Fairmont Dallas hosted key members of the Dallas Jewish Community for a celebration and official ribbon cutting of their new fully dedicated on-site kosher kitchen February 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Chad Mendelman, director of catering & conference services at Fairmont Dallas, 1717 N. Akard Street, detailed the hotel’s addition of Kosher catering to its expansive list of event services with their 750-square-foot kosher kitchen.
The only hotel kosher kitchen in Dallas’ urban core will offer high quality service and delectable menu selections to guests planning Jewish weddings, Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, business meetings, multi-generational family gatherings, special events and other celebrations for small occasions of 50 to larger events up to 1,000 guests. Under the direct supervision of Dallas Kosher, the area Kosher supervising authority, the culinary team at Fairmont Dallas is committed to upholding the Orthodox standards of tradition. The Fairmont Dallas’ kosher kitchen will meet the strict requirements of certified orthodox kitchens in terms of equipment and types of foods served, handling, preparation as well as food sourcing and storage according to kashrut, Jewish dietary law.
“We recognized that adding an on-site kosher kitchen would be a very welcome resource to the Dallas Jewish community. The entire team at Fairmont Dallas is excited and honored to provide our guests with exceptional, artfully prepared kosher cuisine,” says Mendelian.
The special kosher menu at Fairmont Dallas, developed by executive chef Jared Harms, offers an extensive variety of canapés, hors d’oeuvres, fresh seasonal salads, and meat mains including dishes such as Mixed Heirloom Chicories Salad with a Burnt Honey and Citrus Dressing, Herb Crusted New Zealand Lamb, 24-Hour Braised Beef Short Rib, Wild Mushroom and Spinach Free Range Chicken Roulade along with several fresh fish selections. Desserts include a scrumptious Challah Banana Bread Pudding with Vanilla Crème Anglaise. All selections can be paired with kosher wine offerings.
“We are beyond ‘banquet,’ but providing fine dining, presentation, and are dedicated entirely to the best of quality,” says Mendelman, who arrived in Dallas last fall, bringing 10 years of his service with Fairmont in Australia, Canada, and San Francisco to the hotel. “Our best is now elevated and there’s little we can’t do. We think out-of-the-box about how to modify recipes to meet kosher laws, but nothing we do is compromised at all allowing us to serve intimate parties and mass meetings and celebrations.”
Fairmont Dallas offers over 70,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with rooms of varying sizes to host weddings, corporate and social events and conferences of all sizes. The regal Regency and International Ballrooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows and glistening chandeliers to host meetings and events large and small. The legendary Venetian Room accommodates smaller events in a more intimate setting with original artwork from Italy and wall candelabras.
