Meet & Eat

It may just involve two planks, a gondola or sleigh ride to get there. 

Megan Jones-Holt purchased Stockton Market’s Market Pizza restaurant  in Stockton, N.J., from former owner and renowned caterer and chef Jamie Hollander in May 2016.

It's a win-win situation. Not only do you get to work off some calories and interact with group members along the way, gastronomic delights and memorable experiences await on these fun skiing and snowshoe adventures. Dipping into delicious cheese or chocolate fondue, catching a sneak peek of local shrines and savoring gourmet dinners in yurts are just a sampling of Mountain West winter excursions that are suitable for most ability levels.

Mouth-Watering Fondue

One of the many benefits of meeting in the Mountain West is that the next scenic wonder is never far away. Restaurants are among the best when it comes to incorporating Mother Nature’s artistry into culinary atmospheres that are stunning for all the senses. The hard part is narrowing down the list to provide a glimpse of some great options.

Photos courtesy of Po Le Cucina

I’m feeling a bit of Pennsylvania pride at the moment. It might be the well-deserved summer after that really long winter, or it might be the fun things I’ve done in PA the last few weeks, but I think it really has more to do with Pennsylvania earning top marks for its food by Open Table.

Last week the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills hosted a poolside cooking demonstration to celebrate the launch of some new additions to the Cabana Restaurant menu.  As waiters circulated with samples on silver serving trays the press in attendance (myself included) swarmed for every bite. Here’s what makes this surprising: those nibbles didn’t include the usual high-end fare of caviar or glistening slices of sashimi. There were no Kobe beef sliders or lobster wontons.

Like everyone else I’m beginning 2014 resolved to eat healthier.

One of Los Angeles’ most iconic hotels, the 726-room midcentury-style Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, has hosted the city and world’s elite since its opening in 1966. The tri-part, 25,000 square-foot ballroom, which was recently renovated, has been the setting for countless Hollywood galas. A social center within itself, the hotel was buzzing on a recent weekend with events that included the Goodwill Gala for Heroes fundraiser and the Beverly Hills Food & Wine Festival, as well as several large private events scattered throughout the hotel’s 100,000 square feet of function space.

These have been a busy couple of weeks for me. Delightfully so! I have been lucky enough to enjoy overnight stays at four terrific properties, all of which should be on the list of anyone planning meetings in Southern California.

When I heard that a caterer- Tiato & An- was the grand-prize winner of the 2013 Santa Monica Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA), I wanted to learn more. The SQA, as the awards are known, are given out annually to celebrate local businesses that practice sustainability in three areas: economic development, social responsibility and stewardship of the environment.