Destination Community -- Food For Thought

Hamilton Park Hotel’s very own Executive Sous Chef, C.J Chambers, recently brought home the gold, I mean copper. The Copper Skillet Award that is! Chef C.J.  was recently awarded the highest culinary award in a standoff competition between the best of the best chefs within the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) collection. When asked to comment on C.J.’s recent honor, VP/Managing Director Joe Crimmins stated “It has been a pleasure to watch C.J. grow and refine his culinary skills during his time with Destination Hotels & Resorts and Hamilton Park! He is very passionate about his profession and has a natural curiosity which all great chefs possess!” That same curiosity that Mr. Crimmins speaks of is now expanding outside of the kitchen into some of New Jersey’s finest farms. As a result, Hamilton Park is a place where companies can conduct meetings while knowing that the hotel in which they are conducting business is committed to sustainability practices.

We are excited about our complete Pepsi overhaul here at Wild Dunes Resort! Check out the view from my office earlier this March when our 1st Pepsi Truck arrived to makeover all of our resort’s outlets with their products.

For all of you with a sweet tooth and an appetite for adventure, check out Atwater on Gore Creek's new line up of tasting treats and savory sweets, all perfected paired with craft beer. Yes, that's right. We're taking indulgences to a whole new level and can do the same for your next event as well! We just received validation that we're on the right track.

This just in: Herradura Double Barrel Reposado has arrived at Royal Palms and T. Cook's Lounge! This smooth, amber tequila is aged in oak barrels for over a year - a patient maturing process that allows the spirit to develop its distinct, full-bodied flavor and aroma.

Culinary tourism is a growing facet of meeting planning. Like teambuilding events and recreational activities, experiencing local fare is a way to provide attendees a unique experience at the destination they are visiting. Most likely, it is possible to enhance your event at minimal cost by leveraging vendor relationships your hotel already has in place.

One of our favorite Arizona treats is the Prickly Pear cactus. This distinctive cactus has many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, and has even been known to treat the dreaded hangover. 

Take a coffee break at 8,000 feet. Resort at Squaw Creek offers fabulous break service with aromatic coffee perfect as a pick-me-up. Really, nothing is better than a cup of java to keep your day or meeting going, right? Thankfully, now I can click into my skis head up the Funitel and get both!

The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas boasts some of the most impressive culinary accolades in the hospitality world, including being named a Top 25 Hotel Restaurant in the United States. In keeping with our rich culinary traditions, 2011 marked a landmark occasion; The Driskill hosted an episode of Bravo TV’s Top Chef Texas.  

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Michael Scott, head chef of Tempe Mission Palms. Graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Chef Scott has been in the restaurant industry for his entire working life. Whether he is cooking for a huge corporate group, or just a small private party, his passion for great food is obvious.  I hope you enjoy getting to know Chef Scott as much as I did.

Last Saturday, I was dining at a small restaurant in the quaint downtown San Diego neighborhood known as Little Italy. It was here in this colorful quarter of the city that is renowned for its culinary flair and wide array of distinct restaurants that I had my first grass-fed hamburger. San Diego being a trendsetter in the culinary, sustainability and healthy-lifestyle realms, I’d heard of grass-fed meat and dairy before, but wasn’t too clear on what it meant and why it mattered.