CHEFMATE
Truffles with a Twist
No doubt that truffles are highly desirable, but the hefty price has made them cost-prohibitive for many chefs. The first-ever truffle zest from Sabatino Tartufi provides the complex, umami-filled flavors of truffles at a more palatable price. More than 40 percent of the truffle zest originates from real black truffles—a rare attribute among other truffle-themed products. $13.99 per pound.
NYDREE FLOORING
Handcrafted, Durable, and Sustainable Flooring
Each plank in the Handcrafted Collection is truly crafted by hand—often by second- and third-generation craftsmen—resulting in a subtle but genuine aesthetic that mass-produced, mechanically aged processes cannot replicate. The Handcrafted Collection consists of real wood and maintains Nydree’s signature acrylic-infused top layer, providing a durable, yet design-driven, flooring option for restaurants. Priced $13 per square foot.
GHIRARDELLI
Fudge On!
Ghirardelli sweetens the appeal of its hot fudge with a new recipe that contains no artificial flavors, no partially hydrogenated fats, and no corn syrup. The new Ghirardelli Hot Fudge blends premium Ghirardelli milk chocolate, real cream, butter, and vanilla together in a bold mélange that finishes with creamy caramel notes. Whether paired with milkshakes, sundaes, frozen yogurt, or luscious hot beverages, Ghirardelli Hot Fudge is the perfect dessert companion. Available in traditional cans, squeeze bottles, and space-saving pouches.
Six 8-pound No.10 cans for $112.12; one dozen 23-ounce squeeze bottles for $49.75; or a case of eight 4.1-pound Hot Fudge Pouches for $73.80.
White Cheddar Lightening
With its convenient heat-and-serve delivery, the ¡Que Bueno! White Cheddar Cheese Sauce is perfect for operators looking to customize signature dips and sauces in fast-paced environments. A creamy blend of 100 percent aged White Cheddar creates the perfect base for creative additives, allowing operators to customize signature dips and sauces, and it can withstand a 4-hour hold time for maximum efficiency and limited waste. Six 106-ounce cans per case, priced to order.
HOMER LAUGHLIN AND HALL CHINA
Storied Dishes
Retro went live in 2015, when the Homer Laughlin China Company introduced 12 dinnerware patterns in whimsical creative designs evoking bygone days of Americana style. This year, the company added four new designs to its Retro line: Jet Spray Maroon and Jet Spray Mocha both featuring a wide, colorful band around the rim, and the Pinwheels (above) and Golden Ambrosia designs, which harken down memory lane with rim motifs of dancing polka dots or geometric stamps. The durable ivory body dinnerware comes with a clear or Arctic White glaze—high-fire, lead-free glazes that offer superior heat retention—and with the company’s heavy-gauge proprietary Alphalain coating that delivers resistance to scratching and chipping. Made in the U.S., all of the dinnerware is lead-free. Priced to order. HOMER LAUGHLIN AND HALL CHINA
NEMO TILE
Vintage Vibes
Traditional subway tile takes on a vintage appeal with the Industry collection, a porcelain stoneware series by Nemo Tile that offers versatility, durability, and urban-chic sophistication. The metropolitan-inspired color palette comes in six matte-glaze options with silky finishes and includes: Petrolio (blue), Lavagna (dark gray), Argilla (medium gray), Cemento (light gray), Gesso (white), and Sabbia (cream). Suitable for floor or wall, the standard 3-inch x 12-inch tile is $4.85 per square foot.
NESTLE PROFESSIONAL
Stir ‘n Serve, Sans the Surry
Easy finishes for signature dishes are quickly prepped with the newly reformulated Trio White Sauce and Cream-Style Soup Mix—a simple pour and stir process, no slurry required. The mix features a cleaner label, an improved flavor profile, and adds a subtle savory seasoning and a creamy texture to white sauces and soups. On the nutritious front, the mix is lacto-vegetarian, contains zero grams of trans fat, and no added MSG. Easy to store with re-closeable packaging, giving chefs the ability to create small and large batches. Priced to order.
GO TO CONTAINERS
Stackable Simplicity
Vulnerable stacks of take-away containers have long plagued servers and customers alike, given the likelihood that these carriers will slide atop each other or become jumbled in a bag. Go To Containers solves that conundrum with a stackable product, the Sani-Stak container, which earned a silver award at the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. Made of eco-friendly materials, Sani-Stak features a nesting system that can lock multiple containers in place, preventing any slippage. Priced $45 to $65 per case of 200.
1812 HOUSE
Bourbon Decadence
From Bourbon-Barrel Maple Syrup to a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Torte, the line of bourbon products from Matthews 1812 House is infused with America’s rich whiskey. The bakery, which started in a Connecticut family farmhouse, produces six dessert selections in the bourbon collection. Priced from $13 to $37.
1812house.com/collections/bourbon
Se Habla Español?
“Sí,” says Homebase, which has launched a Spanish version of its services platform that provides online tools for small business operators, including mobile apps to help manage the paperwork and logistics of scheduling, payroll, and communication for hourly employees. This empowers managers to better engage with Spanish-speaking employees. The basic package is free; essential add-ons are $9.95 per month, per location; and the deluxe package is $29.95 per month, per location.
