Archive for February, 2010

Tim Burton makes fantasy come to life. His work in film with movies such as Big Fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice have all become cult classics.

And his newest film is no exception. The Disney classic Alice in Wonderland in theaters March 5^th, comes to life in 3D and from the previews it certainly has Burton’s magical touch to it.

For fans who want to see more of Burton’s work, the MOMA is featuring a retrospective on his work. The exhibit will showcase over 700 pieces including never-before-seen drawings, paintings, photographs, storyboards and more. During the course of the exhibition all of Burton’s 14 feature films will be screened in MoMA’s Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) and Beetlejuice (1988) to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd (2007), as well as some early short films.

The retrospective runs through April 26, 2010. Purchase tickets online at moma.com or in person. The MOMA notes that gallery occupancy is limited.

This is my daughter. In this picture she is not only defining cuteness, but she is glowing with happiness because this was taken at our “girls” brunch on Sunday at Alice’s Tea Cup.

If you haven’t heard about Alice’s Tea Cup in New York City, you are completely missing out on the wonderful and delicious experience every girl (and lady) should experience.

Amidst the fairy wings (which they give you when you walk in, yeah!) and princess sparkles, this restaurant is a joy to dine in. With an amazing brunch menu (our favorite is the French Toast!!!) and an almost overwhelming tea menu, this place is the perfect place to spend a day with the ladies. The offerings of tasty, home baked goodies will melt your heart and they are all available for takeout orders as well. (Try the Peanut, Butter and Jelly Bar).

Themed around the child (and adult) favorite Alice in Wonderland, this place is a wonderful venue for bridal/baby showers, birthday parties or even un-birthday parties. With 3 locations across the city, there is surely an Alice’s Tea Cup that is nearby.

For more information, check out their website at http://www.alicesteacup.com/.

TIP: For a fun day with the little ones have a nice brunch at Alice’s Tea Cup at their East 64th Street and walk just a few blocks each and tour the Central Park Zoo. Still got energy, FAO Schwartz is just a few blocks away!

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

Spring has not yet arrived in NYC and this is excellent news if you’ve been meaning to visit one of the many great museums the city has to offer. This time of year museums are less crowded and is a great way to get in out of the weather.

Our Art Loves package includes your room, VIP entrance tickets to MOMA, and tickets to the new Da Vinci Exhibition in Times Square. Additional museum passes (Met Museum, Guggenheim) are also available as an upgrade.

Starting at $156 USD per person, including all taxes!  Book now by contacting nicole@continentalguestservices.com .

Be sure to follow @RooseveltNYC for daily deals from Concierge Corner.

This Valentines Day we featured the delicous Romantic Cherry Blossom and we are back with another cherry delicious drink!  This month, the Madison Club Lounge has been featuring another Cherry Heering Cocktail called the Blood and Sand!

BLOOD AND SAND

Ingredients
• 3/4 ounce Scotch
• 3/4 ounce Cherry Heering
• 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice
• Flamed orange zest for garnish

Method
Combine all the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until cold and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame the orange zest over the top of the glass.

Alternately, build the cocktail in an ice-filled collins glass and top with another splash or orange juice before adding the garnish.

Posted By
Kate Girotti
Promotions Manager

As you can see we are in full swing of construction of our new watering hole, Vander Bar! We began the construction work earlier this month, and we have made some great progress so far, and we expect to have everything completed and ready to open by early April!

Our Food and Beverage team is hard at work on completing our drink menu, which will include some fun and creative signature drinks, along with a nice selection of draft beer and wines. Vander Bar will have a light food menu as well, so that everyone who needs to grab a quick appetizer can do so before they catch their train, head home or before they go to mad46 for one last madMojito!

As you can see by the picture above, we still have lots of work to do, but we’re getting there, you can now see the actual bar coming into focus in the picture above. The bar will be 26 feet long with a granite top and it will have enough seating for 18 people. Additionally, we will install 2 large flat screen TVs at either end of the bar so that our customers can watch sports, news, or the latest entertainment gossip! Last week we picked out the furniture for Vander Bar, everything from bar stools, to tables and chairs, our lighting has been chosen and we have decided on the color schemes for the walls as well. One of our best features will be our windows. We are installing retractable windows in the entire space, this means all of our windows which will be 5ft x 11ft each, will open up, and this will provide our customers with a great outdoor feel without actually having to stand outside, unless they go for a smoke or two!

Vander Bar is going to be a great casual meeting place for the neighborhood, it will provide a relaxed atmosphere that will certainly be a great alternative to the many bars in the area. We will continue to provide you updates on our construction progress, and provide you more information about Vander Bar once we get closer to the completion of it. In the interim, please visit our webpage at www.VanderBar.comfor further information and updates or joinm us on Facebook or Twitter.

Posted By
Kevin Croke
Director of Sales and Marketing

The Roosevelt Hotel is excited to be a part of the Hotel Association’s National Ground Hog Job Shadow event this week. Today, the hotel will have several junior and high school students shadowing a variety of our department managers throughout the day. From Housekeeping to Sales to Food & Beverage, our managers will be showing these young minds exactly what it’s like to work in the hospitality business. It is truly a great experience to mentor these young folks by showing then what a day on the job is like.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day is an annual event coordinated by NYC Academies that allows these students to go through a day on the job. It provides young people with an up-close look at how skills learned in school are put to use in the workplace.

To learn more about National Ground Hog Job Shadow, click here. 

Get involved with our future!

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

MIXED BERRY SABAYON GRATIN WITH BLOOD ORANGE SORBET
(Serves four)

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons of clover honey
12 large strawberries cut in quarters
1/2 cup raspberries, picked over
3 egg yolks
2 drops vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup Moscato wine or any other dessert wine
4 small scoops of blood orange sorbet
4 sprig of mint

METHOD:
- Preheat broiler.
- In skillet melt butter and add honey over moderate heat.
- Add strawberries and stir until coated, remove from heat and stir in raspberries.
- Divide mixture in to 4 gratin dishes.
- In stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and wine until mixture is thick and pale.
- Remove from heat and whisk until slightly cool.
- After about one minute spoon sabayon over berry mixture.
- Transfer to baking sheet and broil until golden brown.
- Top with small scoop of blood orange sorbet, garnish with sprig on mint and serve immediately.

Posted By
Chef Rupert Leitner
Executive Chef

Delta Airlines Commodity Manager, Kenn Dill, makes a visit to the hotel to personally thank our team for their excellence in service and hospitality!

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

Besides February 14th, 2010 being the love fest that is Valentines Day, it also happens to be the Chinese Lunar New Year. This year we celebrate the Year of the Tiger! Rawr!

The Chinese culture is so apparent in NYC so you can bet that it’s quite the party. Whether you just tale a trip downtown to explore Chinatown or watch the parade and fireworks, there is a ton to in this city to celebrate!

Visit the Museum of Chinese In America
All this month, the MOCA will be celebrating the New Year with festive programs and events for all! They will be offering family-friendly events, classes, art workshops and festivities. Check out their website for a full list of events.

New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony, Parade, & Cultural Festival
Sara Roosevelt Park, Corner of Grand St and Chrystie St., Manhattan
Sunday, February 14th, noon-3:30 pm - FREE
The opening ceremony will be complete with a huge firecracker display, followed by Lion Dancers, Chinese Opera singers and Dragon and Unicorn dance troupes (who will then march through Chinatown). It’s a crowded but fun filled day for the whole family.

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

Here we are again in the month of February, and depending on your current ‘love status’ you either love, or loathe, this month. Some women can’t wait for Valentine’s Day, to be pampered with roses, champagne & chocolates, taken out for a night on the town by their date and maybe presented with a token of appreciation …maybe diamonds? But for the rest of us, it’s an excuse to go out with our girlfriends and celebrate being single, our independence if you will, over a few choice cocktails.

This year, the cocktail that I will be enjoying is a specialty drink from Cherry Heering. Not only is it a deliciously flavored Cherry Brandy, but it has been a fashion accessory since 1818, Adding extravagance and civilization to the mix of some of the most legendary cocktails of all time, including the original Singapore Sling. Heering, with it’s Ruby Red coloring and complex cherry flavor that is not overly sweet, is the perfect ingredient for a Valentine’s Day cocktail.

Here at the Madison Club Lounge , we are proud to feature “The Romantic Cherry Blossom” created by Mixologist Richard Broner. The Romantic Cherry Blossom is a romantic Champagne cocktail with Chandon, Cherry Heering and Rose Leaves served in a coupette instead of a traditional champagne glass to highlight the drink. Festive and delicious, this flirty and feminine libation is enough to leave you and your girlfriends saying, “Cupid Who?”

Stop by the Madison Club Lounge this Valentine’s Day and enjoy a Romantic Cherry Blossom. Every Cherry Blossom is served with a single Rose because, hey, who needs cupid when you have cocktails?!

Fun Valentine’s Day Facts
• The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
• According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion valentine cards are sent each year
• Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women
• In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine’s Day with their sweethearts.
• Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine’s Day
• Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day
• The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red stands for strong feelings.
• In 1866, candy manufacturer NECCO made the first “Conversation Hearts” — then called “Motto Hearts.” According to NECCO, eight billion of these little candies are sold between January 1 and February 14
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

Cherryheering.com, ²History.com, Valentine’s Day Fun Facts taken from the previous listed web sites as well as: Corsinet.com, The Romantic.com, Wikipedia.com

Posted By
Kate Girotti
Promotions Manager