Radisson Hotels & Resorts(R) Enhances 'Tasteful Choices' Menu With Options Tailored to Guests' Lifestyles

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MINNEAPOLIS, March 3 // PRNewswire // -- To provide guests with superb dining options and support those committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling, Radisson Hotels & Resorts(R) today announced its enhanced "Tasteful Choices" menu. The enhanced Tasteful Choices menu will double the number of breakfast, lunch and dinner options for hotels to choose from to feature at participating hotels in the United States beginning May 2008.

In refining the menu, Carlson again turned to its guests and top Radisson chefs to find out which foods appeal most to their unique lifestyles, appetites and special needs. Additionally, Radisson partnered with The Culinary Institute of America to develop Tasteful Choices recipes that range from healthy and low-fat options for the health conscious traveler to as well as rich, decadent options for the traveler wanting to indulge.

Each hotel and resort will feature between eight to 15 Tasteful Choices items on restaurant, room service and/or catering menus, based on the property's location.

"A growing number of travelers want healthy dining options when they travel, whether they are dieting or not," said Nancy Johnson, executive vice president of franchise operations for Radisson Hotels & Resorts. "Still others view dining out as an opportunity to treat themselves to gourmet meals that still fit into their dietary lifestyle."

"The Tasteful Choices menu was first introduced two years ago. Guest satisfaction among those who tasted the menu items in 2007 has increased by more than 7 percent. Furthermore, 87 percent of guests who sampled from the menu said they intended to order from it again."

"The program supports Radisson's brand positioning that invites guests to 'Stay Your Own Way' and control their experience at our hotels," noted Johnson. "We also offer our guests increased comfort to meet their individual needs with the custom-designed Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort(TM) and Express Yourself, the industry's first online check-in system."

Some of the new Tasteful Choices entrees include:

Radisson Breakfast Traveler (choice of yogurt-fruit and granola parfait or bottled juice; choice of baked item: croissant filled with turkey and Swiss Cheese, pretzel filled with Ham and Mozzarella or savory scone with ham, spring onions and Cheddar packaged for on-the-go)
Continental Breakfast Traveler (select mild cheeses, fresh fruit, sourdough roll, bottled juice, bottled water, butter and preserves, packaged for on the go).
Bananas Foster French toast
Tuscan Frittata
Savory Turkey Quiche
Omelet Ole
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Choice Prime Rib
Crispy Sea Bass
Grilled Vegetables and Warm Goat Cheese on Romesco
Prosciutto Wrapped Savory Cod
Rotisserie Roast Chicken Salad
Southwest Chicken
Spicy Chicken Sesame Salad

Victor Gielisse, CMC (Certified Master Chef), associate vice president of The Culinary Institute of America, said, "Food tastes best, and is best for us, when it is prepared in its simplest form with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Our collaboration with the Tasteful Choices menu recipe collection honors this basic cooking principal."

Gielisse added that the Tasteful Choices menu is built on four basic nutrition platforms: 1) overall healthy and light, with each entree consisting of no more than 800 total calories, 50-55 percent carbohydrates, 12-15 percent protein, and 25-30 percent fat; 2) low carbohydrate offering a restricted amount of carbs, as well as healthy types of protein and dietary fats; 3) low fat, using the most nutrient-dense ingredients and healthy ratios of fatty acids; and 4) rich and flavorful, in which recipes are that are not fat-laden, but rather prepared using healthy ingredients and solid cooking techniques.

Recent guest comments include:

-- "I was extremely pleased with the Tasteful Choices menu. It is great to have healthy choices while away from home." "I thoroughly enjoyed my healthy breakfast. I had the frittata, an egg omelet with water cress and shredded apple on the side for breakfast for two days. It was just enough to get me going without feeling like I had over eaten. I have given up buffets which make you eat more food."

-- Bananas Foster (most popular new item tested): "Hotel food is usually not this good and healthy! It's hard to eat like this on the road, great service too!" Savory Cod: "It's very nice to be able to order something healthful and tastes wonderful as well. I really enjoyed this meal. Wow, delicious combination, plus healthy -- how great. It was a wonderful meal."

-- Southwest Chicken: "The dish was fantastic -- actually if I could, I would make this at home. I loved the combination of ingredients."

"We know that our guests will enjoy the enhancements we have made to our Tasteful Choices program, coupled with knowing that many of their favorite entrees can be found whenever they visit a Radisson hotel," said Johnson.

Radisson Hotels & Resorts currently has nearly 400 locations in 66 countries. Radisson is a division of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, a global hotel group encompassing more than 965 locations in 70 countries under five hotel brands. For more information, visit online at http://www.radisson.com.

About the CIA

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not- for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as certificate programs, in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. As the world's premier culinary college, the CIA has a network of more than 37,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Cat Cora, Harold Dieterle, Steve Ells, Todd English, Duff Goldman, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The college has campuses in New York (Hyde Park), California (The CIA at Greystone, St. Helena), and Texas (San Antonio), as well as an additional location in New York City (Astor Center, Manhattan). In addition to its degree programs, the CIA also offers courses for professionals and food enthusiasts, as well as wine education. For more information, and a complete listing of program offerings at each site, visit the CIA online at http://www.ciachef.edu.

SOURCE Radisson Hotels & Resorts

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