Scala's First Project Will be the Urban Tavern at the Landmark Hilton San Francisco: The Hilton Family of Hotels announced that it has entered into an exclusive partnership with critically acclaimed restaurateur Donna Scala to develop signature casual dining concepts for its full service hotel brands. Scala, owner of Napa Valley's renowned Bistro Don Giovanni, will design and concept the new casual restaurants. Donna and her husband Giovanni have been responsible for several highly praised restaurants, including Piatti Ristorante and Scala's Bistro, which they opened in 1995 in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. The year it opened, Scala's Bistro was named Best New Restaurant nationwide by Food and Wine Magazine, and Donna Scala received the distinguished honor of Best New Chef.

Starwood has become the latest company in the hospitality & food industry to ban Trans-Fats - a superb move forward in terms of health for it's guests. Unlike other fats, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health.[1] Eating trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease.[2] For these reasons, health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally (learn more).

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Moves Forward to Eliminate Artificial Trans-Fats from More Than 400 Hotels in North America - June 19, 2007 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced today its goal to eliminate all artificial trans-fats from the food and beverage operations at more than 400 hotels in the U. S., Canada and the Caribbean by the end of 2007. This includes food served at Starwood-operated restaurants, banquets, catering, room service, bars and lounges. Starwood's efforts to eliminate artificial trans-fats in its food service is a result of a two-year process at its hotels in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, including Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, and W brands. Research on the direct link between heart disease and the consumption of artificial trans-fats has been well documented, creating a growing national health issue. "We are committed to offering our guests healthier options when they travel," said Paul Scott, vice president, Food and Beverage, North America for Starwood Hotels. "Our goal is to offer healthier, high-quality food selections by eliminating artificial trans-fats from our food and beverage operations."

Guests Experience the Art of Living With Three Varietals of Canvas Available at Hyatt Properties in the U.S.

Today, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of its new signature wine brand, Canvas, developed in partnership with Folio Fine Wine Partners, a Napa Valley, Calif.-based company owned by the Michael Mondavi family. To celebrate the launch, Hyatt debuted the wine last night during a tasting event with celebrated winemaker Michael Mondavi at the Grand Hyatt New York. Guests sampled the wine amidst original canvas artworks provided by the New York Academy of Art. Recognized as a leading innovator in hotel food and beverage, Hyatt is delighted to offer its guests three new handcrafted, artisan varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay – bringing added variety and excellence to the Hyatt dining experience.

On Saturday, May 5, 2007 the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality opened its doors for the 5th annual Food Festival open to the public. The school campus was transformed into a world of specialities, and over 2000 guests were able to taste a variety of national dishes from 18 different countries. The delicious food and the nicely decorated stands spread an exotic feeling and a relaxing atmosphere around the school campus of Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality.

eHotelier reports on the 2nd installment of the culinary extravaganza to be held in Thailand, with a price tag of one million bahts per person! The event will feature the culinary talents of many a renowned chef (most of them with the 3star Michelin rating).

"A remarkable 1,000,000 baht (US$25,000) per head gala dinner will form an unprecedented extravagant grand finale for "Epicurean Masters of the World", a gourmet food and wine extravaganza to be held at Bangkok's award-winning rooftop dining destination, The Dome at State Tower, from November 28th to December 2nd, 2006."

Visit: http://www.epicureanmasters.com/web15/home.html for more details.

Rising Tourism, Growth in Number of Retail Outlets and Booming Local Demand Stimulates Development of USD 12 Billion Market

Increasing demand for international food products and rising disposable incomes are combining to make the Middle East a “hot market” for foodstuff producers and distributors in 2006, as well as creating new opportunities for manufacturers of kitchen equipment, processing technology and packaging machinery.

Analysts predict that a number of GCC states in particular –the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar - are now major growth markets for the food industry.

QSR Magazine explains the Center for Culinary Development's TrendMapping process, where it identifies new food movements in five different stages. Chimichurri sauce, ciabatta bread and white tea are all currently on the trend radar.

QSR Magazine | Prime Movers

tags: food

It's pinning its hopes on new ads, juiced-up old lines, and just a few fresh products -- in other words, business as usual. Why isn't it copying PepsiCo and making acquisitions?

Quick, what's Coca-Cola's (KO) current ad slogan? Hmm, had to think for a minute, didn't you? "Coke is it?" Sorry, that was the jingle used back in the 1980s and early 1990s. "Always?" Apparently not. That was retired in 1999.

You probably didn't guess "Real," and that says plenty about Coke's recent woes. The venerable beverage giant hasn't had an unforgettable marketing campaign for quite some time. And even the individual commercial spots are hit or miss. While the Diet Coke ads featuring a young girl skating along the beach were uplifting, the spots showing teens taking the train back from a concert were too somber, and the one with a teen rubbing a Coke can under his armpit were disgusting to anyone but 14-year-old boys.

Why Coke Has Real Problems