| Executive Chef at CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Denise Carr, says the hotel’s recently-introduced Chef’s Table is a special feature which all guests should like. One reason is that the intimacy it provides enables them to know and have a social interaction with each other. |
The Chef’s Table can seat up to 16 guests while the 17th seat is reserved for the Executive Chef who has dessert with them after the meal. The objective is to have the room filled with diners on Mondays and Thursdays. The cost is $145 dollars for a 6 -7 course dinner which is paired with a variety of wines. The beautifully-decorated and attractively-designed teak wood Chef’s Table and matching chairs add much to the ambience of the room where guests have an opportunity to watch the preparation and serving of the resort’s tasty cuisine just a few feet away. “It gives the guests an opportunity to know each other while dining and enjoying the wines…We play it right in front of them. Athenia (the Events Chef) and I do the whole thing right here. It is a nice atmosphere and relaxing. It starts at 7.30 and usually finishes around 10.30. I am trying to do modern cuisine so the guests are definitely getting their money’s worth in food and wine.”
Asked about the preparation of the cuisine, Ms Carr explained: “I use indigenous ingredients in the Caribbean. I am using crayfish, local tuna, papaya and things like that. I definitely put the flavours. I think it is important to give the flavours like I do for the duck dish. I use stewed papaya; then I use the papaya seeds. I dry and grind them like pepper and I use the papaya blossom so the whole dish is about papaya but the duck is important to have the two different things together.” She said the Chef’s Table was brand new, having been only introduced about two weeks ago, but the first one was a great experience with everyone having enjoyed it. “The room was full and the more that is, the better the atmosphere for the Chef’s Table. People in North America may not be very familiar to sit at the same table with somebody they don’t know but it is very popular in Europe and it actually brings people together. It interacts people with each other, helps them to learn new things. It doesn’t have to be guests at the hotel; it could be anybody from the local community or persons staying on the island from other countries. The essence about the Chef’s Table is enjoying good food, good wine and good people. That is the whole kind of atmosphere that I am after.” One of the attractions for local people is that the resort offers 20 percent discount on food for all residents. “If someone [from Anguilla] wants to try the Chef’s Table, I have no problem with that,” she said. “Not everybody knows about the 20 percent discount which I think is very important because it saves you a lot of money. We have a great barbecue on Tuesdays and Fridays and with $20 off I think that is really good. You know Anguilla is expensive to eat out and this opportunity is very good.” Chef Denise took the opportunity to speak about the Mondavi Wine Dinner which will be held at the resort on Thursday, November 29. It will be a feature of the Robert Mondavi Winery which produces various lines of wine from California. “We will be presenting five different wines from the Robert Mondavi Winery. The first one is for the reception and the other will be paired with the various courses we will be preparing four the event. There will be about 60 people and the wine-maker will speak about the different wines. “We are looking for a successful event…and it is going to be $125 per person.” Chef Denise is originally from Calvary, Alberta, Canada. She began her culinary career in Santiago, California, where she attended a community college. She then worked at the Hyatt at three different independent restaurants. She later moved to Las Vegas and was chef at Caesar’s Palace. Her last place working abroad was in Dubai in the Persian Gulf. She came to Anguilla 18 months ago and took up an appointment as Assistant Executive Chef at CuisinArt. On the departure of the Executive Chef she was promoted to that position in January this year. She is being ably assisted by Athenia Walker who has been in Anguilla for 14 years and hails from Jamaica. She came to Anguilla as an Accountant and worked at Hansa Bank for about two weeks and then opted for the hospitality sector. Over the years she worked at Ripples Restaurant, Altamer Restaurant and Villas, a number of private villas, Pumphouse Restaurant and Pepper Pot Restaurant. She took up employment as a Breakfast Chef at CuisinArt Resort when it opened for business in the latter end of 1999 and has been there ever since. “Working with a lot of chefs my potential really came out. Their influences were great and I wanted to learn more; and as the restaurants grew, I wanted to grow as well,” she stated. In an effort to improve her skills she did some online courses and with the affiliation of the hotel with Johnson & Wales University she has had the opportunity of furthering her culinary training there. |
