An Intimate Wine Dinner At The Grand Hyatt New York

Ever wonder what it's like to experience an exclusive gourmet meal paired with exceptional wines at an iconic New York City hotel? Now you can.

The creative concept of wine dinners has been recently introduced by the Grand Hyatt, New York. The intimate dinners are held monthly in the hotel's locally sourced and seasonally inspired fine dining restaurant, New York Central. Designed for no more than eight guests, the dinners are curated and executed by Chef Daron Lee in collaboration with the property's wine experts Nicolas Prieto and Javier Labrada.

The Wine Dinners at Grand Hyatt New York were inspired by the property's success with their branded tasting events which launched earlier this summer in the hotel's Wine Gallery. However, whereas the Wine Gallery events are geared towards larger groups and provide a fun, interactive experience that companies could use as a theme for teambuilding or holiday events, the wine dinners are designed to be a much more exclusive experience for those with a passion for high-quality food and wine.

While each meal served at the Wine Dinners will be different depending on the season and available ingredients, a sample menu could include:

Amuse
Salmon tartare, cucumber guacamole, limoncello drops
Veuve Clicquot, Champagne, France

First Course
Summer heirloom tomatoes, pickled eggplant, basil
Pouilly Fumé, 2007, Loire Valley, France

Second Course
Seared diver scallop, carrot ginger puree, baby root vegetables
Jordan, Chardonnay, 2010 Russian River, California

Third Course
Miso marinated cod, maitake mushrooms, braised daikon
Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée, 2008, Burgundy, France

Fourth Course
Long Island duck breast, sweet corn ratatouille, Riesling mustard jus
Shafer, Merlot, 2012, Napa Valley, California (subject to change)

Dessert
Rhubarb crumble, raspberry sorbet
Fior D'Arancio, Moscato, 2009, Italy

Diners can choose to book the entire table for a private group of eight or are welcome to book as couples, singles, or with a smaller group. Reservations are required, with a seat at the Chef's Table starting at $140 per person. Prices may vary with changing menu selections and pairings.

"With these Wine Dinners, I want to be able to offer an exclusive experience for guests who are passionate about food and wine," chef Daron Lee told us. "The dishes on these menus feature fresh seasonal and local ingredients cooked in a simple, clean, and refined manner to bring out the different flavors. Working closely with our wine experts, each course is carefully paired with different wines for an incredible gourmet experience. Our hope is to eventually make these dinners weekly."

An Orlando, Florida native, Chef Lee's passion for cooking began at an early age and was further cultivated during his time at the French Culinary Institute. Having held positions in renowned restaurants such as The Dining Room at The Modern, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons Hotel, Scarpetta, and Villard Michel Richard at The New York Palace Hotel, Lee offers incredible culinary talent and expertise, which can be seen in the creative dishes he serves at these Wine Dinners.