The CulinaryWoman Newsletter, 7/30/23
The twists and turns of getting a new sandwich shop up and running
Hi and welcome to this week’s CulinaryWoman Newsletter! I’m in Ithaca, New York on my way to Saratoga. I am looking forward to watching horse racing at the famous track, seeing friends and of course, sampling some good things to eat.
Speaking of that, a new sandwich shop is getting some early rave reviews in New Orleans, but its path to opening has not been easy.
The Long Journey To Open Francolini’s
I first learned about Francolini’s last year by reading a building permit taped to a window glass. I had parked on Tchopitoulas Street, a busy thoroughfare, and was preparing to run across to Barracuda Tacos when the sign caught my eye.
I soon learned that space was set to become a shop selling New Jersey inspired sandwiches, with big breaded cutlets, tomato sauce, sliced meats and cheese.
I began following Francolini’s on Instagram and when they held a pop up in December at Mojo Coffee, next to their prospective digs, I showed up to try a sandwich and sample some complimentary brew.
I was immediately impressed by the quality - and the size - of the sandwiches that owner Tara Francolini and chef Cesar Nunez were putting together. She had lots of experience managing restaurants in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Massachusetts before settling in New Orleans.
As luck would have it, Tara’s friends included my New York Times colleague Andrew Martin, who has been cheering her on in his Facebook account.
Little did Tara or I know then that it would be months more before her passion project would launch. In between came epic delays for construction, a hold up in permits, and pleas for help.
Delay after delay
Tara and I exchanged emails last week about her frustrating, but also comforting journey.
“We actually were originally supposed to open last September,” Tara wrote. “Construction costs post-Covid more than doubled, and we had to completely redo all of our bids and how we were going to build everything out.” You can see how the shop looked when I first spotted it in this photo.
The shop’s opening was pushed back until March. The date passed amid an agonizing wait for official approvals. At one point, Tara pleaded on Instagram for help breaking the logjam. “The city just was completely the worst, and took forever to get back for us on anything permit related,” she said.
She had an enormous amount personally at stake. The shop is financed through her life savings, plus loans from friends and family.
Faith in her concept
But Tara was convinced that New Orleans food lovers would support her dream, despite the fact that po’boys of every variety can be found around town.
“There are so many people from the Northeast down here these days that we knew it would be nostalgic for them,” she says. “And then New Orleanians themselves are such food people that introducing a new type of good sandwiches to them seem like something they would instantly be able to love.”
While she was waiting to open, Tara held a lengthy residency at The Rabbit’s Foot, a combination coffee house, cafe and gourmet grocery on Prytania Street, not far from where I lived. (By the way, it is pronounced Pry-TAN-nee-ya. I was going around saying Pry-TAIN-nee-ya before a Lyft driver corrected me. Don’t be me.)
Sandwiches were available for pre-order and walk up, and the regularly changing line up often sold out.
The pop ups taught her “so, so, much,” she said. She learned organizational methods, and got to test her menu in a way many proprietors do not get. She saw “what sandwiches people really liked, and efficient ways to work.”
There was another silver lining to the delays, too. Last fall, businesses were still wrestling with supply chain headaches and shortages, which have smoothed somewhat, if not entirely. Also, New Orleans is awash in visitors during winter and spring, when the shop would have been getting on its feet.
“It actually worked out really well. I think that we wouldn't have been able to handle it if we opened in (New Orleans’) busy season,” she says, “By opening in summer, it allows us to kind of work out some kinks before it gets crazy.”
Help from many directions
Nonetheless, Francolini’s opening day on July 15 was wild. Diners lined up down the street and scarfed up the menu offerings. There were profane grumbling from a customer who did not appreciate the long wait. Despite their gratitude, the initial demand prompted Tara (right, above) to adjust the shop’s hours to 11 am to 4 pm, Thursday through Monday.
The shop sits in a developing food district with tacos and beverages across the street, coffee within steps and more brew pubs, bars and restaurants a short walk away. Tars says the support from the city’s culinary world has been phenomenal.
“It's been absolutely incredible. Mojo next door and Barracuda across the street have literally made it worthwhile through this whole process,” she says. “We're so excited that we get to be their neighbors and create this cool little food community right there.”
She’s grateful to other friends like Dan Stein of Stein’s Deli, Mason Hereford at Turkey and the Wolf, and of course, the Rabbit’s Foot crew.
Says Tara: “So many different businesses have made this possible for us to get open. They have been so incredibly helpful and it's the reason I love this city so much.”
A Mouthwatering Show About Korean Soup
Korean cuisine abounds with soup. And while I realize the irony of talking about soup in mid-summer, it’s the subject of the latest series I’m watching on Netflix
A Nation of Broth features Korean comic artist Huh Young-Man, actress Ham Yeon-Ji, and actor Ryu Su-young. They travel to different places around South Korea, sampling different types of dishes with a broth base.
The first stop is Jeju Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a place legendary for its seafood. Jeju has been featured multiple times on my other favorite show, Welcome! First Time In Korea?
It’s approximately cold when our trio visits, so they can dive into heaping bowls of clams, scallops, mussels, crab, Abalone and octopus, resting in flavorful broth.
They demonstrate Koreans’ love for rice in soup, and see how chefs are dressing up traditional fare like seaweed soup.
This article lets you see the dishes from the show and where you can try them. https://jeonjucity.kr/famous-broth-dishes-jeonju-netflix-foodie-show-nation-broth/
I’ll forgive you if you would rather wait until cooler weather to watch, but bookmark it when you are ready to travel via soup.
A Nephew Buys A Family Business
Staying with seafood, I was surprised to read last week that Mike Monahan is selling Monahan’s Seafood. I was even mote surprised that he is selling it to his 27-year-old nephew, Tommy Lammers.
In my book, I explained that Mike played a key role in the founding of Zingerman’s. Before the deli became a reality, co-founder Paul Saginaw worked with Mike in his fish shop in the Kerrytown Market in Ann Arbor. Mike subsequently became an early partner in Zingerman’s although he remained in the fish business.
After more than 40 years in fish, Mike is turning the shop over to Tommy. He has worked in the store since 2018, and he’s waited on me a number of times.
“It was just time to pass it on to a new generation,” Mike told MLive. “Tommy just has a great energy about him and he’s got a real positive enthusiasm and a real interest in the business ... I think for years he has had a plan to have his own business and it was just a great fit for him at the fish market.”
Tommy has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan. “Monahan’s Seafood has always had a special place in my heart and has been a really important, fun and vibrant aspect of our family,” he told MLive.
I’m happy to see a situation where a family business continues. We hear so often about businesses that close because the younger generations have no interest in taking over. Along with Tommy, Mike’s daughter Sarah is a manager (those are her adorable littles that you sometimes see scooting around the market).
Beyond that, I love shopping and dining at Monahan’s. It has top quality seafood and wonderful daily specials like my favorite Baja Fish Tacos on Tuesday. Tommy doesn’t plan any major changes, but there could be some collaborations with other places in the future.
What Does Shohei Ohtani Eat?
On Thursday, I went to Comerica Park to watch Shohei Ohtani. Oh, sure, the Los Angeles Angels were there, too, and the Detroit Tigers were present. But everyone in the ballpark was there to see him play and did we get a master class in baseball.
He threw a one-hit complete game shutout in the first half of a doubleheader, and hit his 37th and 38th home runs in the second. The crowd included many members of Detroit’s large Japanese community including a youngster who held up a sign reading, “Come to Detroit.”
In person, Shohei looks tall, lean, strong and athletic. He is not a flashy pitcher; he works efficiently and he has a powerful stance at the plate, holding his bat high. I know he is zealous about his training, but I had to wonder: what does he eat?
The answer: a lot of protein. According to an article on Japan Luggage Express, he consumes a daunting 60 grams of protein at each meal.
By comparison, the average person eats 60 grams of protein per day, so it’s triple what you or I might consume. He gets protein from eggs, chicken and a variety of seafood. He isn’t a fan of spices and seasonings and likes his meals are simply prepared.
Shohei had a private chef in Japan who taught him to cook, and now cooks all his meals himself when he is home. He doesn’t drink alcohol because it doesn’t contribute to his nutritional intake. He likes chocolate, but only during daylight, believing it can interfere with sleep if eaten too late.
Whatever he does works superbly. Shohei is a once in a lifetime athlete.
Keeping up with CulinaryWoman
Check out my vintage dining and decorating items at City Tips Vintage on Etsy. I added some new listings last week.
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I’ll see our paid subscribers tomorrow with Red Beans and Advice, and everyone else next Sunday. Stay cool and pace yourselves!