Location: Cocoon Urban Day Spa
What You’re Seeing: Steve Rivera (RPR) and Patrick Heig (Citysearch Editor) getting (Man)icures and pedicures at this SOMA Spa. Â Randomly found this little gem of a photo on Yelp.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Ducca Patio | 9:30AM
What You’re Seeing: March Madness kickoff breakfast al Fresco on the Ducca Patio with Jared Rivera, Nick “the announcer” Elliot (Thrillist), Patrick Heig (Citysearch), Demetrius Chapin-Rienzo (Vintage 415, etc), Todd Palmerton (Vintage 415, etc) and Mike G (Bloodhound, Double Dutch, Ambassador).
Swing by Ducca for our March Madness Patio celebration at Ducca- I’m tied for lousy 70/114 (check out our pool) but I don’t feel so bad cause Demetrius is already eliminated. Four 54″ outdoor flat screen televisions on the award winning patio (two located above our heads).
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Bloodhound Barroom
What You’re Seeing: Doug Dalton (Bourbon and Branch, Cask) and Steve Rivera a larking’ over a game of Big Buck Hunter at the soon-to-be opened Bloodhound Bar. Jared Rivera and Nate Valentine giving a rifle cheers even though Nate beat me cattywampus. All y’all best be getting over yonder to the Bloodhound lickety split; it’s fit as a fiddle and you’ll be walking on a slant when ya leave.
*If you didn’t understand a word I just said and you plan to check out the Bloodhound, you might want to brush up on your Southern Slang here.
Click images to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Ever wonder what these chefs, restaurateurs, mixologists, writers/editors and other Industry professionals are doing when they’re not in their restaurants?
Well, we get the privilege of hanging out with them all day, everyday, and thanks to the camera on my phone, you can get a look into some of their extracurricular activities.
I’ve also sprinkled in some random pictures from the field so enjoy our daily postings!
See all of them here.
Location: Hotaling Street
What You’re Seeing: The sign says “No parking any time,” but Adam Snyder’s (Taverna Aventine) wicked overhand right says “Bring it on, ANY time.”
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Sunday (yes, I know Sunday is a “day” but it’s also a location for the 16-weeks of the year we call football season).
What You’re Seeing: Todd Palmerton (Mamacita, Umami, Taverna Aventine, Vintage 415, etc) showing us on just one hand how many wins his Seahawks have this season, and what chance they have of making the playoffs.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Food Affaire
What You’re Seeing: Barry Augus of Tres Agaves, Jared Rivera and Joseph Manzare (I know, could do an entire blog on him, he’s that amazing).
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Rivera Public Relations Home Office
What You’re Seeing: The RPR pups getting some snuggle time in. Not a bad place to work.
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Location: 49ers parking lot
What You’re Seeing: Nate Valentine (Mamacita, Umami, Taverna Aventine, Vintage 415, etc) showing how real men tailgate.
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Location:Â Rivera Public Relations home office
What You’re Seeing: Executive Chef Joseph Manzare (Globe, Zuppa, Hecho, etc) playing a game of Street Fighter II against my brother/business partner Steve.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Designer Michael Guthrie’s office
What You’re Seeing: Midi’s executive chef Michelle Mah and GM Catherine Green work with designer Andrea Wade to pick out material for the restaurant. Yes, executive chefs do more than create a menu and GMs do more than hire/train staff.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Scala’s private dining room
What You’re Seeing: An exclusive first look of an item off executive chef Jen Beisty’s soon-to-debut menu that she prepared as part of a test meal. These are the kind of tests that I like (and that I can pass).
Click image to enlarge, and you MUST see this pic
Location: Tokyo
What You’re Seeing: Me, being hazed by Joseph Manzare, who brought a habenero pepper and several bottles of tequila with him to Tokyo.
That shot in my right hand put that hair in the middle of my chest.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Starbucks
What You’re Seeing: The reason why I stopped going to Starbucks
Location: Guadalajara
What You’re Seeing: Eric Rubin, managing partner of Tres Agaves had a couple extra pesos in his pocket and felt like going horseback riding.
More photos from our trip here.
Location: Michael Guthrie’s office
What You’re Seeing: Talented technician Ha designing a virtual restaurant in under 45-seconds. One of the most bizarre and cool things I’ve seen in this industry.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Swank (opening Wednesday, December 3)
What You’re Seeing: Designer Anthony Laurino walking us through his vision as Dave Hoemann (F+B Director for JDV) and Richard Kass (Swank’s GM) price out the Harvey Wallbanger.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Dosa on Fillmore (opening Friday, Nov. 28)
What You’re Seeing: Owner Anjan Mitra showing what his new walls are going to look like. He’s a pretty happy guy, and you’ll see why in a couple weeks when those walls are up.
Click image to enlarge or check out our video
Taken from: Rivera Public Relations office window
What You’re Seeing: Michelle’s car getting towed. Michelle works at our office and should know not to park on that street ☺
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Hecho
What You’re Seeing: Owner Joseph Manzare trying to find a successful combination of sushi, tequila and that color green.  He will find the balance, I personally know this, and here’s how…
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?
Location: Rivera Public Relations home office
What You’re Seeing: Poleng’s 3-Star, Rising Star Chef Tim Luym facing off against owner/business partner Desi Danganan for Street Fighter II supremacy.
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Location: Lombard Street
What You’re Seeing: Bill Higgins of Real Restaurants (over a dozen amazing restaurants) being kidnapped by a gang of Mariachis, including Todd Palmerton (far end) of Vintage 415.  Let the record show that Bill would voluntarily put the hat on immediately after this photo, and that the Mariachi (that looks like me) had to beg him for it back.
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Location: Chicago
What You’re Seeing: Jamal Blake-Williams, bar manager of Mamacita.  It was Nate’s bachelor party, I guess that’s all I have to say about this shot.
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Location: Beretta Restaurant (opening in a couple days)
What You’re Seeing: Executive Chef Ruggero Gadaldi smiles as he got his brand new pizza oven today. We have a feeling there’s going to be a few good pies coming out of this piece of machinery.
Click image to enlarge. What is Industry In Action?