Latest news with #ServiceAward
Scotsman
12-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
The elegant Scottish restaurant named best in the country in national awards
The 2025 National Restaurant Award winners have been announced, and six restaurants in Scotland have taken home accolades with only two in the top 50. Lyla in Edinburgh made number 17 in the top 50 list and was named the best restaurant in Scotland. The restaurant, which gained a Michelin Star earlier this year, received the Service Award last year and is headed up by chef Stuart Ralston who also has Noto, Aizle and tipo. The National Restaurant Awards said this of Lyla: 'The 28-cover Lyla is billed by Ralston as 'unapologetically fine dining' and the chef's focus (he now cooks there exclusively). 'The experience begins in a stylish upstairs bar featuring a Krug-branded champagne trolley, a large lighting installation, and meat and fish ageing fridges stocked with house-made charcuterie and top-tier local seafood including whole halibut and plaice.' Picture: Murray Orr Speaking to The Scotsman in February after Lyla was awarded a Michelin Star, Mr Ralston said: 'It's a culmination of a long time coming. It's amazing for Edinburgh and Scotland to get another star. "Lyla is the whole package, it's an amazing building and my team - it's very personal - is interactive, a diverse experience and we spend a lot of money on quality produce, the majority of which comes from Scotland.' The Glenturret Lalique restaurant, which gained Two Michelin Stars in 2024, placed at number 41 in the top 50 this year having won best restaurant in Scotland last year. In the top 100 restaurants in the UK, The Kinneauchar Inn came in at number 66; Inver at 78; The Little Chartroom at 79 and The Palmerston at 97. The National Restaurant Awards is Restaurant's annual countdown of the top 100 restaurants in the UK as voted for by the UK's leading chefs, restaurateurs and food writers. You can find out more and see the full top 50 and 100 at the National Restaurant Awards website.
Eater
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
With a Michelin Star and James Beard Nomination, Mixtli Sets the Bar for Service in Texas Restaurants
Walking into Mixtli through its bar is walking into a wonderland. The room is designed to resemble a night sky, featuring a palette of deep purples and navy blues; fluffy, transparent clouds made from hand-blown glass hang from the ceiling. Reservations for the bar aren't required, but those who have one begin their expertly choreographed journey with bar manager Lauren Beckman. With an earpiece to communicate with her team and a clipboard in hand, Beckman sets diners up with a drink while they wait, and that's just the beginning of the show. Inside the bar, diners join Beckman in watching a live stream of the kitchen. Some might watch that stream in the same way fans would watch a live sporting event, closely trailing the staff's coordinated dance in the kitchen. Beckman, however, keeps a hawk-like eye on the drink pairings, ensuring each one accompanies the right course. This same level of attention to detail and service is threaded throughout the entire experience at Mixtli. The San Antonio tasting menu restaurant, which is also currently the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, first opened in 2013, showcasing Mexican foodways that have earned it two nominations from the James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant. Its chefs have similarly received praise from the industry. One of its chefs and owners, Diego Galicia, was a semifinalist for Best Chef in America, Southwest in 2018, and its former pastry chef, Sofia Tejeda, was named a semifinalist for the Outstanding Pastry Chef category. More recently, though, all eyes have been on Mixtli's service, hospitality, and the level of research that's put into each menu. Sommelier Hailey Pruitt and Beckman took home Michelin's Service Award in Texas for 2024, and just this year, the restaurant earned its first nod for Outstanding Hospitality. The service at Mixtli is unlike any diners will find in any other restaurant in Texas currently. During my visit in late April 2025, Mixtli's tasting menu took on the theme 'Mexico 1848: The Treaty of Hildago,' a deeply researched exploration of the country's diverse food influences from the 1820s through 1848. This included pivotal moments during that era, including, most notably, the Mexican-American War, which introduced European styles of cooking and ingredients from the Spanish and French, as well as Native American cuisines that came from what would later become Texas. Such a menu is a labor of love from Mixtli's entire kitchen. Chef and co-owner Rico Torres, who serves on the board of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), has bridged a relationship with the school that gives Mixtli full access to the library's Special Collections Department, home to nearly 3,000 Mexican cookbooks dating back to 1789. 'It is an amazing resource to read through these books and find recipes and history, but you have to be able to read between the lines to dig out the story,' Torres says. 'For example, who is a book written by? Who is being left out? What's going on at this time, at this place in the world?' Each season, Mixtli's team of chefs is tasked with researching the special collections archive to create dishes for the next menu. Then, they audition for Torres and chef and co-owner Diego Galicia, who choose the array of final dishes. Once the final menu is set, each individual chef makes their dish, night after night, and presents it, along with relevant history, to each table. 'The team needs to be storytellers,' Galicia, who is a native of Mexico, says. 'They're not servers, they're guides… Yes, there is food, but it comes with a big lesson in what Mexico is. We're trying to break stereotypes, and people leave with a better understanding of my home.' Chef de cuisine Alexana Cabrera Davis created an acorn mole that is served over root vegetables with amaranth, one of the recent menu's most striking dishes. A sous chef brings it to the table with a compelling story about Davis's experimentation with acorn in different flours for the mole and her intentional use of Indigenous cooking techniques to roast imperfect root vegetables. The dish presentation also details how European sauce-making influenced Mexicans and the Cherokee in Texas. The Mixtli chef's responsibility doesn't end once their dish is served. There isn't a set server for the table — it's a group effort, meaning every team member touches each table at least once. 'We have four stations, and the chefs are responsible from the moment the product comes in… until the moment they are placed on the table,' Galicia says. The completely open kitchen, housed inside the dining room, works twofold, Galicia says — diners get a front-row seat to the kitchen and its staff at work, and the chefs get a clear view of diners and their reactions to each plate. 'That is why they're watching, and they're looking for the instant gratification when people cry or nod their heads in approval.' This keen attentiveness was especially evident during my last dinner at Mixtli. My slick dress was in a constant battle with the restaurant's cloth napkins, resulting in a napkin falling off my lap at least four times. I was surprised when, each time, a chef stepped out of the kitchen to replace my napkin with a new one. Many of the steps of service at Mixtli are informed by the 12-seat train car at the Yard in Olmos Park, where Torres and Galicia opened the restaurant in 2013. Galicia says the tasting menu began because there wasn't enough space to serve and turn tables with an a la carte menu. The same for having an open kitchen as part of the dining room. The move to its new space, located in Southtown, in 2021 came with upgrades, such as custom tables with built-in drawers to store silverware for each course, providing front-of-the-house staff a way to assess where each table was in their meal. Galicia was inspired to have the tables handmade after eating at the now-closed Relæ in Copenhagen. 'You don't have to scramble walking around or open rolled silverware, which I think is tacky — like a Chili's,' says Galicia. Reaching Mixtli's level of service requires an eagle eye and the ability to accept criticism and improve, Torres reiterates. 'On day one, I try to put it into everyone's mind that they should work in the restaurant as if they are the only person here,' Torres says. 'Have that sense of urgency [and care] about everything that needs to be done.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Campus notes: May 18, 2025
Haydn Swackhamer, Bechtelsville; and Kevin Viera, Wyomissing, graduated from Geisinger College of Health Sciences' School of Medicine this spring. U. of Maryland Noah A. Leck, Cumru Township, earned a master of business administration degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Lycoming College Jessica Ahart, Boyertown, received a bachelor of arts degree in corporate communication from Lycoming College, Williamsport. Award winner Ashlyn Augustine, Alsace Township, received the University Service Award at East Stroudsburg University, where she graduated in May with a marine biology degree. The Service Award is one of the highest non-academic honors a graduating senior can receive. It recognizes leadership in cocurricular activities on campus or participation in initiatives and service opportunities off campus. Honor societies Brooke A. Levengood, Boyertown, was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society at the University of Scranton. She is a senior finance major. Jared Maynard, Blandon, was inducted into the Kappa Mu Epsilon national mathematics honor society at Kutztown University. Baldwin Wallace U. Alyson Hand, Birdsboro, was nominated by faculty and staff to take part in the White Rose Ceremony at Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio. Hand, an arts management and entrepreneurship major, was asked to participate in recognition of her special contribution to life at the university, according to the college.. Items are submitted by the colleges involved.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
In Loving Memory of Bruce McCurdy
On Tuesday April 1st 2025, Bruce Jefferson McCurdy of St. Albert passed away at the age of 69 years. Bruce will be lovingly remembered by his wife Anna of 45 years; his son Kevin (Rose); brother Earle (Tracy); sisters Margaret (Terry) Mackey, and Jem (Shae) Horwood, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother David; and parents Sherburne and Elizabeth (Betty). Bruce was born on October 13th, 1955 in St. John's, Newfoundland. He moved to Alberta for the first time in 1962 and then for the final time in 1971. His brother David died in a car accident in 1975, which profoundly affected the rest of his life. He met and befriended Anna Bellamy in 1976. They became a couple in 1979, married in 1980, moved to a house in Edmonton in 1981, and had their only son Kevin in 1987. They lived in that same Edmonton home until 2016, when they moved to St. Albert. Although Bruce worked in banking for two decades, he will be best remembered as a writer in several fields, an interpreter at the public observatory at the Edmonton Space and Science Centre (now Telus World of Science Edmonton) and as a hockey blogger and podcaster, first with his own personal blog, then for the Edmonton Journal's Cult of Hockey starting in 2010. In addition to his professional work, Bruce was a prolific and dedicated volunteer, and a member of numerous communities and clubs. He was a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Edmonton Center for over 35 years, earning the Society's Service Award. For many years, the Journal of the RASC regularly published his 'Orbital Oddities,' which he considered to be some of his finest work. He also contributed to the yearly publication of the Observer's Handbook. He was the president of the Edmonton Branch of the RASC for two years, and was involved with numerous other initiatives including work with Alberta Parks on Dark Sky preservation. In 2021, he was honoured by the International Astronomical Union with the formal naming of Asteroid 10086 McCurdy, a fitting tribute to his passion and dedication. Bruce's eclectic range of musical tastes spanned whole genres, time periods and unconventional beat patterns. He loved being in nature, walking every day, taking pictures of the birds and other wildlife he encountered. Bruce was a lifetime Keeper of Cats and Dogs and never met an animal he didn't like. He was known for his kind, fair and compassionate nature to all the universe's creations, and considered a love of living things to be one of life's greatest gifts. The other love of his life was Hockey—all things hockey. He was a fan in particular of the Edmonton Oilers, Team Canada, and The University of Alberta Golden Bears. He was a prolific statistician, numbers guy, and analytics guru; a veritable walking encyclopedia of the history of the Edmonton Oilers, able to recall in extreme detail specific stats, events, and even the ambience of games leading up to those events, painting a picture of a moment that went far beyond the numbers. This extraordinary gift fed the wonderful storytelling that contributed so greatly to the local hockey community. That the response to his death amongst the hockey community has been so enormous and so unanimous in its praise for Bruce, in a realm where almost nothing is ever universally agreed upon, speaks highly to both his character and his gifts with words and numbers. Perhaps the most frequently repeated word used to describe him in these tributes has been 'kind,' a legacy he would undoubtedly relish. Indeed, Bruce was a peacemaker, able to find common ground with nearly everyone he met; his disarming nature will be forever cherished and missed. He was a passionate family man, always finding time to do things with the love of his life, Anna, and their son Kevin, nurturing their own pursuits and supporting their own individuality without question. A celebration of life will be held at the TELUS World of Science Edmonton on June 22nd, 2025 at 1:00PM. In addition, for those unable to attend, the celebration will be live streamed with details to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either the Ben Stelter or Heart and Stroke Foundations, both deeply personal causes for Bruce.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Erie man recognized for saving the life of injured Erie man
You may remember our report on an Erie man's quick thinking that saved a man with a potentially life-threatening wound in early March and now, he's been recognized for his actions. The Kiwanis Club of Erie presented Keanw Olivo with their Distinguished Service Award Tuesday. Quick action by Erie caregiver saves the life of injured Erie man On his way to work in early February, a man caught his attention asking for help. That man, who was home alone, had a deep laceration around his hands. He was able to get the man the care he needed while making a makeshift tourniquet helping to stop the bleeding. 'It's just small recognition for the act of kindness. I didn't even expect to get any recognition,' said Keanw Olivo, Service Award recipient. 'I didn't expect it to ripple down all the way through March, but I appreciate it. They just want everyone to know that good is still out there.' Erie Land Bank changing policies to help drive development Along with the award, the Kiwanis Club also made Olivo an honorary member of the group and awarded him with a check for one month of rent. They're also helping to replace the sweatshirt Olivo used to make the tourniquet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
