Marriott in the Kitchen

A Day In Chicago

On my trip to Asia I had an unexpected 12 hour layover in Chicago, thanks to a mechanical issue on the flight. Though a hassle, I always appreciate the airline making the call not to go if everything is not working right!  What to do in Chicago for 12 hours? I took a cab straight to the new JW Marriott to see The Florentine.

The Florentine is the newest Italian addition to a city filled with Italian restaurants. A member of the BLT Group, I was excited to see their newest concept and the new JW Marriott. I am a big fan of BLT Steak at the JW Camelback and San Juan Ritz-Carlton, and Florentine has gotten great press. It did not disappoint.

The waiter looked at me kind of funny when I ordered a fill size pasta and pizza at 11 am. I am sure he thought I was expecting someone to join me, but pretty soon out came the Bucatini Carbonara and Bacon-Leek Pizza. The pasta is topped with a duck egg, lending brilliant creaminess to the smoky bacon laced pasta. Really great, really simple. The pizza crust was thin and perfect, (hard to find in Chicago). Topped with winter leeks and more bacon (it was brunch time, so I figured two bacon items were ok), I intended only to eat about half of the pizza but soon found it too good to leave.

 
 
I finally made the flight after spending the day in the lobby of the hotel working on my computer. This hotel is well designed for this. I was able to use the Great Room communal table and stay plugged in all day. Business travel is always full of surprises, but I was actually thankful to have been forced to wait 12 hours for my continuing flight and have the chance to see Florentine and the new JW Marriott Chicago.

What’s on YOUR plate today? Bacon pizza I suppose.

 

The Growth in Asia is Astounding.

The first JW Marriott Asia Chefs Workshop has been an unrivaled success. I am in Bangkok, Thailand with 15 of our executive chefs from the JW Marriott Hotels in the Asia Pacific region. With more and more hotels opening in some of the world’s most exciting cities, it is also a phenomenal opportunity to share food stories with other chefs. What an experience it has been to work with this elite group. As of today we have 17 hotels under the JW Marriott flag in Asia, but soon there will be nearly double that. We need to cultivate and inspire culinary talent to bring this growth to life.

Bangkok is a true food city. Want street food? Every corner seems to have stands and stalls putting out incredibly diverse food. The national heritage Pad Thai Goong, unimaginable Satay, Som Tum (a spicy papaya salad that I cannot get enough of), curries of coconut and chili and the shrimp soup Tom Yum Goong that is so bright with lemongrass and chili that the only thing to stop you from eating more is the size of the bowl. It is the fresh fruit  however, that will change forever your benchmark of what fruit should taste like. Obviously, I really love the food of Thailand.

Home base has been the spectacular Renaissance Ratchprasong, a simply stunning hotel in the heart of this vibrant city. But I came here to do more than just eat street food. Bringing all of the JW chefs together, our mission has been to chart the course for our growth through unique and focused menus. We have cooked, shared ideas, worked with suppliers of plates and innovative buffet pieces, heard from seafood specialists on sustainable seafood in Asia, and of course, ate amazing food. Our focus was on defining authentic food, intuitive menus  and crafted artistry. After four days of cooking, the chefs are charging back to their hotels with a mission to get every detail right. Watch out, these guys are motivated!

These chefs come from hotels that I would stack up against any in the world.   The JW Marriott Bangkok is still amazing at the age of 13, JW Marriott Shenzen is stunning and just open barely a year, JW Marriott Hong Kong, has been the best in the city for 25 years, and the JW Marriott Mumbai is an oasis of luxury in a city of millions. We calculated that there was more than 300 years of culinary experience cooking together over the last few days. Pretty impressive. Last year on a tour through Asia I met a young sous chef at the JW Marriott Shenzen in China, who impressed me with his passion and enthusiasm. Jack  Zhou is now the hotel's executive chef and is a testament to the opportunities created by our rapid growth. I am really proud of the team of chefs we have throughout Asia, in all of our brands. This group from the JW Marriott Hotels has truly impressed me. I will be talking a lot more about Asia in the future, but my suggestion is to see the real thing and check out the hotels where chefs like Jack are creating amazing food experiences. If you are a “foodie,” get to Asia, it is worth every minute of the long plane ride.

What’s on YOUR plate today?  Mine -  Dim Sum for breakfast, Pad Thai for lunch, and Peking Duck for dinner.
 

JW steaks out London

Steakhouses are iconic American concepts, rivaled only by the global appeal of that other American classic, the burger joint. We have over 40 steakhouses around the globe, but the one I am most excited about is the new JW Steakhouse, just opened at the historic Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel on Park Lane, London.

Filling the space of a former Bistro, the JW Steakhouse brings a true American steakhouse to London with a design that is comfortable and modern. The bar features small batch Bourbons, the most extensive list in London in fact. Though I generally stick with martinis, the Kentucky Bourbon Mint Julep is outstanding and already a winner in the cocktail loving city of London.  The bar itself is a great place to linger, with high communal tables to perch and take in all that this space has to offer.

The real stars here are the steaks and the searing accomplished by a grill firing away at 650 degrees C. Featuring US Beef, including