Hopefully, by now, you have ALL heard about the “Dinner with Robert Irvine” online event. If not, please click this link and familiarize yourself with the event!

Regardless, everyone who has signed up should now have the ingredient list, but no one knows what two dishes we will be cooking and enjoying together. So I decided to turn it into a contest to see who can guess, based on the ingredients listed below. The first 5 people to guess ONE of the dishes the closest will win a FREE ticket to the show. Post your guesses in the comment section below!

Remember! This is an ingredient list for two dishes. You only have to get as close to guessing ONE as you can. Good luck!!! I will announce the winners in a couple of days.

The Ingredients:

• 8 oz.pork tenderloin
• 4 large shrimp (21/25 count, peeled and deveined) substitute: 4oz boneless chicken breast
• 2 oz slab bacon – cubed substitute: thick cut, strips
• 2 oz stone ground mustard substitute: brown mustard NOT YELLOW
• 2 oz white balsamic vinegar substitute: white wine vinegar
• 2 oz unsalted butter
• 1 lg idaho potato
• 1 cup good quality chicken stock
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 peach
• 1 red onion
• 4 sprigs flat leaf parsley
• 3 strawberries
• 2 oz malt vinegar
• 6oz grapeseed oil
• salt
• pepper

Having seen a lot in my 30 years in the restaurant business, I’m very selective about companies I choose as partners.  If I’m going to work with a company or endorse their products, it must be a company or product I believe in and a company that aligns with my business principles.

I first learned about Easy Ice in 2011 when they were called to help out on a Restaurant:
Impossible shoot.  I was making over a restaurant called The Chatterbox Cafe and they were badly in need of a reliable ice machine.  Someone on my staff heard about Easy Ice and invited them to help out.

If you watch my program you know how many times I come across disgusting ice machine situations.  Restaurant owners just don’t know how to clean or take care of them and I’ve seen some really gross ice makers!

John Mahlmeister, one of the owners of Easy Ice, was on location with us and explained their unique subscription service for commercial ice machines.  They’re the only company that offers ice machine subscriptions on a national scale and I thought the idea was brilliant. 

Instead of restaurant owners buying or leasing, Easy Ice buys the ice machines for it’s customers and maintains them for a fair monthly cost.  Outsourcing your ice machine is common sense!  What Easy Ice is doing fits in perfectly with my beliefs and what I’ve been telling restaurant owners for years:  

• Spend money where you can make money

• Produce an excellent product

• Smart decisions = monetary gains

• Surround yourself with skilled people

• Understand your customers

• Master the basics of your business, including budgeting properly

The way Easy Ice has set up their ice machine subscriptions aligns well with my management principles.  Smart choice.  I’m not wasting money on something that can’t generate revenue.  Easy Ice surrounds my business with their expertise.  They help me deliver a quality product.  And they meet my requirements of predictable budgeting.

Over the next year, I’ll be talking to you through this blog and videos about restaurant management, equipment, menus, recipes and more.  Oh, and I’ll be giving you my opinion and experience around commercial ice machines, of course!

I’m happy to be a part of Team Easy Ice.  Follow along and add a little “coolness” to your life!