Mark Militello has been named Executive Chef at the award-winning oceanfront luxury hotel of The Regent Bal Harbour. His gradually evolving new menu will debut in early December 2008. As Executive Chef at The Regent Bal Harbour, Militello will design menus that reflect his renowned style for the hotel’s signature restaurant, 1 Bleu, which will be open for dinner nightly. He is also creating menus for The View Bar, the resort’s more casual but equally stunning indoor/outdoor oceanview patio restaurant and lounge, which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Chef Mark will also oversee all aspects of The Regent Bal Harbour’s culinary operations including spa menus for Aqua Soleil, catering and room service.
With an emphasis on clean, contemporary flavors, Militello’s menu will offer an updated version of what has earned him rave reviews and countless honors throughout his career. Long before eating local became the huge culinary trend that it is today, Militello was known for changing his menus daily, based on what was available in the marketplace and getting up at dawn to order from local fishermen.
“The menus at 1 Bleu and The View Bar will focus on local seafood, high-quality chops and steaks, organic chicken and local sustainable produce on The View Bar and 1 Bleu menus. We will offer simple, health conscious grilled items, some hand crafted pastas and house made risottos as well as salads with lots of interesting flavor combinations,” notes Militello.
In 1 Bleu, diners can look forward to starters ($8.00 – $19.00) that bear the Militello imprint such as Florida tomato gazpacho, served with a tian of peeky toe crab and avocado and cucumber noodles, and a simply delicious selection of three mozzarellas served with an organic tomato relish and topped with three different sea salts. Freshly made pastas and risottos will share menu space with mainplates ($20.00-$46.00) which will include signature Militello seafood dishes such as crispy skin yellowtail snapper in bouillabaisse with fennel and shellfish, and fresh Caribbean lobster, with kaffir lime, coconut milk, Bouchet mussels and broken curried rice, as well as charcoaled red Rouget chicken served in its own consommé and accompanied by a homemade ricotta and sweet pea ravioli.
For The View Bar, the chef has designed a menu of small and shared plates, to be enjoyed indoors or outdoors on the ocean front patio overlooking Haulover Inlet. There will be a fine selection of contemporary burgers, including a new brisket burger, healthy salads and other lighter bites.
