Proud to announce an exciting event taking place for one of our clients this weekend:
“THE WORLD’S FASTEST POWERBOAT- AL COPELAND JR.’S ‘PHENOMENON’-SET TO MAKE A SPLASH AT THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS GAME ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2009″

“A Father’s Dream is Fulfilled by His Son; Famed New Orleans Restaurateur Al Copeland Jr. Creates History With the Unveiling of ‘Phenomenon’ for the First Time to the New Orleans Community

NEW ORLEANS, LA (December 19, 2009) — Speed on the water will hit the New Orleans Superdome this Saturday, December 19, 2009 when Al Copeland Jr. unveils ‘Phenomenon,’ a four year, multi-million dollar vessel that was built for one reason: to break the world’s propeller speedboat record. ‘Phenomenon’ is a 56-foot long, 13-and-a-half foot wide boat, with four turbine engines and 11,000 horsepower that was created by an all-star design team that includes engineers from Boeing, former U.S. Naval architects and world class professional power boat builders.

Beginning at 4:00PM on Saturday, December 19th, ‘Phenomenon’ will be located on the median at the intersection of Poydras St. and LaSalle St. near Gate A of the Superdome and will remain there for the majority of the New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys game. The significance of unveiling ‘Phenomenon’ at the New Orleans Saints game is deeply rooted in the southern community. Showcasing ‘Phenomenon’ at the Superdome is an initiative that brings together two New Orleans icons- Copeland’s and the Saints.

The late Al Copeland Sr. began working on the prototypical boat ‘Phenomenon’ and unfortunately, about two years into the project, Al Copeland Sr. was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), an aggressive cancer that took his life in March of 2008. After his untimely passing his family decided to fulfill his goals and wishes. “During Thanksgiving of 2007, my father Al Copeland Sr. had two goals he wanted to accomplish: one to find a cure for Merkel Cell Carcinoma, the rare cancer that took his life, and two, to complete the prototypical boat that would set the world record for speed. My father would be truly proud to see his blueprint come to life,” said Al Copeland Jr.

Not only will all football fans be able to see ‘Phenomenon’ firsthand at the Superdome, they will be able to experience the ultimate thrill of offshore racing with an animated race during the second quarter of the game. Boats representing all of the different Copeland’s restaurants- Copeland’s of New Orleans, Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro and Copeland’s Social City, will race against ‘Phenomenon.’ Fans will win a free appetizer at the winning boat’s restaurant location.

As a partner of the New Orleans Saints from 2009-2011, all four Superdome Club lounges serve mouthwatering selections from Copeland’s restaurants that have become synonymous with the taste of the great city.

Al Copeland Jr. will attempt to break the world record for power boat racing in January 2010 in Sarasota, Florida.

For more information, please log onto www.copelandsphenomenon.com.”

Best of luck from the entire Goodwin team, and what a great cause!

Much thanks to Allison Fitzsimmons of Al Copelands Investments for her contribution to this article.

A favorite from our Director of Training, Jessica Diamond:

Pancake Mix (makes one gallon, can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days):
1 ¼ lb. All Purpose Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/4 t. Iodized Salt
1 qt. Buttermilk
½ c. Vegetable or Canola Oil
2 Eggs

Pumpkin Mix:
1 Small Pumpkin
6 oz. Butter
1 ½ c. Brown Sugar
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 T Vanilla
½ t. Nutmeg

Grated Orange Zest:
1 c. Orange Juice
1 c. Grand Marnier

Using pumpkin, cut off the top, peel off the skin and scoop out the seeds (save for later). After dicing the pumpkin meat, cook down with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla and nutmeg by sautéing over medium heat. As the pumpkin breaks down, add the orange zest, orange juice, and Grand Marnier. Be sure to use a wooden spoon when preparing this part of the recipe, which will be ready when it looks like a slightly chunky puree.

Chill both the pancake mix and the pumpkin mix to the same temperature.

Slowly blend about half of the pumpkin mix into the pancake mix until it is slightly lighter in color than the original pumpkin. Finally, fold in about 1 ½ c. ricotta cheese.

Use final batter to prepare pancakes on griddle.

Another great recipe from one of our team members, Chris Konczak:

Ingredients:
4 each, 6 ounce tuna steaks (Sushi Grade)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons lime juice, FRESH
1 each – lime, cut in wedges
As Needed – Black Pepper, Freshly Ground

FOR THE SAUCE:
In large sauté pan, add butter, ginger, garlic & 1/2 of the cilantro. Sauté until fragrant. (About one minute)
Mix in mushrooms, Green Onions, Lime Juice and soy sauce. Simmer for 1 minute.
Add whipping cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by 1/3 and coats the back of a spoon.

FOR THE TUNA:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle one side of tuna steaks with fresh black pepper and sear in hot oil (about 2 minutes per side for medium).

Plate the tuna steak, peppered side up, and ladle sauce over tuna.
Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

This recipe comes from one of our team members, Jenny Battershell. It’s an affordable, simple recipe that becomes an instant favorite of anyone who tries it! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 boxes Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans Tuna Fish
1 stick of butter or margarine
1/4 cup Milk

Directions:
Make the Kraft Macaroni noodles as directed on the box. Strain. Mix cooked noodles, 2 pouches Kraft Cheese Mix (from the Macaroni boxes), Cream of Mushroom Soup, Tuna Fish (drain and flake with a fork), Butter, and Milk. Pour into a 9×13″ baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (until slightly browned on top). Makes 6 servings.

A New Jersey bill is underway that might require restaurants to print their food calorie counts right on their menu’s: Take a look

A great way for customers to know how many calories they’re putting into their bodies, but will this drop business for some of these restaurants? Let us know your views.

Congratulations to Rob Goebel, our October manager of the month! Rob has been with our company for five years, and is a tremendous asset to our overall operations. It’s a pleasure to have you on our team. Thank you for all of your hard work and excellent results!

Looking to get your kids off the couch and away from all those video games? Then Monkey Joe’s is the place for you! Take a look at our quick Q&A to find out why both you and your kids will love it!

Q: What makes Monkey Joe’s different from the competition?
A: Monkey Joe’s has committed to full inflatable sanitation on a weekly basis, making it a cleaner environment than public playgrounds, schools, daycare’s and amusement parks. Swisher applies an OSHA-approved, FDA-certified solution that is completely safe for human contact but that is lethal to more than 99.9 percent of commonly encountered germs. The formulation has been engineered to deliver residual germ-killing power for a minimum of seven days, ensuring Monkey Joe’s is effectively covered from one weekly service to the next. Also, most competitors require an appointment to play at their facilities, but Monkey Joe’s offers the ability to walk in at anytime to the facility and enjoy the inflatables-filled play center.

Q: Do you have any fun deals you’re currently running that we can let your customers know about?
A: Currently, Monkey Joe’s is gearing up for the holiday season, and what better gift than the gift of fun, exercise and entertainment with a Monkey Joe’s frequent user card. While video games, toys and clothes are all great gifts, a Monkey Joe’s frequent user card is the gift that keeps on giving…at least 10 times! Prices vary at each location.

Q: How did your company begin – how did it all get started?
A: In 2005, realizing that many of its concepts shared a common appeal among children, Raving Brands decided a brand named Jumpin’ Joe’s that catered to the energies and spirits of children of all ages, would be a “Choice” addition to its portfolio of restaurant concepts. With an injection of brand energy, Raving Brands relaunched a Buckhead, Georgia concept into Monkey Joe’s, a franchise friendly concept that would offer a new breed of franchisees the opportunity to launch a career in franchising or for existing franchisees, the chance to expand or diversify their own portfolios. Its concentrated hours and ease of operation would become an appealing franchising option where every families gather and kids roam. Now with over 40 locations, Monkey Joe’s continues to grow throughout the United States.

Q: What words of wisdom would you give to our readers?
A: Monkey Joe’s is a high energy entertainment facility that promotes physical activity in a safe and clean environment. According to The Obesity Society, the number of overweight children, in America, has doubled in the last 30 years; it is estimated that one in five children is obese. One of the top causes of obesity is the lack of physical activity. The average child needs 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity a day, but instead of playing tag or bicycling, many children engage in sedentary activity such as watching TV and playing video games. On average, children watch approximately three hours of television a day, and spend around five and a half hours on all forms of media including the computer and video games. Studies also show that physically active children do better in the classroom. It is important to remember that activity doesn’t have to be a structured fitness program. Monkey Joe’s offers a fun way for children to remain physically active.

Q: What’s the one thing on your menu that customers can’t afford to miss?
A: Birthday parties. Monkey Joe’s offers an all inclusive party package that includes rental of a private party room for two full hours, drinks, paper plates, cups, napkins, forks, spoons, table cloth, and invitations. Pizza, ice cream, balloons and goodie bags can be added as well.

To find a Monkey Joe’s near you: Monkey Joe’s

And to keep track of what’s new with Monkey Joe’s, follow them on facebook!

Thank you to Valerie Anderson and Shonna Lester for contributing to this article.

Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Networking sites are popping up all over the place – are you taking part? We’d love for you to join us on our facebook and twitter pages, and keep updated with what’s happening with the Goodwin Family.

If you haven’t tried Elevation Burger yet, you’re missing out! We were lucky enough to find out a little more about what makes this Burger Joint stand out from the crowd. Take a look for yourselves;

Q: What makes Elevation Burger different from the competition?
A: All of our beef burgers are made from 100% grass-fed, free range, USDA-certified organic beef that is ground fresh on the premises. We offer two different kinds of vegan and veggie burgers. We fry our fresh cut French fries in 100% olive oil. We offer hand scooped milkshakes made from milk which is free of harmful chemicals and hormones.

Q: Do you have any fun deals you’re currently running that we can let your customers know about?
A: We always offer our “Club 7” loyalty program, whereby guests earn a free patty after the purchase of 7 patties. Currently we’re also gearing up for our first annual Halloween event, where we’re offering free small special Halloween recipe shakes to kids in costume.

Q: How did your company begin – how did it all get started?
A: Our founder and CEO, Hans Hess, started the concept in 2005. He’s a longtime burger aficionado, and he also happens to be a believer in doing business right: i.e., treating employees well, providing an exceedingly high level of customer service, and taking responsibility for one’s impacts on the environment. Elevation Burger [EB] is very much about each of these things. We offer a product of the highest quality, we do it with people in mind (both employees and guests), as well as doing so in an environmentally friendly way. Hans was a real estate consultant prior to starting the business. He simply saw such a need in the market for a business like EB that he quit his job to start it, along with his wife April and nephew Cord Thomas. Last spring, Michael and Chris joined the company, and became partners last fall.

Q: What words of wisdom would you give to our readers?
A: Look into the radical differences between corn fed and grass fed beef. Not only is a grass-fed upbringing far more humane to the cattle than corn-fed, the nutritional profile of grass-fed beef makes for a much healthier red meat eating experience. It has substantially less saturated fat (i.e., the bad kind) than conventional grain-fed beef, and it’s also packed with more nutrients of various types, as the cows are fed a more natural and diverse diet of grasses, rather than unnatural corn (cows only eat corn when forced to do so by industry; it’s not what they would eat left to their own devises).

Q: What’s the one thing on your menu that customers can’t afford to miss?
A: The Elevation Burger. Our signature sandwich has two 3.2 oz 100% grass-fed, free-range, USDA-certified organic beef patties, and two slices of real, unprocessed cheddar.

Find an Elevation Burger near you at www.elevationburger.com. And if you’d care to follow them on the web, check out their facebook page!

Much thanks to Chris Lambert and Michael Berger of Elevation Burger for contributing to this article.

Looking for a restaurant that’s too good to miss? Well if you’re in the Boston area, we have the place for you. Check out “Locke-Ober” (http://www.lockeober.com/index.htm) for delicious cocktails, mouth-watering food, and a great time!

Monthly Classic Cocktail Hours will be taking place now through the holiday season. And if you join their email list, these Cocktail Hours are complimentary!

First Classic Cocktail: Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 – 5:30pm

For more information: http://www.lockeober.com/

Locke-Ober Restaurant
3 Winter Place
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 542-1340