Hello 2011 from everyone at Floored!

By Kristina Vanni, Food & Recipes Contributor and Better Homes and Gardens BetterRecipes.com editor

Welcome to 2011 Floored! readers My fellow contributing bloggers and I have so much in store for the new year. From the 2011 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show Hot Chef Challenge to the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event Star of the Bar competition, to NRA Show 2011 and IWSB news, information and updates here on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. There is something new every week here at Floored!

It has become something of a tradition I contribute a New Year's story to Floored! Chicago has so much to offer and it is always a pleasure to share some of the adventures with you!

This year I was lucky enough to ring in 2011 at the incomparable Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. It is not only the ideal location to ring in the New Year, but Chicago's premiere hotel to enjoy year-round, including during the National Restaurant Association's NRA Show and IWSB.

With four restaurants and a bar, this luxury hotel is a property for food lovers, and the perfect choice for those in the restaurant industry in town for the shows. The Lobby offers all day dining as well as Sunday brunch, Afternoon Tea and a weekend Chocolate Buffet complete with music and dancing. Pierrot Gourmet is a European-style bistro with coffee, sandwiches and pastries. Then there is Shanghai Terrace, with an exceptional menu of Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine. Finally, there is Avenues, recently honored with not one but two Michelin stars when the classic restaurant guide came to Chicago for the first time. Chef de Cuisine Curtis Duffy honors flavors and purity of products with this thoughtful and progressive cuisine. For New Year's Eve the hotel celebrated with a Black Tie Gala and Avenues offered an eight course tasting menu for the event. Complete with music, dancing and a balloon drop at midnight, The Peninsula defined New Year's Eve sophistication and elegance.

The cuisine at The Peninsula is on par with trends forecasted for 2011 by the National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot" Survey. Avenues prides itself on menu items with ingredients that are 80% sustainable and utilizes over 120 vendors to source organic and local products whenever possible. In addition, their "Naturally Peninsula" philosophy offers menu items throughout the hotel to introduce lighter and healthier dining options. It is available to guests of all ages, and we know from the association's survey nutritionally balanced children's dishes will be important to diners across America in 2011.

When enjoying Afternoon Tea, guests select from traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free high tea menus. The hotel can accommodate anyone with special diets or food allergies and provides nutritional information on several of their menus.

I enjoyed every moment from the close of 2010 to the beginning for 2011 during my stay at The Peninsula Chicago. I can't wait to enjoy the patio this summer outside Shanghai Terrace, or sample the seasonal tasting menus from Avenues as it evolves throughout the year, and I think I will have to come back soon for the weekend Chocolate Buffet. One night is simply not enough to thoroughly enjoy everything the Peninsula has to offer!

For more information about the NRA Show and IWSB and to register and save with early bird registration, visit www.restaurant.org/show or www.winespiritsbeer.org. Visit NRA Show Official Housing for hotel and travel discounts. I look forward to seeing you in Chicago in May!