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All Back Issues » July/August 2007 Issue

Tastings:
Hotel F&B News


Ritz-Carlton Cancun Viking Culinary Center









Chef Michael Swann hosts a cooking class.








(L–R) Chef James Slattery, Executive Chef Jorge A. Oliveira, and Chef De Cuisine Rabii Jaouhari










Chef Todd Richards


Chef Damian Gilchrist
















Martin Jones

Domestic
Honoring the birth month of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, two South Florida Marriott Resorts offered guests the opportunity to literally feast on Green Eggs and Ham while promoting literacy throughout the month of April. The special breakfasts came complete with a copy of the celebrated book, and a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Florida Family Literacy Initiative. At the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Terrazza Restaurant & Café served up a breakfast of Poached Eggs Benedict with Sautéed Spinach and Black Forest Ham with Light Peas Cream Sauce. At Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, Riva restaurant offered a Green Eggs & Ham a la Sam I Am breakfast, in which kids enjoyed their eggs green and scrambled with a side of ham ...

As part of their annual SummerFest celebration, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is hosting Cooking Under Glass events, scheduled every Saturday from May 5 through September 29. Gourmets and novices alike will watch as such award-winning culinary delights as Lobster Thermador, Steak and Guinness Pie, and Tapas and Paella are created by the resort’s chefs. From basic cooking techniques for the novice to haute cuisine for the seasoned chef, these classes will provide the tools needed to make masterpieces at home ...

The Renaissance M Street Hotel announces the opening of Caffè. Adjacent to the downtown Washington, D.C. hotel, the cafe will serve authentic European coffee and light fare. Caffè will feature illy espresso-based beverages and brewed coffee, as well as locally made Danish, croissants, assorted muffins, mixed green salads, whole and fresh cut fruit, and a variety of sandwiches ...

A Land Remembered, a classic American steakhouse named for the famed Patrick Smith novel about Florida's rich history, is now open at one of Orlando's newest luxury resorts, Rosen Shingle Creek. It operates under the culinary direction of Executive Chef Jorge Oliveira and Chef de Cuisine Rabii Jaouhari. James Slattery, a chemist turned chef, was appointed restaurant chef. Chef Slattery honed his culinary skills as the sous chef turned executive sous chef for Emeril Lagasse at the legendary chef's second Orlando restaurant, Tchoup Chop. The upscale 120- seat restaurant is located at the Shingle Creek Golf Club and provides both golfers and non-golfing patrons with a soothing respite of dark, rich wood, leather banquettes, elegant antique brass light fixtures, and bronze wildlife sculptures, as well as stunning views. After reading Patrick Smith's rich historical novel, A Land Remembered, chronicling the dogged determination of three generations of Florida pioneers, President/COO Harris Rosen said, “So treasured is Patrick's book that we have dedicated our entire Shingle Creek theme to it.” The cornerstone of Harris Rosen's dream resort is his traditional steakhouse, which brings to life what Smith so artfully penned—the rugged spirit, natural beauty, and colorful history of the state in an era when cotton, cattle, and citrus were its prime industries ...

Interstate Hotels & Resorts announces that one of its executive chefs has been invited to compete on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef.” Executive Chef Todd Richards of the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Kentucky, along with Duane Nutter, his chef de cuisine, will compete on an upcoming episode airing in 2007. Executive Chef Richards oversees all culinary operations for the Seelbach Hilton, including the Oakroom, one of only 48 AAA Five-Diamond restaurants in the world ...

Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Florida’s exclusive, private club community, has named Damian Gilchrist to the position of executive chef, reporting to executive director of culinary operations Philippe Reynaud. Gilchrist graduated with an associate’s degree from the Delgado Culinary Institute and has held various positions at hotels throughout New Orleans—including the Fairmont Hotel, Windsor Court Hotel, and Pontchartrain Hotel—before serving as executive chef of the Doubletree New Orleans - Lakeside. Most recently, Gilchrist owned and operated Damian’s Restaurant and Catering LLC, a bistro-style restaurant offering multicultural cuisine and gourmet catering to the greater New Orleans area ...

Jose Arjona of the South Beach Marriott was one of six elite Marriott and Renaissance bartenders selected to participate in “BarArts™ Liquids, Classic to Cool,” Marriott International’s global mixology initiative. Developed in collaboration with world-renowned mixologist Dale DeGroff and an international panel of bartenders, this new program incorporates fresh squeezed juices rather than conventional mixes in all of its core cocktail recipes. Arjona’s signature Pama Mojito was a sensation among select Marriott guests and continues to be a resort favorite ...

International
Martin B. Jones was recently promoted to managing director, food and beverage, Asia Pacific, for Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts. In this role, Jones will be responsible for all facets of F&B. Jones was most recently the general manager of the Westin Kuala Lumpur and also chairman of Starwood Asia Pacific’s F&B Council. He has already been instrumental in leading a number of successful new initiatives for the division, including a series of new restaurant and bar concepts and Best Breakfast initiatives. Jones has been involved in the design and development of many of the restaurants and bars presently under construction and was also the recipient of the Starwood Business Excellence Award for “Most Creative Innovator”...

The 369-room Ritz-Carlton Cancun resort hosts a series of fun cooking courses led by chef Rory Dunaway at the property’s $250,000 Viking Culinary Center. Classes offer three to five themed recipes that appeal to guests of all experience levels and include themes such as Spa Cuisine, Real Mexican, Tuscan Dinner Party, Thai Cuisine, Grilling Mexican Style, and Rendez-Vous Provence Style. With a focus on all culinary aspects from techniques to presentation, guests learn new and entertaining ways to approach food and wine in a striking, professionally equipped kitchen overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The two-hour classes are held Mondays through Saturdays at 11 AM and 3 PM.

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