FOOD & BEVERAGE
juice , sandwiches , and at night , they might serve beer , wine or cocktails ,” he says .
Coffee also caters to the post-millennial customer , Kuzma says . “ This next generation takes their social responsibilities very seriously , and they look at how alcohol impacts their welfare ,” she says . “ Instead of having a beer with friends , they ’ re sitting around and having a cup of coffee .”
THE EXPERIENTIAL ASPECT Guests are also seeking unique experiences . At the Ciasa Salares , guests can go on a tasting experience , moving from the wine cellar to a charcuterie room to the cheese room to the chocolate room to a spirits room . “ Absolutely , we take a guest on a journey ,” Clemens Wiese says . “ We have one of the largest and most eclectic libraries of wines that are biodynamic and natural , and we take our guests through the experience .”
At the Kimpton Aertson Hotel ’ s signature restaurant in Nashville , the 14-course tasting menu in the kitchen for two to four people that ’ s US $ 250 per person quickly sells out . “ It ’ s nice to be able to offer something super special , and tickets for this sell like hotcakes ,” says Beringson , executive chef at Henley ’ s .
Special experiences aren ’ t just limited to the hotel or resort ’ s signature restaurants . Pool bars , for example , can also offer them . At the Fairmont Taghazout Bay , the pool bar is more playfully named Reef and Beef instead of surf and turf , and the signature menu item is a tomahawk steak , which can be set on a Spanish paella . “ It ’ s an experience ,” Desjardins says . “ We ’ ve taken what most people call a pool bar , and we ’ ve made it into its own identity .”
Creativity in breakfasts and brunches is also coming back in a big way . “ If you brunch it , they will come ,” Beringson says , adding that one of the most popular items on her menu is a Southern twist on the croque madam called a croquet ma ’ am , made with locally made , smoked bologna , on local sourdough , with a farm fresh egg . “ We ’ re seeing more exciting brunch food .”
“ The demand for breakfast is back ,” Brownlee says . “ But we ’ re seeing things that you might not have seen on a breakfast menu in the past , like baby arugula with egg whites . We also make a lot of house-made sorbets , and we ’ ve seen some traction with that , and it looks promising in the future .”
Brownlee also points out that diners are lingering more for dinner . “ A table would normally be around for
an hour to an hour and a half , and they ’ re staying for two hours or longer , a solid 20 % to 25 % longer , so you want to capture that business ,” he says . “ I ’ m looking into larger sharing plates . People missed restaurants , and they want to be back .”
112 hotelsmag . com November / December 2021