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Society - World
Level Perfection
July - 2006 |
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6 Stars
& 7 Stripes
Hotel & Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes® |
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| There was a noticeable buzz throughout the airport
after we landed in St Petersburg, Russia in the middle of July. The apparent
excitement seemed to be that St Petersburg, one of the most fascinating cities
of the world, is emerging as the new tourism capital of Eastern Europe and is
seemingly on its way to overtaking the rest of the continent. Our driver from
the Grand Hotel Europe welcomed us at the gate, took the luggage and guided us
with care to the BMW town car that was parked at the very main entrance. St,
Petersburg is known as the Venice of the North, Europe's 4th largest city and
it easily attracts several million visitors annually from all over the world.
One of St. Petersburg's main attraction sites, the ‘Peterhof’
was recently the meeting site for the G8 Summer Summit, 2006 and the Grand
Hotel Europe was proud to host some of the delegations at their Grand
Hotel. |
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| The Grand Hotel Europe is an
illustrious 19th century landmark, dating back to pre-revolutionary times, most
conveniently located in the center of living history. The eternal city of the
Czars was tinted by a glorious blue summer sky with temperatures souring in the
80's. We barely recognized the city from our last visit in the winter. Don't
get me wrong, St. Petersburg us a must experience during its winter wonderland
season as when it is in the midst of the phenomenon what is called 'White
Nights'. Although 'White Nights' are not just unique to St Petersburg, it is
not felt as intense anywhere as it is here. Indeed, the air was almost
electric. |
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| Poets have for centuries tried to express in words
all the excitement. No other city we ever visited was able to match the
'feeling' on the streets, the banks of the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg
- romantic, vibrant, friendly with people in love holding hands throughout the
(almost daylight) night. Indeed, the air was almost electric. |
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| “But it's not just the aesthetic makeover; it's the service
mentality that goes with it.” ~ TB |
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Our arrival at the Grand
Hotel Europe was of grand style. Originally built in 1824 as a grand mansion
and opened in 1991 in its present form after a multi million-dollar renovation,
the GHE is truly the Princess of St Petersburg. Check-inn was smooth, all our
records were complete, and we felt embraced as good friends; ultimate service
begins with a name. |
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| As we followed a member of the bell staff (the lady
displayed a quite eloquent demeanor) we noticed that many of the hallways were
carefully re-designed in fashionable pinks thereby adding an exciting larger
appearing environment just like that. We were happily engaging the senses
already even before the doors opened to our accommodations. |
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| The newly decorated suite
reminded me on a sanctuary; here the designers altered the colors to a softer
yellow, setting the mood on more 'relax'! But it's not just the aesthetic
makeover; it's the service mentality that goes with it. A basket of fresh
exotic fruits with a load of dark luscious 'Bing' cherries was nicely placed on
the table. |
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| While we were unpacking our RIMOWA®s: A few
minutes later a careful knocking at the door announced the arrival of a tray
with a crystal bowl on it filled with at least a quarter pound of iced Russian
caviar and mini blinis, fresh sour-crème and all the trimmings including
a bottle of deep-iced Premium vodka - definitely a nice touch. I tasted the
exceptional caviar immediately and as a tribute to Russian tradition, I poured
an icy cold shot of "The Jewel of Russia" premium vodka to salute our gracious
hosts at the GHE. Looking up from the caviar I noticed that the plasma TV was
appropriately hidden at the end of a luxurious bed, released from its trunk by
just the touch of a button. It is hard to imagine but the Grand Hotel Europe
was an orphanage in 1917 during the Bolshevik Revolution and a hospital during
the siege of Leningrad from 1941-1944. My goodness, it has come a long way
since then!! |
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Today the building is a
national and cultural gem of a landmark and under preservation as a historical
monument. Grand Hotel Europe's GM Thomas Noll is reaching for the ultimate
star. Suites of extravagant spaciousness, added elegant touches and
furnishings, he strives for word level perfection. The little chocolate favors
I found every night by my bedside were equally of world level perfection.
Delicious old-fashioned homemade gourmet pralines made for perfect little gifts
in perfect little boxes. |
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| And after an international breakfast feast of unheard
dimensions the next morning we paid a visit to 'Dominique's', a chocolate
factory on the Mezzanine level. The Mezzanine is an airy 'Paris-in Spring'-
style atrium café house serving a light fare, delicate cakes &
pastries and an inspired selection of international coffees and
teas. |
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harpist (a beautiful lady looking like an angel) purveyed a tranquil feeling.
The sinful chocolates products are handmade from scratch the old fashioned way
using only the finest ingredients - some were filled with fruits and some with
vodka-flavored creams. We searched for the chocolate creator who is world
renowned for his food-art and one of the most important figures as well as a
cornerstone of the new French cuisine: Dominique Ferchaud. |
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| Unlike large chocolate factories, Ferchaud makes his
delicacies fresh daily and believe me, one can taste that. Proudly he points
out the colorful variety of confections from carefully selected strawberries
and cherries, hand-dipped in luscious white, milk and dark chocolates to
fudges, brittles and clusters. The packaging is also what is so important as
these little golden chocolate boxes are works of art and alone are worth it as
collector's items. His workshop also features an impressive array of chocolates
and fudges for sugar-restricted diets. We sampled excessively! |
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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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| Restaurant: Caviar Bar & Restaurant |
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| St.
Petersburg - Russia |
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Society - World
Level Perfection
June - 2006 |
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6 Stars
& 7 Stripes
Cuisine & Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes® |
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It was the crystal clear voice of an aria supported by
a classical ensemble that drew me towards the entrance to the restaurant. My
recollection of last year was impressive with visions of friendly and intimate
service pleasantly interwoven with time honored traditional ceremonies from the
elite establishments of days gone by. This is the heart of Mother Russia! This
is Russian society in the midst of passionate delight! This is the Caviar Bar
Restaurant of the Grand Hotel Europe at the height of grace and elegance! This
is an establishment that is cleverly full of life!
I came to discover that
in this fine eatery, guests are not only welcomed but also honored and revered.
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| It is no secret that 27
year-old Executive Chef Yoann Bernard was recently recruited by the indomitable
Dominique Ferchaud to head up the Grand Hotel Europe's two fine restaurants.
Ferchaud had the distinction of being the first chef in Russia to become a
member of the "Maitres Cuisiniers de France", and continues to oversee culinary
operations for GHE. Chef Bernard's gastronomical career began early in his life
in Brittany and continued gathering steam until his most recent stint at the
Michelin-starred Lido in Marbella, Spain. All along his culinary career was
acutely influenced by the diverse cooking styles and traditions of the world
while he concentrated on taking the very best from every chef thus gradually
creating his own unique style. |
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| It was Maitre d'hotel Anton Andreev who suggested that
it would be very good fortune to be seated next to the legendary 'Gargoyle'
fountain, which has been billowing positive liquid vibrations for 130 years or
so. We agreed so long as we were also in close proximity to the fabulous
overflowing vodka display for more immediate gratification. After all, 70 kinds
of Russian vodka including several distinctive infused styles were paired next
to three varieties of black caviar. What could be luckier than that! It was now
time for Chef Bernard to work his magic on us as we began to savor some of the
beluga, sevruga and osetia caviars paired with an especially smooth, deep
chilled bottle of Tsarskay Gold Vodka. |
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After the 'Caspian Treasure'
of assorted caviar, our dining experience continued with Grilled Gambas
Marinated in Ginger and served with Roasted Pineapple and Rosemary, Coconut and
Cardamom Emulsion. Only a bottle of super-chilled Louis Roederer Brut
Premier NV could hold up to the potent cogent flavors in the exotic
emulsion surrounding the delicately grilled gambas. This youthful, fresh but
well-structured wine offers its fine bubbles full of the flavors of red berries
and elegant notes of toasted almonds. |
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| Working from his clean well-structured kitchen, Chef
Bernard together with his highly trained international team sent out the next
course of Seared Brittany Sea Bass with Composition of Vegetables and
Beetroot Puree. As a tribute to his French roots and an appropriate match
for the typically French provincial sea bass preparation, a bottle of
Puilly-Fuisse L'Ancien Prieure Regnard, 2001 was uncorked for the table.
The stony mineral flavors, clean acidity and perfumey personality of this
classic Burgundy white worked to add depth and character to the sea bass and
vegetable concept. |
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Our appetites abated, we
began to crave something sweet to finish the event and decided to introduce a
jolt of heavenly French roasted espresso and cappuccino. As we sipped the rich
steamy golden brown liquid, our server brought us Warm Blinis served with
Fresh Red Berry Coulis over Vanilla ice cream. A couple of deep golden
glasses of Cordier Sautern, 2003 were provided as a complement to this
fine dessert and rightly so as its sufficient amount of residual sugar
elegantly supported the buckwheat blinis.
All along we had the content
feeling of being in the secure hands of a master chef and his competent team.
The consensus is that Executive Chef Yoann Bernard under the capable tutelage
of his mentor Dominique Ferchaud, will succeed at his new outpost at the Grand
Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg the new cuisine capital of Eastern Europe.
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| Thorsten
Buehrmann & Yoann Bernard |
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| That evening after an unforgettable, taste altering
dinner experience at the Caviar Bar, we proceeded to our suite for the night. I
felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Beds are dressed with sheets and
mattresses of superb quality, the kind we are used to from home. The bathrooms
feature charming black & white marble with classic golden mirrors and
matching gold accent faucets and showerheads. Americans will appreciate the
European closets and I found it freeing to adjust the in-room climate control
to my own level of comfort. WIFI was easy to access, no hassle, no scratch
cards as all it took was a code (nicely presented in a letter from the business
center) and the push of a button on my keyboard and I had access to my office
in New York. An electronic in-room safe allowed for storage of valuable items,
but we didn't find it necessary to use. I woke up the next morning ready for a
great summer day in the city of the Romanoffs. |
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Breakfast finds a perennial
welcome at the Grand Hotel Europe, thanks to Ferchaud's creative influence. As
a result the city's Grande Dame serves a more seamless fusion of delicious
global morning flavors. The allure with caviar runs strong, rewriting the 'dos
and don'ts' of modern caviar presentation. True to the July harvest season the
champagne was served with fresh cherries instead of strawberries. Believe it or
not, I had a herring fillet in curry cream sauce, a real treat. I spent quite
some time at the 'cold table' testing from the expansive array of temptingly
presented salads, a selection of local and international freshly cooked and
smoked fish, hearty cold cuts, fruits and wonderful breads & rolls. I was
quite impressed with a smaller table that was dedicated to delicious
international jams and marmalades, nicely presented and easily accessible.
Superlative ingredients - besides the ever-present creations of caviar,
Ferchaud emphasizes his delights from a global point of view. |
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The GHE reinvented itself once again in the light of
globalization and ever emerging new breakfast trends. The fact that the place
was packed had no negative impact on the level or service.
No visit to St.
Petersburg would be complete without a day-trip to
Peterhof
Palace. We freshened up quickly in the privacy of our accommodations and
met half an hour later with our tour guide at the bustling main lobby for a day
trip that is a must when one visits the city of the czars.
Peterhof
is a one-of-a-kind fairytale kingdom, which includes world renowned palaces,
fountains and parks. It is a superior landmark of 18 -19th century Russian
Empire culture. |
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| © by The
Peterhof State Museum-Reserve |
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| The magic estate is situated circa 20 miles west of
St. Petersburg, on the
Baltic
coast and it took us less then an hour get there from the hotel’s main
entrance. That included a 15 minutes ride in a BWW town car to the docking
place of a hydrofoil speed boat. Peterhof is often referred to as the ‘Russian
Versailles’ and then the ‘Capital
of Russian Fountains’ - referring to over 170 fascinating water
features of various shapes and forms. The ‘Grand
Cascade’, which runs downhill from the palace towards the sea is one
of the largest waterworks-of-art ensembles in the world and beyond
comprehension. |
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us that these water arts are the quintessence of this breathtaking place and
can only be compared with Versailles. Interestingly enough, the water displays
and fountains are fed by natural powers of century-old underground structures
and working pressure systems that perform just perfectly to this day. One hears
surprised happy little screams on of off from visitors caught by the sudden
little water spirits. It felt as if the
fountains
almost possess a life on their own, ever teasing, entertaining and engaging
entire groups of people. |
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Exquisite Royal formal gardens display romantic
pavilions that invite anyone to stay and admire the ornate statues of
preciously preserved ancient gods and mystical creatures. The picturesque
fairytale
palaces feature remarkable collections of art in various forms. The
splendor is indescribable. Visitors can take guided tours of these splendid
halls or simply spend the day strolling through the ever-changing gardens. To
our surprise we met a couple of
magnificent
looking people in perfect 16th century period costumes. As it turned out,
after all, we were more than slightly underdressed. The Grand palace is an
amazingly ornate structure built originally to rival the Palace of Versailles
by Russian Emperor Peter the Great and in 1917 it became public property.
Peterhof
was recently chosen as the meeting site for the G8 Summer Summit, 2006.
Back
at the hotel after an exciting day of impressions that will last for a lifetime
there was little left to top this day, or so I thought. Back in my suite I took
a relaxing bath, called my wife and got dressed for dinner at the L'Europe and
as I should soon find out, it is one of the most stirring restaurants of the
world. We had dinner reservations for 8 pm. |
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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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| Restaurant: L'Europe |
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| St.
Petersburg - Russia |
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Society - World
Level Perfection
June - 2006 |
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6 Stars
& 7 Stripes
Cuisine & Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes® |
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| It's amazing to think that Restaurant L'Europe has
evolved in so many positive ways since the last time our team of culinary
experts paid a visit in 2005. We returned recently to find that this elegant
restaurant, which is established in a category all its own, has taken on the
brilliant talents of the youthful French chef Yoann Bernard under the mentoring
of his good friend and colleague Dominique Ferchaud. L'Europe has emerged in
the focal point of culinary sophistication with its inspired Russian and
Continental fare calling to mind the glorious and heady days of
pre-revolutionary Russia. Recipes are carefully developed to reflect the bygone
days when royalty reigned supreme, combined with a thorough sprinkling of
modern French cooking techniques and plate presentations. |
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| The fabulous Art Nouveau
interior is ever present and adds to the tremendous ambiance with hand crafted
stained-glass windows and carefully chosen antique furnishings. Comfort is
complete as the physical layout of cathedral ceilings surrounded by pleasing
earth tones of lavender, cream and gold works well to soften the tone and make
it conducive for unrivalled fine dining. |
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Chef Bernard's performance during our visit was
impeccable as he focused on some of his personal favorites that he brought with
him from his birthplace in Brittany. First up was Cucumber and Baby Shrimp
floured with Tarragon and served with Cold Borsch Mousse, which proved to
be an interesting blend of French and Russian cultural finesse. A well-chilled
bottle of Louis Roederer Brut, NV added character to the appetizer with
its extremely fine bubbles and long but subtle white fruit finish. A quick
glance up while sipping the straw gold liquid drew my eyes to the cool vaulted
interior framing the stained glass ceiling hanging over us as if suspended from
the sky. Our server Pavel working with headwaiter Vitaly quietly cleared for
the next course of Duck Liver "Nugat" served with Orange Tuile and Pear and
Green Apple. It was beyond a doubt the most refined rich flavor and creamy
smooth texture fittingly positioned next to a 'tuile' or thin, crisp cookie
made from crushed almonds and orange zest. A deep energetic amber colored
2003 Sauternes A.O.C. provided the warmth needed to pair with creamy
delicate opulent 'nugat' of duck liver.
Brittany Turbot served with
Lemon-Tomato Confit, Green Asparagus and shaved Chorizo in Basil Emulsion
was the next choice emanating from Chef Bernard's well-organized efficient
kitchen. Food and Beverage Director Daniel Burkhard hovered over our
table bringing with him a very fine bottle of 2003 Chablis Premier Cru Les
Vaillons, Domaine Pinson as his professional suggestion to match with this
course. A light fruit nose of lemon oil and spicy oak proved to be easygoing
with a creamy texture resembling woven silk cloth. There was a sudden bustle of
activity as the servers prepared the table for an intermezzo of Passionfruit
Granite with a shot of Grenadine syrup, a delightfully refreshing, pleasing
concoction designed to 'shock' the palate thereby getting it ready for the main
event. Chef Yoann pulled out all the stops by resorting to the traditional
'Bretton' method of preparation for the delicate Veal Filet served with Baby
Carrots, Braised Lettuce, Mushroom 'Cigarette' and Balsamic Jus, reaching
all the way back to his roots in France for this recipe. Another fine pairing
was presented for this entrée in the form of a 2002 Crozes-Hermitage
La Rollande, Charles Brotte from the Rhône valley. This simple but
elegant wine is made entirely of syrah grapes thereby imparting a delicate nose
of flowering violets with a spicy pepper finish. As we finished our
entrées and prepared ourselves for the sweet pleasures of dessert and
cordials, we mused at the possibility that Chef Yoann Bernard has in fact
stepped up to meet the challenge of continued success and prosperity at his
outpost in St. Petersburg. We couldn't think of a finer venue for him to prove
his mettle and establish himself among the great chefs of Europe. |
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“L'Europe has emerged in the focal point of culinary
sophistication with its inspired Russian and
Continental fare calling to
mind the glorious and heady days of pre-revolutionary Russia” ~ TB
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Lime Crème Brulee served with Fresh Pinapple
Salsa and Coconut Sorbet/Emulsion came to be presented to us along with two
short glasses of Taylor's 20 yr. old Tawny Port and double espresso. It
is becoming progressively more accepted that Grand Hotel Europe has moved into
position as one of the greatest locations in the world for gourmet chocolate
creations. It is the brainchild of Executive Chef Dominique Ferchaud using his
incredible creativity to begin offering GHE's own line of flawlessly exquisite
house made chocolate handiwork. It seems that along with his secrete blend of
several premium cocoas and flavorings, he has designed an irresistible delicacy
strong enough to woo the most discerning chocolate lover into his embrace.
As if we all didn't want the night to end after this 'celebration meal' we
all decided to stop for a nightcap at the Lobby Bar. Cognac was the final
selection to accompany the addictive chocolates while afterward a late night
star-gaze over the city of St Petersburg could produce just the right bedtime
medicine for a restful sleep. |
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| Turns out that the new hotel
manager comes from a family of hoteliers and coffee & chocolate pioneers
from Italy. His grand parents founded 'La Casa del Caffe'; the world is so
small. Alessandro Cabella is a people person, no wonder - he was practically
born in the hospitality industry. Daniel Burckhard, the highly professional and
knowledgeable F&B manger, with a great eye for the smallest detail turns
out to be from Switzerland and that's how we got to taste a Swiss vodka called
Xellent® - supposedly 'The Spirit of Switzerland'. For as long as anyone
can remember the Russians and Poles are arguing about who was first to distill
vodka noting that 'voda' is a Russian word for water. One thing is certain; it
wasn't the Swiss. It was great evening. |
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Back at my suite I was so tired that I didn't indulge
in the carefully placed 'good night chocolates' on my nightstand. Unfortunately
I had a message on my answer machine to call my office in New York. But since
the New Yorkers are about 7 hours behind St. Petersburg, I couldn't think of
any good excuse not to call them back ;)~ oh well. Finally I fell into amazing
luxurious sheets and went to heaven.
I woke up the next morning from a
sleep as deep the as the Baltic Sea, and found my bedroom already perfectly
conditioned, complying to the summer heat outside. The sky was of a deep blue
and there were no clouds, reminding me a bit on Florida in March. I slipped
into my fluffy bathrobe noticed that as a nice touch, frequently returning
guests find these personalized in their accommodations upon
arrival. |
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| “Ladies and Gentlemen - may I have your attention please?
….” ~ TB |
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| My team had scheduled the Steven Stars and Stripes
Award® presentation for the morning of our departure. The local press was
patiently expecting our appearance at the Grande Staircase; already present was
the
upper
management surrounded by some members of the staff. The new hotel manager
Alessandro Cabella, who had joined this winning team a few months earlier,
accompanied Thomas Noll the GM. Noll is known for choosing only the most
capable people for his teams. Alessandro Cabella graduated from the famous
hotel school in Glion, Italy and is hands-on like Noll as well as multi lingual
and capable of multi tasking. Alessandro has worked with the finest
institutions such as Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, was also VP for F&B
at Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts while overseeing 136 of their hotels.
Raising the bar is their mission. But it was my turn and the cameras were
clicking. Seven Stars and Stripes® awarded the Grand Hotel Europe in St.
Petersburg Russia with Six Stars and Seven Stripes for 2006. The positive
change off the staff allowed us this year to grant 7 stripes for ultimate
customer service. Noll's focus on retraining his front-of-the-house people has
paid off. We are looking most positively forward to 2007 and
beyond. |
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“Noll and Cabella are a dynamic team, both a perfect fit as
patrons of a new emerging talent in the industry.
The staff clearly feels
privileged to be associated with them.” ~ TB |
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by
Thorsten Buehrmann & Arno Goudschaal
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme,
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2006 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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