GLEN ROSE, TX (April 9, 2003) -- After opening its doors five years ago, Texas-based Rough Creek Lodge Executive Retreat & Resort is still a shining star. Rough Creek Lodge Executive Chef Gerard Thompson's recent award as the winner of the Flat Iron Showdown at the Texas Food & Wine Festival is the latest in a series of accolades accumulated over the last six months for outstanding lodging, cuisine and service.
Chef Thompson was the top chef chosen (out of 12) for this event, sponsored by the Texas Beef Council. Chef Thompson prepared Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Grilled Portabello Mushrooms and Sweet Corn Hash.
In addition, Chef Thompson and his culinary team are responsible for bringing national recognition to the resort in recent months. Rough Creek Lodge recently received the top score (29 out of 30) in the Zagat Survey 2003 America's Top Restaurants. The resort also received the 2003 DiRoNA award, sponsored by the Distinguished Restaurants of North America.
The resort's design and luxurious lodging facilities also received top honors. In the Conde Nast Travelers' 15th Annual Readers Choice Awards (November, 2002 issue), Rough Creek Lodge ranked number 26 in North America and number 88 in the world, with a score of 89.4, making it the only Texas hotel to be included in this prestigious list of the Top 100 Best in the World.
The resort made it once again in January 2003 when it was ranked the number one hotel in the United States for design in the Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List.
โ€œThese awards are only achieved by a team effort where all of our staff โ€" from the kitchen to housekeeping โ€" work closely to deliver the finest experience possible,โ€ says General Manager Paul Boccafogli. โ€œWith only 39 rooms and suites, we are a small property with a small staff; however, it's to our advantage because we can work hard to focus on the details that sets us apart. Whether it's preparing a special one-of-a-kind dish to adding those extra touches to a room to greeting our guest by name, it's these details that we work on to set ourselves apart. Now it's paying off, not only with the awards, but with the opportunity to bring acclaimed recognition to our community and to this region of Texas.โ€
About Rough Creek Lodge
Rough Creek Lodge Executive Retreat and Resort, situated on 11,000 acres of rolling Texas Hill Country, is a one-of-a-kind destination for executives, sportsmen and those who just want to be pampered. Opened in January 1998, this luxurious retreat features 39 guest rooms and suites and state-of-the-art boardrooms for executive meetings for 16 to 100. In January 2003, Conde Nast Traveler's Annual Gold List ranked Rough Creek Lodge the Number one hotel in North America for design. In 2002, Conde Nast Traveler ranked Rough Creek Lodge on the list of the World's Top 100 Hotels, Resorts and Cruise lines. The resort has also received national acclaim for its accommodations, dining and hunting program from such publications as Southern Living, American Way and Double Gun Journal. In the Zagat Survey, Rough Creek Lodge was the only restaurant in Dallas/Ft. Worth to receive scores of 29 for food, dรฉcor and service (out of 30). Rough Creek Lodge celebrates five years of unique and memorable experiences in 2003. For more information or to make a reservation, call 800-864-4705 or visit www.roughcreek.com