Rick Bayless, founder of Chicago's Frontera Grill, prepared a state dinner at the White House honoring President Felipe Calderón of Mexico. Calderón's favorite dish was the ceviche of Hawaiian opah, reports Bayless. "Not seeing the kitchen beforehand was a little nerve-racking," he says....Six bicycles hand-built by Sacha White, founder of Vanilla Bicycles in Portland, Oregon, are on exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. "Exposure like this helps people realize there are custom-bike builders doing amazing work," White says....William Grant & Sons, maker of Sailor Jerry Rum, commemorated Norman ("Sailor Jerry") Collins with screenings of Hori Smoku, a documentary about the legendary tattoo artist who opened several tattoo shops in Hawaii and died in 1973. "His best phrase was 'Good work ain't cheap, and cheap work ain't good,' " says Erich Weiss, the film's director....Angus Davis, who sold his first company, Tellme Networks, to Microsoft, has launched a beta test of Swipely, a social network for sharing information about credit card purchases. "I'm thrilled to be back in a garage environment," Davis says....Celebrity shoe stylist Rashidah Ali, whose clients include Alicia Keys, opened a second store, the B-Chic Shoetique, in Atlanta. "The city needed a place where women could buy designer shoes at affordable prices," says Ali, who opened her first store in Harlem in 2007 at 23.
The Goods is focused exclusively on products and services for business owners. We won't ignore the latest netbook or the hottest smartphone, but we'll also examine the services, software, and Web-based tools that can help make your business succeed. Nadine Heintz, a senior editor at Inc., edits The Goods, as well as Quick Hits. Send suggestions, comments, and deals to nheintz@inc.com.
