Continental Airlines International Restaurant Week Creates World-Class Dining Experiences for New Yorkers
April 30 2009 - 1:20PM
PR Newswire (US)
Exclusive Offers at New York's Leading Restaurants Begin May 1 NEW
YORK, April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines
(NYSE: CAL) announced plans today for its 2009 International
Restaurant Week. Twelve of New York's best restaurants will
participate, each offering a unique dining experience for guests
from May 1 through May 10. Diners can sign up for free reservations
on the Continental Airlines International Restaurant Week Web site
to receive special offers - like exclusive kitchen and wine cellar
tours, signed chef cookbooks, take - home treats, and more-from
participating restaurants. The 12 restaurants were chosen for their
unique ability to capture the authentic cuisine of Continental's
featured destinations. Continental serves each of these countries
with nonstop services from its New York hub at Newark Liberty
International Airport. New this year: Each restaurant will create a
special offering to compete in the Signature Dish contest. Once
International Restaurant Week kicks off on May 1, diners will have
a chance to rate and review their favorites online at
http://www.continentalrestaurantweek.com/signature-dish. The voting
will close on May 10, at which time award-winning chef and Top Chef
head judge Tom Colicchio will choose the winner from the top three
consumer picks. The victorious restaurant will receive $25,000 for
the charity of their choice. "We are thrilled to have Chef Tom
Colicchio as our judge for this year's Signature Dish contest and
look forward to tasting the winning dish," said Mark Bergsrud,
Continental's senior vice president marketing programs and
distribution. "While we certainly love bringing New Yorkers to each
of our international destinations to experience exquisite cuisine
first-hand, we're excited to offer International Restaurant Week
and create authentic dining experiences for our customers that
don't require a plane ticket." Participating restaurants and offer
details include: Alfama (Portugal) - Diners will experience an
authentic 4-course meal, ending with a glass of port from Alfama's
extensive collection, included with the meal. They'll also take
home a box of Pasteis de nata, traditional Portuguese custard
cakes. Allen & Delancey (United Kingdom) - After enjoying Chef
Kyle Bailey's 5-course meal and specially designed signature dish,
guests will be able to recreate the experience with Chef's
signature dish recipe and a package of couscous. Avra (Greece) -
For a truly personalized experience, a manager will help design a
menu for each reservation, providing insight into the menu and wine
pairings. Guests will take home some Greek delicacies chosen by the
Avra team. Boqueria (Spain) - While there, diners will get to know
Chef Seamus Mullen as they enjoy his specially designed shared
tasting menus - for lunch or dinner. Each diner will receive a
complimentary bag of house-made candied Marcona almonds. China
Grill (China) - Guests will enjoy an exclusive 5-course tasting
menu created by Chef Jamie Knott, with a specially paired cocktail
included in the meal. Each diner will also take home a box of
delicious ginger and almond cookies. Delmonico's (United States) -
After enjoying an exclusively designed menu featuring Delmonico's
most famous dishes, diners will take a personal tour of the
restaurant, a National Historic Landmark, and take home a
complimentary signed copy of the cookbook Dining at Delmonico's.
Del Posto (Italy) - Diners will be invited to tour Del Posto's
extensive wine cellar and bring a taste of the restaurant home with
a special gift bag filled with the chef's favorite Italian
delicacies. L'Ecole (France) - Guests will begin the evening with a
behind the scenes look at L'Ecole's teaching kitchens. After,
they'll indulge in a unique dessert and cocktail featuring rare
Grapefruit Thai Basil Tea, included with the meal. Diners will take
home a sample of the exotic tea along with the recipe, to recreate
the experience at home. Maya (Mexico) - Chef Sandoval offers a
uniquely designed 3-course Cinco de Mayo menu with special beverage
pairings. Diners will be gifted with a complimentary signed copy of
his cookbook Modern Mexican Flavors. Nobu (Japan) - Nobu's talented
chefs will kick start the meal with a complimentary Chef's
Selection Amuse-Gueule. Diners will finish on a sweet note too,
with a signature fruit sake or shochu, included with the meal.
Plataforma (Brazil) - Guests will go behind the scenes on a tour of
the kitchen with one of Plataforma's Master Carvers. Every table
will be gifted a complimentary caipirinha making kit to bring home
a taste of this traditional Brazilian cocktail. Tabla (India) -
Guests will be invited to take a personally guided tour of Tabla's
kitchen. After savoring an exclusively designed 4-course prix fixe
menu with an optional wine pairing to match, they'll take home one
of Pastry Chef Melissa Walnock's uniquely designed desserts,
packaged along with the recipe. Diners can visit
http://www.continentalrestaurantweek.com/ for more information on
how to make reservations online or by phone. Continental Airlines
is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with
Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,750
daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving
133 domestic and 132 international destinations. More than 750
additional points are served via current alliance partners. With
more than 43,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York,
Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional
partners, carries approximately 67 million passengers per year.
DATASOURCE: Continental Airlines CONTACT: Corporate Communications
of Continental Airlines, +1-713-324-5080, ; or Rachel Adler,
+1-201-874-0608, , or Charlotte Lederman, +1-212-474-5045, , both
for Continental Airlines Web Site: http://www.continental.com/
http://www.continentalrestaurantweek.com/
http://www.continental.com/company/news/
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