Three Leaf Concepts

Staff Newsletter

Week of August 1, 2020

Welcome to the new Three Leaf Concepts Staff Newsletter!

Three Leaf News:

Needless to say, the summer of 2020 has been challenging for all of us, and we want you all to know how much we appreciate your effort, time, and commitment to the company and to your respective restaurants. Although we still seem deeply immersed in the Covid Pandemic, we know that we WILL get through this and we WILL come out the other side stronger and more efficient than we went in. This trying time has offered us an opportunity to analyze a lot of the systems and policies that we have had in place, and we hope that with your help, we can continue to improve the experience of Three Leaf Concepts from the perspectives of both the guests and the employees. As we head into fall, the uncertainty of what winter will bring is unsettling to us all. Please know that we are working as hard as we can to keep the ship afloat and to come up with new and interesting ways to manage the situation.

Farm News:

We’re happy to report that the farm has been super productive this season! As you probably know, we’ve had a bumper crop year of zucchini, and are excited to begin the harvest of peppers. The tomatoes are starting to ripen and we’re looking at a rich and abundant fall harvest.
We also happy to welcome two new baby Nigerian Dwarf goats, Aksel and Alice to the farm family. If you would like to visit the farm anytime, please let us know! You are more than welcome to come and see the crops, walk the Medicine Trail, or visit the horses, goats, ducks and chickens.

Safety Tip of the Week:

This year we are committed to increasing awareness about safety and improving the safety of our workplaces. You’ll all notice that we will be addressing different safety issues and focusing on this through both meetings, line ups, and the newsletter. This week, we want to remind you all how important it is to wear non-slip shoes in the kitchen. The tiled floors of commercial kitchens are notoriously wet and can be slippery. Non-slip shoes are a must when working in a busy kitchen!

Service Tip of the Week:

Prebussing: One of the best ways to create a professional and efficient service experience is to keep your tables clear of anything that is not currently in use. Every time you touch a table, you should do a quick scan to see if there is anything at all that you can remove. This can of course be plates or silverware that is no longer being used, but can also include papers, spent tea leaves, or other items that your guest will no longer need.

Meet the Manager:

Meet Matthew Mulkey, General Manager of Zucca in Louisville.
Matt was born and raised in Atlanta Georgia where the majority of his family still lives.  He attended the University of West Georgia, and moved to Colorado in 2005. 
Matt worked at the Inverness Resort in Englewood for over five years, and then moved on to the Silverado Resort in Napa California for another four as the manager of the Resort and Spa.  Although Matt enjoyed the experience in California, he really missed Colorado so moved back. 
Matt started his career with Three Leaf Concepts in 2016.  Matt began as a manager of the Teahouse, and has served in almost all of the concepts when he was offered the position of General Manager of Zucca in 2018.   Matt is a great fit for Zucca and for downtown Louisville with his focus on both family and hospitality. 

Matt lives in Lafayette with his wife and two daughters.   In addition to spending time at the restaurant,  Matt likes to read, hike, and focus on being a great dad.

Wine of the Week:

Venica “Jesera” Pinot Grigio from Italy.
Pinot Grigio: a pleasant wine, easy to drink, fresh, playful, easy to combine and which is particularly suitable for daily consumption. These characteristics have certainly contributed to the wide diffusion of this wine all over the world, with a particularly high success in the USA and the United Kingdom.It is rather difficult, however, to find a high-quality version, with structure and character but still maintaining its liveliness and lightness. Venica’s “Jesera” copper-coloured Pinot Grigio wants to be just that: playful and with good drinkability, but still carrying its own personality and terroir. This variety was born from a genetic mutation of the most celebrated Pinot Noir, which led to a change in the color of its grapes. In fact, despite its wide diffusion, few know that Pinot Grigio is a gray berry grape: its bunches have a gray-pink color tending to purplish. And this is why the resulting wine takes wonderful coppery hues if processed with a light maceration on the skins. The color is brilliant coppery, which is the natural color obtained from this grape with a short maceration on the skins. The hue varies according to the vintage; this year is particularly intense. With a nose that has an intriguing bouquet that ranges from mimosa to jasmine, acacia, ginger, pink pepper, pear and rennet apple, all wrapped in a frame of citrus and mineral nuances, it has a flavor of lively and savory mouth feel, consistently reminding the nose aromas, for a refreshing, juicy, intense and tasty sip, creamy but rightly acidic. The structure is good, with a very slight tannin deriving from the peel. Overall, this wine maximizes the typical bouquet and juiciness of the grape. Best paired with appetizers and canapés, especially ham, light soups, grilled fish and white meats. Excellent with risotto, for example with spring vegetables. Try it with a nice sea bass with strawberries and mint.

Tea of the Week:

Boulder Breakfast: Boulder Breakfast black tea blend is our house black tea and can be found at all the concepts. We serve it both loose leaf, and in sachets. Sara created this tea in 1998 to be our own version of a bold, full bodied breakfast tea that can hold up well to the addition of milk and honey or sugar. The tea is a blend of rich, chocolaty China Keemun, malty, bold India Assam, and bright, slightly sweet China Yunnan. Boulder Breakfast has been our top selling tea for over 20 years.