FORT LAUDERDALE, FL—As hotels look to separate themselves from their competitors in an increasingly aggressive capture market, one obvious tactic is to raise the property’s profile. One sure way to grab attention, owners and operators have found, is to infuse food and beverage operations with the recognizable style and cuisine of a celebrity chef.
One of the more high-profile recent examples of this is the 14-month-old Il Lugano Suite Hotel here, which has been able to snag one of the most visible of such chefs who toil in the pantheon of eating-geared entrepreneurs: Todd English.
English, an innovator on the restaurant scene for some 20 years, has become his own brand, bringing instant cachet to hotels, restaurants, cookware, television shows and other endeavors to which he lends his name. His restaurant, Olives, can be found in the W Hotel Union Square in New York, Bellagio in Las Vegas and the St. Regis in Aspen, CO. Other hotel restaurants include BlueZoo at The Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando; Bonfire at The Boston Park Plaza; Tuscany at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, CT; and The Libertine in the Gild Hall Hotel in New York.
At Il Lugano, English opted to create yet another new experience designed to honor his Tuscan heritage. But rather than just import his Tuscany eatery from Connecticut to Florida, English introduced Da Campo Osteria at the hotel last November.
“I have to think about location, as a great meal isn’t just about the food it’s about the service, music, decor and the overall vibe,” he explained to HOTEL BUSINESS®. “Tuscany [the restaurant]evokes the feel of a grand Italian villa and it is a very large restaurant in a grand casino. At Il Lugano, the space is smaller and has this spectacular view of the Intracoastal [Waterway]. I wanted the experience to feel more intimate, so I decided that a traditional Italian Osteria was the right concept for this property.”
The hotel operates the 72-seat, three-meal restaurant, which is accessed through the lobby.
Il Lugano’s general manager, Michael Weber, said one of the advantages of having Todd English behind the food and beverage operation is that it brings certain awareness to the hotel, which is set at the northern end of Fort Lauderdale and is not in the beach area mix.
“What is so great about the restaurant and menu is that it can be many things to many people,” said English. “Right across [roadway]A1A are a large number of condos, so for many people it is their neighborhood restaurant, where they can come a few times a week and always find different menu options to suit their mood. But it is also a hot spot, definitely worth making the trip for a night on the town or that really special occasion.”
A restaurant general manager oversees Da Campo Osteria, and the executive chef and pastry chef are employees of English’s company who have worked with him in other venues. “I’m very involved,” said English. “Seth High, the executive chef, and Jessica Mogardo, the pastry chef, have been with me for years and have each worked at three of my other restaurants, so they have a true understanding of my cooking philosophy. They are both hugely talented. I speak with them a few times a week about menu ideas and go down for visits regularly. My front-of-house corporate team also works directly with the managers on an ongoing basis to ensure that Da Campo’s service represents my brand. And our corporate wine director is always working with the on-site staff to bring great wine finds for our customers.”
Da Campo is the sole F&B outlet in the hotel and it provides food for room service as well as banquets. One of the key concerns among celebrity chefs is that the quality their particular brand represents is maintained in a broader application, such as in-room dining. Toward that end, Weber said the chefs have selected items “that can travel well,” such as pasta dishes. “We do have a separate menu for our banquets because when you have 40 people, same dish, it gets served up differently,” said Weber.
Weber said there have not been any issues in maintaining quality or English’s vision with the volume operation. He added meeting planners have been “very happy with the price point.”
Items on the menu are not considered overly expensive given the celebrity status of the restaurant and the fact that it’s in a hotel. However, given today’s outlook on discretionary spending one might wonder if diners are willing to pay a premium for a dish of spaghetti and meatballs, which goes for $25. “Yes, they are,” said Weber with emphasis. “And we’ve gotten rave reviews [from local newspapers]. We do see a lot of repeat guests coming here from Fort Lauderdale and it’s got to be because of the food.”
That down-to-earth dish belies the complexity of many of the other Da Campo menu choices in terms of flavors and combinations. Examples include a char-roasted filet mignon accompanied by celery root polenta, wild mushrooms and Gorgonzola; linguine vongole with pancetta and chillies; butternut squash agnolotti with sage and brown butter; a spicy Calabria onion soup with Fontina frittata; or a fig and prosciutto pizza with gorgonzola and carmelized onions cooked in a wood-burning oven that English designed specifically for Da Campo and that “ensures a perfect crust every time.”
When deciding on the menu, English said he always starts with the freshest ingredients, thinking seasonally and locally. “Then I look to the classics and try to balance the menu with traditional favorites and my personal interpretations. My cooking mantra is ‘common ingredients in uncommon ways.’”
In choosing to go into a hotel, English said, “You have to make sure that the hotel that you partner with is a good match in terms of brand alignment and service philosophy.”
Weber maintains having Da Campo Osteria is helping drive people to the hotel, which will help drive reservations for hotel rooms as the restaurant and property get talked about. “It’s kind of a trendy spot that I think is really bringing the Il Lugano name out to the community here,” he said, “which is what we were trying to accomplish from the beginning.”
