Kevin Gray - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 7

1 min

Haii Keii in Houston features a dramatic, futuristic design inspired by the films ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Kill Bill’

🎭 Haii Keii, a restaurant in Houston's River Oaks/Upper Kirby neighborhood, opened on February 18 offering a 3,000 square foot indoor space with an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor patio seating. The design by Gin Braverman and Gin Design Group channels "Blade Runner" and "Kill Bill". Executive chef Jeffrey Taylor and sushi chef Jose Espinoza crafted a menu with cold plates, hot plates, vegetables, fried rice, nigiri, maki, and steaks. Managing partner Jarred Tosto emphasizes Haii Keii as an immersive, vibrant dining experience.

3 min

Camaraderie opens in Houston, serving market-driven food in a ‘fine casual’ setting

🍴 Shawn Gawle opened Camaraderie in Houston Heights on March 26, presenting a "fine-casual" dining experience with a market-driven menu. The restaurant, designed by Schaum Architects, was a former shed retaining its original wood and metal elements, now featuring skylights and custom seating. The dining room offers a $75 prix-fixe menu for 32 guests, the bar and lounge offers an à la carte menu for 24 guests, and a 22-seat patio serves from a window counter. Gawle, with 18 years in savory and pastry roles including at Michelin-starred March and respected Quince and Saison, is supported by wine director Gillian Malone and bar manager Kristine Nguyen. Camaraderie features playful dishes, a balanced wine list, and cocktails like the $8 mini Martini.

1 min

Chef and restaurateur Tim Love reflects on 25 years of Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth, Texas

????️ Renowned chef celebrates with a 25-course retrospective tasting menu from May 2-6, highlighting culinary milestones and innovations.

3 min

Indian chef Regi Mathew has opened Chatti, his first stateside restaurant, in New York City

🍳 Award-winning Chef Regi Mathew, with 30 years of experience and two restaurants in India, opened his first U.S. restaurant, Chatti, in New York City on Feb. 12, south of Times Square. Inspired by Kerala's toddy shops, Mathew researched for over three years, visiting 70 toddy shops and 265 homes in Kerala. Chatti seats 80 guests, plus 70 in a mezzanine party room, and features a 10-seat private dining area. The menu offers seafood, vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, fermented palm wine-inspired cocktails, and desserts like spicy bird’s eye chile ice cream.

2 min

The Tampa Edition hotel’s Punch Room bar just launched a themed ‘Americas’ menu exploring native ingredients across Mexico, the United States, and Canada

🍸 Luxury hotels like Four Seasons and The Ritz-Carlton feature top cocktail bars. The Punch Room, first introduced at the London Edition in 2013, opened its Tampa, Florida location in October 2022. The Tampa Edition's Punch Room offers a new menu themed "Americas: Part 1," spanning from southern Mexico to Canada, with "Americas: Part 2" set to launch next year. Drinks incorporate traditional recipes and native ingredients, some taking days to prepare, with offerings like mole and cheese-washed tequila. Available by the glass for $22 or punch bowls for $100, the menu is presented in an illustratively detailed book. The Edition plans to expand to 30 properties by 2027, with recent openings in Tokyo, Singapore, and Riviera Maya.

3 min

Maple & Ash, the high-grossing wood-fired steakhouse from Chicago, is now open in Miami

🍝 Maple & Ash, opened in Chicago (2015) and Scottsdale (2019), saw sales of over $35 million and nearly $24 million respectively last year. A new location launched March 13 at Miami Worldcenter, which spans two stories and 22,000 square feet, set to introduce two more concepts: Eight Bar and The Studio. The restaurant features a menu with a variety of starters, a steak selection with wagyu options at $45 per ounce, and a $225 tasting menu. The drinks menu offers 2,500 wine bottles and cocktails like the IDGAF Old Fashioned with 24-karat gold. Maple Hospitality Group also runs Monarch and Kessaku in Dallas, with plans to expand to the West Coast, Boston, and NYC within 12 to 24 months.

3 min

Prince Street Hospitality opens Alba in Los Angeles, marking its first West Coast restaurant

🍴 Cucina Alba, part of Prince Street Hospitality, opened in NYC's Chelsea in summer 2022. Alba Los Angeles opened on February 6 in West Hollywood, marking the company's first West Coast venture. The LA location, designed by GRT Architects, features a 10,000-square-foot space with a 120-guest main dining room, a 14-seat bar, lounges, and a private dining room. Executive chef Adam Leonti showcases Italian cuisine with California ingredients. The bar, led by Truman Flanders, offers over 5,000 wine bottles and a variety of Italian-inspired cocktails. Prince Street Hospitality is also developing a new project in SoHo, Manhattan.

3 min

The Occidental is back open in Washington, D.C. following a Starr Restaurants overhaul

🍴 The Occidental, originating in 1906 in Washington, D.C., near the White House, reopened with a new design by Ken Fulk on March 5. Renowned for hosting politicos and world leaders, it has been revitalized by Starr Restaurants. The 14,000-square-foot, 280-seat venue features a decor of mid-century nostalgia, including a black-and-white marble entryway, vintage parquet floors, and a 3,200-square-foot courtyard. The American classic menu offers dishes like beef Stroganoff and "the pork chop that saved the world," alongside a cocktail menu with over 50 gins and vodkas and an extensive wine list.

3 min

50 Best is crowning North America’s 50 Best Restaurants later this year

🍴 William Reed will publish North America's 50 Best Restaurants, featuring the U.S., Canada, and parts of the Caribbean, excluding Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic which are part of Latin America's 50 Best since 2013. The top-50 list is to be announced at a live ceremony later this year, on a date yet to be confirmed. U.S. restaurants like New York's Eleven Madison Park and Atomix, as well as California's SingleThread, have previously made the World’s 50 Best list. The North American rankings are derived from a panel of 300 anonymous voters, including chefs, journalists, and gourmets, with no participation fee for restaurants.

3 min

Here’s how independent restaurants are using AI to help their businesses

🤖 AI is becoming increasingly common in multiple industries, including hospitality, where up to 95% of independent, full-service restaurants utilize it for operations such as inventory management and menu optimization—each used by 35% of respondents. Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint in Dallas-Fort Worth uses ChatGPT for creative and strategic support, including brainstorming menu items and promotions like the “longevity duck khao soi” for Lunar New Year. Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco employs Panso, an all-in-one hospitality management system with AI, for event sales and marketing, while Casa Gianna in Miami uses AI-powered Craftable for inventory and purchasing insights. The 2024 National Restaurant Show in Chicago highlighted the potential of AI like ChatGPT as a cost-effective alternative to consulting services.

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