) December 10, 2008 -- Created with the legendary Mexican painter in mind, Frida restaurant in Riviera Nayarit debuts a new concept and menu this month with dishes that highlight the best of Mexico's regional cuisines adapted for contemporary tastes. The Riviera Nayarit restaurant pays homage to the famed artist's love of collecting recipes and enjoying the country's varied cuisines from Sonora and Veracruz to Oaxaca and Jalisco. The Riviera Nayarit restaurant's decor features murals with recipes that Frida made for her lover, the famed Diego Rivera, on the walls. Live guitar music is played nightly.

) July 30, 2009 -- Red Lobster Senior Executive Chef Michael LaDuke and Food Network's panel of judges selected Jeffrey Saad as the episode winner of The Next Food Network Star's July 19th program.

Red Lobster

With the win, Saad, of Los Angeles, Calif., earned the distinction of having his winning wood-grilled fresh fish with spicy soy broth entrée featured on the "Today's Fresh Fish" menu at 690 Red Lobsters across North America.

) September 10, 2009 -- Whisk Group LLC, a new boutique hospitality group led by industry veterans and partners Mark Weiss and Bahar Makinaci, announces AGAINN restaurant, opening this October in the award-winning Tishman Speyer building. A modern European-inspired gastropub in the heart of the nation's capital, AGAINN is a new, 5,600-square-foot space that will become home to traditional pub fare executed with a contemporary approach, featuring the best of locally-sourced organic ingredients, an extensive beer and Scotch program and artisanal cocktails.

) November 24, 2008 -- Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) today announced further details of the new alternative dining venue, Prime 7, that will be added to the Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner as part of the previously-announced $40 million fleet-wide refurbishment program of its all-suite ships. The work will be completed during the upcoming scheduled dry-docks of the two 700-guest vessels which will take place in December 2008 for Seven Seas Voyager and in January 2009 for Seven Seas Mariner.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises Logo

) February 25, 2009 -- It's a typical sight at local Dairy Queen® locations where people are sharing smiles and stories over delicious food and cravable treats. For nearly 70 years, the all-American favorite and treat category leader has been a trendsetter, such as with the often imitated but never duplicated signature Blizzard® Treat. Now, after more than 200,000 mentions of the brand in the blogosphere (according to a Google blog search), the DQ® system is joining the conversation by initiating the official Dairy Queen blog at http://Blog.DairyQueen.com, which makes sense for a brand that is social by nature.

) September 21, 2009 -- Vertuccio's a new Italian brick oven pizzeria opens this week on popular McCarren Park in trendy Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn. A full menu of fresh pizzas, homemade pastas and salads are offered at a perfect price point for the neighborhood and just in time for the fall restaurant season.

Opening an Italian restaurant where everything is made fresh was a lifelong dream of Queens native Michael Vertuccio. Upon discovering Palermo Italy's own Gaetano Giuffre's authentic brick oven pizzas he came to the realization that the dream could indeed become reality.

) July 14, 2009 -- A mere two weeks ago, everyone in Vidalia Georgia thought they knew hamburgers and what a fun restaurant was all about. That all changed when restaurant owner Neal Wolfe contacted Synergy Restaurant Consultants to open new restaurant start up Lobos Prime Burger. Lobos (Spanish for Wolf) is a new restaurant concept drawing on a unique combination of simplicity and mass selection for its’ success. This exciting, and fun location offers quality unmatched by the moribund franchises dotting the main highway. Of course, it has always been a traveler’s code that one should seek out the restaurant business that the locals frequent most.

) September 29, 2008 -- A Michelin-pedigreed French chef. A James Beard Award-winning wine expert. A revered "Maestro Tequilero" from Tequila City. An acclaimed Cabo chef whose authentic Mexican cuisine is enjoyed by presidents and heads of state.

) July 13, 2009 -- Fired Up Inc., parent of the 170-unit casual-dining Johnny Carino's Country Italian chain, has retained Synergy Restaurant Consultants to enhance and accelerate the brand with their menu development, unique restaurant expertise and creativity. “At Carino’s, we maintain a very aggressive development schedule, and since we have been working with Synergy Restaurant Consultants, our menu efforts have been the most significant and profitable they have been in our history” says Chris Peitersen, Vice President of Culinary Operations, Johnny Carino’s Italian Executive Chef.

) July 17, 2009 -- A getaway to The Lodge at Torrey Pines® is not complete without a sumptuous meal from the award-winning restaurant and a relaxing treatment from The Spa at Torrey Pines®, and a new summer package ensures guests take full advantage of the property's best amenities.

$200 Gift Certificate from The Lodge at Torrey Pines

) December 3, 2008 -- Hotels and resorts jumped on the online reservations bandwagon a decade ago, forever shifting vacation planning to the virtual world. Restaurants, it seems, are now following suit. With the internet age quickly invading consumer cell phones, Ipods, and car counsels, dining establishments are vying for more professional websites, broader internet presence, and convenient online reservation systems to attract more patrons. One chic Miami Beach restaurant and nightclub, Kitchen 305, is joining the trend and pioneering forward with a new state-of-the-art website.

) July 16, 2009 -- Judd Brown Designs (JBD), together with their sister architectural firm Jefferson Group Architects (JGA), has been selected to create the new "Big Papi's Grille" concept. The partnership of Classic Restaurant Concepts, LLC (CRC)and David Ortiz, affectionately know to all Red Sox Nation as "Big Papi", chose JBD for this very important first for the new partnership after CRC and JBD collaborated on several other restaurant projects.

Owned and operated by Sega Entertainment U.S.A, Inc. (SEUI), GameWorks (www.gameworks.com) is a unique casual dining and entertainment concept featuring state-of-the-art video games and simulators, along with traditional favorites like pinball and pool, in 15 locations throughout the U.S. SEUI is a division of Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc. (SGAMF), a Japan-based holding company.

) May 6, 2009 -- Slobo's recently released honey baked ham recipe and honey chicken recipe books are the result of many requests from friends and colleagues who have enjoyed his recipe creations over the years. The over 400 recipes in the collection are contained in three cookbooks including Honey Baked Ham Recipes, Honey Chicken Recipes and an All American Desserts compilation. It took over eleven months to complete all the works which included cooking each recipe and then photographing it for the cookbook. The recipe collection is set up as a catalogue of all fifty U.S. states with each state associated with approximately four unique recipes.

) November 12, 2008 -- Spa Toscana, located in the newly expanded Peppermill Reno opens on November 15, 2008. This highly anticipated Tuscan-inspired destination offers guests the true definition of SPA (Sanitas Per Aquam) "health through water" and will invigorate all senses. Spa Toscana is an homage to the ancient baths of Roman times with three stories and 30,000 square feet of Tuscan architecture featuring mosaic covered floors, beautiful fountains and water features.Spa Toscana also boasts a stunning Caldarium including an indoor pool, sun deck and Secret Garden.

) July 2, 2009 -- Washington, DC-based technology group, The Cool Blue Company LLC announces "The Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour" second stop taking place in San Diego, CA on Wednesday, July 15th at Croce's Restaurant and Jazz Bar, 802 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 in the heart of the Gaslamp quarter.

) December 11, 2008 -- Travelers heading to Mexico City save on bed, breakfast and more with the "Bed & Breakfast Package" at the 209-room luxury Mexico City hotel Marquis Reforma, a member of Leading Hotels of the World.
Available through December 31, 2009, the Mexico City hotel package includes luxurious accommodations in a Junior suite, daily buffet breakfast, complimentary internet access and 500 American Airlines miles (not contingent on flying American to Mexico City). The package price starts at $205 per room, per night, based on double occupancy. Taxes are additional.

) April 6, 2009 -- Amidst dire Auto Industry news for Michigan, the State's Tourism and Agricultural Industries are taking hold as the new bright stars of Michigan's economy. Keeping pace with this shift, a new tourism website has just launched that highlights the best in Michigan culinary experiences and agri-tourism. GreatFoodandTravel.com combines food and travel experiences with information and reviews about the best Michigan restaurants, inns, and hotels. It also features wineries, microbreweries, farmers markets, and more along the Lake Michigan Great Lakes shore from Saugatuck, Holland, and Grand Rapids to Traverse City and Mackinac Island.

) May 12, 2009 -- New Restaurant Start Up Corbin’s Grille Retains Synergy Restaurant Consultants Corbin's Grille a new restaurant start up has opened next to the new convention center in Layton, Utah to overwhelming reviews. “This new restaurant start up has exceeded all of our wildest expectations,” explains Jake Garn, President of Corbin’s Grille.

Dean Small, Founder and Managing Partner

) December 23, 2008 - The votes have been cast and by an overwhelming majority, I Must Eat - www.imusteat.com is the winner. I Must Eat is the most comprehensive online ordering internet restaurant dining guide out in the marketplace today.

It began at the grassroots level. It started as a small rumbling of stomachs but quickly became the number one issue of foodies across the United States. People were hungry for a nationwide online ordering restaurant dining guide and they demanded action.

) June 3, 2009 -- Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro is the newest addition to Iberostar's luxury adults-only line, the Grand Collection. This Caribbean property continues the Iberostar tradition of providing unique vacation experiences, rooted in superior customer service and quality, in the world's most popular vacation destinations.

The five-star hotel is the newest addition to the Iberostar Bavaro Golf & Spa Resort, which includes the Iberostar Bavaro Hotel, Iberostar Punta Cana and Iberostar Dominicana.

) October 13, 2008 -- Experience exceptional pageantry and partying this December in Mexico City, where one of the world's largest populations of Catholics celebrate Christmas in the land of the fiesta.
        
In addition, superb shopping opportunities are on hand for original arts and crafts - a great deal when factoring the new refund of the 15% value added tax on purchases totaling up to 10,000 pesos (about $935).
        
        

) May 8, 2009 -- Synergy Restaurant Consultants is excited to announce that premier restaurant designer Margee Drews will partner with the firm as Senior Associate heading up restaurant conversions, remodels and new concept design. Margee Drews has an incredible eye for turning space and restaurant design visions into reality.

Margee Drews

) July 14, 2009 -- Sofitel Luxury Hotels have chosen the symbolic date of July 14 - Bastille Day in France - to launch its new So SPA by Sofitel concept in London and Marseille.

To encourage conviviality and exchange, Sofitel has created a spa concept rooted in open spaces. Therapy at So SPA by Sofitel is presented in a way similar to the menu of a French gourmet restaurant, another area of Sofitel-style excellence. Les Entrées (Starters), lasting 30 minutes, are designed for busy urbanites looking for rest and relaxation after a busy day. Les Plats Principaux (Main Courses) and Les Desserts last an hour and feature body massages, facials, hot-stone massages and other delights intended to nourish the body and soul.

) October 28, 2008 -- Birds Eye Foods is proud to introduce quick meals for busy couples: Birds Eye® Steamfresh® complete meals for two -- making chef-inspired, healthy meals easy to achieve and only minutes away.

“Preparing a great tasting, high-quality dinner can be a time-consuming, labor-intensive process of planning, chopping, sautéing and cleaning up messes,” says Josh Weinstein, Director of Marketing of Steamfresh for Birds Eye Foods. “But it doesn't have to be - and with Birds Eye’s new Steamfresh complete meals for two - now it's not.”

) November 19, 2008 -- CorkSavvy (www.corksavvy.com), the website where wine lovers get savvy, just launched a Wine Journal and Virtual Bottle Rack for Facebook. With CorkSavvy for Facebook, users can share notes on wines they've tasted or purchased with anyone across their social network.

Never Forget That Delicious Wine

) August 20, 2009 -- Chef Michael Chiarello has just completed an impressive bid for first place on Bravo's Top Chef Masters Season 1. Chef Chiarello is delighted with his 2nd place title, donating over $28k of winnings to local community health non-profit, Clinic Ole. "It was an honor to compete among 23 exceptional chefs devoted to their craft and to their causes. It was a great experience that I really enjoyed and would love to do again! I am most thrilled to support Clinic Ole, Napa Valley's only non-profit health clinic providing affordable health care to our underserved communities," says Chiarello.

) October 30, 2009 -- On September 3, 2009, Southlake Copeland's of New Orleans launched a new website (www.southlakecopelands.com) that was developed by i5 web works. This is the first website for the restaurant, which is located inside the Hilton in Southlake Town Square.

) November 12, 2008 -- Corn Star Gourmet, a new, all-natural, gourmet grilling sauce, launched with a bang at the 2008 Natural Products Expo East - the East Coast's largest natural and organic products tradeshow held in Boston October 15 - 18, 2008. The one-of-a-kind grilling sauce was selected as one of the top five food and beverage new products in the 6th Annual New Products Showcase Awards.

) September 3, 2009 -- Schedulefly, a leading web-based employee scheduling and communication application for restaurants, announced today that it is being leveraged at the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) 2009 US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The scheduling tool will be used to streamline employee scheduling and communications for more than 35 restaurant staff in the USTA President's Suite, thereby enhancing the dining experience for the 180 patrons the suite can accommodate for both lunch and dinner each day of the event.

) December 12, 2008 -- Night Heron Park on Kiawah Island will be the site of a New Year's Eve extravaganza filled with food, fun and entertainment suitable for families, reunions and groups of all ages.

ResortQuest

Ring in 2009 with friends and family while enjoying a great island getaway. The Holidays are a wonderful time to gather loved ones on Kiawah Island. The weather is mild, the 30 miles of paved bike trails and 10 miles of beautiful hard-packed beach are great for exercise, and getting close to nature, as a counterpart to all the holiday festivities. ResortQuest's fully-equipped villas, cottages and private homes are on-island ideal to gather the family for the Holidays.

) April 8, 2009 -- The popularity of online dating has had interesting, successful professional singles running "Google" searches for Mr. or Mrs. Right. The main issue with that is there's no "gut-feeling." Online dating eliminates those instant butterflies when you meet someone special. It's time to get back to basics, New York! Minute2Match is the perfect way to connect singles looking to start a relationship based on mutual face-to-face chemistry, compatibility and undeniable attraction.

Nomad Restaurant

) October 16, 2009 -- With Thanksgiving fast approaching, BHG.com and Better Homes and Gardens are sharing this year's Thanksgiving recipes, crafts and decorations. Whether preparing the holiday for an intimate family group who love the traditional celebration, a large group who want the Thanksgiving menu to be different every year and the house to be very festively decorated, or a medium-size group who love it all, readers will find inviting Thanksgiving recipes and decorating ideas at BHG.com and in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

bhg.com Thanksgiving Crafts

) April 6, 2009 -- ChefzTable.com is a brand new Web site devoted to matching people with their next favorite chef. Peruse the personal chef listings to find the perfect person to provide a meal, an intimate class or high-quality catering. The chef will come to the kitchen completely equipped with everything needed to produce a superior, seasonal menu, freeze the leftovers, and clean up.

ChefzTable.com logo

) July 8, 2009 -- Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association (TMVOA), sponsors and organizers of the Telluride Festival of the Arts (TFA), announced today the complete TFA Schedule of Events, to take place August 14-16, 2009. Highlights of the schedule include culinary demonstrations by 2009 Top Chef New York winner Hosea Rosenberg, a free outdoor concert by Grammy® nominated artist Joan Osborne and an art show featuring 50 national and regionally recognized juried artists.

TFA 2009 Logo

Global restaurant reservation, table and guest management system provider selects Zarca Interactive for feedback management solution to help improve dining experiences.

) August 25, 2009 -- HalfHourMeals.com, which was originally launched as an easy-to-make meal site in 2008, has been redesigned into an online community cookbook where anyone from amateur cooks to professional chefs can connect. The new network now allows members to share, rate, discuss, and discover a broad range of recipes, cooking topics, and food enthusiast conversations.

"We placed much more emphasis on the aspect of community that comes from cooking," said Antony Berkman, president of BlogCatalog, which acquired HalfHourMeals.com in February. "It goes well beyond the concept of a living cookbook in that it allows members to ask questions, offer substitutions, and provide feedback -- it's a community cookbook and the world is our community."

) September 24, 2009 -- The Better Homes and Gardens Network is launching Recipe.com, a new website featuring quick recipes and easy meal ideas. Recipe.com brings together the best recipes from several of the top food brands and recipe websites, including celebrities such as Tyler Florence and media brands such as Better Homes and Gardens, EatingWell.com, Fine Cooking, Vegetarian Times, and The Food Channel.

Cassoulet-Style Chicken Thighs

) March 9, 2009 -- The fourth annual Adirondack Festival of Food and Wine takes place in Lake Placid at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa. Our destination has always been a choice for outdoor enthusiasts, who come for the natural beauty, but are always pleasantly surprised by the number of restaurants as well as the quality and sophistication of our food.

) January 27, 2009 -- George Hirsch Lifestyle eMagazine, a Hirsch Productions Digital Publication offering cooking and lifestyle solutions for men and women, who want the most out of living well everyday, releases its Winter Issue today and is available at georgehirschliving.com.

George Hirsch Lifestyle eMagazine Winter Issue