yet you feel like you started off the day by learning a little something, and meeting some new people.

+ The speakers. Peter Sheahan was engaging, energetic, hilarious - all with a lovely Australian accent to boot. And while he talked at us for 45 minutes, he asked questions to keep us engaged. And then...

+ The structure. Once Sheahan was done speaking, it wasn't over. Calloway came up, they sat on stools and had a mini discussion about what he just talked about. Calloway asked questions, took questions from the audience, and we didn't feel like what we had just learned was going to be pushed out with completely different and new information.

+ Facilitation. While facilitating the event, Calloway also kept us engaged. He demonstrated different ways to hold discusions: Q & A, panel, video, etc. I think this is a very interesting and relevant way to lead a day of speakers, breakouts, and so on.

Overall, a very well-put-together morning, which was quick, to the point and full of valuable information. Martin Bastian's next event takes place on June 11 (yay summer!) at the Dakota. I'll keep you posted on the details.

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

A Look Ahead: St. Paul by 2015

St. Paul released its vision for 2015 this week, so to piggyback off my post on Friday about Minneapolis, I thought I'd highlight some of the interesting initiatives in this report.

+ Construction for the Central Corridor (new light rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul, with 15 stops) is set to begin next year, with completion in 2014.

+ The light rail will in turn require the revitalization of two important stops in downtown - 4th & Cedar and Union Station - where some tens of thousands of workers and visitors will get on and off the train each year.

+ This year, the city will start redeveloping the Seven Corners area with a state-of-the-art community ice rink, wider sidewalks for a "main street feel," street-level retail and restaurants and a proposed museum.

+ Development of the Penfield site (Minnesota and 11th streets) will bring in more than 200 apartments, a 167-room Hyatt and commercial retail space, including Lund's Grocery Store.

+ Replacement of the Lafayette Bridge will begin in 2011, with completion in 2014. The mission of the new bridge is to make it easier for neighboring communities to connect to downtown, and vice versa.

+ At the site of the former adult detention center, the city is looking at developing the riverfront with an office tower, a convention hotel and housing, to the tune of $200 million.

+ Down the river, Xcel Energy is looking to develop an old plant into green space that the surrounding neighborhoods can enjoy. Set to break ground in 2010.

+ Across the river from downtown, the West Side Flats development is still in the works.

The city has already invested $3 billion in downtown and surrounding areas since 1998. Another fact: 18,000 new jobs and nine new office buildings have been added to downtown St. Paul in the past 11 years. To download the 2015 report, go here.

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

A Look Ahead: Conventions in Minneapolis, Welcome International Visitors, Melvin Tennant on KSTP

Today I'm reading Meet Minneapolis' 2009 Sales & Marketing Plan, trying to stay ahead of the game on initiatives, upcoming events and news in the Twin Cities. Here are a few points I found particularly interesting:

+ Upcoming events include:
NCAA Men's Basketball Championships (1st & 2nd Rounds), March: 25,000 attendees
National Art Education Association, April: 4,200 attendees
American Planning Association, April: 5,500 attendees
International Reading Association, May: 10,000 attendees
Lion's Club International, July: 20,000 attendees
National Society of Hispanic MBAs, October: 6,000 attendees

Some 80,000 people - and I'm sure more to come? That sounds like a good year to me!

+ Due to the lifting of some travel restrictions, Chinese and Korean citizens will have an easier time entering the U.S., and in turn Minnesota. Northwest Airlines serves both countries through its Tokyo Narita hub, with nonstop flights to MSP. NWA will also start a new service in 2010 from Beijing to Seattle to MSP. Very cool.

+ Meet Minneapolis just tweeted (follow us on Twitter @MeetingsMHJ) that CEO Melvin Tennant will appear on KSTP today to talk about the current state of the meeting and convention business. Tune in!

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Book Review: Five-Star Mystery Series

I'm a big mystery lover, so when Woodbury-based Midnight Ink sent me three books by Daniel Edward Craig (not the "James Bond" Daniel Craig) about murder mysteries at hotels, I knew I had to take a look. And I was pleasantly surprised.

While Craig may be new to the mystery genre, hotels are old hat. Canadian Craig began working in the industry in 1987 and has now worked for 10 luxury hotels across Canada. Most recently Craig served as vice president and general manager of Opus Hotel in Montreal. He also served as GM for Opus Vancouver.

So far Craig has produced three books in his "Five-Star Mystery Series," all featuring hotelier Trevor Lambert. His most recent, Murder at Graverly Manor, hits shelves this April.

NCBTA Meeting: Keynote Speaker Peter Greenberg

Today I attended the monthly North Central Business Travel Association meeting at the Holiday Inn Select International Airport. The keynote speaker was Peter Greenberg, author, travel guru and regular on NBC's Today Show, CNBC, MSNBC, Oprah and so on. Greenberg took to heart who he was speaking to - a group of travel and meeting executives - as he ripped into the airline, airport, cruise and rental car industries. I found him engaging and humorous. As a journalist who has been covering the airline and travel industry for decades, he knew what he was talking about and he was passionate about it, too. A few points:

+ The FAA treats airlines like customers, when they should be regulating them.

+ Airplanes have better technology than those air traffic controllers do on the ground.

+ In reality, airports should only allow 20 planes to take off in an hour (due to a required 3 minutes between takeoffs), however most airports schedule twice that in an hour. No wonder they're frequently behind schedule.

+ More high-speed rail would help the air traffic situation. If someone were to get on the shuttle from DC to NYC at the same time as someone was to take a flight for that route, the train would win.

+ Southwest hasn't added a new hub in more than three years, so the fact that it's coming to MSP is a big deal and we should see other airlines' fares to Chicago drop.

+ In response to US Air's $2 charge for water, he said, "Airlines are nickel and diming their way out of business because they're trying to stay competitive... But, if you can't define your brand, you can't justify your rates."

+ France set up a de-icing station at the end of its runway where every plane, before it takes off, gets de-iced. This saves time, money and fuel. Why don't we do that here?

+ Start bringing out those portable stairs more often, because we're all tired of sitting on the runway waiting for gates to open.

+ The current economic crisis is related to air and travel, yet not one part of the stimulus plan focuses on air and travel.

+ Rental car companies are losing big bucks because they make their money from resale - selling their cars as used after 5,000 or so miles. If we're not buying cars, they can't sell. AVIS stock last year was at $18/share. This year: $0.76/share.

+ He called out the TSA (His definition: "Thousands Standing Around" or "Taking Away Scissors") for all the security measures that are only in place to make those who rarely travel feel better. He said, while only 2 percent of the 40 percent of cargo crates that come into LA are searched, the TSA will take your mother's moisturizer.

Very fun meeting. What do you think of his points?

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Food Drive Success

During our State of the Industry event last week, we collected donations for Second Harvest Heartland. (Also, during the week prior, we opened up the food drive to employees of our company, Greenspring Media Group.) I just dropped the donations off this morning at Second Harvest's NE Minneapolis Food Bank location.

Total items donated = 48 pounds
Total monetary donation = $92

If we tabulate by Second Harvest's rule of "for every $1 they can provide $9 worth of groceries to those in need," that means with just the monetary donation, we raised an equivalent of $828 worth of groceries.

Thanks to everyone who contributed!

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor