John Mariani
Restaurant critic and author of America Eats Out

“I’d say that half, if not more, of the most exciting restaurants in America these days are being opened in hotels for the simple reason that they’re the ones that can bankroll them. My favorites include Cut at the Regis Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, the Summit at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and the Georgian Room at Sea Island, Georgia. All three are sumptuous. Many celebrity steakhouses have opened, but Cut is definitely a cut above the rest. First, it doesn’t look like any steakhouse you’ve ever seen. Its beautiful décor is light and hospitable to women—none of the typical steakhouse macho. They did it right and it’s jammed all the time. When the Broadmoor spent $80 million to renovate, they kept its older conservative Continental dining rooms, but they also built the Summit to attract a younger generation. Its design is a knock-out and the cuisine is contemporary. And the Georgian Room’s décor is done to a T. When they brought in one of the best young chefs in America—Scott Crawford—it immediately became one of the best restaurants in the U.S.”


Laura Taxel
Freelance food journalist and editor of Feast! magazine

“My number one pick is Tendrils at the Cave B Inn at Sagecliffe, Quincy, Washington. This combination estate winery and hotel is located on a high bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. The executive chef, Fernando Divina, grew up in the Yakima Valley and he’s built a menu around Pacific Northwest cuisine. He uses local and regional products, such as wild salmon and fresh produce. He takes simple things like apples grown on the property, roasts them, and makes a sorbet. The place is luxurious without being pretentious. It’s world-class cuisine but you can show in jeans. My second choice is Sam Snead’s, a conventional looking restaurant overlooking the golf course at the Greenbriar in West Virginia. The look of the place suggests the menu will feature a plain T-bone steak or pork chops. Instead, the chef serves standard American fare with a creative twist. One example is a risotto made with corn (instead of rice) and chanterelles, which is astonishing. Along with gorgeous views of the golf course, the place offers a superb wine list and white glove service. And you can even wear shorts.”


Gael Greene
New York Magazine’s insatiable critic and author of Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess

“Respect for hotel restaurants has come a long way in the past few decades. Currently I count among my NYC favorites: Jean Georges at the Trump International; Café Boulud at the Surrey Hotel, where Chef Daniel Boulud’s theme was seasonal (before that became a cliché); and Town at the Chambers Hotel with its glamorous midtown setting. Beyond New York, my favorites include the Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn’s in Las Vegas (where the owners indulge the chef with Mediterranean sea creatures flown in daily); and in Paris, the Le Comtoir du Relais at the Le Relais de Saint Germain—worth the wait in line for Chef Yves Camdeborde’s rustic cooking, and l’Atelier du Robuchon in the Hotel Pont Royal—the most elegant, exciting, and inconvenient (no reservations) eating at a counter I’ve ever known.”


Phil Vettel
Restaurant critic for the Chicago Tribune

“A favorite of mine in Chicago is NoMI (named for North Michigan Avenue) in the Park Hyatt, the flagship hotel of the Hyatt chain. The former talented chef, Sandro Gamba, created an international menu—still French at its core, but with sushi. The new and equally talented chef, Christophe David, has a real eye for presentations. In addition to the outstanding food, it’s located on the seventh floor, which juts out to end in an arc. The best tables are located in front of the bay window offering one of the best views of the city. Outside of Chicago, I count the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia as a top culinary experience. The food is American but with whimsical touches—such as a slab of charred tuna, capped with foie gras, and served on top of a burgundy sauce. The dish is called, ‘Tuna Pretending to be Filet Mignon.’ The wine list is also outstanding, and the service borders on the clairvoyant.”


Douglas Trattner
Dining editor, Cleveland Free Times, and freelance food writer

“Certainly hotel dining has gotten a lot better over the years. Locally, one of my favorites is Classics at the InterContinental Hotel. It offers a classy atmosphere, exquisite service, and is Ohio’s only AAA award-winning restaurant. The superlative classic Continental food has a regional twist, such as using fresh fish from Lake Erie. I love that they include at least three or four foie gras presentations on the menu, and they have one of the most incredible cheese carts I’ve ever seen. Another of my favorites is Simon Kitchen & Bar in the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. This is very different from some of those ridiculous three-ring circus-style restaurants featuring celebrity chefs that are so ubiquitous there. Kerry Simon, the chef, is super talented and he serves progressive American cuisine that is spot-on in a well-designed but not over-the-top atmosphere.”

Pam Leigh is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B EXECUTIVE.