In the past ten years, we’ve seen hotels take their food and beverage program to whole new levels. I love how Loews Hotels is tapping into local taste makers when it comes to its culinary offerings. The brand recently introduced the Flavor by Loews program, bringing a local flair to its dining menu. I recently had the opportunity to lunch with my friend Mike at the Loews Regency New York and sample all things local. About our experience…

Loews Regency New York Pizza Copyright Jessica van Dop DeJesus
Charcoal Activated Crust Pizza at Loews Regency New York

A Taste of NYC at Loews Regency New York

Executive chef Catherine Medrano handpicked some of New York’s most original and inventive purveyors to bring a unique dining experience to Loews Regency New York. From cocktails made with Brooklyn Gin to delicate petit fours from Bon Vivant Bakery, it gives you a peek of how the New York region perfects the craft of good food.

Loews Regency New York Cheesecake Copyright Jessica van Dop DeJesus
Loews Regency New York Cheesecake

From Jersey with Love

Chef Medrano grew up in New Jersey and says not to underestimate the power of the state for its produce. It’s not called the Garden State for nothing! She swears by tomatoes from a local farm in New Jersey just a few hours’ drive from the property. If you have a chance, make sure to have the grilled cheese and tomato soup made with the regional tomatoes. It was one of our favorites of the meal. Don’t mind the elegant facade at Loews Regency New York, just go ahead and dip the grilled cheese into the soup!

Loews Regency New York Cocktails
The Bees Knees, Made with Brooklyn Gin

Local Decadence

We started our lunch with cocktails because it’s 5pm somewhere in the world. I tried the Brooklyn Gin’s Bees Knees cocktail, a lemon infused cocktail. The cocktail was light, citrus, and carried the flavor of the gin well. We then moved on to our charcoal activated dough pizza. I had never had this type of dough before, but must say it was delicious and aesthetically pleasing as well. The dough is sourced from a local bakery, Olivella Bread. The dough is light and it paired well with the spicy flavors of the diavolo pizza.

Verdict

As we indulged in coffee and a rich cheesecake from Mah Ze Dar bakery, we enjoyed watching the crowd. You get an interesting menage of locals and visitors at the Loews Regency New York for lunch. New York is a place with an amazing culinary culture. Hats off to Chef Medrano for looking into the local taste makers and share their craft with her guests.

Loews Regency New York, 540 Park Ave, New York, NY, Website 

11 COMMENTS

  1. Gosh I’ve just now only read this and I’ve missed the Loews Regency in New York! I’ll have to save your info for our next visit! Everything looks delicious, and I really like that they decided to introduce regional dishes with local products. It’s what I’d want to eat, coming from far away, in stead than going for the usual “standard” dishes I’ve seen at so many restaurants!

  2. I love visiting places that successfully tap in to local produce, local trends and local tastes, showcasing the best of their area to visitors. Those fondant fancies look lush!

  3. Love the idea of focusing a menu sampling on all things local and NYC is the perfect place to do it! Especially since cheesecake is my ALL TIME favorite

  4. Never made it to Loews Regency New York when I was in New York, but it’s great to hear that they’re supporting the local community. Interesting to hear about some of the chefs in the area. The desserts in particular looked absolutely delicious!

  5. It is great when hotels, especially larger hotels like Loews with a whole host of locations, tap into the local market in their F&B offerings. It is vital for making each property feel a bit unique and connected to its surroundings. It is great too how they work with the local purveyors and bakeries to showcase the local products.

  6. How awesome the chef is embracing all things local, way to promote the region! I have to say the desserts look so good, particularly the flower decorated bites. What were they exactly??

  7. Who knew Brooklyn Gin even existed? What a fun place to check out. I want to try charcoal-activated dough pizza!

  8. The places which serves food made with local produce and taking care of local traditions are just awesome. The Charcoal crust pizza looks really yummy as well as aesthetically pleasing. Coffee with the cheese cake would be perfect at the end of meal.

  9. I think it is a great trend to see chefs and hotels across the world looking to local cultures and traditions for a fascinating fusion of the traditional and the modern. We recently were at a hotel in Chennai where they were innovating with fusion of traditional south Indian cuisine with cuisines from the world. BTW the dessert at Loews Regency looks exquisite and crafted with lots of finesse.

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