Candace Quinones, newly appointed general manager at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa’s (SHRT) Council Oak Steaks & Seafood is ready to take the culinary hot spot to another level.
Candace is no rookie to the food and beverage industry. Her hospitality career started her senior year in high school, where she participated in a co-op program at Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino. During her experience there she was educated on the many tiers that fall under hospitality. After her high school graduation, Trump Plaza referred her to the Trump Marina Hotel & Casino for a full-time position as a restaurant supervisor. Most recently, she spent eleven years managing at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey where she was the General Manager of Amphora Lounge and Society Club.
Candace, her husband and daughter decided to move to Tampa this year so that she could pursue a new career at the most successful casino in the United States, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
You may wonder what a day is like for the new manager of Tampa’s fine dining crown jewel. Some of her tasks include: creating relationships with guests and coaching the Council Oak staff to ensure world class guest service and ongoing training about all aspects of the operation.
Candace demonstrates true leadership abilities when managing employees and managing a food and beverage menu. These reasons made her an easy choice for the high profile position of General Manager at Council Oak.
She shared with us an exclusive look at her recommendations for a dinner for two paired with hand-selected wines at Council Oak Steaks & Seafood:
Appetizers
Blackened Beef Tenderloin Tips over a bed of arugula, red onion and a side of blue cheese dressing. Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes complimented with tomato orange marmalade and an herb salad. Both appetizers were paired with a glass of Duckhorn Paraduxx.
Entrée
Long Bone Cowboy Ribeye paired with a side of Onion Ring Stack and a glass of Opus One, a high-end Napa Valley Red Wine.
Dessert
Flaming Volcano paired with a bottle of Vueve Clicquot Champaign
Photos courtesy of David Galindo