Last Friday? Moi? Oh, just hopped a Phenom 100 to Santa Monica to learn about the new company AgileJet, straight ballin’. Founder Patrick Ingram’s latest creation takes C-level Execs up in the air to understand how Agile, a competitive advantage framework, enables organizations to deliver business value sooner. From the boardroom to the runway to drinks at Loew’s Beach Hotel, Patrick schooled us on the concept of Agile. Brilliant really. Patrick has been transforming one of the world’s top 10 banks and the world’s oldest insurance market by having them adopt these new concepts. But this International Man of Mystery’s best line of the day… “I left my car keys in the jet.” How do I get to go on these awesome adventures? I’ll never tell…
Upcoming Events (I’ll be at the fun table…)
Meet with… National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences NCATS, the newest addition to the NIH, will be sending a rep to Biocom for an overview, meet and great, and networking luncheon. Why are we big fans of the NIH’s latest branch? NCATS’ mission is to speed up the translational science process. This means getting new treatments and cures for diseases to the people who need them FASTER! There is also an opportunity for individual companies to meet one on one with Nora Yang, Director of Portfolio Management and Strategic Operations. As Biocom’s invite states, “Translation is a team sport and NCATS wants to play.” Welcome to the playground. September 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Biocom
Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center: Neurogaming on the Mesa Calling all Neuro Nerds! The lovely Leanne Chukoskie brings a killer cast together at Qi in hopes to ignite collaboration. Their goal, to make “Serious Games.” Serious? I can be serious… Ms. Chukoskie pointed me to a few of her favorite examples, Depression Quest and Crystal Island. Rockstars Ramesh Rao, Aaron Seitz, Fillipo Rossi, Tzzy Ping-Jung, Sheldon Brown, and Roger Bingham will participate. There will be talks of next steps and grant opportunities as well. September 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Atkinson Hall Auditorium
CONNECT Frameworks Workshop: Mergers and Acquisitions In the market for a potential sale? Acquisition? What about a merger? Blonde? CONNECT is bringing in Joe Davidson and Clark Libenson of Allen Matkins to help you better prepare and navigate your way to a successful transaction. This event will be at CONNECT’s new digs. Fancy. Rumor has it they’ll be whoopin’ it up late October para celebrar the big move. Always down for a good party. September 24, 8-11 a.m.
Good with names? Faces? Counting cards? DART Neurosciences in San Diego is testing our memory skills with their latest sponsored project the Extreme Memory Challenge (EMC). Check out this short clip introducing the EMC. They are looking for the best memory in the world. Porquoi? The research they are gathering is to develop a “medicine based therapy to rehabilitate circuitry in the brain.” The hope is for long-term memory loss patients to retain their memories and be able to understand their place in the world as they age. The Extreme Memory Challenge is a way for DART to identify those with superior memory skills and do further testing to pinpoint if these smarty pants just might have some super sonic genes in their DNA. Think you can beat the reigning champions? Bring it. Nelson Dellis, 3 time U.S. memory champion. James Patterson, words, names and faces specialist. Seriously? A man who can remember names? The more people that take the test, the more data DART Neurosciences has to move their research forward. Let’s help these people find what they are looking for. Take the challenge yourself. Blow it up on your Facebook or Twitter account. We aren’t all in a position to do the science, or donate the big bucks. This is an opportunity for YOU to help and potentially impact the lives of thousands who suffer from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Take the challenge, spread the word, host a tournament… Now there’s a thought…
You know the tuna I’m talking about. It’s easy to mistake for a cube of watermelon. It’s the color of a Lyft logo. Appears to be glowing a vibrant, tantalizing purity. Tuna that bright red or pink means it’s… what, extremely fresh? Bursting with nutrients?
I thought this was widely known, but a chef recently told me very few of his staff members were aware of this, and almost none of his customers. So, especially with the recent proliferation of poke joints, I thought I’d be helpful with this PSA of sorts.
Bright red or pink tuna means it has been gassed. In its natural state, fresh tuna is dark red, almost maroon, sometimes even chocolatey-looking.
But here’s why I personally tend to back away when I see bright red or pink tuna:
1. IT’S MUCH HARDER TO TELL IF IT’S FRESH OR NOT.
It can be left out for days and it will not turn brown. In one study, the University of Florida found that carbon monoxided tuna kept its bright red color for 11 days in the fridge. “The carbon monoxide actually hides the quality of a fish,” says Tommy Gomes, fifth-generation San Diego fisherman, host of The Fishmonger on Outdoor Channel, and owner of seafood shop Tunaville in Point Loma. “It’ll make a poor-quality fish pretty like a rose. I’ve seen them take an old piece of brown tuna [and] put the gas on it, and it comes out looking like cherry lemonade.” The gas also masks the smell of old tuna (which is one way you can tell if tuna’s getting past its eat-by stage). “Since there’s no smell, it falsifies the freshness,” Gomes explains.
2. I TRUST GOVERNMENT HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THEY’RE NOT PERFECT.
The 1992 USDA food pyramid suggested carbs should be the bulk of our diet (they corrected that in 2005 and 2011). The government approved the fat substitute Olestra, which gave people all sorts of tummy issues. Margarine and other trans fats were also approved, then banned in May 2019. There are some smart humans in the government, but even geniuses make mistakes. So I tend to go with my gut: tuna in its natural state, or tuna treated with carbon monoxide? Easy choice.
So why gas tuna at all? Because of us. Consumers don’t like brownish fish. Tuna oxidizes quickly. It’s difficult for tuna fishermen and women to get it to market quick enough before it turns that brownish or chocolatey color. Customers erroneously think all brownish-looking fish is old or bad and will pay more for “fresher-looking” fish. So in the 1990s, the FDA allowed companies to gas the tuna and keep it artificially bright red for long stretches at a time.
“There’s nothing wrong with a hot chocolate–looking tuna loin,” says Gomes. “But, here in America, we want [it] seared on the outside, rosy pink on the inside.”
What fresh tuna should look like
Gassed tuna is also often imported and less inexpensive than fresh, un-gassed tuna, says Gomes. “So, to be fair and honest,” Gomes acknowledges, “for families on a budget, gassed tuna is one of the best alternatives out there for frozen seafood.”
In theNew York Times article cited above, a sushi restaurant owner reported his sales of tuna tripled when he started using gassed tuna. So that’s obviously good for the small business owner, as well as grocery stores. Food waste is a massive epidemic—the US throws out about half of edible seafood. If gassed tuna gets Americans to eat perfectly edible tuna they otherwise might throw out, that’s a step in a good direction.
But it’d be better if we as consumers knew that fresh, non-gassed tuna is supposed to be dark red or maroon—not bright red or watermelon pink, like a majority of the tuna I’ve seen at local poke shops. Ideally, we would look at a piece of bright red/pink tuna and think “Oh, hey there, carbon monoxide.”
The most important things about buying tuna is to trust the source (whether grocery store, fishmonger, or sushi joint). It also should be shiny and somewhat translucent, and not have slime or an off-smell.
Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.
Stake Chophouse & Bar isn’t your average steakhouse. Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Coronado outpost is a modern interpretation of a big-city steakhouse nestled in the heart of the small coastal community. The team at Stake has reimagined the whole steakhouse experience. By prioritizing a seasonal farm-to-table sourcing philosophy, a personalized guest experience, and unique service touches, like a formal steak presentation and a bespoke knife selection process, Stake distinguishes itself in a sea of steakhouses.
Exceptional steaks, including Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., and fresh seafood flown in daily form the core of Stake’s culinary identity. The menu features a five-course omakase-style steak experience highlighting house favorites, plus an array of cuts, and classic steakhouse staples—think a wedge salad, baked potato, or pasta carbonara—refined for a contemporary palate without losing their traditional appeal. Stake focuses on seasonal sourcing from the region’s best family farms and specialty purveyors, and incorporates intentionally unexpected touches to create something truly unique.
“I challenge our chefs and myself to take it a step further in sourcing,” says Chef Ronnie Schwandt. “It’s important to us to highlight different farms, unique one-off farms—whether it’s cattle, strawberries, a local fisherman or from anywhere in the United States, we’re always trying to find that niche.”
Beyond the menu, Stake emphasizes outstanding service, says Vinny Spatafore, Director of Hospitality Operations. Staff maintains detailed notes, allowing them to remember guests by name, recall previous orders such as a favorite martini (also memorable for the customer since it’s served in an extra tall, distinctly-shaped glass), and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
“When you have those points of topic that you remember about a guest, they appreciate that,” he says. “Our servers are really good with that—we have a couple servers who have been here since the beginning and they’ll remember somebody from years ago, their name, their kids’ names, where they live. I’m really thankful to have a great front of house staff.”
Award-winning wines, rare whiskeys, special events, and a complementary black car service that provides transportation for guests throughout Coronado add to Stake’s appeal.
Schwandt stresses that Stake offers more than a meal; they aim to give patrons something unforgettable.
“It starts when you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the hostess—that sets the tone for the night. Then you’re greeted by a server, who may know you by name, and can guide you through the menu and curate as they get to know you,” says Schwandt. “Most people leave kind of blown away; they leave feeling like they just had an experience. That’s the goal, right? Whether you’re serving smash burgers or high-end steak, you want somebody to leave thinking, Wow, that was awesome.”
While glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agents have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, their recent emergence as weight-loss wonder drugs marked a new frontier in medicine. But their effectiveness has left some patients wondering what to do once they’ve reached their goal. Stopping the medication could mean regaining some, if not all, of the weight. A Scripps Clinic internal medicine physician recently conducted a small study of whether GLP-1 patients who had reached their goal weight could maintain that weight by taking their regularly prescribed injection every other week instead of weekly. Spoiler alert: 30 of 34 patients did. Read more about the study here and what that may mean as pharmaceutical companies roll out oral GLP-1s.
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