Satisfying members’ passion for world-class cuisine and luxury travel, SPG Moments has unveiled an enhanced schedule of Culinary events that offers even more access to legendary culinary experiences. Members will have the opportunity to participate in mouth-watering evenings of cocktails, kitchen tours & tasting menus at world-renowned restaurants, plus access to the top food & wine festivals in destinations including New York, Chicago, Tokyo, and more. These intimate evenings hosted by the stars of the global culinary stage as well as VIP access to renowned food festivals make each SPG Culinary Moment a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Food often acts as the center around which life’s greatest moments are celebrated and shared,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President of Starwood Preferred Guest. “Expanding our Culinary Moments program is an excellent way to provide members with opportunities to share these once-in-a-lifetime memories with their family and loved ones.”
Food Trends for 2016
Every Chef—cooking in award-winning restaurants or in the privacy of their own home—has one ingredient that defines their signature touch. To whet members’ appetites for the expanded schedule of unmatched dining experiences, SPG asked participating celebrity chefs to reveal the one ingredient they can’t cook without in 2016. Here are the food trends for 2016:
- Chef Curtis Stone: The earthy, sweet and humble, carrot hits peak season in winter.
Application of ingredient: Carrots star in every course of Curtis’s January degustation menu at his restaurant, Maude. He thinly shaves purple carrots and pairs them with bonito carpaccio, perilla and dashi gelée for the crudo dish, serves tortellini filled with house made ricotta, carrots pickled in verjus and a roasted carrot brodo, and for something sweet, he finishes with carrot-inspired petit fours.
- Chef Daniel Boulud: Rye berry and Seasonal Quince.
Application of ingredient: Used in his frog leg dish, the Rye Berry matches well and adds a rustic and nutty flavor to the dish. He is sure it will continue to make appearances in other dishes, and he is looking forward to being creative with it this year.
- Chef Eric Ripert: The mystical and rare Black Truffle.
Application of ingredient: thinly shaved directly onto fish and incorporated into sauces and emulsions.
- Chef Morimoto: Pork.
Application of ingredient: Morimoto will use pork for ramen soup, sliced slow-cooked pork as a topping, pork dumplings, and more!
Although some ingredients remain all year “heroes” in the kitchen for these culinary stars, the trend towards seasonal and local remains fairly steady. Creativity, however, will always be the defining factor for any signature style, regardless of current ingredient trends.
The Chef’s Table
In 2016, SPG foodies have new options to indulge in supper-club style events, hosted by the culinary world’s biggest names. Food and wine events will also give members a chance to visit a new destination and sample local or regional cuisine.
| Highlights of Upcoming SPG Culinary Moments: | ||||
| Atelier Morimoto XEX with Morimoto: February 11th | ||||
| Tokyo, Japan | ||||
| Cocktail reception, sushi demonstration and teppanyaki dinner with omakase menu | ||||
| Girl & the Goat with Stephanie Izard: February 18th | ||||
| Chicago, Illinois | ||||
| Cocktail reception, sneak preview of Duck Duck Goat, and tasting menu with wine pairing | ||||
| South Beach Wine & Food Festival®: February 24th-28th | ||||
| Miami, FL | ||||
| Events include: Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons hosted by Rachael Ray, Fireman Derek’s Midnight Breakfast hosted by Chrissy Teigen, Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations, and Chicken Coupe with a meet & greet with event host Chef Andrew Carmellini. | ||||
| Maude with Curtis Stone: February 25th | ||||
| Beverly Hills, CA | ||||
| Cocktail reception and tasting menu with wine pairing | ||||
| Daniel with Daniel Boulud: March 17th | ||||
| New York City, NY | ||||
| Cocktail reception, kitchen tour, 5-course menu with wine pairing and cooking demonstration | ||||
| Le Bernardin with Eric Ripert: March 24th | ||||
| New York City, NY | ||||
| Cocktail reception, kitchen tours, 6-course tasting menu with wine pairing and cooking demonstration | ||||
| Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival: March 31st – April 3rd | ||||
| Monterey, CA | ||||
| Events: Opening Night Reception, Fabio Viviani Cooking Demonstration with meet & greet, Booze & Bites, Lexus Grand Tasting, and Graham Elliot’s Deliciously Whimsical Cooking Demonstration. | ||||
| BottleRock Napa Valley Festival: May 27th – 29th | ||||
| Napa, CA | ||||
| Events: VIP & GA tickets with access to 70+ bands on four music stages plus celebrity chef and vintner performances on the culinary stage. | ||||
New SPG Cravings
Passion for great food has always been at the heart of SPG, sharing the best in culinary culture with our guests wherever they are in the world. Starting in late February, members can look forward to the launch of SPG Cravings, a new culinary guide designed to inspire and connect guests to the culinary conversation with:
- Up to 30% off and Starpoints when dining at 1,500 SPG restaurants and bars in over 100 countries
- Incredible access to dining experiences
- Exclusive culinary content to feed their imagination
Serving soon at spg.com/cravings.
For more information on SPG’s Culinary Moments, including a complete schedule of 2016 events and bidding details, visit spg.com/moments.
