HILTON PORTLAND & EXECUTIVE TOWER’S LIVING SALAD BAR convn.org/hilton-portland There is only one natural response to the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower’s “Living Salad Bar”: Wow. That’s exactly what Jack Molisani, executive director of the LavaCon Conference, said when he first had a taste. “To find this kind of food in a hotel that caters to meetings attendees is incredible,” Molisani said. “Rather than setting out big plastic bowls of industrial pre-cut lettuce like many hotels, the Portland Hilton creates this amazing spread of locally sourced organic lettuces and vegetables. Attendees then point to the types of let- tuces they want, and the hotel chef then lovingly shears, preps, and garnishes the salad, including your choice of protein — my favorite would have to be the seared Pacific salmon. Yum!”
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SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER visitsandiego.com Jeff Leidy, the executive chef at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC), believes in altering the way people think about convention center food. He does this by showcasing fresh local ingredients presented with a clas- sic flair, including organic produce and humanely raised, hormone-free livestock. Tides, the SDCC’s 138-seat on-site restaurant, features a top-shelf bar and offers the ideal atmosphere — themed to emulate the sparkling blue waterfront location — for pre- and post- conference relaxation. “Chef Jeff does an amazing job,” said Richard Toscano, senior director of special events for George P. Johnson. “He’s able to pro- duce really delicious, artistic pieces in high quantities, and that’s hard to find.”
HILTON PRESIDENT KANSAS CITY convn.org/hilton-president One bite at the Hilton President Kansas City and you might develop a deep, long-lasting loyalty to its cuisine — much like Christi Thompson, execu- tive assistant at HMC/CAH Consoli- dated Inc., did. “They offer an annual customer-appreciation luncheon that we always go to,” Thompson said, “and they never fail to have a great lineup of food, particularly desserts.” The prop- erty’s on-site restaurant — the historic Drum Room — offers delicious appe- tizers and live music, and has hosted a long list of legendary clientele such as Frank Sinatra and Patsy Cline. “We hold all of our retreats and big company meetings [at the Hilton President],” Thompson said, “and in four years we haven’t had one complaint.”