Prevue July/August 2013 - (Page 24)

Taj Coromandel Hotel, Chennai “This is the food that reﬂects the true culture of the land and speaks volumes about the honest combination of slow cooking and unique ﬂavoring.” dinners with vintner partners, and we can pair food stations with suggested wines,” Jake says. “The food is Mediterranean focused, which of course is wine-friendly cuisine.” Attendees can also opt to get their feet dirty during the resort’s “Cabernet Chaos” activity, which is like something straight out of an I Love Lucy episode. Teams compete against one another to stomp as many wine grapes as they can. They then have to guide the grape juice down a trough into a carafe being balanced on an 8-foot teeter-totter. The better the balance, the more juice the team gets, and the team with the most juice is determined the winner. Further south, San Luis Obispo County is gaining interest among planners for its high-value wine country venues and events. Robert Hall Winery, for instance, offers a slew of meeting space options in which groups can taste the winery’s award-winning varietals. The 19,000-sf wine caverns can accommodate 130 people for dinners amid the oak wine barrels. Try the 2006 Vintage Port, which won a Gold Medal at the 15th Annual Grape & Gourmet. In front of the Eberle Winery tasting room, attendees are greeted by a bronze boar replica of the original bronze Porcellino in Florence, Italy. Tradition states it’s good luck to rub the boar’s nose and toss a coin into the water below. Inside, attendees can sip on a variety of wines, including the 2011 Syrah, Steinbeck Vineyard, which was named one of the Top 100 Most Exciting Wines of 2012 by Wine Spectator. Or, the Vineyard Deck overlooking the Coastal Mountain Range is a perfect spot for groups up to 120 to enjoy wine with the accompaniment of a gourmet picnic or barbecue. DENVER The Victorian buildings in downtown Denver’s food-centric Larimer Square, the city’s oldest block, host a slice of Denver history matched by a significant collection of chef-driven restaurants. Most have patio restaurant fronts that present a European café-inspired experience, especially enjoyable during the warmer months. Bistro Vendome is a French bistro co-owned by Beth Gruitch and Executive Chef Jennifer Jasinski, who was named Colorado Chef of the Year in 2004. Hidden just off Larimer Street, the restaurant invites guests up to its patio with a garden-arch entrance. Attendees can order menu items—steak frites and foie gras crème brulee, for example—that feature local, seasonal ingredients, while seated in the 12-person private dining room. Full restaurant buyouts in warmer months cater 120 in both the indoor and outdoor patio settings. Jasinski is also the executive chef at Rioja, for which she won Best Chef in the Southwest at the James Beard Awards this year. This restaurant’s menu also follows the local, 24 | prevue magazine 20-34_FOOD_COVER.indd 24 7/3/13 12:17 PM NV-48

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue July/August 2013

Planner's Pick: New Zealand
Fresh Meets: Autograph Collection
Bureau Buzz: Monterey County
Good Business: South Africa
sea Shores: Small Ship cruising
The Local Kitchen
Special Section: Caribbean
Dominican Republic
On Location: Hilton/LXR, Puerto Rico
On Location: The Broadmoor
The South, Florida & Las Vegas
Singapore
On Location: Starwood Resorts, San Diego
On Location: Travaasa Austin
On Location: Moon Palace Cancun
On Location: IRF Cancun
Check Out: Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana

Prevue July/August 2013