The new main kitchen at Casa de Campo has helped the resort save about 30 % in overall foodservice department costs .
Executive Chef Rick Tramonto calls the hot line at Restaurant R ’ evolution one of the longest in the United States .
FOOD SAFETY FIRST
CASA DE CAMPO , LA ROMANA , DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
KITCHEN DESIGNED BY CENTRAL ROMANA CORP . AND JOSE ROMAN CONSULTING , DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The 7,000-acre ( 2,833-hectare ) Casa de Campo on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic is just as much a small city as it is a luxury resort . It ’ s not surprising , then , that the property demanded a top-of-the-line , massive central kitchen . Completed in December 2010 at the cost of some US $ 12 million after three years of construction , the kitchen covers 10,760 sq ft ( 1,000 sq m ) and handles food prep , storage and banquet cooking for various satellite kitchens throughout the resort .
Food safety is the kitchen ’ s central focus , explains Director of Food and Beverage Phillip Bucher , starting with a continuous cold chain . “ From loading dock to kitchen , the temperature is set at about 64 degrees F ( 18 degrees C ) or lower to offset the island ’ s heat , which averages about 90 degrees F ( 32 degrees C ) from May to October ,” Bucher says .
Separation by food type is another key element . The kitchen has eight big freezers , Bucher notes , plus a cooler dedicated to eggs alone that holds up to 5,000 eggs . Each food category has its own processing area — protein prep covers three rooms — and in the end the resort ’ s satellite kitchens receive product that requires minimal handling before being cooked and plated .
“ We ’ re more efficient now ,” Bucher confirms . “ Overall foodservice department costs have dropped by about 30 % over the past three years .”
BEAUTY , BRAINS AND BRAWN
RESTAURANT R ’ EVOLUTION
THE ROYAL SONESTA HOTEL NEW ORLEANS
KITCHEN DESIGNED BY THE JOHNSON STUDIO , ATLANTA
Executive Chef Rick Tramonto always had big plans for the kitchen at Restaurant R ’ evolution , which he opened last July with fellow Executive Chef John Folse at The Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans . “ I ’ m pretty spoiled when it comes to kitchens ,” Tramonto concedes . “ I wasn ’ t going to take the gig if I wasn ’ t able to get the engine to the Ferrari I was looking for .”
That “ Ferrari engine ” encompasses approximately 4,200 sq ft ( 390 sq m ) and includes features such as an expo kitchen with a wood-burning oven , rotisserie and salumi station . Tramonto drew up the entire space and thought of every detail , such as surfaces ranging from granite to wood depending on the food being prepared and walk-in refrigerators with clear doors and easily adjustable shelves . “ It is organized in a way where everything has its place ,” Tramonto explains . “ There ’ s no guessing — even the plastic wrap has a home .”
In addition to 300 to 400 covers a day for daily lunch and dinner and Sunday brunch , Restaurant R ’ evolution also handles small plates for the hotel ’ s jazz club as well as room service . Tramonto says the kitchen ’ s “ micro stations ” — ranging from bread to pasta to soup — help keep quality high even with high volume .
He adds that besides the press and marketing his high-end kitchen drives , it also fosters its own longevity . “ It ’ s all about a kitchen culture ,” Tramonto says . “ You step into that kitchen and as a cook you ’ re immediately transformed . The way you cook , the way you talk , the way you clean , the way you close an oven are totally different than in any other kitchen .”
Restaurant R ’ evolution ’ s kitchen is practically paperless , as every station has its own computer screen for tickets .
50 HOTELS April 2013 www . hotelsmag . com