The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, which opened just this summer, is housed in a structure that dates back to the 1800s, when it was first constructed as a mansion. It seems fitting, then, that the 1,200-square-foot (111-square-meter) kitchen for the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, Magdalena, should have a regal centerpiece: a hand-made Molteni cooking suite custom-built in Du Puis, France.
Executive Chef Mark Levy said the suite, which is 9 feet (2.7 meters) long by 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) wide, was constructed to his exact specifications. “We requested that on the suite we had two chrome planca flat-top griddle-style cooking tops — one on each side of the suite — a char grill, water boiler and six strong gas burners,” he explained. “We requested it to be finished with brass edges and glossy black enamel to provide a classic look.”
The kitchen at Estrella Restaurante, which opened this past March at Welk Resorts Sirena del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, has a centerpiece of a slightly different variety — a wood-fired oven that can reach temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees F (538 degrees C) and helps Estrella produce perfect pizzas — among other dishes.
“Our wood-fired oven — la leña — is spectacular,” enthused Executive Chef Abraham Tamez. “We use locally sourced mesquite, which burns hot and fast and delivers great smoke and flavor. Not only is the oven the focal point of the bar area, but we use it for more than pizza. We also smoke some of the vegetable dishes. We bake vegetable lasagna in there. We do an amazing suckling pig, slow-roasted for six hours. It’s crazy good.”
What’s more, Tamez said he thinks the wood-fired oven is just one element that helps Estrella stay on trend in terms of what today’s guests really want from a restaurant experience. “Communal seating, open-fire ovens and upgraded bar service are a few things we see, with more focus on the guest experience and less about gimmicks,” he explained. “We planned Estrella to be a delight to all of the senses.”
Editor’s note: For more on the latest trends in kitchen design and technology, check out the July/August issue of HOTELS.