Crains New York - July 23, 2012 - (Page 25)

HELLUVA TOWN INSIDE A Medicare serenade As a lifelong working musician and composer, Derwyn Holder, 74, knows the perils of getting big medical bills on an artist’s salary. In recent years, Medicare footed the bill for several major medical procedures. In gratitude, Califon, N.J., resident Mr. Holder has penned Symphony No.1/Medicare. “This is my thank-you to Medicare for the care I got,” he said. “It was about $400,000 worth: cardiac procedures, back Source Lunch Russell Reynolds’ career of searching PAGE 26 Out and About London comes to New York PAGE 27 surgery. I got very sick.” He describes his orchestral work as “very harmonic, lots of color.” “You could say I’m trying to outShostakovich Shostakovich,” he said. It is his first symphony. “I’m basically a jazz guy,” the former Central Park West resident said, noting that he’s cut records on the BMI label and played at clubs like the Blue Note. Now he’s shopping for a large orchestra interested in premiering the work. “This is music to our ears,” said a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services spokesman. —gale scott TWO GENERATIONS: (From left) Tommy and Brian Hart, Victor Chavez and Victor Jr., Alan and Michael Stillman, and Kevin Dillon Jr. and Kevin. Healthy-eating standard Plenty of restaurants claim to offer healthy food. Emmanuel Verstraeten, the owner of Rouge Tomate, has launched SPE Certified, a program that he hopes will become the LEED standard. SPE, sanitas per escam in Latin, means “health through food.” The logo on a menu certifies that ingredients are locally sourced, high in nutrition and low in fat. The process goes way beyond farm to table: Butter and cream are verboten, except for a smattering in desserts. Grilling and deep frying? Also off-limits (grilling can introduce carcinogens). The SPE staff performs a deep nutritional analysis and specifies everything from calorie counts to portion size. “We engineer our dishes to ensure a maximum of nutrition and satiety,” said Nil Sönmez, chief operating officer. It all sounds a bit dry, but the company’s motto, “Above all, taste matters,” is meant to convey that the recipes are still delicious. “We want people to make the choice to eat healthy and not regret it,” said Ms. Sönmez. The SPE team works with chefs to create three certified dishes each season for $3,600 annually. Eateries that have signed on include Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar, Danji and East Hampton’s Maidstone. —valerie block Keeping it in the family D BY LISA FICKENSCHER BOYS’ CLUB Smith & Wollensky’s employees bring in the next generation iners may go to Smith & Wollensky for its dry-aged steaks and fine wines. But it’s the über-loyal staff that has really kept the New York institution humming for the past 35 years. ¶ Fealty to the old-school chophouse extends beyond one generation, as many longtime workers have brought their sons into the fold and view the eatery as an extension of their families. ¶ The restaurant boasts 13 longtime staffers with an average tenure of 28 years, who work side by side with their offspring. Altogether, 29 fathers and sons work at the restaurant, from pantrymen and their boys to Smith & Wollensky’s famous founder, Alan Stillman, 75, and his son, Michael. ¶ There is no single reason for this familial phenomenon, but Michael, 32, insists it is not nepotism. All hiring, he said, is based on merit and a thorough vetting. ¶ “That’s very important to me in particular, because I understand how that can be viewed,” he said. ¶ The staff credits good pay and benefits and a five-day workweek—which was uncommon in the See KEEPING on Page 26 29 200 fathers and sons total employees July 23, 2012 | Crain’s New York Business | 25 buck ennis At Smith & Wollensky, it’s not unusual to see fathers and sons working together

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - July 23, 2012

Crains New York - July 23, 2012
Contents
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business People
Small Business
Opinion
From Around the City
Report: Real Estate
Real Estate Deals
For the Record
Classifieds
New York, New York
Source Lunch
Out and About

Crains New York - July 23, 2012