Start a Thanksgiving Tradition with Dinner at The Daniel & Coast Bar + Bistro

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate family, friends and all those around you who make life better and fill up your days with the pleasure of their acquaintance. Nothing beats that decadent Thanksgiving dinner spread filled with both the traditional fare that harkens back to this country’s early days and also family favorites that have made the holiday meal special over the years.

While thoughts of Thanksgiving past may conjure up warm memories of a crowded table at grandparents’ house, the increasing trend now is for Thanksgiving dinner out or for families to take the holiday on the road for an extra-long weekend vacation. AAA Travel is predicting that 46.3 million Americans will travel this Thanksgiving holiday — the most since 2007.

At The Daniel and Coast Bar + Bistro, we are ever aware of the changing desires of our guests and customers. But we also wanted to jump at the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family and friends that fill up our days and for whom we are very grateful. So we are thrilled to offer a Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 27 at Coast Bar + Bistro.

Our culinary experts are in the holiday mood and they created a very special menu for a family feast as good as grandmother used to make it, but updated to bring a special feel to Thanksgiving dinner this year!

Coast Bar + Bistro has set up a fixed-price menu for $36 per person, $18 for children 10 and under, and kids under 3 eat for free. More details HERE.

Here’s what Coast Bar + Bistro can offer you for Thanksgiving eats — a mouthwatering experience that will allow you to enjoy the conversation and company of family and friends, but let your mouth savor same seriously good food, prepared 100 percent in the spirit of the holiday.

First dig in to some Butternut Apple Bisque with Nutmeg Crème Fraiche or Salad of Seasonal Greens, Roasted Beets, Herbed Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Then loosen up those chops for three tremendous options.

Go for the traditional Thanksgiving bird with a Cider Brined Roast Turkey with Cranberry Apple Stuffing, Candied Carrots, Sautéed Green Beans, Home-style Gravy and Cranberry Compote.

Feeling in a pork mood? Try Maple Mustard Glazed Ham with Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Or finally, get the flavor of fall in a wonderful pasta package with Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce.

And don’t forget to make some room at the end to top off the meal with a dessert of Traditional Pumpkin Pie or Dark Chocolate Layer Cake.

In honor of Thanksgiving, The Daniel has compiled a list of some of the most popular Thanksgiving trends over the last several decades:

• In 2013, led by advice from food gurus such as Martha Stewart and magazines such as Bon Appetit and Saveur, bruleed pumpkin pies were all the rage.
• In 2012, the kale craze pushed many traditional greens off the plate, with creamed kale being the most popular dish served.
• Turkey glazes dominated in 2010, with everything from molasses, pomegranate, maple, cider, soy sauce and even malt beer dousing everyone’s favorite holiday bird.
• Sudden reports of the dangers of undercooked stuffing inside turkeys around Thanksgiving in 2006 had cooks across America taking the stuffing out of the bird and going with pan-roasted dressing.
• Thanksgiving 2005 was the year that the pig tried to take over and as a result bacon-draped turkey was popular, with recipes such as maple-roasted turkey with smoked bacon.
• The year 2002 has the distinction of owning the most outrageous Thanksgiving trend in the last 20 years with the “turducken,” a boneless monstrosity composed of a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey.
• Riding a late 1990s’ wave, balsamic vinegar took over 2001 Thanksgiving, with the dark liquid a popular glaze for everything on the table from carrots to sweet potatoes to squash to the turkey, itself.
• Right before the turn of the century the hip Thanksgiving trends might have gone a little too far. The result — truffle mashed potatoes, which rendered a timeless classic unrecognizable with copious truffle oil.
• In the mid-1990s, deep-fried turkey was all the rage, with the Food Network pushing the high-fat trend out across America.
• In 1995, the most recent Thanksgiving trends hit kicked off with an interesting note — faux turkey — as Tofurky, a vegan rendition of a roast turkey, stuffing included, was devised by an Oregon company.

We hope you will make your 2014 Thanksgiving trend to eat with us! 

Reservations at Coast Bar + Bistro are recommended for the Thanksgiving Dinner with seating every 20 minutes from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Call 207-373-1824 to get your family’s spot!

The Hotel Business Center Resurrected for the Modern Traveler

Gone are the days of large hotel business centers with rows of computers and printers in a windowless room tucked somewhere on the third floor or in the basement. Today’s travelers are tech savvy and no longer need to hole up for hours in a dank cave to get work done, however, they still need some of the essentials a business center offers. That is why, at The Daniel, the business center was brought out of the dark and into the lobby, with a large window looking outside.

With natural light streaming in, the business center features simple modern décor, with a sleek dark desktop and a minimalist approach with just two computers and three workstations.

The business center is open 24/7 and offers computer access and free printing, as well as, a great location for those that need to work and want a quiet place to do so, but don’t want to be stuck in an interior room hidden away from civilization. Plus, it is adjacent to the 24-hour guest pantry. Late night hot pocket, anyone?

Our approach to the new business center at The Daniel is in line with the demand from today’s travelers.

There has been widespread reporting that the modern traveler prefers a scaled-down business center with two to four work stations, one printer and more immediate access to the lobby and other open spaces for meetings or phone calls. Trends have also shown that guests who use business centers at hotels are now typically getting in and out quickly, and no longer spend hours working there.

Rapid changes in technology have provided travelers with so many tablets, smartphones, travel-friendly laptops and other hi-tech devices that access to a computer in the business center is no longer a necessity just to stay in touch, but the need for a hotel to have a business center remains.

Currently, despite almost universal access to Wi-Fi at hotels, almost 90 percent of hotels still have business centers — though many, like The Daniel, have adapted their business centers to reflect the true needs of travelers.

For example, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has introduced a concept at some properties called “Technology Lounges,” which are adjacent to the lobby and feature wireless access, individual workstations, communal space and a four-paneled video wall.

Sheraton launched its “Link@Sheraton” at some properties for another spin on the technology lounge concept, though with more computers similar to the traditional business center. Sheraton does put its “Link@Sheraton” near the lobby and has included flat screen TVs.

While most hotels are still sticking to some sort of business center concept, there are some that have eliminated the business center all together. These typically choose to go with some sort of ramped up lobby environment that is described as replacing the functions of a business center. These computer-centric lobbies may include recharge stations and wireless access to a printer.

Some other examples of what different brands have done in recent times include:

• Wyndham Hotel Group launched a prototype that moves the business center into the lobby with computers available in open spaces with free Wi-Fi and typical lobby furniture.

• Westin Hotels and Resorts launched a flexible work space concept last year called “Tangent,” which has furniture that can be organized and moved to accommodate meetings and also has technology for videoconferencing.

• Kimpton Hotels has re-adapted old pay-phone banks into small partitioned workstations.

• InterContinental Hotels’ new EVEN hotels will have a “Hot Desk” rather than traditional business center, with two laptops and guests will be able to print wirelessly from the laptops or their own devices.

While approaches vary across the industry, many brands are figuring out what we, at The Daniel, already know about how the changing needs of today’s travelers. We have answered our guests’ call for a new-style of business center that gives them all that they desire to keep up with work and does so in a comfortable environment that is central to the lobby hub of a hotel, with the most up-to-date technology products and services. Let’s hope work doesn’t take up all your travel time, but when it is necessary we have you covered!

Taking the Clock Radio to a Whole New Level with the Sangean WR-22

Just about every day you can check out a story or blog post on the newest in hotel technology trends. Many of these — property management systems, hotel management software, booking engines and the like — have significant back-end impact on guests. At The Daniel, we are as tech savvy as any and use technology to make our hotel better and run more efficiently. But we also love to use new technology that is just flat out cool and can add to look and feel of the guest experience and make any stay even better.

One such cool technology is the Sangean WR-22WL Bluetooth/USB Table-Top Digital Tuning Receiver that we have in our guest rooms.

This is not your father’s clock radio!

The latest evolution of a product that changed the perception of home audio, the Sangean WR-22 has been praised for its detailed sound and for exceptional quality for a system of its size, just a mere 9.4 inches wide by 7.7 inches deep by 4.4 inches high.

What all our guests expect in a bedside clock/radio is handled with ease by the Sangean WR-22, but the device is so much more.

The Bluetooth-enable Sangean WR-22 allows users to listen to their favorite music wirelessly and simply from smartphones, iPods, tablets and PCs. No cables, no confusion and no frustration.

There is also a 3.5mm auxiliary input for other portable music players if desired, as well as a USB port for playing MP3/WMA files from a USB drive.

No matter how or where you store your music, the Sangean WR-22 can handle it and pump it back out through its tech-marvel, 3-inch 7W full range speaker that contains an enlarged magnet. It also has a ported bass tube specifically designed for dynamic bass compensation for richer bass and loudness compensation that gives better bass response characteristics, and helps the device deliver sound beyond its size. Music-heads will also love the rotary bass, treble and balance controls that can be used to further adjust the sound to specific liking.

To top it all off, the Sangean WR-22 is a sleek and modern upgrade on the traditional hotel bedside companion, with its smooth dark walnut finish, an extra-large, backlit custom LDC display with an adjustable dimmer, and an advanced AM/FM-Radio Data System tuner that displays information such as song titles and artists.

Additional features include snooze, adjustable tuning step, dual alarm timer by radio, buzzer or media so you can wake up to your favorite tunes.

Oh yeah, if you like, the Sangean WR-22 even has a fully functioning remote control, so all that cool technology can be harnessed from anywhere in the room.

Sangean Electronics has been pumping out products in the consumer electronics industry for almost 40 years, so it is no surprise that its Sangean WR-22 has received rave reviews from most major consumer products media outlets. The company is particularly known for its specialty receivers and the Sangean WR-22 is as special as they come.

Sangean’s advanced technology is why so many major brands rely on the company to produce their electronics for them and the reason why its own branded products are so well received.

Also, it is no surprise that users of the Sangean WR-22 say they love the system’s Bluetooth functionality, its ability to work easily with iPhone and iTunes, as well as the great sound from a small device.

At The Daniel we want to ensure that every guest experience is like no other and when it comes to in-room clock and music needs, the Sangean WR-22 was the only choice.