The Room Service Menu
Let these recipes inspire you to indulge in life’s little luxuries as seen in swanky hotels—heavy silverware and monogrammed napkins not included.
Lamp by Flos, pens, stapler and tape holder by HAY, clock by Georg Jensen and chair by Carl Hansen & Søn.
“Inspired to indulge by add-ons such as these, we dial reception and order extravagantly”
No one likes being taken for a tourist. Even if we’re thousands of miles from our usual hangouts, we often want to believe we belong in a place, no matter how briefly we’re visiting or how fanciful the idea. Fine hotels give us a sense that we matter in any location—the very purpose of their existence, after all, is to tend to our needs, make us feel at home and indulge our every childish whim as dotingly as any grandmother. Yet somewhat paradoxically, the secret to their success lies in treating guests unlike our ordinary personas and giving us an experience that we’d never usually bestow upon ourselves at home.
Take room service, for instance. First introduced in the 1930s by the Waldorf Astoria in New York, it embodies the concept of a hotel at its mightiest and most luxurious. Freed from dressing for dinner or having to encounter other guests, we can laze about and order nearly any delicacy we fancy and have it brought to our door. Our desires are heightened by our surroundings, which signal their difference from our mundane lives with every fixture and fitting. Where else but in a hotel do we encounter trouser presses or monogrammed towels, let alone individually wrapped miniature bars of soap and minibars laden with tiny drinks? Would we ever painstakingly crease the ends of our toilet paper, or place a mint on our plump pillows?
Inspired to indulge by add-ons such as these, we dial reception and order extravagantly. At an hour of the day when we might normally settle for a can of beer and a slice of leftover pizza, a bottle of champagne and a decadent sandwich suddenly seem like an excellent idea. Deep down, we know less is more and that the silver platters they’re served upon are absurd, but through fleetingly relieving us of domestic concerns, hotels encourage us to occasionally embrace such luxuries with an easy conscience and a ready stomach.
Tray and teapot by Georg Jensen, napkin by Georg Jensen Damask, glass by Illums Bolighus, large plate by Karin Blach Nielsen, small plate by Anette Friis Brahe, cutlery by Gense and cup, jug and round tray by Kähler.
Crème Brûlée French Toast
French toast is made even more special by giving it the flavors of crème brûlée. After being drenched in a rich custard, it’s lightly coated in sugar before frying. The sugar browns, giving it a crispy, caramelized finish.
Ingredients
⅔ cup (130 grams) granulated sugar, divided
½ cup (120 milliliters) half-and-half
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt
Four 1-inch-thick (2.5-centimeter) slices brioche or challah bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Sliced fresh strawberries, for serving
Maple syrup (optional)
Method
In a medium bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup (65 grams) of the granulated sugar, the half-and-half, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Pour the custard into a baking dish large enough to hold the bread slices in a single layer. Place the bread slices in the custard and allow the first side to soak until half the custard has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Flip the bread slices and soak until the remaining custard has been absorbed, about 5 minutes more.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the remaining cup (65 grams) granulated sugar onto a plate. Dip each bread slice into the sugar, coating both sides. Add 2 bread slices to the pan and cook until a deep brown crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Reduce the heat as needed to prevent burning.) Wipe out the pan and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of butter and slices of bread. Sprinkle the toast with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fresh strawberries. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.
Serves 2 to 4
Lamp by Rubn, notebook by Cinnober, cup by Kähler and stool by Frama.
Lamp by Rubn, cutlery and carafe by Georg Jensen, glasses by Holmegaard, plate by ferm LIVING and table by Snedkergaarden.
Crab Salad Club Sandwich.
A nod to the Northeastern lobster roll, this triple-decker sandwich is made with a smoky harissa mayonnaise to give it a spicy twist. It’s a perfectly balanced combination of crunchy, creamy and refreshing.
Ingredients
For the Crab Salad
½ cup (120 milliliters) mayonnaise
1½ tablespoons harissa paste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
¼ cup (35 grams) finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
8 ounces (225 grams) cooked crabmeat, picked over
For the Sandwiches
6 slices white bread, lightly toasted
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
8 thin slices vine-ripened tomatoes
6 slices cooked bacon, cut in half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 bibb lettuce leaves, halved
8 sandwich picks
Method
To Make the Crab Salad
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and harissa. In a medium bowl, combine ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of the harissa mayonnaise with the lemon juice and mustard. Stir in the celery, chives and tarragon. Add the crabmeat and stir gently to combine without breaking the meat up.
To Make Each Sandwich
Lay 3 of the bread slices on a clean work surface. Spread 1½ teaspoons of the remaining harissa mayonnaise on each slice. Set aside a slice for the top. Divide about half of the crab salad between the other 2 slices and top each with ¼ of the avocado slices, followed by 2 tomato slices. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then add 3 pieces of bacon and 2 lettuce leaves to each slice. Place one of the sandwich stacks on the other and top with the remaining slice of bread.
Pin the sandwich layers together by piercing them with picks in 4 quadrants, from the top slice of bread all the way through to the bottom slice. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the second sandwich. Using a serrated knife, cut each sandwich diagonally into 4 triangular pieces.
Serves 2 to 4
Bathrobe by Rue Verte, stool by Frama, shaving brush by Acca Kappa, shaving cream, pre-shave oil and body lotion by Barberians and dish by Anne Black.
Trays by Skultuna, forks by Gense and champagne glass by Rue Verte.
Dark Chocolate-Dipped Cherries and Oranges
There’s no better pairing than rich dark chocolate with the bright flavors of cherries and oranges.
Ingredients
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet dark chocolate (62 to 70 percent cacao), chopped
8 ounces (225 grams) bing or other sweet cherries, washed and dried
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and separated into sections
Garnish Options
Chopped pistachios or other nuts
Shredded coconut
Flaky sea salt
Cacao nibs
Chopped hard pretzels
Chia seeds
Curry powder
Chopped freeze-dried strawberries
Granola
… or whatever else you fancy
Method
Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and have the fruit and garnishes at the ready.
Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl over the pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chocolate with a heatproof silicone spatula or wooden spoon until completely melted and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chocolate from the heat and use immediately.
Dip the fruit in the chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. (Save the remaining chocolate for another use.) Place the fruit on the parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with desired garnishes. Some of our favorite combinations are shredded coconut with curry powder, chia seeds with granola and freeze-dried strawberries with pistachios.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
Spicy Variation
Stir in ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the melted chocolate before dipping the fruit.
Serves 4 to 6
