Posted: March 21, 2016
TAMPA, Fla. (Mar. 21, 2016) – The Epicurean Hotel will be singing the blues this April – blueberries, that is – thanks to its partnership with local Wish Farms to celebrate Florida Blueberry Month. Throughout the month, the flavorful fruit will be showcased in a variety of menu items and classes in the Epicurean Theatre.
The Epicurean Hotel’s signature restaurant, Élevage, will offer select blueberry menu items at breakfast, lunch and dinner, ranging from sourdough blueberry pancakes and blueberry crème brulee to Swedish meatballs with blueberry sauce and grilled sourdough and a Florida blueberry salad. Additional unique menu items include the PB&J – seared foie gras, peanut butter bread pudding and blueberry gastrique – and Wild Boar Chops complete with spiced cous cous and blueberry chutney. Blueberry butter will be served as part of the bread service.
The Epicurean Theatre is also offering several classes highlighting blueberries. Scheduled classes include:
All blueberries for the menu items and classes listed above will be from Wish Farms. Founded in 1922 and third-generation owned, Wish Farms is a Plant City-based grower and marketer. Nationally recognized for quality and innovation, Wish Farms is a year round supplier shipping fresh blueberries and strawberries to grocery stores and markets throughout North America.
“We are so fortunate to partner with the incredible, family-owned Wish Farms to celebrate Florida Blueberry Month,” said Tom Haines of the Epicurean Hotel. “We appreciate the opportunity to showcase a local grower and our unique culinary-themed offerings at the hotel to the public.”
“We are thrilled to work with the Epicurean Hotel to help promote Florida Blueberry Month,” said Amber Maloney, Director of Marketing for Wish Farms. “We hope to create a buzz and educate the Tampa Bay area that local Florida blueberries are in-season and available in stores now.”
Located in the trendy Hyde Park historic district of South Tampa, Florida, the food-focused Epicurean Hotel features a state-of-the-art culinary classroom known as the Epicurean Theatre; Élevage, a restaurant where classic recipes are re-imagined; EDGE rooftop bar; Chocolate Pi pâtisserie; Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits wine shop; Evangeline full-service spa; and 5,200-square feet of flexible event space. The Epicurean Hotel was developed in collaboration with Mainsail Lodging & Development and the legendary Bern’s Steak House and is the first newly constructed hotel property in the United States to join the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR).
For reservations, please call (855) U-AWAKEN (829-2536) or visit www.EpicureanHotel.com.
Wish Farms, founded in 1922 and third-generation owned, is one of the largest shippers of strawberries in Florida and has been for over 80 years. Nationally recognized for quality and innovation, Wish Farms is a year round supplier of strawberries, blueberries and seasonal in select vegetables. Wish Farms utilizes How’s My Picking?™, a patented tool for traceability to ensure quality by tying consumer feedback to the harvest time, field location, picker, etc. For more information about Wish Farms, please visit www.wishfarms.com or www.facebook.com/wishfarms.
Mainsail Lodging and Development is a Tampa-based hospitality company that develops and operates lodging products in the Southeastern US and the Caribbean. Their properties include Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina (ScrubIsland.com), a private island resort in the British Virgin Islands and member of Autograph Collection® of Marriott International; Mainsail Beach Inn (MainsailBeachInn.com), a boutique beachfront hotel on Anna Maria Island, Florida; the boutique food-focused Epicurean Hotel (EpicureanHotel.com) in Tampa, Florida was created in collaboration with the legendary Bern’s Steak House and was the first newly constructed property in the United States to join the Autograph Collection®. The company also operates corporate housing throughout the Southeast, exclusively managing the Florida market for Oakwood Worldwide® under both its ExecuStay® (ExecuStay.com) and Oakwood® (Oakwood.com) brands, while also operating ExecuStay (ExecuStay.com) in Georgia, portions of Alabama, and The Carolinas. Mainsail is developing their fourth hotel, Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club on Anna Maria Island, Florida, which is slated to open early 2017.
Internationally known for its vast wine collection, perfectly aged steaks and famous dessert room, Bern’s Steak House offers a world-class, incomparable dining experience. When Bern Laxer opened in 1956, he envisioned Bern’s as Art in Steaks. Today, son David Laxer and Chef de Cuisine Habteab Hamde continue Bern’s tradition of excellence with a gastronomic adventure that includes prime dry-aged steaks cut-to-order, 21 choices of caviar, fresh seafood and vegetables in a setting like none other. Housing the World’s largest wine collection of over 500,000 bottles, Bern’s offers 7,000 selections to its guests. In 2015, Bern’s was named a semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine Program by the James Beard Foundation. Additionally, in 2014, Bern’s was named an Outstanding Restaurant Semi-finalist, one of twenty in the country by the James Beard Foundation. Lastly SideBern’s, (now Haven), Bern’s sister restaurant and its Executive Chef Chad Johnson, also of the Epicurean Hotel, were named a 2012 and 2014 Semifinalist for Best Chef: South. Haven, formerly SideBern’s opened in March 2015. For more information on Bern’s Steak House and its subsidiaries, visit bernssteakhouse.com.
About Autograph Collection Hotels
The Autograph Collection is an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels. Exactly like nothing else, each destination has been selected for its quality, bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. From near to far, iconic to historic, the result is an array properties that is nothing less than unique, nothing short of collectively exceptional. For more information and reservations please visit www.autographhotels.com, or explore our social media channels to learn more about championing the independent spirit.
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Kelly Prieto, APR
Vice President
Hayworth Public Relations
386-677-7000 Ext. 2
[email protected]