4A
|
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2022
|
APPEAL TRIBUNE
State removes Russian vodka from shelves
Connor Radnovich
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis
Commission directed liquor stores
Monday to stop selling all Russian-
made distilled spirits. The decision was
made in response to Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine.
These brands include: Russian Stan-
dard, Hammer and Sickle, Beluga No-
ble, Jewel of Russia and Green Mark.
Other varieties of vodka will still be
available for purchase, including those
branded with Russian names, as long as
they are not purchased from distilleries
in Russia.
“The OLCC understands that there
are times when we must respond to a
higher calling in the interest of human-
ity, and this is a but a small step the
OLCC and the State of Oregon can take,”
Paul Rosenbaum, chair of the Oregon Li-
quor and Cannabis Commission, said.
According to the OLCC, about 5,000
bottles of Russian-made liquor are at
281 liquor stores across the state. More
than 6,200 bottles are in OLCC ware-
houses.
Liquor stores have started removing
bottles of Russian-made liquor from
their shelves and the OLCC has stopped
fulfilling orders for those products, the
agency said.
Several other states have already tak-
en this largely symbolic step, including
Utah, New Hampshire, Ohio and Penn-
sylvania. This is not a gesture the gov-
ernment in most states can make; only
17 states control alcohol sales at whole-
sale level, with 13 of those also control-
ling retail sales.
Meanwhile, as of late Monday, Rus-
sian forces continued to assault major
Ukrainian cities.
Gov. Kate Brown released a state-
ment Monday stating Oregon would
welcome any Ukrainian refugees and
that she has been in contact with the
White House about what Oregon can do
to aid the Ukrainian people.
Early reports estimate nearly
500,000 Ukrainians have fled the coun-
try in the five days since Russia’s inva-
sion began.
Brown also condemned Russia’s at-
tack on its neighbor, calling it “egregious
and unprovoked.”
“The actions of the Russian govern-
ment are not the actions of the Russian
people,” she said. “We value our Russian
community here in Oregon, and many
Russian families are being impacted by
this conflict. As Oregonians, let’s all
unite together for peace.”
Reporter Connor Radnovich covers
the Oregon Legislature and state gov-
ernment.
Contact
him
at
cradnovich@statesmanjournal.com or
503-399-6864, or follow him on Twitter
at @CDRadnovich.
‘I’ve been dreaming of this day’
Salem chef is a 2022
James Beard Foundation
Award semifinalist
Em Chan
Salem Statesman Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK
Jonathan Jones, chef and one of the
owners of Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails
in downtown Salem, has been named a
2022 semifinalist for “Best Chef in the
Northwest Region” by the James Beard
Foundation.
The James Beard Foundation
Awards, long considered the Oscars of
the food world, “recognize exceptional
talent and achievement” in culinary
arts, hospitality, media and overall food
systems nationwide, according to the
website’s mission statement. Awards
are based on nominations sent to the
foundation, which are then considered
by volunteer committees.
Restaurant and chef semifinalists
were announced Feb. 23. The winners
will be announced in May.
Among the other 20 chefs in the cate-
gory, Jones is the only one from Salem
and one of four from Oregon. The other
Oregon chefs are all from Portland: Car-
lo Lamagna of Magna Kuisina, Vince
Nguyen of Berlu and Thomas Pisha-
Duffly of Oma’s Hideaway.
The cozy, colorful 50-seat restaurant
at 130 High St. SE has a menu that Jones
changes up often, offering crabcake
benedict, meatball subs, breakfast
cereal french toast, vegetarian biscuits
and gravy, porkchops.
Jones said the news of his recogni-
tion took him by surprise.
“I got a ‘congratulations’ message
from an account I follow on Instagram,”
Jones said. “I didn’t even know what he
was talking about.”
He said when he officially heard of
his award, he thought it wasn’t real. In
the past few years, Jones said many
folks have said and written things on-
line to harass and “mess with him,” and
he thought it was just happening again.
He had to double-check the official
awards site.
He said it’s an honor and that he’s
still riding the high that this award has
been.
“I’ve been dreaming of this day and
you work so hard to get such an honor −
it’s still surreal that I was even nominat-
ed,” Jones said. “This award has usually
been to restaurants and folks in bigger
markets like Seattle, Portland, L.A. and
New York, but it’s great to be recognized
in this smaller market.”
Road to recognition
Jones opened Epilogue Kitchen with
his partner Maura Ryan in 2019, after
finding success with their pop-up Pro-
logue Kitchen. Prior to the pop-up, he
also worked at Word of Mouth, Taproot
Jonathan Jones, chef and one of the owners of Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails in downtown Salem, has been named a 2022
semifinalist for “Best Chef in the Northwest Region” by the James Beard Foundation. ABIGAIL DOLLINS/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Lounge & Cafe and Santiam Wine & Bis-
tro, as well as a hand at Cristom Vine-
yards, Salem Ale Works and Isaac’s
Downtown.
Jones is one of the few Black restau-
rant owners in Salem and has been a
leader in local activism efforts. Since the
murders of George Floyd and Breonna
Johnson, there are portraits of the two
in the front window of the restaurant, as
well as the names of others killed in
cases of police brutality written in white
marker. A shelf at the front of the res-
taurant holds books by Black authors
and others covering the topic of racism
for patrons to borrow.
Jones, a member of the local Black
Lives Matter chapter, said his identity
and the happenings in the world are in-
tegral to his beliefs and his business, in-
cluding being anti-racist and anti-fas-
cist.
He said folks have harassed him on-
line, leaving reviews and comments in
posts that have insulted Jones and his
restaurant. In addition to his leadership
on anti-racism efforts, his is also one of
the few restaurants in Salem that re-
quires diners provide proof of COVID-19
vaccination.
After the past couple of years of
struggles, Jones said, this award is a re-
minder that he and the restaurant have
great loyal customers, and he appreci-
ates every patron who has dined inside.
“What I love most is being able to
feed people,” Jones said.
Crab cakes with blue crab, Ritz crackers, Old Bay remoulade, corn relish and
microgreens at Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails. ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Other semifinalists to try
Here are some other Northwest
James Beard Awards semifinalists to try
out:
h Outstanding restauranteur: Akka-
pong “Earl” Ninsom, Langbaan, Hat Yai,
Eem, and others, Portland.
h Outstanding restaurant: The Wal-
rus and the Carpenter, Seattle.
h Emerging chef: Kristi Brown, Com-
munion, Seattle.
h Emerging chef: Thuy Pham, Mama
Dút, Portland.
h Outstanding baker: Pamela Vuong,
The Flour Box, Seattle.
h Outstanding wine program: Hiyu
Wine Farm, Hood River.
Investigation: 118 restaurant workers shortchanged $169K
Em Chan
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
In an investigation by the U.S. De-
partment of Labor, the Wage and Hour
division found KKOKI Korean BBQ res-
taurant owners in Salem, Portland and
Eugene shortchanged 118 employees
nearly $170,000.
Managers took a portion of workers'
tips, paid overtime only after workers
worked 86 hours rather than the 40
hours per week as outlined in the Fair
Labors Standards Act and the employer
failed to keep accurate employee rec-
ords, the report stated.
A total of $169,728 was recovered,
representing $84, 864 in back wages
and an equal amount in liquidated dam-
ages. Additionally, the division issued
$30,199 in penalties for the "willful na-
ture of the employer's violations," the
report read.
Kkoki Korean BBQ owners were not
available for comment. Kkoki has four
locations in Oregon, the first estab-
lished in Beaverton on Canyon Road.
Their other locations include Portland,
Kkoki Korean BBQ in Salem on July 8, 2020. BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Eugene and its latest addition is in Sa-
lem, which opened in 2020. Salem's lo-
cation is owned by Anthony An, who
opened and operated the other loca-
tions, and Raymond Lin, real estate de-
veloper of Keizer's Raymond Develop-
ment Inc.
Related: Hot Grill Summer: Kkoki,
Salem's new Korean barbecue restau-
rant, now open
In the 2021 fiscal year, the Wage and
Hour division conducted 4,327 investi-
gations in the food service industry and
recovered $34.7 million in back wages
for more than 29,000 employees nation-
wide.
"Restaurant industry workers are
paid some of the country's lowest
wages, yet many put themselves at risk
throughout the pandemic to serve their
customers and help employers keep
their businesses open," said Carrie
Aguilar, Wage and Hour Division Direc-
tor in Portland.
"Wage theft, like that found in this
case, hurts these essential workers and
their families. Business owners must
understand that violations can limit
their ability to recruit and retain people
who do these jobs.
"As we've seen, the pandemic has
prompted many restaurant industry
workers to find employment that better
suits their needs and find jobs with em-
ployers who will pay them all the wages
they have earned."
For more information about the FLSA
and other laws enforced by the division,
contact its toll-free helpline at
866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn
more about the Wage and Hour Division
, including a search tool to use if you
think you may be owed back wages col-
lected by the division.
Em Chan covers food and dining at
the Statesman Journal. You can reach
her at echan@statesmanjournal.com,
follow her on Twitter @catchuptoemily
or see what she's eating on Instagram
@sikfanmei.ah.