Successful Meetings - April 2011

PLANNER’S WORKSHOP
food & beverage
Jeff Bolton, executive chef, JW Marriott Denver

By Andrea Doyle Let’s Go Shopping

Jeff Bolton, executive chef at the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek, takes advantage of the hotel’s location in the heart of the city’s prestigious Cherry Creek shopping and entertainment district when hosting small groups.

Just steps away from the hotel are 320 upscale shops including a Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Tiffany & Co. But Bolton’s favorite is the Cherry Creek Whole Foods, the premier natural foods shopping destination in the city. Focused on buying local, sustainable foods and doing anything possible to minimize the hotel’s footprint, Bolton is attracted to the fact that this Whole Foods features Rocky Ford cantaloupes and Colorado-raised lamb and fish, as well as hundreds of locally made grocery and bakery products. For that reason, Bolton’s cooking classes begin at the supermarket, rather than in the hotel’s kitchens, and include a lesson in purchasing.

“We go down every aisle in the store
discussing things like why to use fresh
herbs versus dry herbs, what to look for
when buying fresh fish, beef, and poul-
try. I explain the difference between
dry-aged and regular beef,” says Bolton.
“We even talked about how to set up
then all sit down together to chat and
discuss things like food and wine,” he
explains.

“We prepare the meal together and then
all sit down together to chat and discuss
things like food and wine.”

Jeff Bolton, Executive Chef,
JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek

a standard pantry at home with all the
basics you need to be a home chef.”
Bolton and the group choose on the
spot what to buy for their intimate
cooking lesson. Most recently, a group
he worked with was intrigued by dry-
aged beef and chose dry-aged New
York Strips, regular New York Strips,
house-made pasta, tossed salad, and
house-baked bread for their meal.

“We prepare the meal together and
and 8,400 square feet of meeting space,
including a 3,150-square-foot ballroom
and an executive ballroom. All meeting
space, as well as a courtyard that can be
enclosed, is on the second floor of the
hotel. SM