Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2006

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
713.204.9798 (cell)
mrcannon@uh.edu

HOUSTON February 21, 2006—A harpist’s delicate strings and the subtle flavors of cumin and mint will begin the night, while a full band and the intense flavor of a decadent chocolate dessert sprayed in edible gold will end the annual Gourmet Night at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Gourmet Night 2006 will be held Saturday, April 8 in the UH Hilton. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner served at 7:15 p.m. A silent auction will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

“Gourmet Night not only showcases the college and its amenities, but also our eager and talented students,” John Bowen, dean of the College, said. “This prestigious event demands the attention of the ‘Who’s Who’ in the hospitality industry, as it has for more than three decades.”

Following the theme of “crescendo,” each course and each piece of music intensifies as the evening progresses. Special Guest Chef Matt Maroni, executive chef at the Rainbow Lodge and UH-HRM alumnus, will oversee the menu that includes an Indian Chaat salad with coconut milk and saffron poached diver scallops, and braised buffalo short ribs with spiced morel mushrooms and cashew sauce. Flamboyant presentation is emphasized as is evident in the spring pea “cappuccino” (served in a cappuccino cup) with savory baked biscotti, Popsicle-style gazpacho, and American caviar served with miniature shrimp and fried lotus root set atop a glass of solid ice.

But, as you might expect, the final crescendo is reached when dessert is served: A tawny port mousse pyramid sprayed with chocolate and dusted with edible gold. It sits atop a butter spritz cookie base and encases a key lime curd center with a maraschino cherry and garnished with a spiral honey tuile and chocolate cigarette. Diners will, no doubt, find it as intense as it is decadent!

Gourmet Night began in 1974 as a venue for featuring the skills and knowledge of students who are studying for careers in culinary arts, event planning, wine and service experts. Students run every aspect of the event from planning the theme and creating a budget to selecting vendors, crafting the menu and serving the meal. The entire event requires an entire year of planning. Funds raised during the event support the college’s educational programs and scholarships.

“We not only learn the various aspects of planning and presenting an event, but also learn how to do that as a team,” Kanwal Kabiruddin, a senior at the college and event planner for Gourmet Night, said. “This is an opportunity for the audience to see the talents of our college shine. We hope to hear a collective ‘wow!’” Kabiruddin is also a recipient of scholarship funds raised by this event.

Tickets are $150 for individual seats, $1,500 for a table of 10. The event is black tie optional and valet parking is available. For room reservations at the UH Hilton, please call 713.741.2447.

For more information on the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, please visit http://www.hrm.uh.edu/.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.