Osteria di Tramonto opened in the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Illinois. Décor for the restaurant blends the rusticity of the Tuscan countryside with the sleekness of Milan. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus showcase the best of Italy’s regional cuisines, featuring the fresh, ingredient-driven dishes that define Italian cooking. For example, dinner includes several ‘crudo’, like the Seared Tuna Sicilian Style ...

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, was the setting for the second annual Women in Wine, a charity tasting event, celebrity chef cook-off, and wine education forum celebrating female winemakers. In partnership with Wine Spectator magazine, the Borgata Heart & Soul Foundation raised $101,500 for Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Atlantic County Women’s Center through ticket sales and a silent auction. Hosted by Emmy-nominated ABC 7 news anchor Lauren Glassberg, the event was attended by winemaker and actress Lorraine Bracco of “The Sopranos” and Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming, a breast cancer survivor.

Borgata chefs Bobby Flay of Bobby Flay Steak; Michael Mina of SEABLUE, A Michael Mina Restaurant; Wolfgang Puck of Wolfgang Puck American Grille; Susanna Foo of Suilan by Susanna Foo; Luke Palladino of Specchio and Ombra; Romeo DiBona of Old Homestead Steakhouse; Borgata Executive Chef Ron Ross; and Borgata Executive Pastry Chef Thaddeus DuBois prepared signature menu items ...

Select Registry: Distinguished Inns of North America announces a culinary competition, the “Inn-Credible Breakfast Cook-Off.” It will bring together chefs and innkeepers from Select Registry’s 400- plus member inns across North America for a cooking competition on May 7, 2007, at the Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Contestants participate in the competition for a main dish in either Sweet or Savory categories (e.g., French toast or Eggs Florentine). Though each recipe will be unique, the one ingredient in common will be Eggland’s Best eggs. Five finalists will be determined in advance by an anonymous selection committee and will be announced in March; they will then go on to compete for one gold, silver, and bronze prize ...

Hyatt Regency Atlanta was awarded Building of the Decade by the Atlanta chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Built in 1967 by architect John Portman, Hyatt Regency Atlanta has been an architectural marvel since its inception. Polaris, the revolving restaurant inside the blue dome sitting at the top of the hotel, also brought much acclaim and wonder to the hotel. The hotel's revolutionary design made it a favorite in Atlanta, and it became the flagship hotel for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, transforming the small family-owned company into the world-class hotel corporation it is today ...

Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa, Sedona, Arizona, announces the hotel has earned AAA’s Four-Diamond rating, one of the most coveted and competitive awards in the industry. Each of the property’s 77 guestrooms, suites, and spa rooms were designed in the spirit of Andalusian luxury, with dramatic colors and richly textured fabrics. Reds is Sedona Rouge’s cosmopolitan American bistro and bar, known equally for its gourmet cuisine as for its delicious comfort foods. The extensive wine list features new and old world wines ...

Marrakech Hotel in New York City opened Kazbar, a trendy bar/lounge located in the lobby of the 125-room Upper West Side hotel. In the bar, international sounds emanate day and night, while a large flatscreen television projects an eclectic mix of scenes, such as views of the French Riviera and Asian anime films. Kazbar’s menus include specialty drinks like the signature Marrakech Martini and a wide range of microbrews and wines. Approximately a dozen small plates and tapas are on the menu, including grilled calamari, garlic shrimp, and steamed mussels with cider ...

Boston’s storied Charles Street Jail will be reborn in summer 2007 and aptly named the Liberty Hotel. The hotel is a national historic landmark at the foot of Beacon Hill with views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline. It will comprise 300 guestrooms, including 10 incomparable suites with dramatic river views; three distinctive venues for dining and cocktails; 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space located within the original historic structure; and a newly constructed 16-story wing ...

In November, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa welcomed Sushi Chef David Jay Ledee to its Cascades Grille and Sushi Bar. With more than 16 years experience as a sushi chef at Japanese and seafood restaurants in California and Hawaii, Ledee is responsible for preparing over 60 varieties of Maki and Nigiri Sushi and Sashimi. Ledee is skilled in all aspects of fish preparation, including live lobster, abalone, scallops, sweet- shrimp, surf-clam, and halibut. He studied under two master chefs trained in Japan, both with licenses to prepare blowfish—prized in Japan as a delicacy, where expert skill is required to remove the deadly neurotoxin from the fish ...

The Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center Chef de Cuisine at Ristorante Tuscany, Alex Rodriguez, won “Best Appetizer” for his famed Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Gorgonzola Dolce and Sage at the Signature Chef Gourmet Gala and Auction to benefit the March of Dimes. Earlier this month, 25 local chefs participated in the tenth annual heartwarming fundraiser, while more than 500 guests sampled signature dishes and bid on exclusive silent and live auction items, raising $105,000, the largest amount since the program
began ...

Esquire Magazine’s “Best New Restaurants 2006” issue is on the newsstands, and the Broadmoor’s newest restaurant, Summit, is one of only 20 U.S. establishments to be included, with a special nod for “Best New Design.” Continually recognized for its contemporary design, by internationally renowned architect Adam D. Tihany, and American Brasserie cuisine, by Executive Chef Bertrand Bouquin, Summit is committed to providing an exceptional culinary experience to its guests in all capacities ...

The AAA Four Diamond Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa, Mystic, Connecticut, hired Executive Chef Rosemary Brodeur. From contributing cookbook author, to food stylist at the Washington Post, to chef at the Ambassador’s Dining Club in D.C., Chef Rosemary’s culinary experience has run the gamut of all things food. With her social consciousness and focus on healthy foods and organic selections, she brings a fresh approach to the Mystic property ...

The Hilton, located in the Walt Disney World® Resort, is celebrating the grand opening of Andiamo Italian Bistro & Grille, Downtown Disney’s newest restaurant. The bistro offers fresh Italian cuisine prepared with the finest ingredients in an upscale casual environment. Freshly prepared house specialties include hot and cold antipasti, ravioli, orecchiette, and other signature pasta dishes, plus traditionally prepared meat and grilled fish entrées. In addition, guests can indulge in specialty coffees and desserts, including the Piccolo Dolce, which offers a sample of everything ...

The Regent Beverly Wilshire was renamed the Beverly Wilshire. A Four Seasons Hotel open since 1928, it has consistently been among the preferred addresses for Hollywood's elite, royalty, and discerning traveler. The name change accompanies a $35 million enhancement, which includes The Blvd, a sophisticated restaurant, distinctive bar, and outdoor patio overlooking Rodeo Drive. The Hotel also unveiled Wolfgang Puck's steak restaurant, CUT and adjoining lounge and bar ...

INTERNATIONAL

Couples Swept Away, Couples Negril, and Couples Ocho Rios are the highest-ranked all-inclusives in the Caribbean and among the Top 15 resorts in the region overall, according to the readers polled in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards. Couples Swept Away, chosen as the number-one allinclusive in the Caribbean, is located on Seven Mile Beach in Negril. Considered Couples’ most private and peaceful resort, Swept Away ranked number 10 among the Top 20 Caribbean Resorts overall. Couples Negril, known for its unique balance of eclectic and elegant, was chosen as the number-two all-inclusive in the Caribbean and Couples Ocho Rios, Jamaica’s first couples only, all-inclusive resort, was chosen as the number-three.