Seattle, WA, Nov. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adding to the culinary landscape of the ever-evolving South Lake Union neighborhood, the esteemed Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle named Matt Heikkila as Executive Chef for the hotel’s food and beverage services. Since joining the culinary team, Chef Heikkila has introduced new seasonal menus for The Lobby Bar, in-room dining and catering. The menus for fall and winter have an emphasis on Pacific Northwest cuisine, highlight local seasonal ingredients and account for guests’ changing dietary needs and preferences.
A Seattle native, Chef Heikkila brings a passion for Pacific Northwest food and culture to his new role overseeing all food and beverage services for the hotel. Prior to joining The Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle, Chef Heikkila refined his hospitality acumen leading the culinary teams at Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie. During his tenure at Salish Lodge, Chef Heikkila was selected by 425Business, an Eastside business magazine, as one of the top 30 professionals under 30 to watch in the greater Seattle area for his creative cooking and partnership with local nonprofits. Chef Heikkila continues to cultivate his strong ties to the Seattle community and local partners in his new role at Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle.
“Chef Heikkila is elevating the culinary experience at Pan Pacific Seattle. He brings years of hospitality experience and a real zest for Pacific Northwest cuisine,” said General Manager Jennifer Goodman. “The new menus connect the food back to Seattle for a truly immersive experience.”
The seasonal menu at The Lobby Bar, the hotel’s on-site restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, includes autumn-favorites like Crispy Duck Confit with black kale and parsnips and a creamy and gluten-free Mushroom Risotto with hen of the woods mushrooms and sorrel. Other menu items include Pumpkin Bread Pudding served with cinnamon vanilla ice cream and a Washington Apple Crisp with oat crumble and pink peppercorn caramel. The fall/winter menus also offer a variety of vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options to satisfy the changing dietary and nutritional needs and preferences of guests.
Chef Heikkila has been working closely with local purveyors and producers to add in local elements to the food and beverage program. For example, the Grilled Cheese Sandwich on the in-room dining menu features cheese and bread from three local artesian: Grand Central Bakery white bread, Smoked Beecher’s Cheese and New Moon Jack Cheese. As well as enhancing everyday dining menus, the culinary team has developed a new holiday catering menu for meetings and events including weddings, holiday parties, cocktail receptions and corporate meetings.
As a component of Chef Heikkila's commitment to support the Seattle food community, he will participate in Burger Bash, a burger competition on behalf of The Lobby Bar. Burger Bash is the opening event of Cowabunga, America’s largest festival of beef happening in South Lake Union November 10-12, 2017. On Friday, November 10th Chef Heikkila will compete against ten of Seattle’s top chefs to for the title of Best Burger. Using Snake River Farms American Wagyu Beef, Chef Heikkila will put a Pan Pacific twist on the burger in hopes of winning the title of best burger.
For reservations at The Lobby Bar visit: https://www.opentable.com/r/the-lobby-bar-at-pan-pacific-seattle or call (206) 264-8111.
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About Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle:
Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle is situated in the heart of the city’s thriving South Lake Union neighborhood, and within walking distance of all that downtown has to offer. Recognized as a four-star hotel by the industry-leading Forbes Travel Guide, the hotel features 153 luxury guestrooms with 22 sophisticated suites; each with views of the city, Lake Union or the Seattle Space Needle. Pan Pacific Seattle welcomes guests with unparalleled hospitality, attentive service and innovative, thoughtful amenities. The hotel offers 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, with views of the Seattle Space Needle from the Lakefront Ballroom. The on-site restaurant, The Lobby Bar, features Pacific Northwest-inspired food for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. For more information or to make reservations, visit www.panpacificseattle.com or call 206.264.8111
About HHM:
HHM, formerly known as Hersha Hospitality Management, operates nearly 130 hotels across the United States. It provides turnkey hotel management, asset management and receivership for properties with leading 4 brand affiliations through Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Intercontinental Hotel Group. HHM also operates 28 independent hotels ranging from The Rittenhouse Hotel, a AAA Five Diamond property in Philadelphia, to the Larkspur Landing hotels, all-suite extended stay properties in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Its highly experienced team is accustomed to serving as a fiduciary to publicly traded companies, joint ventures, institutional real estate owners and private investors. Additional information on HHM can be found at hhmhospitality.com.
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ec67878-7f88-44e8-a38a-1d50c3aec295
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ffcbd62-2495-4230-a0c2-e5fca28998fb