F & B : BREAKFAST
Reimagining brunch
The hotel brunch is no longer a wasteland of chafing dishes with the same old selections . More brunch menus are now incorporating what ’ s hot in F & B overall . “ We changed our brunch menu to be more reflective of our overall style of food about six months ago ,” says Greg Biggers , executive chef at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower . “ Diners have become more sophisticated and expect to be ‘ wowed ’ at brunch .”
Biggers is doing that with brunch dishes such as a lingonberry waffle with honey-whipped ricotta , shaved foie gras torchon and mint chiffonade , priced at US $ 19 . He also focuses on seasonal , sustainable ingredients . “ It ’ s the only way to go ,” Biggers says . “ It would be a lot easier to make our brunch menu the same all year , but we try to put the same passion for our ingredients into brunch as we do for our dinner menu .”
“ The fresher an item and the less it has been handled and treated chemically , the better the flavor ,” agrees Val
on regional influences , he adds . Other local breakfast choices might include a crab cake Benedict in Baltimore or congee and dim sum in Shanghai .
“ We want the hotels to be able to celebrate their own uniqueness as well ,” Nelson says . “ There should be a sense of place in any of our hotels .”
Healthy choices The old adage states breakfast is the most important meal of the day , and that
The Benedict Oscar on the brunch menu at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago features poached eggs , sautéed spinach and fresh crab atop an English muffin .
Brenner , sous chef at Lockwood Restaurant at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago , where the recently launched brunch menu includes dishes like the Benedict Oscar — featuring poached eggs , sautéed spinach and fresh crab atop an English muffin — priced at US $ 17 .
Brunch also can attract locals . The Sunday Jazz Brunch at Fairmont Monte Carlo counts locals as up to 70 % of its patrons , says spokeswoman Claudia Batthyany .
Other keys to keeping brunch cost-effective , according to Biggers , include cross-utilization of product . He recalls a chicken confit ragout on savory bread pudding on the brunch menu that saved the hotel money , as whole chickens purchased for dinner also provided the confit at brunch . Still , Biggers knows sometimes brunch must cost a little more . “ We like to offer local , sustainable and even organic items on our menu ,” he says . “ We know this can be expensive . It ’ s about knowing what people are willing to pay the extra dollar for and presenting it in a way that reflects the quality of the item .”
in addition to long growing awareness about healthy eating plus relatively new interest in things like gluten-free and vegan diets mean hotels must make sure their morning menus offer at least some nutritious and dietary-specific fare . The Surry Hills , Australia-based 8Hotels Collection , for one , features healthy options including fresh fruit , muesli , porridge and yogurt , says Group Operations Manager Wendy Morris .
Demand for more healthy dishes at
Swissôtel Chicago inspired the creation of the California Benedict , a meatfree dish with a veggie burger atop an English muffin with sautéed spinach , a poached egg and hollandaise sauce .
Irving , Texas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts recently updated its “ Art of Breakfast ” menu with various gluten-free cereals and breads . “ Whether you are gluten-intolerant or not , being gluten-free or reducing the amount of gluten [ in your diet ] is just perceived as being a healthier lifestyle ,” says Stephen Rosenstock , Omni senior vice president of food and beverage .
Healthy choices need not be boring , either . Oatmeal ranks as Courtyard by Marriott ’ s third-most popular breakfast offering , Milham notes , and the brand aims to give this staple interesting , seasonal twists such as a cranberry-apple or strudel topping in addition to a core offering with toppings like raisins , cranberries and brown sugar . “ We ’ ve got a lot of people who appreciate the creativity we put around oatmeal ,” Milham says .
Ethnic preferences Given breakfast ’ s status as a comfort food for many guests , many hotels tailor their morning fare to the specific preferences of various ethnic groups . “ We really try to meet the needs of different nationalities ,” says Esther Neumann , F & B manager at Regent Berlin . “ Italians like to have fresh fruits in the morning , whereas American guests order sugar-reduced items and yolk-free eggs .
“ We listen to our guests and try to incorporate their suggestions ,” Neumann adds . “ For example , we offered a Japanese breakfast , and a guest informed us we had the wrong chopsticks . We appreciate this sort of feedback .”
Similarly , Hotel Icon , Hong Kong , caters to the needs of its clientele with Singapore-style items like half-boiled eggs and kaya toast , halal items such as hummus and lemon couscous and Chinese items including a warm bowl
54 HOTELS January / February 2012 www . hotelsmag . com