Elvin Jin was on a path to becoming a medical doctor when he decided to end his work as a physician’s assistant in pediatrics, travel to Japan, and pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a chef. Working at the foot of the masters in the Japanese food scene, Jin spent a “humbling” eight months doing nothing more than cleaning rice. “I wasn’t allowed to do anything else,” Jin recalls. “There were many days I had had my doubts over my…
The 15-story, glass-and-chrome atrium of Conrad NY Downtown with its massive mural by Sol LeWitt, may feel quite modern, but it is traditional concepts that draw the customers through the front doors. The view; the food; the service. That’s what pulls people in, says senior food and beverage manager Joseph Mirsky. “We have a great advantage in terms of our location and our international and continental brand,” Mirsky says. “We’re one of the more upscale hotels in Lower Manhattan and…
For anyone who has ever dreamed of “getting away from it all,” but hasn’t known exactly what that might look like, the panoramic view of Vermont’s Green Mountains and Lake Chittenden, as seen from the luxurious-yet-rustic accommodations of the Mountain Top Inn & Resort, might help form a “visual” on that idea. Three hours north of Boston, roughly mid-state Vermont, is a property that has hit a boom time since the property built a brand new post-and-beam barn to offer…
The first thing Adam Acerra learned when he opened a farm-to-table concept in Long Island was that he and his partners needed to keep it simple. While true that the first plates created by head chef Chuck Treadwell in Market Bistro’s kitchen could rival fine dining anywhere, the customers flowing into the rustic bistro in Jericho, N.Y. wanted something a little more casual. “And we listened to them,” he says. “Our menu was a little too elevated in the beginning…
Some traditions never get old. Fine steaks, veal chops, and Dover sole prepared tableside are just some of the traditional Abruzzi cuisine items attracting patrons to the charming La Locanda Ristorante Italiano in Pennsylvania since 1997. Eighty percent of the customer base is repeat business, says La Locanda Ristorante partner Franco Stefanatto. “Every year we’re increasing our revenue by 2.5 to 3 percent,” Stefanatto adds. In this week’s Q&A interview with Boxerbrand blog Recipe for Success, Stefanatto offers insights into…
Up the steps of the Rosedon Hotel’s wide, welcoming veranda of the type enjoyed by Mark Twain in his day, awaits a 40-room boutique property that began humbly as a bed and breakfast in the 1950s before emerging as a world-class destination. “My grandmother Elizabeth Kitson bought the main house in the 1950s and turned it into a bed and breakfast,” says Lee Petty, co-owner and creative director. “It grew from there.” The property was managed by generations of Elizabeth…
The pairing that started Laurel Ridge Winery involved “suitcase clones” and a daring decision. “Suitcase Clones”—vine clippings famously smuggled from France to Oregon in the 1970s by Charles Coury to reinvigorate the flagging, cool-climate vineyards of Oregon— were half the inspiration for David Teppola to dare to dream of making wine. The other half involved swimming against the tide of winemaking wisdom of the time, and buying a tract of nutrient-poor land to grow his grapes. His daughter Kira Teppola,…
What powered Chef Craig Strong onto the international hospitality stage were twin goals: A desire to own a convertible 914 Porsche, and a passion to be the best chef he could be. Those aspirations, emerging when he was just 15, propelled him toward the hospitality industry, and inspired him to work very hard to seize every opportunity. Doors opened for Strong. Some of the best kitchens in Paris and Spain eventually welcomed the hard-working young man. And under the tutelage…
The early morning fog in the Russian River Valley cools the grapes grown on the Thomas George Estates Winery perfectly. Their fruit, when ripe, bursts with such full and delectable flavor that six bottles of Chardonnay and Pino Noir—the varietals the vineyard is known for, recently took top scores by one of the world’s most esteemed wine critics. World-renowned wine writer Robert Parker recently scored six bottles produced in 2015 by the winery so highly that the estate is packaging…
Anna Maria Santorelli, the feisty female chef who once cooked for celebrities and dignitaries at New York City’s Gracie Mansion before fulfilling the lifelong dream of opening her own restaurant in 2006, knows how to pull culinary delights from a pressure-cooker kitchen. After working 12 years for Gracie Mansion in greater and greater roles, ultimately achieving the title of Executive Chef, the native of Italy continues to strive for and achieve her American dream with each Eggplant Parmesan she prepares,…