Cold brew coffee anyone?
14-8-2023
This summer, I had the occasional cold espresso with an ice cube again. The first time I drank this cold espresso was in Spain, where an ‘espresso con hielo’ is a standard menu item. However, here in the Netherlands, cold coffee is not so popular as of yet. Of course, many drink a frappuccino or an iced coffee with vanilla ice cream, but the huge range of flavours and compositions you encounter abroad are still missing here. ^Marjolein
A short article filled with coffee inspiration! And at the end, an Instagram post featuring an espresso Barbietini!
Trends we spotted | Week 32
11-8-2023
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
With this week links to articles including a couple of them on reservation fees at restaurants in the hope that this will reduce the number of no-shows. In New York, more and more restaurants are turning to this system. Leonie van Spronsen recently wrote a blog about this subject. It’s kind of a double standard that lots of guests don’t want to pay a restaurant fee while we pay, without any problem, in advance for tickets to Taylor Swift.
A unique combination; a Latin-American fine-dining experience on a London train, the Supperclub.Tube. Also in London: the Vagabond’s Wine Bars where you can choose from as many as 140 varieties of wines!
Aperol sorbet floating in prosecco, sounds delicious! It’s served at Il Terrazzo in department store Nordstrom in NYC. The sorbet is made by il Laboratorio del Gelato. And also in NYC – the hottest new sushi bar is hidden in The Vault of Saks Fifth Avenue. Great idea, an omakase inside a small corner of a retail outlet?
A touring mini club, Fandangoe Discoteca invites people to dance out their grief! Created by artist Annie Frost Nicholson and it will come to the Netherlands as well. And International Hotel Capital Partners is the new owner of Hilton Garden Inn Leiden Hotel.
Located 4.5 hours from NYC, in Watkins Glen, is the world’s smallest diner, which is also appropriately named ‘World’s Smallest Diner’. And we read about an Instant Noodle Factory in Queens, they serve 88 different instant noodles options with 30 different toppings.
The popular experience, Dining in the Dark, is returning to Amsterdam on August 31, this time it takes place at the NOMAD aan het IJ. And we love the design of the Costa Rican Suitree Experience Hotel with treehouse style rooms.
Paying in advance for Taylor Swift, not for your restaurant reservation
11-8-2023
Leonie van Spronsen blogs about how we find paying in advance completely normal (a year in advance!) for a ticket for Taylor Swift and prefer not to do so for a restaurant reservation.
This blog was previously published in Dutch at the website of Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultancy.
Tempo by Hilton Times Square has opened as part of TSX Broadway
10-8-2023
Hilton recently (August 8) announced the opening of the 661-room Tempo by Hilton Times Square, the first hotel from Hilton’s newest stylish and contemporary lifestyle brand. Located in TSX Broadway, a new 46-story tower featuring experiential retail, cutting-edge entertainment spaces and the historic Palace Theatre, the hotel matches the ever-evolving needs of the traveler whose ambitious spirit calls for both moments of relaxation and inspiration.
They have some special rooms like their ‘Wellness’ rooms including sports equipment but for the romantics among us: they also have 31 ‘ball drop rooms’ for New Year’s Eve!
4 minutes read
Fall season is almost upon us | Pumpkin Spice Avocado Oil Caviar
8-8-2023
Chosen Foods, the maker of America’s #1 Avocado Oil and one of few on shelves that is guaranteed to be 100% pure, is getting in on the ridiculous fun of pumpkin spice season this year by launching the first-ever Pumpkin Spice Avocado Oil Caviar. This seasonal limited time offer in the USA is giving pumpkin spice lovers a chance to experience their favorite fall flavor in a way that’s anything but basic.
We would love to try this Pumpkin Spice ‘Caviar’ here in Europe as well!
Restaurant Iris at the Salmon Eye | Sustainable seafood in a spectacular setting
7-8-2023
Restaurant Iris, with Danish chef Anika Madsen at the helm, is a venue like no other. Iris opened late spring 2023, and is located inside the glittering, floating orb Salmon Eye in the Hardanger fiord, just outside the town of Rosendal. It will take guests on an exclusive Expedition Dining-journey, impossible to replicate anywhere else. The experience centre Salmon Eye, themed on sustainable marine life, was inaugurated in 2022.
Trends we spotted | Week 31
7-8-2023
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
With this week links to articles about among others a collaboration fit for a king by Sorted Food and The Earthshot Prize. And Vignerons du Terroir, the champaign tasting, will be held in the beautiful ConcertLab in the Dutch city Utrecht on October 1.
KFC Canada bids final farewell to its bland old fries with a fry funeral and funeral procession and McDonald’s in the USA has announced a new spinoff restaurant called ‘CosMc’s’.
Mel’s in NYC is officially kicking off their F.O.M.O (Friends Of Mel’s Oven) Pizza Series with limited-edition pizzas created by chefs Daniel Boulud, Gabriel Kreuther, Jean-Georges, and Junghyun Park. Although we have seen more of these kinds of collabs, we love them!
A colleague spotted the Dorian Speakeasy in The Hague on Instagram (see the post by Food Queen) and it’s high on her ‘go-to list’. More details in the link in this article. And South Korean brand LOTTE Hotels & Resorts opened the first overseas hotel in Vietnam.
Chick-fil-A has just announced the construction of the first 75-car drive-thru in Atlanta. According to the company’s Twitter, the concept features a four-lane drive-thru that’s split into two sets.
‘Art of the Espresso Martini’ and other experiences launch at U.S. Starbucks Reserve Roasteries
4-8-2023
Customers visiting the Starbucks Reserve® Roasteries in Chicago, Seattle and New York can explore the craft, theater, and innovation of Starbucks Reserve® coffee with three new, Starbucks Reserve® Signature Experiences: ‘Art of the Espresso Martini’, ‘Oleato™ Tasting Experience’ and ‘Coffee Lab: A Journey of the Senses’.
If you’re visiting one of the above Starbucks Reserve Roasteries it might be a great idea to combine it with shopping for some coffee knowledge!
First Porsche Charging Lounge in Bingen am Rhein has opened
4-8-2023
Porsche is planning to set up its own fast-charging stations along Europe’s most important routes, with a premium charging experience one expects of the brand. As a pilot site, the first Porsche Charging Lounge has opened outside Bingen am Rhein last week. Just two minutes from motorway junction A60/A61, it offers six 300-kW DC fast-charging stations and four 22-kW AC charging points. Further Porsche Charging Lounges are currently planned for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A Porsche ID is required to access the charging stations and the lounge area. This ID must be linked to the car.
Back in 2018 we published an article in which a designers firm and sports brand reimagined an adaptive reuse of gas stations across the USA as Fitness Hubs, where people can prioritize their mental and physical wellness while charging their electric cars. Although the first Porsche Charging Lounge is completely different, workouts can be done here as well, in front of a smart mirror to keep the driver fit for the journey ahead. Interactive Porsche content can also be selected here. Now it’s waiting for likewise charging lounges created for humans and cars of all brands! A collaboration between a fast charging specialist, hospitality and a fitness brand?
A ‘private cellar dining’-experience at Delamain Cognac
1-8-2023
An article for the real Cognac lovers! Delamain Cognac recently announced the launch of its ‘Cellar Dining’ experience, a first-of-its-kind, ‘single table’ opportunity for guests to explore some of Delamain’s finest cognacs as paired with regional gastronomic specialties prepared by a private chef and served amongst some of Delamain’s rarest cognacs in its principal cellar.
Pocket espresso to go
Espresso martini
