Food has always been a focus at fine hotels. From farm-to-table plates to foraging tours and wine cave dinners, food lovers can count on luxury hotels for mouth-watering menus.
Food & Wine recently named their top hotels for food lovers, which range in concept from celebrity chefs to fancy vending machines. I've added a few of my favorite hotels for food to their list. Whether you're into private picnics, extraordinary room service or feasts fit for a king, these hotels are sure to fit any palette.
My favorite hotels for food:
The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, CA: Brunch is a work of art at The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in California. Every Sunday, the hotel's main restaurant Navio turns itself into what can only be described as food heaven. Sunday brunch at Navio's was named Best in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine and the Best in Silicon Valley by the editors of San Jose Mercury News. It's not for the faint of heart. The $88 meal includes multiple trips to the various stations and a cocktail or glass of champagne. From oyster and sushi stations to various roasted meats, vegetarian sections, dim sum and of course, a dessert alcove, Resort Executive Chef, Xavier Salomon spares no expense when it comes to the best-loved meal of any Sunday. Mouth-watering food photos from Sunday brunch at Navio are below:
Blantyre Resort, Lenox, MA: There's no denying fine dining at Blantyre. The tables in the Dining Room at this Berkshires mansion are set with sterling silver, fine china, crystal, and fresh flowers on a nightly basis. Your evening starts with Champagne and canapés before being led into the candlelit room for a five-star dinner. A dress code is required for dinner and Chef Arnaud Cotar leads the helm of menu creation, which changes seasonally. If you want a slightly more relaxed experience, opt for the 2-person chef's table in the kitchen.
Dinner table set for a feast at Blantyre Resort.
Mandarin Oriental, New York City: This is one of my favorite hotels for food, and it also made the Food & Wine list. The Mandarin Oriental, New York City, has undeniably the best views of Central Park, which makes dining on the Lobby Lounge's dim sum bento box, Wagyu beef sliders, or my favorite, the wonton noodle soup, even more appetizing. The hotel just released their Central Park picnics, which includes Alice Waters designed baskets which includes local artisan salumi, eco-chic bamboo cutlery, French radishes, rustic pizza Bianca and thyme-grilled quail, to name just a few. A portion of the proceeds supports her Edible Schoolyard program.
The perfect soup for a cold winter day in New York City.
Four Seasons, Boston: Food doesn't always have to be fancy to be fabulous. A the Four Seasons, Boston, the make-your-own-sundaes with the Ice Cream Man is quite possibly the biggest hit for kids and adults, alike. The ice cream man appears with his cart to serve up scoops with your favorite toppings. For adults with a craving, there's nothing so special as the Bristol Lounge burger, which consistently ranks as the best burger in Boston.
Culinary creations from the Bristol Lounge at Four Seasons, Boston.
Paradisus Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Chef Martín Berasategui opened Passion (at Paradisus Palma Real) and Fuego Gastro Bar (at Paradisus Punta Cana) last year and to rave reviews. The seven-star chef created and brought to life dining concepts that blend Dominican tradition with creative culinary concepts.
In the kitchen with Chef Bersatagui at Paradisus Punta Cana, prepping to create a quick, healthy meal using only local ingredients like this lobster.
Here are some of Food & Wine's favorite hotels for food lovers:
Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver: Celebrity chef David Hawksworth leads the kitchen at Hawksworth Restaurant. The chef serves an array of vegetable crostini at the bar of his namesake restaurant. For his incredible glazed-beet-and-burrata toasts, to intensify the flavor of boiled beets and form a rich glaze, he cooks them a second time in sherry vinegar and sugar.
Four Seasons Hotel, Baltimore: The hotel has two restaurants by chef Michael Mina: Wit & Wisdom, an upscale tavern that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Pabu, a Japanese izakaya-style pub specializing in robata grilled foods. Mina also consults for the hotel's café, an outpost of L.A.'s Lamill Coffee, which fries beignets to order. (My tip: don't miss the barbecue brownies at Lamill!)
Andaz Wall Street, New York: The new Scotch Trolley at the hotel's restaurant offers 20 choices of the spirit. The Andaz also hosts a farmers' market on its plaza where local purveyors like Migliorelli Farm and Down Home Acres (a community-supported farm) sell seasonal produce every Saturday and Wednesday from June through November.
Revel, Atlantic City: This new resort and casino has an impressive 1,898 rooms and 14 restaurants from top East Coast chefs like DC's Michel Richard, Philadelphia's Jose Garces, and NYC's Marc Forgione. There are approximately 1,000 staffers employed at the hotel's restaurants, shops and spa.
45 Park Lane, London: At this new hotel, L.A. chef Wolfgang Puck operates the restaurant and bar and guests can summon a bartender to prepare drinks in their rooms like the Pepino's Revenge, a refreshing tequila cocktail that perfectly blends cool slices of cucumber with summery basil and tangy fresh lime juice.
See the entire list from Food & Wine.
Source: Boston.com
