HD Talks Blog

Food, Wine, and Great Design

I've never been to Mohegan Sun. Nor have I been to a wine and food festival. I'm a foodie and an aspiring wine enthusiast, so the 7th Annual Sun Winefest, the largest food and wine show in Connecticut (it brought in 15,000 attendees this year), was just the event to tend to my taste buds! 

From the time I walked into the lobby, I knew my time here would be a real experience, in food, wine, and design. Here are some of the elements that stood out at Mohegan Sun:

The lobby

Intense lighting hanging above escalators. 

The amazing sculpture by Dale Chihuly in front of Todd English's Tuscany restaurant.

Now, let's get back to the show. I must admit I was a bit star-struck or should I say chef-struck. I watch most of the cooking shows, own many cookbooks, and yes, I love to cook. But seeing some of these celebrity chefs up close made me excited and nervous at the same time. What do I say? What do I ask? There were chefs left and right--Tyler Anderson, Kevin Cottle, Jasper White, and Betty Fraser just to name a few.  

 

Prior to a wonderful dinner at Bobby Flay's second outpost of Bar Americain (the restaurant opened at Mohegan Sun in November) I attended a cocktail reception with chef Govind Armstrong (Table 8 and 8 Ounces restaurants) and Ben Ford (Ford's Filling Station). I was smitten, having been a huge Govind Armstrong fan for a while. I also saw chef Armstrong in action at Sunday's cooking demonstration making brandade fritters with wood-roasted tomato coulis. Yum. 

 

And the show wasn't complete without chef, restaurateur, TV personality, and author Bobby Flay doing his thing. He made his dallas burger crunchified, something you could find at Bobby's Burger Palace. After the demonstration, I tried it out for myself and waiting online for almost 25 minutes was worth it. This burger (probably the best I've ever had) along with a pistachio milkshake was a real winning combination. 

Bobby Flay was also one of 22 chefs to participate in Saturday night's Celebrity Chef Dine Around. This event was filling with both great food and wine pairings. Every type of dish was there from Rich Lucas' braised short ribs of beef with a pumpkin and wile mushroom polenta to Todd English's lobster rolls to an all-out meal from Lydia Shire with lobster popovers, crab cakes, and tiramisu with Kahlua. 

The demonstrations were just part of the show. The other part was of course, the wine! There were seminars from vineyards like Far Niente and Bridlewood Estate Winery; a grape stomp; and even an oyster shucking contest--The Oyster Open. And now for the tastiest wine and liquor--Duckhorn Vineyards' Paraduxx, Far Niente's Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Apel Eis Apple Ice Wine, Navan's natural vanilla liqueur, Pearly Bay's semi-sweet sparkling wine from South Africa, and Soave's dry white wine from Northern Italy. But taste wasn't all that caught my eye--so did the bottle and label design. Here are some of my favorites--and yes, even Ed Hardy is now making wine (the sangria was pretty good):

It's Monday and I'm still full from all the goodness from the weekend. I enjoyed talking to the winemakers and the chefs so much that I feel like I want to become one myself. There was so much passion felt throughout the event---it was very hopeful. Cheers to the thriving food and wine industry! 

HD Does Dallas

This week HD's CitySCENE: Next Generation Networking party went back to Dallas. Roughly 125 young designers, architects, owners, and purchasers headed to Ghostbar at the top of the W Dallas for some great food, conversation, and views—the unseasonably cold Dallas weather held off just long enough for us to make use of the expansive balcony overlooking the city. Luckily enough, Deborah Lloyd Forrest of ForrestPerkins was able to stop by as our guest of honor. Look out for photos in the Jan/Feb edition. (For past photos of CitySCENE events, click here.)

While in Dallas, I took the time to stop in and say hello to a few design firms. I had a fantastic lunch with Dan Nelson and William Bradley of Vision Design at Villa O, which they recently designed. In the summer, the indoor-outdoor space must come alive, but even with the dampening weather, the space had a warm, yacht-inspired feel with painted exposed ceilings, wood floors, banquettes, and tables (with a high gloss finish), and white and blue furnishings. And the Italian food was a stand-out as well. I am still thinking about the breadless chicken parmesan with zucchini pasta. 

I also stopped in the Wilson Associates expansive offices, which they have been for 20-some years. It was so great to walk around and meet everyone with Amy McEvoy, the firm's head of PR. Even though she had told everyone to clean up for me (which they didn't have to do), it was so inspiring to see the many, many project boards of hotels they are working on, from the Sofitel Dubai to the Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. We plan to publish one of their newest with Sol Kerzner, the Mazagan Beach Resort in our March issue, and the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Arizona opens next week. The best part: spending time with Trisha Wilson in her office (which has the best view in the house overlooking the city). She's a woman of pure inspiration.

I also had a lovely breakfast with Trish Martinek of HKS. I have worked with her for my eight years at HD, but had never met her in person, which was such a treat. We talked about the recent merger with Hill Glazier, monopolizing on social media, and touched on a few of the hundreds of projects they are working on. Two standouts: the W Hollywood, set to open next month, and the St. Regis Punta Mita in Puerto Rico.  

And to cap off my trip, I had a terrific lunch with Design Duncan Miller Ullmann's Kellie Sirna, business development/PR, and principals Kimberley Miller and Turner Duncan. Besides a boutique hotel in Shanghai, they also just finished up the Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando attached to the Waldorf Astoria. It may be one of the last 1,000-room hotels for awhile. And the duo, who are recent Platinum Circle Award winners, was just awarded the International Business Achievement Award by the Dallas Business Chamber in the small to mid-size business category. Congrats!

To walk off our big lunch, I got a tour of Duncan Miller's design of the Hotel ZaZa. It may be five years old, but looks brand new. The attention to detail, one-offs, artwork, and the various themed suites would make me keep coming back for more. First I would want to try out the erotica suite; then the rock star one, a favorite of real rock stars. Another ZaZa just opened in Houston as well. Here's to hoping the owners are planning on more locations outside of Texas!

A free trip to Spain, anyone?

If you are a Spain-loving-ceramic-tile-fanatic architect or interior designer, listen up! 

Tile of Spain, the umbrella brand managed jointly by the Trade Commission of Spain in Miami and the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers' Association (ASCER) in Valencia, is generously looking for three individuals to take to Spain for free. Yes free. The Reign in Spain A&D Tour, which is taking place from February 5th-February 13th will include a tour of Granada to see various architectural sites such as the Alhambra (shown below) and a trip to Valencia for Cevisama, the International Ceramic Tile and Bath Furnishings Show to meet with manufacturers and see new products first hand, go on factory tours, and attend a press conference. 

        

Qualifications:

-Must be available for the duration of the tour which is from Feb. 5-13, 2010.

-Must be an accredited architect or interior designer with current affiliation with AIA, ASID and/or IIDA.

-Must be an architect or interior designer currently living in the United States.

-Must be willing to participate in all activities of the junket, within reason. There will be free time for exploring the cities on your own but most activities, meals and excursions are planned beforehand and are required. 

Are you game? After you determine your eligibility based on the qualifications above, take the following steps:

-Download and complete the application form at http://www.spaintiles.info/eng/index.asp

-Return application by deadline of Dec. 23, 2009

-All applications should be sent to (email is preferred):

Reign in Spain A&D Tour                                                          

c/o Tile of Spain

2655 Le Jeune Rd. #1114

Miami, FL 33134           

Phone: 305.446.4387                                              

Fax: 305.446.2602                                                           

Email: Miami@mcx.es

Participants will be selected based on eligibility and the quality of their answers completed on the entry form. Preference will be given to those with an affinity for ceramic tile as a building or design material or those who have used ceramic tile in past projects and/or plan to use ceramic tile in the future. Selected participants will be notified by Jan. 8, 2010.

Accommodations do include roundtrip airfare from the United States to Madrid; single occupancy hotel room for the duration of your stay; all group transportation during the tour; and admission to scheduled attractions and trade show. Transportation does not include cab or bus fare for city exploration during free time. 

Good luck! 

Honoring Clodagh

By Michael Adams

Earlier this week, the New York chapter of NEWH Inc. celebrated the fall with Sittin'  Pretty in the City, a festive gathering at the Mohawk showroom. Since chairs seem to be in the ether these days (see two of our latest blogs), it's worth noting that part of the evening's festivities included a silent auction for a dozen or so designer-created chairs by the likes of Alexandra Champalimaud, David Ashen, and D.B. Kim. 

 The party's centerpiece was an Innovator of the Year Award to Clodagh, who that morning had nabbed a Gold Key award for her work at Miraval in Tucson, Arizona.  In June, those guestrooms won her Best of Show at the HD Awards, as well as an Earth-Minded Finalist Award from HD and ASID.  These honors might be chalked up to the luck of the Irish were it not for Clodagh's remarkable skill as a designer, not to mention her genersity, indomitable spirit, and great, earthy humor. (Needless to say, I'm a fan.)
   Congratulations to one of the great dames of the industry!

The Woman of the Hour, with husband Daniel Aubry.  (David Ashen bides his time in the background.)

Seat's Taken

Posted by Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

I love design—I love writing about it, thinking it, looking at it, you name it. But I am not so great at actually designing. You wouldn't say I am a crafty person, to put it mildly. Which is why I was a bit worried when I was asked to design a chair for Chairs for CHAIRity, sponsored by Hold It Contemporary Home in San Diego. Basically, they give you a chair of your choice, you design it, and it's auctioned off to benefit the local chapter of Make a Wish. Mind you, I was "going up against" some of the best local design talent (Michael Soriano, Davis Krumins, Esteban Interiors). So last night at the packed event and auction I was so excited when someone else besides my supportive husband put a bid (and won) my "Kiss Me" chair. Who would have thought three yards of felt could look so good.

Here are some of the other wonderful chairs designed by local designers, artists, and media people (and some of the night's "big winners").

It's all about the President, baby.

Monday night I headed to the President opening in mid-town Manhattan to show support for my good friends at Stonehill & Taylor and Hampshire Hotels. As always they were generous hosts, and designers Mike Suomi and Laura Plasberg created a beautiful space. 

With a design concept inspired by the 2008 election, the bi-partisan palette is based on "centrist purple", a mix of Republican red and Democrat blue. The all-white lobby screams South Beach chic, while historical touches like a replica of Lincoln's top hat, done by the same hat maker, and clever custom artwork, courtesy of Soho Myriad, keep the theme interesting.

Stay tuned to hdmag.com for the full story and images of the interiors. In the meantime, enjoy what was a quick photo op turned full-on political rally on 48th Street. Gotta love these guys. 

From left: Vasant Baliga and Riyaz Akhtar, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts; Tara Mastrelli, Hospitality Design; and designers Mike Suomi and Laura Plasberg, Stonehill & Taylor. 

Everybody scream "300 ADR, hip, hip, hooray!" 

Windy CitySCENE

In this economy, what's better then cocktails, food, and networking? Enter Hospitality Design's (HD) CitySCENE: Chicago. For the first time, HD brought its next generation networking party to the Windy City, and it was a huge success. More than 150 designers, architects, purchasers, and owners (numbers are still being calculated) converged on the rooftop called Vertigo Sky Lounge of the one-year-old hip dana hotel and spa (we published it in September). A big thank you to the sponsors for making the night happen: CDI (Contract Decor International), Jane Hamley Wells, Moore & Giles, Soho Myriad, Shaw Hospitality, and Symmons.

Some highlights: the sky parting and the sun peeking out just what seemed like minutes before people started ascending on the indoor-outdoor space; the diverse group of people who attended—from the impressive group showing of Rosemont Project Management/Hyatt and Gettys, to Looney & Associates, InterContinental, VOA Associates, Simeone Deary Design Group, SOM, HOK, Strategic Hotels, and the list goes on; the fried rice station; and of course, the impressive views from the 26th floor (once again, thanks to the weather reading our minds).

What's even better: first off the well-dressed attendees (it was great eye candy and moments of jealousy where you wanted to ask 'Where did you get that?'). But more importantly, hearing conversations turn from the economy to actual current projects; from talking about work to real-life. It's building relationships that last through the economic ups and downs that matters most these days.

Look for more photos in the July issue.

Top Honors

By Jana Schiowitz

Our 5th annual Hospitality Design (HD) Awards honored the best of the best on Thursday, June 4th at New York City's Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel. The fun-filled evening sponsored by Mark David and Interiors From Spain, with awards created and provided by UltraGlas, included an awards presentation followed by a night of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and networking starting at the hotel and continuing into the wee hours of the night at the HD Awards after party held at Aspen Social Club and sponsored by Hampshire/Vikram Chatwal Hotels, Alcatel-Lucent, Stonehill & Taylor Architects and Planners, and the venue itself. One of the biggest highlights of the night was the award For Best of Show. And the award goes to? Interior design firm Clodagh Design, architecture firm MITHUN, and owner Miraval Holding, LLC for Miraval, a resort in Tucson, Arizona, which had taken home top honors in the luxury guestrooms/suites category.

 

Posing for a photo with the Best of Show awards in hand are Clodagh Design guest Amy Lee; Antonio Pares, principal, MITHUN; Tom Dunlap, senior vice president for development, Miraval Holding, LLC; John Henderson, Executive Director, Clodagh Design; and Rachel Massey, project director, Clodagh Design.

 

One of the guestrooms at Miraval.

Our awards were judged by Peggy Leung, Studio Gaia; Matt Harvey, Joie de Vivre Hospitality; Ali Honarkar, Division1 Architects; Russell Groves, S. Russell Groves; and D.B. Kim, D.B. Kim Design.

Congratulations to all of the honorees!

Wave of the Future Announced!

Each year, Hospitality Design (HD) magazine honors a handful of owners, designers, and architects that are young enough to be considered visionary, but tested enough to be considered accomplished. This year, we have selected six stellar designers and architects. They will be featured in the September issue of HD, and will share their insight on a panel at Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference (HD Boutique) on September 14th in Miami. And the honorees are:

Andrew Alford

Andrew Alford Design Studio

San Francisco

www.andrewalford.net

Tonny Sadha

Tonny Sadha Interior Design

New York City

www.tonnysadha.com

Jason E. Goldberg

rowland+broughton architecture and urban design

Denver and Aspen

rowlandbroughton.com

Gulla Jonsdottir

Dodd Mitchell Design

Los Angeles

www.doddmitchell.com

Jun Aizaki

Creme Design 

Brooklyn, New York

www.cremedesign.com

Warren Foster-Brown

FBEYE International

Singapore

www.f-b-eye.com

--Stacy Shoemaker Rauen