What's Cookin' Today Hour ONE:
We're Taking a Trip to Saugus, MA to Visit With Chef Robert Boudreau and CEO Dennis January From Hill Top Steak House!
In 1961 Frank Giuffrida bought a club in Saugus that he converted into a western-style steakhouse. Over the years Frank became known as the "king of the Hill" serving over three million customers annually. Now over 50 million meals later The Hilltop is still known today for it's generous portions at a great value winning numerous awards.In October 1994, Dick Monfort of High Country Investor, Inc. acquired the assets of the Hilltop in Saugus. Mr Monfort's family business "MONFORT BEEF" supplied the Hilltop its beef needs for over 40 years until the his family business was sold to the large food conglomerate "CONAGRA". Mr Monfort is still active in the beef industry with feeding lots of over 100,000 cattle as well as being on the board of directors of other major food companies.
Since being purchased by High Country Investor, Hilltop continues to be recognized as one of the leading independent restaurants in the Northeast winning such awards as #1 Steakhouse (City search 2003), #2 Independent Restaurant in the country (Restaurant & Institutions Magazine 2002) and many more.
In 1996 Hilltop expanded its business to include five large function rooms for all types of family events and business meetings as well as elegant weddings.The year 2008 brought more recognition when Hilltop was featured on the New England TV program "Chronicle" and the "Travel Channel" as one the three top Steak Houses in the country.
For more info, check out http://www.hilltopsteakhouse.com
Continuing Our Series On Mardi Gras, We're Visiting With Louisiana Winemaker John Seago, Owner of Pontchartrain ("Poncha-train") Vineyards and Winery!
Planting began at Pontchartrain Vineyards’ 40 acre vineyard site north of Covington, in the fall of 1991. The location is approximately 140 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 20 miles north of Lake Pontchartrain in the first hills arising off the flat coastal plain of south Louisiana. The vineyard is approximately 150’ above sea level and has well drained, sandy loam soils from the Savannah and Ruston series of the soils of the upland terraces. Pontchartrain Vineyards, which is a registered trade name of Distinctive Wines of Louisiana, Inc., was formed in 1992.The planting of the first 5.5 acre block was completed in the spring of 1992 and the vineyard’s first harvest resulted in a modest 200 cases of wine from the 1993 vintage. Beginning in the fall of 1994, these 200 cases of wine were marketed exclusively to fine restaurants in New Orleans and on the Northshore.
A 2,400 square foot winery building at the vineyard site was partially completed in time for the 1995 crush which yielded wine production of about 1,500 cases of wine. Most of the 1995 vintage wines were released in the fall of 1996. The winery building was completed in 1996 and that year’s production totaled about 1,800 cases or 4,300 gallons of wine.
In 1997, construction of a French provincial style tasting room and visitors center overlooking the vineyards was completed. Current annual production ranges from approximately 5,000 gallons (2,100 cases) to about 6,900 gallons (2,900 cases) of wine. Pontchartrain Vineyards wines have been awarded over 60 medals (including six (6) Gold medals) in both national and international wine competitions over the last several years, and are well represented in the finer eating establishments and wine stores in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Northshore areas.
In 2004, the winery was honored by the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group out of New York who selected the winery’s 2000 Le Grand Louis Syrah as one of 27 wines from across America to be included in the Undiscovered Gems part of their All-American Wine List. With the exception of the Greater Houston, Texas area, the wines are generally not available outside the state of Louisiana.
Approximately 13 acres of vines are presently under cultivation and producing. The main varieties grown are Blanc Du Bois (white) and Cynthiana/Norton (red). It is anticipated that estate vineyards will eventually account for about 2,800 cases of the winery’s annual production.
For more info, go to http://www.pontchartrainvineyards.com/
What's Cookin' Today Hour TWO:
New York Celebrate Mardi Gras, Too! We're Talking With Cathy Millspaugh From the Cayuga Wine Trail About Their Annual Mardi Gras Event!
Cayuga Wine Trail's Annual Mardi Gras event will be held on March 5 & 6. Attendees will join them for a bit of Irish luck participating in the Scavenger Hunt! The big prize? The infamous Pot of Gold! The fun part of this event is the beads all colors, shapes and sizes. A few beaded shapes reminds us of St. Patty’s day, shamrocks and dollar signs but chili peppers and alligators that squeak are also thrown into the mix. Attendees also receive a wine glass, plus instant gratification, if they're one of the lucky ones to pick the specially marked coin to win exciting prizes at each of the 16 wineries or win the Grand Prizes. At all of the Cayuga Wine Trail's events, wine and food pairings are offered. This event, of course, features a New Orleans cuisine. About the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail: It was the first organized and longest running wine trail in New York, established in 1983. Since then, the Trail has become a model for other wine trails both in New York and around the country. With 15 wineries, one cidery, one meadery, four distilleries, and countless other businesses involved, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail has something for everyone!
We're Back in New Orleans With Fred Sawyers, General Manager of the Hilton New Orleans! Fred will tell us how they celebrate Mardi Gras at the Hilton and he'll give us a tour of their famous Drago's Restaurant!
A 24-year veteran of the hotel industry, Fred Sawyers has been General Manager of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside for the past four years. Prior to his appointment as GM, Fred was Hotel Manager of the 1622-room hotel for two years. When Hurricane Katrina struck, Fred and his team successfully and safely guided 4500 guests and team members through the disaster in the absence of the GM. Prior to New Orleans, Fred spent 7 years in Portland, Oregon, managing the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower and the Doubletree Columbia River/Jantzen Beach. Fred is currently Chair-Elect of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Association, Treasurer of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and past Chairman of the Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association.
Fred lives in New Orleans with his wife Jayme (who also in the hotel industry), two daughters (Sara 3 and Kylee 2) and three cats.
A heartwarming touch to the Katrina story: after years of trying to get pregnant, Jayme was undergoing fertility treatments when Katrina hit – and the clinic was wiped out by the storm. Three months after Katrina, Jayme walked into Fred’s “bombed out” office in the middle of the day and announced “I’m pregnant!” Sara was born the following July.
Today, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside is once again one of the top-producing hotels in for Hilton Worldwide. In 2009, it was among the top 10% most-improved in “Overall Service” scores as measured by guest surveys. It has been named by City Business magazine as one of the “Best Places to Work” in New Orleans for the last four years in a row (the only hotel with that distinction), and has over 240 Team Members who have been here for 15 years or more.
Movie Guy Steve Evans Gives us the Movie Hits and Misses!
Steve Evans, the Movie Guy, is going to tell us what we need to run out and see and what we can avoid in the movie theaters, this week! So, grab your popcorn, folks! Get your movie news and reviews right here on the What's Cookin' Today show! Steve “The Movie Guy” will take a look at what’s hot at the box office and the new films being released this weekend including…
- The Adjustment Bureau - Matt Damon is a politician who discovers a powerful, mysterious group of agents conspiring to keep him from the woman he loves.
- Beastly - Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer star in a hyper-modern retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" tale set in New York City.
- Rango - Johnny Depp stars in an animated comedy about a chameleon who faces an identity crisis when he finds himself in the wild west.
- Take Me Home Tonight - A group of directionless friends struggle with their burgeoning adulthood over the course of one unforgettable night.
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