Restaurants, Food Festivals & Other Fun Things

The Westin St. Francis on Union Square in San Francisco will be the hotel partner for the upcoming SF Chefs 2012, which takes place from July 30 through August 5, 2012. This year the culinary festival has weekend of classes, tastings and evening galas from a line up of chefs including Martin Yan, Traci Des Jardins, Tyler Florence, Hubert Keller and more. Check out the full schedule of events.

This summer Virtuoso, the luxury travel networks has put together several culinary travel packages at four Virtuoso Preview properties: Armani Hotel Milano, Italy; Castello di Casole, Italy; Mandarin Oriental, Paris; and The St. Regis Bal Harbour, Florida. Find out about all the packages and the exclusive amenities here.

Then on Labor Day weekend, The Taste, Los Angeles Times’ annual 3-day festival for of the Southern California culinary scene will take place at The Studios at Paramount with food and drink tastings, cooking and mixology demonstrations, wine seminars and panel discussions. Tickets are on sale now online.

Looking to work off a heavy meal, the Crested Butte Mountain Resort and the Red Lady Express will be open for scenic rides, hiking and mountain biking in the Evolution Bike Park. Then on June 16, the resort will re-open with for the summer season, with daily operations through Labor Day weekend, then Saturdays and Sundays through September 30, 2012.

Rosewood San Miguel de Allende

To get in touch with your artistic side, the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende has just announced partnerships with local art institutes, artists, galleries and collectors to form the Rosewood San Miguel Arts Program. A newly formed Art Concierge, who learns about each guest’s creative ambitions and develops a uniquely customized and memorable San Miguel de Allende experience for painting to arts to crafts. Younger guests can take part in the Little Picasso Workshop, where children under 12 are taught by teachers from the Children’s Art Foundation.

For a more relaxing experience, in London, the Montague on the Gardens has opened a “Secret Garden” for an outdoor summer escape.

Taking your iPad on the road? Orient-Express has launched its first app for the iPad. The ‘Orient-Express Traveller’ app lets you see insider tips, photography, video clips and maps of the many unique travel experiences available.

Looking for a new blog? Bill Marriott, the 80-year-old Executive Chairman of Marriott International celebrated his fifth year of blogging with more than 250 blogs published. Click here to read his work.

Visit our hotel archives for more hotel news you can use.

By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com