Centerplate Treats PCMA Members to Flavors of Southern California

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A senior team of chefs from Centerplate, the leading hospitality provider to North America's premier Convention Centers, is preparing the final luncheon for the annual meeting of the Professional Convention Management Association.

Senior members of Centerplate's Culinary Leadership Network including Senior Executive Chef David Skorka and Regional Executive Chefs Jeff Leidy, and Blair Rasmussen have created an innovative menu inspired by the cuisine of Southern California for these important guests.

PCMA has gathered 3,000 leaders of the convention meeting planning industry in Las Vegas to discuss key aspects of the industry. The San Diego Convention Center, next years host location, was invited to provide a taste of San Diego for the closing lunch. The South Diego Convention Center tapped Centerplate, their hospitality partner to create a unique menu that would celebrate the agricultural bounty, climate and cultural influences of Southern California. The chefs have interpreted traditional ingredients in exciting new dishes, which include:

• Citrus, Fig and Pear Salad - Baby Leaf Lettuces with Fennel, Citrus Sections, Roasted Pears and Candied Almonds served with a Fig Reduction and Citrus Vinaigrette

• Mole-Spiced Braised Boneless Short Rib - Served with Mascarpone Whipped Parsnips, Winter Squash, Root Vegetables, French Beans and Roasted Baby Carrots Gremolata

• Chevre Ricotta Tart - Featuring an Almond Crust and California Citrus Marmalade

• Jonathan Apple and Blackberry Buckle - With Pedro Ximenez Caramel

"It is always an honor to host PCMA.  In addition to this year's lunch, we were fortunate to cater their meeting in Dallas last year and, of course, we are looking forward to partnering with the meeting next year in San Diego," said Chef Leidy, Centerplate's regional chef base at the San Diego Convention Center. "For the closing lunch, we sought to really get the members excited about San Diego through our food.  Blending traditional ingredients in new ways is really a hallmark of Southern California cuisine, and that's what we did in these new recipes we developed especially for PCMA."    

In addition to the Dallas and San Diego Convention Centers, Centerplate partners with more than 40 marquee convention centers, including the convention centers in Denver, Miami Beach, New York City, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.  Additionally, this past year proved to be one of the company's strongest ever in new business development in its eighty-year history. Centerplate forged new partnerships with the Baltimore Convention Center, the Cobo Center, in Detroit, and the Scotiabank Convention and Civic Centre, a new convention facility opening in April, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario among others.

About Centerplate:

Centerplate crafts and delivers "Craveable Experiences. Raveable Results." in 250 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America -- including over 40 premier convention centers. Centerplate has provided services to Art Basel Miami Beach, 15 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 12 Super Bowls, 20 World Series, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration.

SOURCE Centerplate