Omni Hotels & Resorts Spices Up the Holidays With Limited-Edition Hot Chocolate Menu, Star Studded Chef Collaboration
“Chopped: Sweets” winner and Omni Executive Pastry Chef Leen Nunn taps famed spice master Lior Lev Sercarz of New York City’s La Boîte to co-create artisanal menu of must-try spiced chocolate and marshmallow confections
New York, NY (November 28, 2022) - This holiday season Omni Hotels & Resorts is stirring up nostalgia across the brand with an extra sweet Omni Originals menu of artisanal hot chocolates, available exclusively at Omni properties, now through January 31. The limited-time menu infuses top-quality, single-origin chocolate with a custom blend of spices developed by acclaimed chefs Leen Nunn and Lior Lev Sercarz, delivering a unique and elevated take on a seasonal favorite for the delight of guests and locals alike.
Hot chocolate connoisseurs – locals and guests alike – can experience two bespoke recipes that mix premium dark and milk chocolate and myriad “Merry Add-Ons,” including:
- Classic – Omni’s signature blend of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom from Chef Lior, recalling a nostalgic taste of childhood, but with a kick.
- Local – Imparting luxuriously deep flavors inspired by the local and regional flare surrounding each Omni hotel and resort, with recipes varying nationwide.
- Sweet – Garnished with a gourmet marshmallow, handcrafted, and lovingly molded into the shape of a teddy bear for an extra sweet, whimsical treat.
- Spirited – A special toast to the season with a touch of Baileys, Kahlúa, Crème de Menthe, Peppermint Schnapps, or Dark Rum to make the spirit bright.
- Bright – Omni’s decadent hot chocolate blend paired with fair-trade espresso to create an intense, lingering chocolate experience for true cocoa and coffee lovers alike.
Sweeten the Season with HONEY + HANK Custom Mugs, Holiday Room Packages
Omni Hotels & Resorts collaborated with Texas-based designer HONEY + HANK, to create a custom souvenir mug set available exclusively through the Sweet Traditions room package. Known for creating commonly loved patterns out of uncommon shapes, artist Jenny Smiley designed a traditional Fair Isle pattern pulling in elements of hot chocolate and nostalgic winter activities like mugs, spoons, sweaters, and skis for a charming keepsake and jolly reminder of guests’ holiday travels with family and friends.
The Sweet Traditions room package offers discounted rates, complete with food & beverage credit to discover the Omni Originals artisanal, hot-chocolate menu, and a set of HONEY + HANK keepsake mugs:
- Promotional rate up to 20% off (varies by hotel)
- $10 food and beverage credit for guests staying between November 21, 2022, through February 26, 2023
- One set of limited-edition, artist-designed HONEY + HANK mugs
- to book the Sweet Traditions package click here
For more information on Omni Hotels & Resorts or to book, visit omnihotels.com. With questions, please call 1-800-The-Omni, or follow Omni Hotels & Resorts at www.Facebook.com/OmniHotels and www.Instagram.com/OmniHotels.
About Chef Leen Nunn
Leen joined Omni Hotels & Resorts in 2016, as assistant pastry chef at The Omni Homestead Resort and was promoted to executive pastry chef in 2017. She was honored in 2018 by Hotel F&B magazine as one of 25 Women to Watch. In 2020, Leen showcased her talents on Food Network’s, Chopped Sweets, where she was the 2020 season winner.
Nunn is currently the executive pastry chef overseeing the pastry program development for banquet events and new signature restaurant concepts at Omni PGA Frisco Resort, set to open in Spring 2023. Before coming to The Omni Homestead, Nunn was preparing for a career in business management when she realized that banking wasn’t her passion and decided to turn her focus towards desserts. In addition, she served as a pastry cook and chocolatier at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, as well as José Andrés’ restaurants, The Bazaar and Tres. She became a pastry chef assistant for Flores, a Los Angeles restaurant which she helped open. For two years, Nunn was the Pastry Chef de Partie and Chocolatier for Bottega Louie in downtown LA. Kim was appointed Assistant Pastry Chef at the Jean Philippe Patisserie at Aria in Las Vegas in October 2015 where she managed daily production for the patisseries located at Aria and the Bellagio. Nunn sought opportunities to learn from world-renowned pastry chefs. She completed the Contemporary Entremets Petits Gateaux class with Chef Nathaniel Reid at L’École Valrhona in New York; the Spanish Pâtisserie class by Chef Oriol Balaguer at the French Pastry School in Chicago; and the Sugar Workshop and Chocolate Showpiece classes from M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France, “Best Craftsman in France”) Stéphane Tréand in San Diego. Follow Chef Leen Nunn on Instagram at @LeenKim05 for a glance at her sugary sensations and baking artistry.
About Chef Lior Lev Sercarz
Inspired by his passion for spices and the stories they tell, Lior Lev Sercarz is the chef, spice blender, and owner of La Boîte, a biscuit and spice shop in New York City which opened in 2011. His knowledge of where spices come from and how they are grown allow him to source from farmers and small producers around the world, with a focus on the quality first. Drawing on Lior’s culinary experience, he uses these high-quality spices to create unique blends and seasonal biscuits. Since 2015, Lior has sold his single spices at retail under the Voyager Collection, a partnership with Eric Ripert. After completing three years as sergeant of the Israeli army, Lior traveled to South America where he further developed a passion for cooking and world cuisines. As his interest in cooking evolved, he decided to enroll in culinary school at the acclaimed Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France. During that time, he did an externship with chef Olivier Roellinger in Cancale, France. Roellinger had earned three Michelin stars at Les Maisons de Bricourt, his hotel, and restaurant, where he displayed a rare understanding of spices, blends, oils, and pastes. In 2002, Lior brought his newfound understanding of spice blending with him to New York, where he had the honor of working with chef Daniel Boulud as a sous chef and catering chef at his flagship restaurant, Daniel. He left Daniel in 2006 to start La Boîte, launching the company by making and selling a line of French biscuits as well as experimenting with the use of spices. Since the beginning of his career, Lior has worked closely with chefs from around the world, developing custom blends for them and for other customers with all levels of cooking experience. In 2012, he produced a cookbook entitled The Art of Blending, which features 41 blends along with recipes and cooking tips provided by renowned chefs and culinary minds including Gail Simmons, Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, and Apollonia Poilâne. He has also wrote, The Spice Companion and Mastering Spice which was named one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times Book Review.La Boîte also partners with a variety of food and beverage purveyors, creating unique combinations of flavors that emphasize spices, including popcorn and chocolates, gin and amaro, hot sauce, vinegar, and more. Learn more about our fellow Spice Masters here.
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About Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, memorable guest experiences at over 50 distinct hotels and resorts in the country’s most popular leisure and business destinations across the United States, as well as key destinations in Canada. With more than 25 iconic golf courses, and multiple short courses, 24 award-winning spas featured in dynamic locales nationwide, every Omni proudly opens its doors to share the true spirit of its destination. Reflected through local color, personalized service, unique wellness options, signature restaurants and creative culinary offerings, Omni leaves a lasting impression with every guest and a heightened level of recognition and rewards delivered through its Select Guest® loyalty program. Omni is committed to reducing hunger and is on a mission through its Say Goodnight to Hunger initiative, to provide millions of meals each year for food banks to feed children, families, and seniors in communities in which it operates. Through its partnership with Shared Hope International, Omni is dedicated to the education and training of its associates to help combat human trafficking. Omni Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel of the PGA TOUR® and PGA TOUR Champions. For information or to book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni.