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May 16, 2003/Iyar 14 5763, Vol. 55, No. 38
'Chance and circumstance' leads to career
ALISA SLOAN
Special Sections Editor
Careers in restaurants aren't limited to chefs and servers. There are opportunities for behind-the-scenes positions as well. Architects, designers, graphic artists, consultants, accountants, public relations specialists and marketers are all an integral part of making a restaurant work.
And though the work is out there, it may not occur to people to look for it.
For example, Valley native Allison Lane found her path to a burgeoning public relations career with Desert Island Restaurants in March 2001 through "chance and circumstance."
As a family studies major and member of Alpha Epsilon Phi at the University of Arizona, Lane "found a niche and an attraction for marketing." She was fortunate to do some internships with interesting companies, she says, and adds, "I found it interesting and exciting and fascinating and stuck with it."
Lane initially entered the marketing field with internships at Sloane Broadcasting, a radio station company in Tucson, and Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Tucson. She also interned at Fox Sports Net Arizona and then moved back to Phoenix to work full-time in the marketing department of the cable affiliate.
Food has always been a big part of her family and her life, and she says her position at Desert Island allows her to indulge on a professional level. "I was fortunate enough to stumble across the opportunity to mix both passions," says Lane, in regard to food and marketing.
Lane currently develops and manages the public relations for all of Desert Island's restaurants - Ruth's Chris Steakhouses, Franco's Italian Caff‚ and Thaifoon - Taste of Asia. She has opened four Thaifoon restaurants, including one in Salt Lake City at the end of March.
"I'm responsible for openings, promotions, marketing, advertising, working with charities, events," she explains. "Pretty much it's just making sure everyone's involved and really excited about Thaifoon coming to town."
Each restaurant opening also gives back to the community by supporting a charity for the event.
The best part of the job, says Lane, is interacting with people on so many levels. "It's interesting to work in different locations with different people and different concepts," she says. "There's a lot of stuff that comes together."
And tasting the food isn't bad either.
"A lot of times we'll do taste testings before the restaurant opens to see what we like, what our guests are going to like," says Lane. "Those are always exciting, but the chefs are all so creative and it's neat to try everything and as we open, see what all the guests love."
Following are two of her favorite dishes, Mango Chicken from Thaifoon - Taste of Asia and Chicken Paillard from Franco's Italian Caff‚.
Thaifoon's Mango Chicken
Serves 2
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless/ skinless, split lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick on a slight bias
- 2 fresh mangos, skinned, pitted and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp. Thai basil
- 1 1/2 cups mango sauce
Mango Sauce:
- 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup Spicy Lingham's Sauce (available at Asian grocery stores)
- 1 cup Mae Ploy brand Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (available at Asian grocery stores)
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp. lemon grass, fresh, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice, fresh
Combine and blend together all sauce ingredients.
- Heat wok/sauté pan and add oil. Stir fry chicken meat until cooked. Add mango pieces, toss to incorporate and warm the mango.
- Add sauce and basil, toss and reduce until sauce lightly coats the chicken and mango. Plate on a heated serving dish. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Franco's Chicken Paillard
Serves 4
- 24 ounces (4 medium) chicken breasts
- 1 head of radicchio, shredded
- 1/2 pound arugula, shredded
- 2 Belgium endive bunches, shredded
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley
- 7 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Bermuda onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Place plastic wrap on your countertop or work-space. Pound out the chicken breasts until they become thin (5-7 minutes).
In a bowl, mix:
4 Tbsp. of the olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. of the vinegar
All the chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
- Marinate the chicken in the above mixture for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.
- Salad preparation: Mix the remainder of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and add all the greens, onions, tomatoes and salt and pepper.
- In a sauté pan, sauté the chicken until cooked on each side (1 1/2-2 minutes per side). Place the salad mixture on top of the chicken and serve.
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