Calvin Belknap has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville
An award-winning chef and seasoned veteran of the Omni Hotels & Resorts family, Calvin Belknap arrived to The Omni Grove Park Inn following a nine-month corporate task force assignment for Omni Hotels & Resorts and a successful 11-year run as executive director of food and beverage at Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H. Highly skilled in the culinary arts, Belknap now oversees the entire food and beverage operation at The Omni Grove Park Inn, including all restaurants and lounges, 24 hour in-room dining and banqueting for special events, as well as the resort retail program. Belknap's expertise is reflective of his vast experience at top resorts and accolades he has earned throughout his career. He joined Omni Mount Washington Resort from Colonial Williamsburg and The Williamsburg Inn in Virginia, where he served as corporate executive chef and director of food and beverage. Previously, Belknap held positions including executive chef at Doral Ocean Beach Resort in Miami and executive chef at Buena Vista Hotel Group in Orlando. In 2001, Belknap led the Dining Room at The Williamsburg Inn to not only be named among the best restaurants on the continent by Distinguished Restaurants of North America, but also to receive various prestigious awards and accolades including the National Restaurant Association Award of Excellence for wine and food, the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and a AAA Four-Diamond rating. Additionally, Belknap received the Blue Plate Award from Epicurean and won three medals in international competitions. In 1999, the Resort Food Executives Committee awarded Belknap the Herman Rusch Medallion as one of the top resort executive chefs in the U.S. and Caribbean. He appeared with Al Roker on the Food Network,and was recently on New England Cable News and Martha Stewart Radio. Belknap has also been featured in Bon Appétit, Gourmet and Wine Spectator.
