A Culinary Tale Of Two Cities

CHALLENGE

Leverage culinary platform to create one of a kind, memorable experiences for Citi’s Private Pass Beyond reward program, designed for an exclusive group of VIP Citi cardmembers.

Create VIP, intimate experiences which have high sell through rates with Cardmember and help differentiate Citi from other reward programs

SOLUTION

Sweet Management Group created and executed “A Culinary Tale of Two Cities”, an ongoing series which brought chefs together from around the country to collaborate on one-night only tasting events which merged the culture,  avors, and ingredients from each chef’s local cities

“A Culinary Tale of Two Cities – Friends & Farmers – Miami, FL”
Iron Chef Marc Forgione & James Beard Award recipient Michelle Bernstein
New York City-based Chef Marc Forgione joined Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein in her Miami, FL design district outpost, Crumb on Parchment. The two chefs created a menu inspired by seasonal ingredients and products from their preferred local farmers,  shermen and culinary friends. Crumb on Parchment, which is normally closed to the public for dinner, was opened exclusively for this Private Pass BEYOND event. During this intimate, 4 course dinner, both Chefs mingled with guests and shared their inspirations behind the dishes as well as stories about the farms and people who provided them with their ingredients. Guest left at the end of the night with a lifetime of memories and a gift bag containing signed copies of Chef Bernstein’s cookbook “Cuisine a Latina: Fresh Tastes and a World of Flavors from Michy’s Miami Kitchen” and Chef Forgione’s cookbook “Marc Forgione: Recipes and Stories from the Acclaimed Chef and Restaurant.”

“A Culinary Tale of Two Cities – Friends & Family – Chicago, IL”
Iron Chef Marc Forgione & Multiple James Beard Award recipient Chef Paul Kahan
Chef Marc Forgione joined Chicago Chef Paul Kahan at his newest restaurant Nico Osteria for an unforgettable tasting menu inspired by seasonal ingredients and products. Guests were treated as their “Friends & Family” with the Chefs creating a communal atmosphere and dinner that featured products from their culinary friends and farmers. The evening began with a toast from the chefs, during which the chefs explained each course and discussed their inspirations behind the dishes. Guests enjoyed a 6-course menu featuring a variety of seafood, fresh pasta and a whole roasted short loin, which Chef Forgione personally brought around to each guest so they could see what it looked like uncut. After the meal, guests left with a gift bag containing an autographed copy of Chef Forgione’s cookbook and a Citi branded, La Boite Epice spice set curated by Chef Kahan.

RESULTS

Tickets for both events sold out within a few hours of going on sale and guest satisfaction was over 90%
Both events were one-of-a-kind and never done before, bringing a truly exclusive experience to Citi VIP cardmembers
“A Tale of Two Cities” reoccurring theme provided consistency and a platform to generate awareness around the culinary offerings of Citi’s Private Pass beyond rewards program