|
Hotel Cuisine & Menus
Quarterly Special Edition: Summer 2010 Click here to subscribe» |
|
Cultivating Kitchen Talent Staff competition increases vegetarian entrée sales at Hotel Andaluz. By Janice Cha  In-house culinary competitions increase staff morale and yield profitable items, such as the Veggie Quesadilla, in the "Vegetarian Garden Cooks Specials" section of the menu.A weekly back-of-house, vegetarian culinary competition at the Lucia Restaurant in the Hotel Andaluz—a 107-room upscale boutique hotel located in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico—builds team spirit and hones culinary skills among entry-level kitchen employees. Winning entries, featured weekly as vegetarian specials, have increased sales of vegetarian offerings to nearly 20 percent of entrée sales, up from five percent at the start of the program. The idea for the competition came after the hotel’s opening in November 2009. “We were trying to figure out a way to give our sous chefs time to focus on other tasks, such as banquets and catering events,” explains Paul O’Dowd, general manager for the Gemstone Hotels & Resorts property. The Andaluz culinary staff starts by identifying entry-level kitchen workers who are eager to learn. “They’re given basic lessons on kitchen skill sets: knife use, food rotation—everything cooks would learn in an intro class,” O’Dowd says. “Those who show both interest and aptitude get further training in mis en place. Then we lend them a vegetarian cookbook and ask them to give an informal report on what recipes they liked and why.” The process takes about a month.
VEGETARIAN GARDEN COOKS SPECIALS Monday: Eggplant Napoleon Panko eggplant, portabella mushroom, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, basil Tuesday: Vegetable & Tofu Skewers Orange-ginger soy glazed, served with coconut jasmine rice Wednesday: Veggie Quesadillas Mushrooms sautéed with sherry, roasted red peppers, baby spinach, zucchini, goat cheese, mozzarella, and fire roasted salsa Thursday: Mushroom Roasted Tofu Tacos Grilled pineapple salsa, cilantro cream, roasted corn slaw Friday: Baked Pomodoro Pasta Fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, parmesan, white wine Saturday: Basil Pesto Flatbread Pizza Fresh sliced roma tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesan, pesto sauce The parameters are simple. Dishes must be vegetarian entrées that use ingredients already in stock (to keep food costs low) and must be easy to prepare. Cooks are encouraged to experiment during slow times, usually after the lunch rush. On judging day, dishes are presented first to Chef Israel Ortiz for tasting and any last-minute suggestions, then to the front-of-house staff. Each competitor presents his entrée, describing its ingredients and price point. "Then we critique the dishes based on taste, look, marketability, and price. Comments are later shared with the competitors so they know what their strong and weak points were," O’Dowd says. The winning dish is added to the upcoming Vegetarian Garden Cooks Special list. Each week sees four to six competition entries. Whether or not dishes stay on the menu depends on customer demand. "Guests vote with their orders," O’Dowd says. "The vegetarian specials generated by the program give Lucia customers a fresh, new menu selection each week," O’Dowd says. “It also shows confidence in our staff capabilities, as well as tying into the Andaluz’s core philosophy on sustainability and the environment.” Janice Cha has covered foodservice for 12 years, focusing on kitchen equipment for the past seven years. 
Hotter than a $2 Pistol A meal deal customers didn't pass up at Hotel Monaco Seattle. By Madison Palmer In a lethargic economy, deep discounts abound, but cutting price points to two bucks is rare, especially at full-service restaurants. Hotel Monaco Seattle’s Sazerac restaurant saw the perfect opportunity to create a bold point of difference, with plenty of worth and value. It was no Burger King budget menu. Sazerac’s $2 Happy Hour offered up such items as wood-fired pizzas, goat cheese-stuffed dates, and hand-cut French fries for a mere couple of bucks. “We were a well-established restaurant, but we were becoming a little forgotten,” says Doug Logan, Sazerac’s general manager. “With our two-month promotion, we sparked our comeback and were serving 200-plus customers in the bar.”  The $2 Happy Hour promotion drew crowds, boosting Sazerac’s bar revenue from $50,000 to $100,000 per month.  (top) One of Hotel Monaco’s most popular bartenders, Kelly McGilvray was instrumental in the success of $2 Happy Hour, serving up drinks including a nightly special cocktail.(bottom) Sazerac’s signature cocktail is—you guessed it—the Sazerac.  Other menu items included in the promotion were sweet potato fries with three dipping sauces, grilled-cheese sliders, and stuffed peppers, as well as a special cocktail each night and $2 glasses of wine. Eventually, Sazerac raised its prices back to normal. Although the team feared backlash from customers, the promotion brought so much energy back into the space that guests keep returning. At the time, guests really appreciated Sazerac’s response to the recession as well. “The program raised our dinner business overall because people stayed after happy hour,” says Niki Leondakis, COO for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “And since the onset of the promotion and even now, Sazerac’s bar revenue has increased from $50,000 to $100,000 per month—every month.” Another benefit of the program was that it could cater to larger parties and accommodate them within a reasonable time period because if the bar was full, they could be seated in the dining room and get the same deals. "The promotion even attracted families and guests out for ‘date night,’ who are now regulars," notes Logan. As for what will be Sazerac’s next promotion, Chef Jason McClure says the goal is to keep things fresh and exciting. "The experience is more about socializing in a casual atmosphere and combining happy hour and the dinner hour," says McClure. "These trends have reshaped what the restaurant industry is all about." Madison Palmer is a freelance writer and editor based in the Atlanta area.
|
In this issue: Hotter than a $2 Pistol A meal deal customers didn't pass up at Hotel Monaco Seattle. Cultivating Kitchen Talent Staff competition increases vegetarian entrée sales at Hotel Andaluz.
Are you and your
employees receiving Hotel F&B magazine?  Click here for a free print or digital subscription. Advertising Opportunities
Vendors, you can showcase your products in Hotel F&B Special Reports. For information on pricing and options, call David Bischoff at 847-551-9955 or email dbischoff@hotelfandb.com
Hotel F&B
Corporate Editorial Advisory Board Brian Abel Co-Leader and Sr. Director of F&B, North America, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Michiel Bakker Sr. Director of F&B, Europe, Africa & the Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Kris Beck Director, Brand Operations Support, Embassy Suites Hotels Phil Beilke Sr. Director Brand Management, Choice Hotels/Cambria Suites Janine Bertsch Corporate Director F&B Operations - Outlets, Great Wolf Resorts Terry Bickhardt Co-President, HVS Hotel Management Don Billings President and CEO, Incentive Marketing Inc. (iMi) Elizabeth Blau President, Blau & Associates Pete Boyd VP F&B, the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Brian Carney Corporate F&B Director, Cooper Hotels Nicholas Clayton President, Viceroy Hotel Group Wes Cort Corporate Manager, Restaurant Operations, Norwegian Cruise Line Paul Daly VP of F&B, North America, Hyatt Hotels Giorgi DiLemis VP of F&B, Benchmark Hospitality Andy Dolce President, Dolce Hotels & Resorts Steve Enselein VP, Catering and Convention Services, Hyatt Hotels Steven Falciani VP Operations, The Dow Hotel Company Don Falgoust VP of F&B, FelCor Lodging Trust Don Fisher President/CEO, Fisher-Nickel Inc. George Goodrich Corporate Director F&B, Red Lion Hotels Thomas Haas VP of F&B, Noble House Hotels & Resorts Keith Halfmann Corporate Director of Restaurants & Hotel Operations Support, Marcus Hotels & Resorts Steve Hedberg VP Operations, Carlson Hospitality International David Henkes VP, Technomic Inc. Jim Henning Corporate VP of F&B, Sage Hospitality Menze Heroian VP F&B, Tishman Hotels Dave Hoemann Corporate VP of F&B Operations, Sage Hospitality Jean-Marc Jalbert VP F&B, Accor North America Dieter Kadoke President, PointSource LLC Steve Kirsch Director of Culinary Operations, Holland America Line Niki Leondakis COO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Shawn McGowan Senior Director of F&B, Full Service Brands, Hilton Worldwide David McIntyre VP and GM, The Signature at MGM Grand Scott McMinn VP, Benchmark Hospitality Corporation Mitch Mehr VP F&B Operations, Destination Hotels & Resorts Sue Morgan VP Franchise F&B, InterContinental Hotels Group Morgan Plant VP F&B, Joie de Vivre Hospitality Barry Prescott Corporate Director of Beverage, Hyatt Hotels Stephen Rosenstock Senior VP Brand Standards and F&B, Omni Hotels & Resorts Kathy Rowe Senior VP, F&B, Sonesta Collection Fernando Salazar VP F&B, Wyndham Worldwide Martie Sparks VP Catering & Convention Services, Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino Mariano Stellner Corporate Director of F&B, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Nathan Tanner VP Restaurants, Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants Ken Taylor Director, Restaurant/F&B Operations, Royal Caribbean International Frederick M. Tibbitts, Jr. President, Fred Tibbitts & Associates Ellen Burke Van Slyke Corporate Creative Director F&B, Loews Hotels Matthew Von Ertfelda VP Restaurants & Bars, Marriott International Frank Weber VP, F&B Operations, Royal Caribbean International Robert Winchester President/COO, Waterford Hotel Group Steven Zappacosta Corporate Executive Chef, Station Casinos Doug Zeif VP F&B/Asset Management, LXR Luxury Resorts |
|
Hotel Cuisine & Menus is edited by Michael Costa and Tad Wilkes and published in affiliation with Hotel F&B Magazine
and Hotel F&B Online (www.hotelfandb.com). To submit story ideas or images, contact Michael at mcosta@hotelfandb.com or upload photos or videos at www.hotelfandb.com/photos.asp.
© 2010 Hotel F&B Magazine, Hotel Forums LLC |