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The Changing Food Landscape Chefs say hotel restaurants should entertain guests, as well as feed them. Tuesday, March 02, 2010 Beth Kormanik

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Food is no longer food. Especially when served at a hotel restaurant.

It's entertainment. It's an education. It's a lifestyle -- whether that lifestyle is healthy and organic, or a new twist on the White Castle slider.
 
Chefs are coming to terms with new food realities and adapting their menus, according to a panel at the Food and Beverage Buyer Interactive Trade Alliance and Conference, at the Bellagio Las Vegas.

A real-time poll of BITAC attendees confirmed the shifting landscape. When asked whether they have seen a fundamental shift in diners' eating habits, 61 percent answered, "absolutely." Drilling into how they have changed, however, may be different for each establishment.
 
For Sam DeMarco, executive chef at First Food and Bar in Las Vegas' Palazzo resort, the answer is to recognize diners' desire to be entertained. DeMarco said the restaurant shows its sense of fun through menu items such as its mini burgers, served on actual White Castle slider buns. They're a huge seller.
 
"There's something about calling something 'mini' on a menu that people feel it's OK to eat it," he said. "We want people to know we're having fun. When you read through my menu there are a lot of clever things in there. People want to know you're thinking. As chefs, we tend to write menus for ourselves. We forget people are out to be entertained and they all of their sense to come alive. That starts with the menu."
 
DeMarco said his food philosophy derived from his background growing up in an Italian family. The menu is designed for people to share their food, whether they order main courses or compose a meal entirely from small plates. The idea behind the food itself is to take food that people view nostalgically and offer a variation.
 
"Food needs to be approachable," he said. "I take things that people understand and are familiar with and put twists on to make an exciting dining experience for them."

Rick Giffen, executive chef at Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere, revamped the restaurant from its steak-and-potatoes roots to have more of a global offering. But even with the changes, familiar items like filet and rib eye appear on the menu.

"Simplicity is the key," he said. "You go with great ingredients and let them speak for themselves. You do comfort foods with a twist, not to freak anyone out. Don't scare anybody away."
 
Another way dining is changing is guests' expectation that ingredients are organic and locally grown.
 
Even in Las Vegas, it's possible to find a Nevada farmer to provide fresh foods.
 
Geno Bernardo, executive chef of Nove Italiano at the Palms casino, said he recently joined a farming collective. He expects to reap crops by the spring and summer. Bernardo also champions making their own charcuterie at Nove -- curing their own meats and hand-making sausage. He called it a "lost art" now being revived, and noted that guests respond to the story behind it.
 
"Chefs in Vegas have this notion that everything gets flown in," he said, "but there's farm-to-table and things we can do inside Nevada."
 
Karl Edlbauer, corporate executive chef with the Peabody Hotel Group, cited farm-to-table as the next big trend at hotels. What has been a way of life in areas like California's wine country are expanding to places like Peabody's Orlando property, where Edlbauer is overseeing the sourcing of local produce. What's more, he believes the guest will pay a premium for better food.

"If we don't jump on this we will lose a lot of opportunities," he said. "I'm a firm believer that an organic, healthier, natural way of using products in our industry is going to be big. Every chef sitting up here would love to work with the seasons and the bounty each season has."


Using quality ingredients is one way hotel restaurants are expressing a sense of value to guests. Value -- the sense that customers are getting their money's worth, whether in a casual or fine-dining venue -- may be the most important concept in today's economy.
 
"People are a lot more savvy," Giffen said. "They expect to have a great experience for X amount of dollars. It doesn't matter if you're going to Burger King or a high-end restaurant. You have a certain expectation of what you're going to get for your money, so [restaurants] have to deliver on it every time, whether it's a burger or a nice piece of Chilean sea bass. You better to make sure it's cooked properly and presented well, and they'll be happy."
 
John DeLoach, executive chef of Lavo, also at the Palazzo, said value is communicated to guests through larger portion sizes. But guests also tend to share dishes.
 
"We do a lot of large parties, and there is a lot of sharing," he said. "That's what we consider value-driven."
 
DeMarco said value is often psychological. Serving a smaller entree on a medium-sized plate instead of a large plate can make the food appear larger. Using tabletop items with multiple compartments communicates the idea that the guest is getting more options and variety. He cited the creativity of suppliers in helping inspire these changes.
 
"China, glass and silver have come a long way," he said.

Whether the message is sent through presentation, portion size or ingredients, Bernardo said the goal is the same: Wow your guest.
 
"It's tough times now," he said. "If you're not doing it, then your competitor is doing it. The challenge is how to get your guest to be a regular. That's what our challenge is every day."