Len Panaggio, Beverage Consultant
By Len Panaggio
Reminiscing about the summer seems to be the thing to do now that fall has arrived. Looking back, I had a very enjoyable summer dining out at many terrific restaurants across the state and soaking up the beauty of Little Rhody.
When I dine, I prefer sitting at the bars, where I gather a lot of intel to use as content for my column—and boy did I get some content. Regardless of location or type of restaurant, I saw many potential issues that bear discussion for the overall health and safety of customers and staff. Now that the busy summer months are behind us, there is time to address these issues.
Let’s start with the safe handling of bar fruit. Before that knife comes out to section the fruit, make sure that staff is washing and removing the stickers from it. Cutting an unwashed fruit can pull microbes from the skin to the meat of the fruit, leading to potential contamination. I asked many bartenders if they were washing fruit prior to cutting and the answers were very mixed. This is an extra step in a busy bar, but it is necessary. We have all heard about food contamination issues and the negative impact it can cause. Once a protocol is established, it will be second nature.
Next, ensure that the soda gun is clean. This is one of the hardest-working tools behind the bar and, as such, is a veritable petri dish of bacteria. Make sure staff is cleaning it on a regular basis—including the nozzle, which is susceptible to slime buildup. Gross! With all this cleaning, it’s important that the hand sink behind the bar is clear of any utensils or other deterrents so that bar staff can wash their hands frequently.
I constantly see bartenders pick up used glassware with their fingers inside the glass, and because the hand sink is not empty, they don’t wash their hands before making the next guest’s drink. Again, gross! And speaking of glassware, is yours being washed in a dishwasher or by hand in a three-bay sink? If the latter is the case, make sure that staff have the proper chemicals on hand to wash with.
Despite the change in weather, we still need ice and it needs to be clean too! Ice machines are ripe for mold buildup, so they need to be cleaned regularly, especially around the lid where mold grows. Make sure your staff knows to pay attention to that area. Lastly, marrying bottles of liquor onstage is illegal, and while it seems like an efficient and harmless practice to eliminate open bottles of the same product, it does increase the likelihood of cross contamination.
Beyond the bar, I will occasionally sit in the dining room when with friends. I understand there is a shortage of qualified staff, but when ordering an expensive bottle of wine, the wine service should be commensurate with the wine list. If your list has some true rock star labels, the wine should be presented and served properly.
Most of you have premeal meetings every so often, so go over proper wine service. It’s not that time-consuming, and it will go a long way with guests who are ordering $100-plus bottles from your wine list. As a guest, I have demonstrated this to servers and bartenders who had not been taught how to provide good wine service.
Finally, it’s October. How is your inventory of Oktoberfest beer? The window is rapidly closing!
Len Panaggio’s career in food and wine spans more than three decades as an owner and as a beverage director at some of the top restaurants in Rhode Island. Currently a hospitality consultant, Len is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and has attended the Culinary Institute of America Master Sommelier program and the Sterling School of Service and Hospitality.
