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Loews Hotels Serve Up New P˘ Menu Items: High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Selections for Diet Conscious Travelers |
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Loew's Hotels - Press Release Survey Reveals: Nearly 25% of Diners Adhering to High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Diet New York (April 3, 2000) – In response to a growing dining trend, the Loews Hotel chain is offering new high-protein, low-carbohydrate menu items in restaurants at the company’s 15 hotels in the US and Canada. The new menu items will be denoted by a 
symbolizing a high protein dish that has few or trace carbohydrates. Touted in best selling books and fueling the $33 billion diet industry, the popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate eating strategies are affecting Americans' food choices when dining out, especially on the road. A survey of Loews Hotels Chefs and Food and Beverage Directors revealed that nearly 25 percent of diners request carbohydrate substitutions or elimination when ordering. In all, Loews Hotels’ restaurants are adding more than 40 new selections that
will change seasonally. Varying at each hotel, the selections range from breakfast
items and innovative desserts to complete gourmet meals. For example, the Azzura
Point Restaurant at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego has added a new
five course tasting menu where gourmet
low-carbohydrate dishes include a Warm
Lobster Salad with Black Truffle Vinaigrette and a Seared Foie Gras with Dried
Cherries and Red Cabbage. Another hotel – the Loews Miami Beach – has developed a
low-carbohydrate dessert: the Pepita Mascarpone Frozen Sabayon with Pineapple
Chip and Mint Lemongrass Sauce. Some of the most popular dishes at Loews Hotels,
like the Chicken Paillard with Grilled Vegetables served at The Regency Hotel in
New York, were already low in carbohydrates and are now identified
with symbol.
The Loews Hotels menu selections continue
to reflect the innovative, award-winning
cuisine of Loews Hotels, and provide satisfying options without sacrifice."We recognized this trend growing for the last few years, and this past fall it became audible at our hotels across the country," said Clark Wolf, the food and beverage consultant to Loews Hotels. "The most popular menu items were entrée salads like Cobb and Caesar, simple Grilled Fillet with veggies and there was a noticeable increase in cheese course orders." Supporting the Loews Hotels survey, statistics from the beef industry revealed that consumption of meat was up 3 percent last year, reversing at 20-year decline in the United States. Wolf attributes the resurgence of protein centered meals as a reflection of the strong economy as well as a result of the popular diet books. "The economy is booming and suddenly Americans don’t just have a taste for regular steak, they are asking for the rare and exotic, like Kobe Beef. It’s very reminiscent of the economic boom of the early 1980s, when diners were first willing to pay in excess of $30 an entrée in top restaurants." Loews Hotels, which are located in such major business cities as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia, anticipate that the selections will be
especially popular with business travelers looking to maintain their lifestyle when
traveling."With our guests can enjoy a great meal
without having to make a big production
about being on a diet," said Jonathan Tisch, President and CEO, Loews Hotels. "We
think our customers will really appreciate this subtle convenience, especially
when they are entertaining for business."In addition to selections appearing
on the menus in all of Loews Hotels
restaurants and available through room service, selections will be an option
on food and beverage menus for groups and meeting functions. Loews Hotels currently owns and/or operates 15 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada. As part of the largest expansion in the chain's 54-year history, the company has recently opened four new properties, with three more in various stages of development. These include the first ever House of Blues Hotel, a Loews Hotel, a 367-room property located in Chicago's Marina City that opened in October 1998, and the opening of the 800-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel in December 1998. And, as part of a joint venture with Universal, Inc. and the Rank Organisation, Loews Hotels opened the first of three hotels located at Universal Orlando. The 750-room Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, a Loews Hotel, opened in September 1999. That will be followed by the 650-room Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, in December 2000, and the 1,000-room Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, a Loews Hotel, in 2001. Most recently, Loews opened the 585-room Loews Philadelphia Hotel, a conversion of the landmark PSFS building, in April 2000. Boston will also be home to a Loews Hotel, scheduled to open in 2002 is the 432 room Loews Boston Hotel in the city’s theater district. For reservations or more information on Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com." |