of The Regency Bar & Grill’s entrees,
such as the swordfish served with white
beans and broccoli raab. “In this dish
I finish with Espelette pepper, and the
vinaigrette is a lemon-herb mixture
that also has white balsamic vinegar to
help round out the dish.”
He applies a similar technique to
the Dover sole with brown butter and
capers, introducing a sweet and citrusy
brightness to the plate with the addition of Meyer lemon.
Hot Stuff
Purple mustard and herb-crusted lamb is just one dish that uses Executive Chef Nicolas Bour's homemade mustards.
Executive Chef Brian Kevorkian displays his love of citrus with a seared yellowfin tuna entree that's served with grapefruit.
TOP FOOD IMAGE: COURTESY OF LOEWS CORONADO BAY; MIDDLE FOOD
IMAGE: CAMERON R. NEILSON
Top Seed
Nicolas Bour, executive chef at Loews
Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado,
Calif., brings in a personal collection
for the kitchen’s arsenal: “I always
keep a small variety of my homemade
mustards in the kitchen, from purple
mustard (made from black grapes and
violets) to a standard spicy hot Dijon,”
he says. “Mustard is a condiment that
can be used in a multitude of recipes
and adds depth, heat, acidity or just
a mellow background to almost any
dish. Mustard can even be made into
ice cream.”
And the not-so-secret ingredient
is used in special menus at the resort.
The restaurants’ lineups change seasonally, but diners can request a dish
that features Bour’s favorite condiment
At Loews Hollywood Hotel’s H2
Kitchen & Bar, Executive Chef Mark
Ching likes to spice things up. “I’m
originally from San Francisco, but I
spend a lot of time in the Southwest,”
he explains. “I take that with me.
When I think something needs a little
pop, I default to using chilies.”
Those chilies have even made their
way into sweet treats. “I’ll use chili
powders and other spices, like Chinese
five spice, and I’ll put them into dark
chocolate to make chocolate bark,”
he says. “It pairs incredibly well with
pinot noir.”
These chocolates are sometimes sent
to guest rooms as an amenity, or Ching
will make them as a special amusebouche on occasion.
Because he uses dark chocolate that
contains over 70 percent cacao, the flavors are extremely intense. “The saying, ‘A little goes a long way’ is really
true,” he adds. L
from the rotating menu. For those
who are interested in bringing Bour’s
flair into their own recipes, he suggests
using mustard in homemade vinaigrettes and marinades.
Fresh Pick
At Loews Regency New York Hotel,
Executive Chef Brian Kevorkian of
The Regency Bar & Grill always keeps
some fragrant fruit on hand to flavor
his dishes.
“I use acidity, like citrus, in small
amounts in dishes to help brighten up
the dish and