How else could we describe the incredible array of fresh, locally grown produce and naturally raised meats being prepared almost daily by the San Diego Convention Center’s team of culinary experts?

Joining a nationwide trend, Centerplate, our exclusive in-house caterer announced that they are working towards being trans-fat free by the end of 2007. This includes all menu items prepared on-site as well as food products brought into the building by distributors and vendors. Some medical research studies have linked high concentrations of trans fats in prepared foods to heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity.

Executive Chef Jeff Leidy and his team have taken the Convention Center’s commitment to healthy California-style eating even further, using regional and locally grown products almost exclusively so our clients are ensured of having only the freshest and most delectable ingredients when planning an event in our building.

“We’re trying to put (all of) this into our menus and to also say to our clients that this is available,” said Leidy, a graduate of San Francisco’s renowned California Culinary Academy.

The abundance of regional and local products available to Chef Leidy and his culinary team is nothing short of impressive. San Diego’s coastal setting makes it a natural for ocean fresh seafood. But fertile farmland in our region’s inland valleys is producing an amazing variety of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs and also some excellent varietals of wine for event attendees to savor.

Chef Leidy, in his commitment to staying local, goes a step further ordering his dessert chocolate directly from a San Diego chocolatier and his favorite artisan cheeses from local companies.

For beef, pork and lamb, Chef Leidy relies on Meyer Ranch and Northern California-based Niman Ranch, who through a network of family-owned farms, uses livestock that has been traditionally raised through humane, sustainable practices with no antibiotics or growth hormones involved in the animals’ feeding and care. The result is improved flavor and texture over conventionally raised meats.

Although clients have yet to inquire about trans fat-free food preparation, Centerplate General Manager Nancy Murgillo believes it is only a matter of time. “I think it’s still too new,” she said.

Nevertheless, Chef Leidy and his staff are already 100 percent compliant, using only trans fat-free oils and shortenings for all in-house food preparation. Vendors, including those that supply products for the Convention Center’s three on-site Starbucks, are expected to be compliant by early July.

“Most of the vendors already are (compliant) because like us, they use the higher end oils and shortenings,” Leidy said.

If for any reason, a suitable trans fat-free alternative is not available for certain high-demand products, Centerplate’s corporate headquarters has indicated that those items would be noted on all menus as containing trans fats.

The Convention Center’s menu guides are updated every two years to reflect changing tastes and trends. But more than 60 percent of the meals prepared and served at the Center are customized for the event.

“Clients think they are limited to the menu guide,” said Director of Catering Cyndi Bohler. “But we’ll tell them ‘Oh no, let us show you what’s popular.’”

A private culinary tasting hosted at the Convention Center several months in advance of an event gives clients an opportunity to sample the superb cuisine available, whether it’s for a casual California-style brunch for 100, an elegant sit-down dinner for 2,000 or a banquet-style gala for 10,000 guests.

These private tastings provide the perfect opportunity to showcase the Center’s culinary talents to first-time clients or to update returning clients on the newest trends. "We try to give them a wide range of choices and flavors so they can pick and choose and customize," Chef Leidy said.

While he has seen countless trends come and go, Chef Leidy is pleased that one of his least favorites – fusion cooking – is fading in popularity and many of the classics combining fresh, natural ingredients with clean, simple presentation are returning. One of his greatest joys in cooking is taking a classic dish like a wedge salad and giving it a contemporary twist.

"A lot of fusion chefs never had a classical background," Chef Leidy said. "But if you get a good cut of meat and fresh greens, you don’t have to rely on “architecture.""

In addition to its reputation for preparing mouth-watering cuisine, the Convention Center’s Food and Beverage Department has won acclaim for its impeccable service, something that Murgillo and her catering team don’t take lightly.

"It’s amazing to guests that we can serve 2,000 people at a time so seamlessly," said Murgillo. "They are so taken back by the exceptional food and service we provide. But 100 percent of what we focus on is food and beverage. That’s all we think about and we are able to hire the talent and experience it takes to do this."