Innisbrook Executive Chef André Halston to appear on The TODAY Show

INNISBROOK, FL, June, 2009 – When NBC Anchor Al Roker visited Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in January during the area’s Super Bowl festivities, he was so impressed with André Halston’s cuisine that the chef was invited to appear on The TODAY Show.

Halston will make his bow on NBC’s top-rated morning show on June 29 between 9-10 a.m. He will appear live from New York City with Roker, where they will prepare Short Rib Spring Rolls with Malaysian Maple & Tuong Basil Sauces. As with all live TV bookings, all dates and times are subject to change.

“It will be exciting to cook on national television,” says Halston, who has appeared on numerous local and regional TV shows. “Al is such a nice person and has become a fan of what we’re creating at Innisbrook.”

Chef Halston oversees the resort’s four restaurants and recently developed new menus and concepts at Packard’s Steakhouse and Market Salamander Grillé & Bar, both of which opened to the public via reservation May 1, along with the resort’s new Indaba Spa.

A former executive chef with Champps Restaurants and the Capital Grille restaurant chain, Halston also served as the personal chef for former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev during his U.S. Tour. He has even cooked for Queen Elizabeth II of England.

The resort’s two new restaurants and spa are part of an all-encompassing $26 million renovation that has taken place under the property’s management company Salamander Hospitality, and its owner, Sheila C. Johnson.

Packard’s Steakhouse, named after the designer of Innisbrook’s four golf courses, E. Lawrence Packard, is located in the clubhouse of the resort’s famed Copperhead Course. It serves only the finest certified Angus Beef, as well as a signature martini and wine list. The newly built Market Salamander Grillé & Bar at the Osprey Clubhouse offers a varied menu, with an emphasis on incorporating fresh produce purchased daily from local farmers. The restaurant and bar opens onto a large patio with fire pit and overlooks two of the resort’s four championship golf courses. Dining is available outside and in the open-style bar, which features with several large-screen televisions and live entertainment.

Both venues are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and reservations can be arranged by calling (727) 942-2000.

About Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club

Situated on 900 wooded acres of rolling hills and 70 acres of lakes in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is located just 25 minutes from Tampa International Airport. Recently and completely renovated, Innisbrook features 72 holes of championship golf, 608 spacious guest suites and rooms, four restaurants and three bars, the Innisbrook Golf Institute, 11 tennis courts, the new full-service Indaba Spa with 12 treatment rooms and fitness center, six heated swimming pool complexes, a nature preserve, and three conference halls with 65,000 square feet of meeting space. Innisbrook is a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Preferred Golf programs. For additional information call (727) 942-2000 or visit www.innisbrookgolfresort.com.



About Salamander Hospitality

Salamander Hospitality is a privately owned and operated company based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, D.C. Founded by entrepreneur Sheila C. Johnson in 2005, the company manages and develops hotels, resorts and inns that reflect the authenticity and character of their surrounding environment. The portfolio includes the recently renovated Innisbrook Golf Resort and Club near Tampa, Fla., host to a PGA TOUR stop every March; Woodlands Inn near Charleston, SC, which is one of only four properties in North America to hold Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings for both accommodations and dining; and the under-construction Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg. Salamander Hospitality also operates a division of gourmet prepared food markets called Market Salamander with locations in Middleburg and Innisbrook, FL, and Salamander Touch, a fine goods and linen store in Middleburg for the luxury resort lifestyle. For additional information, call (540) 687-3710 or visit www.salamanderhospitality.com.