"If we want to stand out, we have to communicate
with our menus," says Jeff Walter,
executive chef at the Cosmopolitan of Las
Vegas. "Anybody can blend ingredients and tie
flavors together, but if a guest can be reminded
of a childhood experience or a great dish that
their grandmother made, it creates a connection
to what they're eating, and it brings
people back."
A combination of kitsch and kitchen on it's
menus— Killer Mac and Cheese, the Cupcake
Slider, and pit-roasted “Shut Yo Mouth”
Rotisserie-Style Chicken, to name a few— has
helped the one-year-old resort carve a niche
in perhaps the world's most competitive city
for group business.
The Cosmopolitan offers approximately 45
total pages of menus addressing each day-part—
breakfast, lunch, meeting breaks, and
dinner—with many items changing seasonally.
Not all the verbiage is a play on words, but
there are enough quirky entries to let clients
know a spirited point of view is behind the
F&B offerings.
Walter says about 90 percent of their
business is corporate, with a 50/50 split
between client-requested custom meals and
set menus. Eventually, Walter would like to
see a 30/70 split.
"It just makes financial sense with labor
and purchasing. It's easier for us if groups use
our menus, so we're trying to anticipate their
needs," he says.
Prior to opening the Cosmopolitan last
December, Walter and Director of Banquets
Kent Green had several months to observe
shifting dining trends in Las Vegas and build
their operation around it. The result is a
nimble banquet and catering program with an
organic, sustainable approach to sourcing and
the latest equipment to carry out action stations
and plated events anywhere on property.
"Our chefs are from luxury hotels or have
luxury restaurant backgrounds, so there's a
massive wealth of knowledge and experience
here," says Michael Gillard, the Cosmopolitan’s
chef de cuisine, banquets. "Even if it's a
traditional item, we're always going to challenge
ourselves to take it to the next step."
That challenge can happen frequently,
as many value-conscious clients demand
traditional comfort food at a lower price
point but want it sustainably sourced and
artfully presented.
The Cosmopolitan responds with a
“funhouse mirror” delivery on those demands.
The guest recognizes what's in front
of them, yet it's different from anything
they've seen before— stretched, changed,
and entertaining all at once.
One example is their take on the classic
shrimp cocktail. "People envision a martini
glass with the shrimp hanging off and a
little cocktail sauce in the middle," says Gillard.
"We butterfly the shrimp and season
it lightly, then lay it out flat, vacuum seal it,
and sous vide it so it’s like a long, flat plane
of shrimp. Then we cut perfect rectangles
out of that and present it on a plate with
chilled avocado, a beautiful cocktail sauce,
and a micro-herb garnish."
Another twist is the cupcake slider.
"Walter was brainstorming with his staff one
day and “we were talking about desserts
we used to have as kids. I said I liked Ding
Dongs, and someone said, ‘well, basically
that's a cupcake sandwich.’ I said, ‘Presto!’
Cupcake Sliders— two hot foodie buzzwords
in one description. We branched
out the flavor profiles from there, not
just chocolate and vanilla, but red velvet,
lemon, and others."
Many of these ideas are completed in
front of the guests at chef-attended action
stations. There’'s a “Martini Shaken Salads”
station where oversized, 18-inch-long
cocktail shakers are used to mix ingredients
for Caesar, fattoush, Asian, and Greek
salads, and a sous vide rack of lamb carving
station, where an immersion circulator
is present so the client can watch the
retherm process before slicing, grilling,
and serving.
"People are taking our action stations
and turning them into standing dinners
or reception dinners," says Walter. "What's
fun is we're taking the cape away from the
magician, so to speak, and showing people
what we do. Guests become curious, and
it creates an interaction that isn't typical
in this type of setting. They can talk to us
about sous vide technology and why the
meat is so tender as a result. Are we going to
extra trouble to do this? Yes, but it's worth
it, and it forges a relationship between us
and the client."
Michael Costa is industry relations editor for HOTEL F&B.
