One cannot ignore the presence and impact that Stephen Starr has brought to the area's restaurant scene. Mr. Starr owns some 13 noteworthy restaurants in Philadelphia along with two highly successful concepts in New York (Buddakan and Morimoto). His impact continues to be gigantic and has proven to be more than simply opening terrific restaurants. He has contributed some former Starr employees who have quickly graduated to become significant restaurant stars of their own. One of the hottest chefs in America right now has to be Jose Garces who was the executive chef at Starr's El Vez in Philadelphia. Chef Garces went on his own and quickly opened eight highly regarded concepts in Downtown Philadelphia with presumably more to come.

Another rising star would be Chef Michael Schulson who served as executive chef with Starr's Pod in University City (Philadelphia) and at Buddakan in New York. Upon leaving the Starr organization, Chef Shulson joined the celebrity chef line-up (Bobby Flay, Michael Mina, and Wolfgang Puck) at the Borgata as owner and executive chef at the popular, and very successful Izakaya. In 2009 the restaurant was named as one of the Fifty Best New Restaurants in the United States by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

Michael Schulson may or may not be going the route of Stephen Starr and Jose Garces, but in short order he opened Sampan in Philadelphia which coincidentally is across the street from Stephen Starr's El Vez where Jose Garces got his Philadelphia start.

There is a profile of chefs who go the celebrity route, and from what we see, Michael Schulson is well on his way. Keep in mind that this chef opened one of the most successful concepts in the history of concepts in Manhattan when Stephen Starr selected him to become the opening executive chef at Buddakan. In the 2010 (sales figures from 2009) “Top 100 Independent Restaurants of America” from Restaurants & Institutions, Buddakan was listed at #9 with sales of $20,074,469. While we are at it, Parc in Philadelphia was #66 at $11,392,238; Buddakan in Philadelphia was #89 at $10,399,677; the Continental in Philadelphia was #99 at $9,806,813; and Morimoto in New York was #100 at $9,630,494. All of the above, owned and operated by Stephen Starr. Need we say more?

And with all the apparent success in the Restaurant Capital of the world, Michael Shulson chose not to stay. His home, his wife, his child were in Philadelphia and the Borgata represented an tremendous opportunity, so who can argue with him. But New York was very good to Michael and the media responded accordingly with appearances on The Today Show“Martha Stewart Show,” “Live! with Regis and Kelly,” “The View,” “Rachel Ray” and “The Tyra Banks Show” (to name a few).

He is also the creator of a line of upscale Asian prepared foods -
www.AppetizersToGo.com.

A natural television personality, he was also cast for a season-long stint on Discovery Channel’s “Go Ahead, Make My Dinner,” and has appeared on “The Today Show,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” “Live! with Regis and Kelly,” “The View,” “Rachel Ray” and “The Tyra Banks Show.”  He is also the creator of a line of upscale Asian prepared foods through www.AppetizersToGo.com.

Chef Schulson’s interest in food stems from his childhood on Long Island, where he first learned to cook alongside his mother and grandmother.  After high school, he attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he interned with culinary legend David Burke at New York’s Park Avenue Café. Following his graduation, he worked in such acclaimed restaurants as New York’s Peacock Alley in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Philadelphia’s Le Bec Fin, Susanna Foo and Buddakan.

Chef Schulson opened Izakaya joining an all-star roster of chefs at the Borgata including Bobby Flay, Michael Mina and Wolfgang Puck to rave reviews and immense popularity. The restaurant was named one of the “50 Best New U.S. Restaurants, 2009” by Travel + Leisure magazine (May 2009) and received a coveted “Three Bell,
Excellent” review from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A natural television personality, he was also cast for a season-long stint on Discovery Channel’s “Go Ahead, Make My Dinner,” and has appeared on “The Today Show,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” “Live! with Regis and Kelly,” “The View,” “Rachel Ray” and “The Tyra Banks Show.”  He is also the creator of a line of upscale Asian prepared foods through www.AppetizersToGo.com.
For more information about Chef Michael Schulson, please visit www.michaelschulson.com.  For more on Sampan, or to make a reservation, please visit www.restaurantsampan.com.  For more on Ultimate Cake Off, please visit www.tlc.com.


After experiencing success with Izakaya in the Borgata, Schulson had plans to do a 200-seat modern Asian restaurant in Philly about a year and a half back. The faltering economy, however, gave him pause. “I [didn't] want to do a huge restaurant that [was] going to cost $4, $5 or $6 million,” says Schulson. “I wanted to come back to Philly to do food in a cool, intimate setting, with something affordable for everybody. That’s what’s important in this economy.”
The 13th Street space, across the street from El Vez and Vintage in a former kids’ store, is about 2,500 square feet. Concept-wise, the chef says he’ll draw from his experiences/travels in Asia for Sampan (that’s a Chinese plank boat), featuring dishes celebrating Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian traditions. Think unexpected takes on spring rolls and pad Thai, steamed pork belly buns, raw fish and the like; figure on $8 to $12 for appetizers and $14 to $22 for larger places, which checks averaging out to somewhere between $20 and $40 a head. It’ll have a liquor license, with affordable wine and sake programs. The chef hopes to have the place open by November.

www.grg-mgmt.com/ - (The Garces Restaurant Group)
www.michaelschulson.com
www.restaurantsampan.com
www.

Take These Chains From Our Hearts and Set Us Free...

Pennsylvania's new Governor (Tom Corbett) has vowed to launch the latest drive to privatize the State Stores. The timing is much more interesting than in previous attempts because the State needs the money and the sales of all those stores represents an immediate bonanza of serious cash (possibly some two billion dollars). The Governor has a gigantic battle on his hands, but in my mind, it is way past the time to make such a move.

It's 2010 and shortly to be 2011, and while the State keeps offering somewhat superficial improvements (Sunday hours, in-store wine tastings, and even
vending machines for purchasing wine) it's like putting the proverbial perfume on a pig. There is good reason that the overwhelming number of States have elected to go the private route. Pennsylvania has continued a program that admittedly works from a financial standpoint (the State makes tons of money), but guess what - alcohol is not all that difficult to sell. There is, and there always will be a gigantic market for booze, and it's ridiculous to watch the flow of Pennsylvania residents purchasing their alcoholic beverages in New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland in order to save some 30% on a typical bottle of wine or whatever.

There is something inherently wrong with a 21-year-old resident of any State committing a crime by purchasing a bottle of wine, liquor, or beer anywhere in the
United States and worrying about crossing a State line. It's a crime they may not enforce, but it is a crime none-the-less. I also buy into the basic thought process that government should not be in the business of selling alcohol or any other retail product for that matter.

Please don't get me started on the subject of beer in Pennsylvania. It is beyond belief that one can go to a beer distributor and purchase by the case only as
beer is not available in the State Stores. Should you desire to purchase a six-pack of beer, you may search for a participating (licensed) deli, or you may walk
into a bar and pay a hefty premium for six bottles or cans. Now if you want three six-packs, you must purchase the first two and take them to your car. You may then return to the bar and purchase the third six-pack (this could be a problem if you walked to the bar). Of course, you can drive across the State line and purchase a six-pack at the same stores that sell wine and liquor. I could be wrong, but there is something very wrong with this picture.

I am very sympathetic to MADD and all the other groups that basically are against the buying and selling of alcohol. Prohibition doesn't work and a large portion of American citizens will continue to consume alcoholic products no matter who is providing it. There will be accidents caused by irresponsible people, and again, it doesn't matter where they get it.

Now my real reason for the big change... I believe the State Store system is a negative factor in presenting a truly great restaurant community. Philadelphia
has great restaurants, but I believe it has been held back from a national viewpoint because of the current system. The restaurants get a discount on alcohol from the State, but it's not enough. The real problem is the system makes it more challenging to operate a restaurant, and restaurants are too vital to any city
that seeks an enticing visitor market. The presentation of superior restaurants is an art-form - they purchase ingredients from the world over. They should not be forced to purchase so much of their critically important alcoholic beverages from the State of Pennsylvania. I see the current system as an unfair and unnecessary disadvantage to our restaurants.

Privatizing Pennsylvania will be a major battle and one that needs the support of the local media. Unfortunately, so much of our most powerful media has been blessed with significant advertising from the PLCB (Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board) so I'm not expecting a whole lot of media support. The union (with some 3000 State Store employees) will continue to be formidable factor.

The State will still get their taxes along with an infusion of cash. It's just time to forget about modernizing the stores and begin modernizing the entire system.

I'm also guessing that if the Governor is not successful, my Company will not be seeing too much support from all that PLCB marketing money.

Twenty Years - It Could Have Been Life....

Some consumer comments regarding the closing of a Philadelphia Restaurant...

"While I am sorry to hear that yet another restaurant is closing, and that people are losing their jobs, the food at that place was not good at all"

"The food was terrible, but they did give you a lot with your order"

"A mound of mushy pasta and half a gallon of Ragu was their motto"

"I've always been torn about that place. it's not the greatest food but for 21 years they've kept up a nice old building on a forlorn stretch of Spring Garden Street"

You hate to see a restaurant close, but it does illustrate one of the most fascinating elements of our business. How is it possible to be in business for over twenty years, and your food basically sucks? I hear it all the time about countless restaurant experiences - “The food is not that great, but the place is gorgeous”... “The food was just OK, but the portions were outrageous”... "The steak is not the best, but be ready to bring home the doggy bag.”

If you own a restaurant, the food has to be good. There is no other way. Why would anybody enter a restaurant knowing in advance that the food is questionable? It's one of the great mysteries of life. Having said that, there are thousands upon thousands of viable restaurants that serve food that is always questionable. I just can't understand this thinking regarding people's choices, and some of these restaurants become area classics and last for years and years.

My food will never be compared with the quality from a real chef, but I am actually capable of boiling water and making spaghetti. I even think I can do the meatballs, and they deliver my bread along with the sauces in the cans. You probably don't have to be concerned with the grilled Ono with the garlic mashed potatoes and the slivers of truffles in a white wine butter sauce, or even the seafood risotto with black squid ink at a Spaghetti Warehouse.

My spaghetti is not all that bad, and if the company would elect to keep it open, I will make myself available.