Local, Seasonal Fare at Hyatt Regency Boston

Sometimes, other people's passion for food can be so strong that it ignites excitement in others. Chef Kelly Armetta at the Hyatt Regency Boston is one of those people.

Chef Kelly Armetta (courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston).

Last Thursday evening, I was invited by Jon of Local in Season to a private tasting at the Hyatt. Although I gladly accepted the invitation, I had no idea what the night would entail - and I ended up being extremely surprised by how the night unfolded.

Although I envisioned a sit-down dinner that included a preview of the Hyatt's fall menu, I was instead greeted with several large display tables covered in intricately presented culinary masterpieces. The Hyatt had set up displays of EACH of their seasonal menus, as well as several cheese displays, a dessert display, and several stands for pouring cold summer Sangria and warm fall/winter Sangria.

Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston.

Oh, and I should also mention that the majority of the food served on Thursday evening was local. Yes, a hotel in Boston utilizing as much local food as possible. As Chef Armetta admits, it's not easy acquiring the large amount of food he needs from local sources, but he does the best he can - and it shows in his food.

The highlights for me that evening included the local cheeses and the kobe beef sliders. You forget what good beef is supposed to taste like - until you take a bite into one of these babies. The biggest surprise of the evening, though, was that one dessert in particular ended up being my favorite dish of the night - when, normally, I can easily do without dessert. Behold, Chef Armetta's Chocolate and Cherry Bread Pudding:

Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston.

Decadent would be an understatement here. This bread pudding was chocked full of intense, "real" chocolate flavor without being sickly sweet, and the chunks of tart, fresh cherries provided a necessary break from the chocolate flavor. The bread itself was also surprisingly creamy and moist, while some bread puddings can tend to be dried out and chewy.

After eating all of the delicious, local, fresh food at the Hyatt, one thought kept bouncing around in my mind: How ungodly expensive would it be to host a special event here? Due to the quality of the food, my first guess was well over $100 a plate. However, once I looked over the menu that the Hyatt sent me home with, I was shocked.

Take the Hyatt's Build a Breakfast Buffet Farm Breakfast, for instance. The Farm Breakfast includes smoked bacon, three cheese potato pie, roasted eggs with rosemary, roasted chorizo sausage and New England cobb - and the cost is only $8 per person. Plated lunches range from $45-48 per person, and reception meals range from $10-25 per person. Sure, their prices tend to be a tad bit higher for other meals/occasions, but the price tags are still very reasonable for the quality food you are getting, not to mention the animated, kind and passionate Chef that is preparing that food for you. There are also plenty of food and pricing options on their menu to fit anyone's budget and culinary needs.

Another bonus: If you book a meeting by December 30th and hold it at the Hyatt before March 31st, and participate in the Meet and Be Green program at Hyatt Regency Boston, you will be eligible for a 3 percent rebate on qualifying charges on the master bill. Meet and Be Green is a small part of Hyatt’s goal to "conserve energy, minimize waste and create responsible, sustainable corporate practices to care for the earth and guests. By empowering guests to do the same, Hyatt and its planners can help minimize the environmental impact of meetings."

Thank you again Jon, Chef Armetta and the Hyatt for hosting me at such a wonderful event!

Disclaimer: Although I was fortunate enough to attend the Hyatt's private tasting free of charge, all opinions expressed in this post are 100 percent honest and my own.

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