Skyline Bar & Grill in the Hilton Americas-Houston, has launched a new seasonal dinner and dessert menu. Executive Chef Jason Chaney created a menu that includes a new set of appetizers, and while most of the entrées have changed, the ones that remain are served with seasonal produce. “My goal with this dinner menu is to exploit seasonal produce and introduce a few high-end but less-familiar items. You will see the inclusion of tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, asparagus, and stone fruit,” says Chef Chaney. New items on the menu include Couscous Crusted Grouper, Grilled Cheese Crostini, and Boneless Rack of Lamb with Whole-Grain Mustard and Tarragon Blanc Sauce ...

Following an extensive two-month renovation, Newport Beach, California’s Island Hotel has reopened its signature restaurant, renamed Palm Terrace, with creative menus and freshly done interiors. The restaurant remains under the direction of Executive Chef Bill Bracken, who presents his signature small bites, which are savory offerings that let guests customize their own tasting menus. He has also introduced lunch and dinner menus that artfully reflect his straightforward Midwestern roots and inventive approach ...

The Galt House Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky, announces the opening of RIVUE restaurant and lounge. With ultra-modern décor and the world’s only twin revolving floor, RIVUE brings a sophisticated dining experience to new heights in Louisville with panoramic vistas of downtown and the waterfront and contemporary cuisine featuring seafood and steak specialties ...

The Parc 55 Hotel has appointed Brian Healy as executive chef and Craig Boon as executive sous chef to oversee the hotel’s three restaurants and extensive catering operations. The chefs’ established partnerships will enable the Parc 55 to use local purveyors, whenever possible, delivering the freshest menus that highlight seasonal ingredients. “We are very excited to welcome Chef Healy and Chef Boon to the Parc 55 team,” says Managing Director Rob Gauthier. “Their combined creativity, professional experience, and exquisite attention to detail add a plateful of culinary elegance to our establishment” ...

In only its second year of business, Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, California, has placed as one of 19 American properties on Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List for 2007. Shade was masterfully designed to provide the best of everything Manhattan Beach has to offer, from its luxury spa suites with cyclonic fireplaces and chromatherapy lighting, to its premier business and event venues, to its hip and popular Zinc Lounge and Skydeck. Soft lighting and a cool, inviting atmosphere, along with sultry drinks and delicious small plate fare (voted Best Small Plates by Citysearch’s Best of L.A. 2006), have made Zinc one of the hottest star-studded attractions in the South Bay ...

The Greater Orlando chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) named Ed DiAntonio, director of catering at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, Caterer of the Year for 2007. The award recognizes individuals whose participation, contributions, and involvement have made a significant impact. DiAntonio oversees the hotel’s catering operation, which conducts an average of 4,200 covers per day. GM Peter Kacheris says, “Our catering department has been recognized several times over the years for exemplary work. We credit this success to Ed’s strong leadership skills.” The award was presented by the NACE Orlando chapter during their annual awards program ...

The Westin New York at Times Square has hired Frank Tujague as its new executive chef and Robert DeMaria as director of catering. Chef Tujague will oversee Shula’s Steakhouse, Bar 10, catering and banquet services, and in-room dining operations for the 863- room property. No stranger to New York City, Chef Tujague has held posts at various Manhattan hotels and is a veteran of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. He graduated from the New York Restaurant School with a degree in culinary arts and restaurant management. At his new post, Robert DeMaria will oversee the catering sales department, including all corporate meetings and social events. DeMaria possesses more than 20 years of New York hospitality experience, most recently as director of catering at the Warwick New York Hotel. A graduate of Manhattan College, DeMaria is a member of the New York Food and Beverage Association and Knights of the Vine ...

San Diego Marriott Del Mar’s Arterra Restaurant and Bar announces the opening of its poolside lounge. The lounge will revamp the current pool deck and expand the existing interior bar, creating an ambience conducive to al fresco dining and nighttime reveling. Enhancements include a collection of private cabanas lining the pool, each boasting individual plasma screens, sound systems, wireless internet capabilities, and ceiling fans. Three fire pits, strategically placed throughout the poolside area, create an inviting atmosphere, while a state-of-the-art windscreen, made of glass and wood planking, frames the outdoor lounge. Advanced LED lighting technology incorporated into the pool system adds an energetic brilliance, as the water continually changes color throughout the evening. All new lighting, furnishings, landscaping, and private dining spaces add to the posh ambience of Arterra’s new lounge destination ...

The 160-room Holiday Inn Santa Barbara-Goleta, California, has begun a $2 million renovation to its guestrooms and event spaces to provide a more modern and upgraded facility to business and leisure guests. The 3,220-square-foot Fiesta Ballroom will be complemented by a connecting outdoor patio, complete with a permanent al fresco bar and fire feature. The enhanced banquet space will allow for open-air prefunction events, receptions, or casual relaxation for guests. The hotel features Remington’s Restaurant on-property, which offers a full breakfast buffet in addition to a complete breakfast menu, an array of dinner entrées, room service, and dining “to go,” all featuring dishes prepared with fresh local products ...

Chef Kim Müller has brought her slow food philosophy to La Mancha restaurant at the Galisteo Inn, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Müller belongs to the acclaimed Slow Food International, a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 to preserve locally grown food and food traditions, and brings this dedication to the revamped La Mancha menu. With menu items that include Native American-harvested wild rice, locally raised lamb and chicken, and vegetables and herbs from local farmers as well as those grown in the garden Müller is planning onsite, La Mancha’s uncomplicated, yet sophisticated, wholesome dishes bring back an appreciation for food—the way it used to be ...

Chef Joel Harrington has been named chef de cuisine for Fearing’s Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. The popular California chef joins the Dallas property from the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, where he was in charge of Restaurant 162 and previously worked in other culinary positions at the AAA Five-Diamond resort’s acclaimed Terrace Restaurant. He also has worked under Chef Marcus Samuelson, the James Beard award-winning chef of New York’s Aquavit. For those with an appetite for great flavor, Harrington’s artful use of herbs, spices, and the freshest of local ingredients will be a menu highlight at Fearing’s. Harrington’s cuisine offers a blend of Asian techniques and flavors, with regional seasonal ingredients accenting fresh seafood and produce.

INTERNATIONAL
El Dorado Seaside Suites, Kantenah, Mexico, opened VIDA Garden Grill & Margarita Lounge, a Latino fusion restaurant surrounded by lush tropical gardens. Entrées include Peking Duck tacos, which go well with unique cocktails like the Jalapeño Margarita ...

Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, has named Scott Kenney as food and beverage director. A 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Kenney’s responsibilities include coordinating, supervising, and directing all property food and beverage operations as well as promoting quality services and business practices. His goals involve moving the resort from all-inclusive to an individualized European Plan, ultimately offering guests quality service and enhanced dining experiences.