40 C H E F S I N T H E S P O T L I G H T
THE OMAHA MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN
CHEF APPOINTMENTS
AT THE CAPITOL DISTRICT NAMES
BRENT HOCKENBERRY AS EXECUTIVE CHEF
The lamb “gyro” platter is a pleasing portion of slow-roasted lamb shank served with m’smen, a Moroccan flatbread, tzatziki and harissa, roast eggplant confit, fermented beets and fried potatoes. And an assortment of classic, handmade pastas has proved popular.
The soon to open premier full-service Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District today announced that it has named Brent Hockenberry as executive chef. In his new role, Hockenberry will oversee and manage all food and beverage operations within the 333-room hotel, including catering, banquet and in-room services. The Omaha Marriott Downtown, which will be managed by nationally recognized hotel owner and management company, Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, is scheduled to open in summer 2017. Hockenberry joins the growing Omaha Marriott Downtown team with more than 12 years of culinary and management experience in top resort properties, business hotels and fine dining restaurants across the world. “I cook with the mentality that food is healing and that by incorporating sustainably grown and locally produced food, I can create a restorative and powerful experience for the consumer,” Hockenberry said. “I aim to bring this mindset into how we approach food and beverage throughout the Omaha Marriott Downtown.”
“We are thrilled to have Brent join our team and help us create an exceptional food and beverage program at the property,” said Steve Hilton, general manager of the Omaha Marriott Downtown. “With his passion for creating experiential cuisine that emphasizes quality and locality, Brent will add a meaningful component to our focus on excellence and high-quality service.
Prior to joining Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Hockenberry served as executive sous chef at the Grand Hyatt D.C., where he oversaw offsite catering, banquets, personnel, and food safety standards, among other things. Hockenberry also worked on the opening taskforces for two Caribbean resorts: the Hyatt Ziva in Montego Bay, Jamaica and the Andaz Papagayo in Costa Rica. From 2009 to 2014, Hockenberry served in multiple banquet and restaurant positions at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa Clearwater Beach in Florida, where he helped the hotel’s restauOmaha Marriott Downtown rant win two best new restaurant awards, as at the Capitol District well as worked as a banquet chef at the Grand Hyatt Seattle. In addition to managing the Omaha
Marriott Downtown, Marcus Hotels & Resorts is also a minority investor in the 12-story high-rise hotel, which will serve as an anchor for the $205 million Capitol District being developed by Shamrock Other guest favorites to emerge include Development, Inc. khachapuri, a Georgian pastry filled with Muenster and Havarti cheeses accompanied by rabbit sausage, pickled beets, and topped with a truffled egg yolk. “Garret is so passionate and so educated about a broad range of cuisines. We’ve given him creative license in the kitchen and have been delighted with what he’s come up with.”
Food & Beverage Magazine |April 2017