Hiding Behind the Face of Facebook & Other Social Media Sites...

When I was first hired by The Davenport Hotel and Tower and Hotel Lusso as a part-time Social Media Coordinator, I was not sure what sort of following I was going to be able to produce. I was hired in the beginning of November, and I am shocked that we are over 2000 fans between the two hotels. I must say, I am very lucky to work for a hotel that people truly love and enjoy. I am also very thankful to have such a large following. I don’t know all of you, but I get a glimpse into your life every time you post a comment up or click that little “like” thumbs up button. I appreciate every comment I receive, and it makes my job a lot more fun and enjoyable.

I have come to enjoy the fact that in a way I am like the Wizard of Oz. No one really knows who the man is hiding behind the curtain or ummmm computer screen. I work on the fourth floor of the Tower on the Sales and Catering side of the office, and I sometimes think people down the hall don’t even know who is controlling the Social Media sites.

Well, today I have decided it’s time to reveal myself. If nothing more, so that I can thank our fans for always giving me a glimpse into their lives, here is a glimpse into mine. Some may not be interested, but for those of you who are…here you go!

My name is Sarah Berl and I am a Social Media Coordinator for The Davenport Hotel and Tower and Hotel Lusso. Phewwww. That felt good! I have a lengthy background, so I will make this as short, sweet and concise as possible.

I was born in New York and when I was about six years old my family moved to the San Francisco area. I attended Gonzaga University for undergrad where I studied Speech Communications and Print Journalism and my junior year in Florence, Italy.

After graduating, I went to Boston University where I received my Masters in Broadcast Journalism. I was then hired by TV Production Company that produced shows for networks such as ESPN, ABC Sports, Fox Sports, Travel Channel and Food Network. I moved to New York City and became a TV Producer. I loved the job, loved the city and loved all the traveling I was fortunate enough to do.

After several years though, it started to wear on me and I craved the west coast again. So, in May of 2009, I packed up my stuff and left for Spokane, Washington! I decided when I left New York that I would try my hand at a career in a different field of communications, and that’s what landed me at The Davenport Hotel.

So you might ask yourself or me…Why Spokane? I get that question a lot…and for that answer you will have to wait. That is another blog for another day. But trust me, I am so happy to be here and thank you to all who have welcomed me with open arms!

PAMA Cook-Off!

A few weekends ago, the cooks of the Davenport Hotel and Hotel Lusso were challenged to a cook-off to create a new menu item (appetizer, entree or dessert) that tasted amazing, was marketable, and had a great presentation. There was one catch: The cooks had to use one key ingredient in their dishes: PAMA® Pomegranate Liqueur.

"PAMA is made with all-natural pomegranate juice, premium vodka and a touch of imported tequila. Bottled at just 34 proof, PAMA is highly mixable, from the simple to the sublime," from PAMA's Website.

There were 5 cooks who participated and a special appearance by The Davenport's Executive Chef Bryan Franz! The winner received a Wii Console AND their dish featured on the Valentine's Day Menu. All participants will have their recipes submitted to PAMA for the chance to have their dish featured in PAMA's national cookbook. There were 5 judges including myself, the manager of the Peacock Room, a representative from PAMA, and two other Davenport Front of House Employees.

Here are the photos of the dishes and video of the cooks describing what they made!

Loyd's PAMA Huckleberry and Raspberry Gelatin



Colby's PAMA, Ginger, All Spice and Cinnamon Pork Chops with Spinach&Gruyere Polenta and PAMA Creme Brulee



Chef Franz's PAMA Trio-Goat Cheese and Truffled Orzo with PAMA marinated Quail. Boursin Mashed Potatoes with Chilean Sea Bass in a PAMA reduction. Grilled Cactus with golden raisins and PAMA. Sprite Floating Iceberg with pineapple sorbet and a shot of PAMA.



Liz's PAMA Berry Cream Custard with a PAMA syrup reduction



Alija's Rack of Lamb in a PAMA reduction stuffed with goat cheese and roasted with parsnips, potatoes and carrots. And a PAMA Gelato with Dark Chocolate Chips.



Nick's PAMA Potpourri includes Quail with a PAMA marinade with relish, fig, feta and pine nuts. Chicken with a PAMA marinade added to the pan then roasted and topped with a PAMA cream reduction and served with jasmine rice with cucumber and PAMA slaw.



AND THE WINNER IS!!!!! ALIJA and his Lamb Chops and PAMA Gelato! CONGRATS ALIJA!


The Participants!


Thank you to all who participated! it was a lot of fun and very delicious! Hope to do it again soon...

Coaches vs. Cancer Event at Post St. Ale House!

Over the weekend the Post St. Ale House, located in our sister property Hotel Lusso, hosted a mini Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser. From 12-5pm 20 percent of all proceeds went towards Coaches vs. Cancer-Spokane. The fundraiser was held during the Gonzaga-Memphis game (which Gonzaga won!) and patrons enjoyed watching the game while local celebrity bartenders and waiters served them.

Here are some photos from the event:

The celebrity judges included former Gonzaga Basketball Players
and local news anchors/reports and radio show hosts.


That's Cat Country's Big Cat Daddy and Former Zag Jeff Brown behind the bar.


Kid's and families all had a great time cheering on the Zags munching on some great Ale House Food!


Tim Lewis (KREM), Dana Haynes (KHQ/Fox) and Derek Deis (KXLY) all put their "station rivalries" aside and helped serve food and drinks to to the patrons!


A few good Zag fans!

Thank you for all who came out and supported the cause. The event raised almost $600 to go Coaches vs. Cancer-Spokane...People were also writing checks at the bar directly to CvC!

Coaches vs. Cancer is a joint effort by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches that empowers coaches, their teams and communities to help win the fight against cancer. Coaches vs Cancer Spokane has raised $3.9 million dollars in fundraising, $573,025 in camp scholarships and $157,500 for other local Spokane cancer fighting organizations.

If you would like to learn more about Coaches vs. Cancer-Spokane or to donate click here:
http://www.gucoachesvscancer.com/

Happy Birthday Elvis!

Today would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday. His life was cut short at the young age of 42 when he passed away in August of 1977.

Spokane was fortunate enough to welcome Elvis to town three times in his career where he played at Spokane Memorial Stadium and at Spokane Coliseum.

During Elvis' first visit in 1957, he stayed at the Davenport Hotel. At the young age of 22, he played to a crowd of thousands (at the Spokane Memorial Stadium) made up mainly of young teenage girls.

An article written September 6 of 1957 published in the Spokane Chronicle posed the question: "Is it right or necessary for Spokane or any community to condone an entertainment spectacle based on vulgarity?" Oh, what would Elvis say now!

Elvis played in Spokane in April of 1973 as well as April of 1976 at the Spokane Coliseum. All shows were sold out.

Here are some photos from the 1976 show and as you can see, the girls still loved him!

Here is a link to the article from 1957: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N5cSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9PYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5659,1291858&dq=elvis+spokane&hl=en

If anyone has an Elvis in Spokane story, we would love to hear it! Please feel free to post comments about your experiences. Thank you to Elvis for entertaining us for many, many years!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzV_0l5ILI

New World War II Memorabilia Displays

WWII Servicemen crossing the street in front of The Davenport Hotel

The Davenport Hotel welcomes two new displays to Mezzanine and Palm Court Grill display cases. These display cases are constantly being changed to keep things "fresh" at the hotel. Gonzaga University was kind enough to lend the Davenport Bing Crosby memorabilia through the Holiday Season, but a new year calls for a new display!

The cases are now filled with amazing artifacts from World War II which are on loan from the Inland Northwest Living History Group (INLHWG). The idea for the display presented itself when The Davenport's Tom McArthur was chatting with his friend Russ Cameron at The Post St. Ale House. Russ Cameron's father served in WWII and had a box full of different items from that time period. Russ is also involved with the INLHWG.

Tom had mentioned to Russ that he had an old photo from a 1943 Life Magazine that pictured soldiers napping in the Davenport Hotel Lobby. Louis Davenport was known for letting soldiers nap in the lobby during World War II. Later, it was discovered that one soldier who napped in the lobby was Army Air Corpsman Walter B. Worthy who is the father of present day owner of the Davenport Hotel, Walt Worthy.

WWII Soldiers sleeping in The Davenport Hotel Lobby

Russ and Tom decided this was great way to incorporate a little hotel history with world history and show appreciation for all the men and women who serve our country. With help from the INWLHG last night, they filled up the Elizabethean Room with hundreds of memoribilia and picked out the best items to put on display.

Here are photos of some of the items:

Breakfast rations included crackers, gum and cigarettes!

Miscellaneous Items such as Flag that was sent home in lieu of a soldier

Marine Corp Uniform

Also on display is an "Ike" uniform designed by President Eisenhower.

An vintage typewriter and radio. Many letters are on display as well including one written on August 15,1945 declaring "Oh Happy Day the war is over!"

Victory mail, various letters and an old newpaper declaring "Peace!"

Thank you to everyone who helped contribute to these fascinating display cases. A special thanks Inland Northwest Living History Group. If anyone has any questions regarding the items on display, please email inwlhg@yahoo.com

And thank you to everyone who has served our country and to all who is currently serving our country!

DO YOU HAVE A STORY OF SOMEONE WHO NAPPED AT THE DAVENPORT HOTEL DURING THE WAR? We'd love to hear it! Please email sberl@thedavenporthotel.com with your story!

The Davenport Hotel Employee Gingerbread House Competition!

And the winner is...The Housekeeping Department!

This team made an incredible effort with their creative use of ingredients such as Chex Cereal and Pretzels! Thank you to everyone who participated for helping make our Mezzanine look beautiful and festive. And a special shout-out to Sales and Catering! A great effort and nice way to tie in the US Figure Skating Championships! Here are the all the photos! They are also on display on the Mezzanine until December 25th, so go check them out for yourselves. Just try not to eat them!

Christ Kitchen Gingerbread House Competition!

On this past Sunday,nine teams of local Spokane chefs and architects came together to raise money for Christ Kitchen. The professionals decorated their gingerbread houses in 3 hours in the Grand Pennington Ballroom as the public cheered them on! This years theme was Children's Movies.

People were also welcome to join in on the fun for $7 to benefit Christ Kitchen. Christ Kitchen is a "job-training project providing work, instruction, discipleship, support, and fellowship for women living in poverty in the Spokane area. Through the production and sales of gourmet dried food products and catered meals, this project enables women to learn to work, to become employable and, eventually, to support themselves and their families without reliance on government programs or destructive relationships."

Thank you to all who participated and helped out to make this yet another successful event for a great cause. And a special congratulations to the Yoke's Fresh Market Team and architect David Smart for creating the winning Snow White House!

Here are the houses!

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
The Davenport Hotel and Chris Morian Executive Chef: Bryan Franz
Pastry Chef: Rosario Mendoza
Architect: Chris Morian








Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Off the Wall Events
Chef: Sonia Duffy
Design Engineer: Chris Duffy
Architect: Barry Nance



Snow White
Yokes Fresh Market
Steven A. Meek Architects
Chef: Teresa King
Sous Chef: Megan Womak
Dessert Coordinator: Kathy Skomer
Merchandiser: Elise Shmoorkoff
Architect: David Smart
Vendor: Mick Short
Decorator: Mindi Howland

Whoville
Integrus Architect, Sew Sweet
Structural Engineer: Aaron Zwanzig
Structural Draftsman: Chris Cuddy
Intern Architect: Rob Wiese
Marketing Assistant: Kristen caro
Baker: Jennifer Work
Architects: Jodi Kiltel/Craig Caro
Office Manager: Denise
Interior Designer: Maria Vanhoff/Lindsay Aaseby
Administrative Assistant: Jade Tipke

Santa Conquers The Martians

Globe Bar and Grille
Chefs Howard Batmen, Chris Copenahaver, Greg Jacobson





Lady and the Tramp


Europa
Chef: Christie Sutton
General Manager: Jessica Jackson








Twas the Night Before Christmas


Northern Quest Casino
Pastry Chef: Pepi Safford
Baker: David Knight




Peter Pan

Coeur D’Alene casino/Baker Construction
Executive Chef: Adam Hegsted
Pastry Chef: Susan Brunelle
Apprentice Chef: Alex Stoy
Design Manager: Joseph Stoy


Jonah A VeggieTales Movie



Marsells Cakes
Bakers: Marcel Kopplin and Stephanie Lentz
Apprentice: Cheyenne Orndorff