{"id":280565,"date":"2026-04-22T17:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T17:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/280565\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T17:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T17:32:10","slug":"hotels-and-cruise-lines-are-going-old-school-with-the-food-they-serve-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/280565\/","title":{"rendered":"Hotels and cruise lines are going old school with the food they serve \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vacation food has a job to do. It should feel indulgent but not heavy, memorable but not complicated, and just familiar enough to be comforting after a day at sea or by the pool. Lately, some of the most interesting ideas showing up on resort menus and cruise ships aren\u2019t coming from flashy new inventions, but from ingredients and dining concepts guests already know well, now resurfacing with new purpose.<\/p>\n

At last month\u2019s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim \u2014 one of the world\u2019s largest food trade shows \u2014 old standbys finding fresh roles and unexpected places to shine was the buzz. Out of the garden, tomatoes are being used for deep, natural flavor instead of just decoration. Out on the ranch, tallow \u2014 once written off as old school and unhealthy \u2014 is quietly returning to kitchens for its taste, performance and rediscovered nutritional benefits. And out of Anytown U.S.A., locally made products are getting more attention, woven into hotel amenities in ways that spotlight the communities around them.<\/p>\n

Speaking of communities, food courts \u2014 yes, they count \u2014 are another tasty example of the current old-meets-new trend. If you\u2019re from the generation that remembers when these were the places to be, forget longing for an Orange Julius or Kenny Rogers Roasters \u2014 today\u2019s action is on cruise ships and at destination hotels.<\/p>\n

\"IndulgeIndulge Food Hall on the newly launched Norwegian Luna and three sister Prima-class ships features a modern take on the food-court format. (Photo by David Dickstein)<\/p>\n

The newly launched Norwegian Luna and her three Prima-class sister ships feature Indulge Food Hall, a fare-included dining experience with global flavors from nine food stations. The standout Indian kitchen has tandoor ovens \u2014 an industry rarity \u2014 meaning curries arrive with real naan instead of the pita many other ships pass off as a substitute. Indulge\u2019s Q Texas Smokehouse sports an actual smoker, another seafaring scarcity. As the standard bearer for floating food halls, Norwegian Cruise Line lives up to its new slogan, \u201cIt\u2019s Different Out Here.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the best epicurean emporiums at a land-based hotel is Block 16 Urban Food Hall at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. From Bang Bar by Momofuku to Hattie B\u2019s Hot Chicken, each eatery delivers a polished, gourmet twist on the old-school food court \u2014 proof that the format has become shorthand for choice, freshness and a bit of culinary theater. Word on the Strip is that more hotels will be betting on this style of casual dining over the so-yesterday all-you-can-eat buffet.<\/p>\n

Trendy tomatoes
\n\"LasagnettaLasagnetta alla bolognese, served at Crystal\u2019s Italian specialty restaurants, is baked with passata, reflecting the return of old-school techniques to modern cruise-ship dining. (Photo by David Dickstein)<\/p>\n

Another trend is giving a humble Italian staple a fresh moment in the spotlight. Chances are unless you were raised in an Italian home, you\u2019ve never heard of passata, but this tomato product is surging onto modern menus as cruise lines and hotels chase deeper, cleaner flavor in dishes featuring the versatile fruit. Unlike standard tomato sauce, which is often cooked, seasoned and sometimes sweetened before it ever hits the pan, passata offers chefs a pure, uncooked canvas \u2014 just ripe tomatoes sieved to a silken consistency.<\/p>\n

The product certainly has a fan in celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, who knows that in an era when travelers crave authenticity as much as innovation, passata delivers both in a single bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you love cooking Italian, there\u2019s one pantry staple you should absolutely get familiar with: tomato passata,\u201d said De Laurentiis, Oceania Cruises\u2019 brand and culinary ambassador and godmother of the line\u2019s 1,200-guest Vista ship. \u201cIt\u2019s smooth, it\u2019s vibrant, and it brings the taste of ripe summer tomatoes to your kitchen \u2014 no peeling, seeding or cooking required.\u201d<\/p>\n

The renewed popularity of passata \u2014 a key ingredient in De Laurentiis\u2019 spicy mascarpone pasta alla vodka and several entrees at the Osteria d\u2019Ovidio specialty Italian restaurants on Crystal cruise ships \u2014 reflects a broader industry shift toward ingredients that feel both nostalgic and elemental.<\/p>\n

Blood orange transfusion
\n\"BloodBlood orange beverages that highlight the citrus flavor are gaining ground across today\u2019s hotel drink menus. (Photo by David Dickstein)<\/p>\n

Tomatoes aren\u2019t the only fruit getting a long\u2011overdue moment in the sun. Take the blood orange. Lending a seductive blush color and more complex, tart flavor over other varieties, blood orange drinks were pouring freely at the last Expo West. Liquid Youth, a Miami-based maker of premium collagen peptides-infused beverages, was sampling its new Italian blood orange sparkling water now available at boutique markets inside luxury hotels and resorts \u2014 the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort among them. Another Florida-based exhibitor, Saint James Tea, shared that sales of its blood orange and hibiscus black tea is on the rise at such tony hotels as the Mondrian Los Angeles and SLS Lux Brickell in Miami.<\/p>\n

At Expo West, Nanafruits, a Thailand dehydrated fruits manufacturer, touted blood oranges as the new star of the global health food scene, replacing matcha and kombucha. The rise of the crimson-hued fruit, mostly grown in California, Italy and Spain, is attributed to a combination of \u201ca health movement, social media aesthetics and endless product versatility,\u201d according to a booth rep.<\/p>\n

Israel Vargas will drink to that. As a California-based national accounts manager for Perricone Farms, parent company of Natalie\u2019s Orchid Island Juice Company, Vargas is at the crest of the blood orange wave.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlood orange is an appealing variation on an old favorite \u2014 it\u2019s a kiss of tropical sunshine,\u201d Vargas said at the Anaheim trade show. \u201cWhen it comes to food and beverage in the hospitality industry, leaders realize the importance of keeping up with trends and adding new flavors onto the menu. For instance, as our blood orange juice becomes ubiquitous where consumers shop, it\u2019s now a key ingredient in margaritas and spritzes at Omni, Westin and Marriott hotels and resorts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Squeezing this season\u2019s \u201cit\u201d fruit into savory territory, the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Florida now spoons a blood orange gastrique \u2014 a sweet-and-sour reduction \u2014 over the salmon served at David\u2019s Club. \u201cBlood orange is definitely trending,\u201d noted Jordan Fisher, a chef at the restaurant.<\/p>\n

Chewing the fat
\n\"BeefBeef tallow, a cooking fat with prehistoric roots, is finding fresh appreciation across today\u2019s hospitality kitchens. (Photo by David Dickstein)<\/p>\n

From one food group to another, a cooking fat used for thousands of years also is part of the current back\u2011to\u2011basics surge. Literally dating back to prehistoric times, beef tallow is being rediscovered for its flavor and high\u2011heat performance. Once ostracized for its saturated\u2011fat profile, tallow is enjoying a resurgence since the USDA revamped its dietary guidelines in January, emphasizing oils with essential fatty acids yet still leaving space for such fats as butter and beef tallow.<\/p>\n

Restaurants from fine dining to fast food are giving beef tallow more than just a fat chance. At the upper end is Beefbar, which uses beef tallow for its renowned fries served at branded steakhouses aboard the ultra-luxury Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, as well as most of its land-based locations across four continents. Quick-service restaurants including Steak \u2019n Shake, Smashburger and Popeyes are also contributing to beef tallow\u2019s resurgence.<\/p>\n

Columbus Vegetable Oils, an Expo West exhibitor and major supplier to the hospitality industry, said beef tallow\u2019s comeback is partly due to the fat being gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and a natural source of vitamins A and D.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat appeals to those seeking simpler, less processed ingredients,\u201d said Jermaine McClendon, director of Quality, Oils & Fats for the Illinois-based company.<\/p>\n

Local flavor
\n\"GuestsGuests staying at Houston\u2019s Hotel Daphne find a local choice of Evie\u2019s pecan snacks at the mini-bar. (Courtesy of Evie\u2019s Snacks)<\/p>\n

Speaking of simple things making an impact, better hotels are leaning into their surroundings in a bigger way, bringing more local products straight into guest rooms and on\u2011property boutiques. Evie\u2019s, a farm\u2011direct pecan snack company out of Houston, is a nutty minibar option at Hotel Daphne, a 49\u2011room boutique property in the nearby Houston Heights neighborhood.<\/p>\n

At The Club at Hillbrook, a private estate in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, the seven guest suites open to the public include a nice nightly turndown touch: sweets from Carson\u2019s Caramels, a locally based confectioner with a broadening footprint. The company is refining its image with a new stand\u2011up pouch designed for boutique hotels and, eventually, executive aviation \u2013 a polished little bag developed with packaging leader Yaxin to appeal to travelers who appreciate a touch of class, including the bourbon\u2011sea salt crowd looking for a caramel that matches their taste.<\/p>\n

\"Ohio-basedOhio-based Carson\u2019s Caramels makes sweet amenities for such markets as fine hotels and executive jets. (Courtesy of Carson\u2019s Caramels)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a big company like Hershey or Mars changes its packaging, every other company follows suit,\u201d said Carson\u2019s Caramels co-founder Joanne Montz. \u201cI don\u2019t want my product to look the same. We\u2019re going after luxury segments, like private jets where, stereotypically, you\u2019ve got businessmen drinking bourbon and our aviation customer gives them a sample bag of our bourbon caramel. That\u2019s who this new bag is specifically for.\u201d<\/p>\n

From spirits to wine, in California\u2019s Russian River Valley, Vinarosa Resort & Spa offers Vine to Bar dark chocolates as part of an \u201cending ritual\u201d after every relaxing treatment. The sweet touch supports another Sonoma County maker and carries a wellness angle of its own: Vine to Bar makes its signature chocolate with a patented ingredient called WellVine, a prebiotic of pressed, dried and milled chardonnay grapes upcycled from nearby Jackson Family Wines, maker of Kendall-Jackson.<\/p>\n

\"First-timeFirst-time Expo West exhibitor Vine to Bar samples its chocolates blended with a real-food prebiotic made of upcycled chardonnay grapes from Sonoma County. (Photo by David Dickstein)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a superfood put in chocolate,\u201d said celebrity chef Cat Cora, who partnered with Vine to Bar at Expo West. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to have a piece of chocolate, why not have this fiber-rich, real-food prebiotic that promotes gut health?\u201d<\/p>\n

More and more cruise lines are thinking globally and acting locally. Holland America Line, for one, runs a Global Fresh Fish Program that plates fresh seafood from suppliers based on a ship\u2019s itinerary. The premium cruise line also supports local businesses when buying baklava in Turkey, cold cuts in Greece, cheeses in Quebec and beer in Alaska, among other provincial provisions.<\/p>\n

Across hotels, cruise ships and restaurant kitchens, the throughline is clear: Hospitality is rediscovering the power of familiar ingredients and simple ideas, elevating them with fresh purpose. Whether it\u2019s a tomato cocktail, a blood orange margarita, a tallow\u2011fried potato or a locally made chocolate at turndown, the industry is finding that the next big thing doesn\u2019t always require invention \u2014 sometimes it just takes a smarter, more intentional return to what already works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vacation food has a job to do. It should feel indulgent but not heavy, memorable but not complicated,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280566,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,413,420,2422],"class_list":["post-280565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-food","tag-things-to-do","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}