My Notes on Tuesday’s Lunch, Break & Dinner Menus August 15, 2008
Posted by mintelflavorinsights in Uncategorized.Tags: desserts, dinner, lunch, small bites
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The momentum picked up on Tuesday afternoon as we moved into lunch and the afternoon break. Lunch featured a number of soups and salads, but the sun on the patio was pretty hot to get into something like seafood bisque. My favorite lunch option was the “Bistro Grilled Steakhouse Sandwich” – not too cutting-edge, but still satisfying. (OK, yes, and the “Guinness White & Dark Chocolate Cake”… frosted with marscapone whipped cream.) The afternoon break items shared a “blue” theme – all the dishes were blue in color or… purple. (“Purple Up” soda, “Purple Grape Sorbet”, etc.) I’m a sucker for chips and salsa, so I was pleased to see “Blue Corn Chips with Fresh Pico de Gallo” as an option.
Dinner offerings drew inspiration from various trends in dining and ingredients, including:
My Notes on Tuesday’s Breakfast & “Nosh” Menu Items August 8, 2008
Posted by mintelflavorinsights in Uncategorized.Tags: breakfast, desserts, small bites
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Breakfast
Tuesday morning’s menu offered a wealth of options to attendees from “Beautiful Breakfast Quiches” (two to choose from, including an Applewood Smoked Bacon, caramelized Sweet Onion, and Asiago cheese Quiche and a Vegetarian Quiche with Fire-Roasted Vegetables, Italian Marinated Tomatoes, Spinach, Potato, and Asiago cheese) to a “Strawberry Sunrise Smoothie”.
At this point, I should pause to apologize. I am not much of a breakfast person. Brunch, yes. The (now) rare late-night plate of eggs & bacon? Absolutely. However, to start a long, high-energy day I typically gravitate more toward the coffee & a bagel end of the spectrum.
Thoughts on the Opening Reception August 5, 2008
Posted by mintelflavorinsights in Uncategorized.Tags: appetizers, desserts, locavore
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Tonight’s happy hour event featured a number of tasty hor dourves and interesting cocktails in a great setting (on the patio overlooking the bay during sunset). Of the finger food laid out across the upper and lower levels of the patio, I tried:
- “Mini California Avocado Shrimp Cocktail”, designed by the Hass Avocado Board (a sponsor), and the name pretty much says it all. Served in a mini martini glass and very tasty.
- “Steamed Carlsbad Mussels”, two varieties were served but I only tried the Garlic Butter & Melted Fennel option (compliments of Land O’ Lakes) – also very tasty and locally sourced from Carlsbad, CA.
- The “Salty Strawberry Kisses” looked delicious but I got to talking and (literally) forgot about them. Another local product, dipped in chipotle dark chocolate then “kissed” with a dash of kosher salt (thanks to Cargill and PMA).
The latter two items are good examples of the “locavore” trend we’ve written about in a recent Mintel Report.
For cocktails, I ordered a “Chili Mango Rita” (spicy… served with a slice of jalapeño) and sampled a Tanqueray Rangpur “Cucumber Martini”. The latter was cleverly garnished with a slice of cucumber pinched in a wooden (looked like bamboo) clip.
The reception seemed well attended and everyone was very friendly. I had some interesting conversations on a variety of topics (Bennigan’s came up several times) especially how the slumping economy has impacted menus and marketing tactics. Interestingly, it seems smaller portions are being seen as an attractive choice in that they can be positioned as both potentially healthier and less costly options – particularly in areas like desserts.
ML
