For the past two months, Crowne Plaza and its head chef (and 2013 Fête Rouge winner) Gary Schenk have been working with Fresina Pasta Company on a weekly Thursday night Italian buffet. The dinner runs 6 p.m.-9 p.m. and features items such as Schenk’s housemade Italian sausage, Minestrone soup, pasta dishes made with Fresina’s goods and assorted Italian desserts. Each week, the menu changes, and the hotel also offers a complimentary tasting 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. This week’s tasting features Abita’s Pecan Harvest Ale and other seasonal drinks.
Crowne Plaza corporate marketing specialist Lauren Cox says the buffet was something the hotel had been discussing for quite some time. Upon meeting with Fresina’s owners, the decision to have an Italian buffet was a no-brainer.
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“We’ve all had [Fresina’s] pasta at one time or another,” Cox says. “They really inspired us to do this. When we met, we thought, ‘Why not?’ We wanted to bring a great Italian buffet to the community.”
Cox says response has been increasing since the buffet’s inception. The hotel takes reservations, and walk-ins are welcome. The buffet is $19.95 for adults and $17.95 for seniors.
Crowne Plaza also offers a seafood buffet Fridays 6 p.m.-9 p.m. for $24.95, and Sunday brunch buffet 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for $17.95. For more information, visit crownebaton.com or the hotel’s Facebook page.