Our newest columnist, Kerry Dunnington, is a former GM turned caterer and cookbook writer. She will share many hospitality and cuisine insights gathered over the years.

In the early ‘80s, at the beginning of what became a hospitality career, I witnessed the power and profit opportunities from knowing what customers really want. I learned this from charismatic entrepreneur restaurateur, Harvey Sugarman, whose passion was to be on the cutting edge. When Harvey decided to make changes to his restaurant menu, he was confident his worldly clientele wanted the best of both worlds. Those worlds being light, nutritional, well-seasoned food and rich, creamy, delicious food.

Harvey heard about a successful West Coast hotel chef who offered two menus: a light “spa style” menu and the customary restaurant menu. The chef’s idea was, “if patrons could see offerings from both menus before ordering, they could justify ordering a rich and creamy appetizer or dessert if they ordered a light and nutritious salad and/or entrée.” What wasn’t available in most restaurants was the combination of light and traditional cuisine.

Years later when I was GM of a four-star independently owned hotel, I was reminded of Harvey’s overnight success. Harvey’s triumph came to mind when I interviewed a chef who thought the success of a hotel restaurant was to offer, in addition to a customary menu, a “light sampling menu,” featuring unique and varied combinations. This menu inclusion fulfilled and satisfied the challenge of keeping the hotel restaurant and bar busy.

Today, “spa cuisine” can be found in spa hotel restaurants all over the world. But when embarking on a search to find “spa cuisine” in traditional hotel restaurants, menu offerings fell short. Hotel restaurants don’t have to be spa hotels to offer “spa cuisine.”

With the expansion of the American waistline, offering a lighter cuisine than the often heavier traditional hotel restaurant fare makes patrons feel “good” instead of “guilty.” An inclusion to the existing menu is an inexpensive way to offer light, small portion cuisine. Cuisine of this type offers diversity and is another way to captivate the attention of new business. Today, people are welcoming many flavored bites.

Chef Russell Svoboda, formerly of La Posada in New Mexico, executive chef at Alexandra’s restaurant at Turf Valley Resort in Baltimore says, “offering three-bite tasting portion plates to the menu creates an exciting experience for diners.” Chef Svoboda further feels, “if the restaurant has the right ambience, and you design tasting portion plates with texture and style, diners will feel they have experienced a flavor bonanza.”

Before I turned in from a rejuvenating day at Turf Valley Resort, where I had experienced many “flavor bonanzas,” I thought about the West Coast chef who offered two menus. I like his “two-menu” idea. His philosophy justifies eating Chef Svoboda’s “no guilt” delicious warm chocolate cake with liquid ganache filling.

Kerry Dunnington is author of This Book Cooks (www.thisbookcooks.com).