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KORTENHAUS COMMUNICATIONS
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Cynthia Gold
TEA SOMMELIER
The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers
Biography

Cynthia Gold, Tea Sommelier of Swan's Café at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers discovered her true passion for tea after taking enlightening excursions into the tea fields of China and Sri Lanka, where she uncovered the pure beauty of the tea industry. Although many of the older cultures in the Eastern world have been pairing tea and food for years, Cynthia is one of only a handful to have brought, what she calls, “tea cuisine,” to the United States.

Cynthia feels that tea culture is the antithesis of the coffee culture, which through her eyes represents the culture of hurry and haste. She says that her profession and interest in tea is “a needed niche in this world” because it connects people to one another. “In our culture, fine teas permit people to take a little bit of time,” says Gold, “- to spend time with close friends and family, and having time to one's self.” As one of only a handful of Tea Sommeliers in the world, Cynthia serves as an inspiration for the chefs at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers.

About a decade ago, Cynthia left the corporate world to pursue a career in the culinary arts. She began her education at Johnson & Wales University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She later attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and specialized in pastry and baking. She then went on to take advanced class work in pastry and chocolate at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California. With this culinary training, Cynthia has created pastries at a multitude of Boston's finest restaurants including Marais, Biba, Pignoli, Rocco's and the Back Bay Brewing Company. Additionally, she has first-hand experience as the former owner of Tea Tray in the Sky , which received numerous accolades including “Boston's Best.”

From poaching and pickling to brining and smoking, Cynthia is an expert in using numerous techniques to combine the flavors of teas and food to create appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts. She has also created a custom line of Park Plaza signature teas exclusively for use at the Hotel. Cynthia has worked closely with the Hotel's sous chef, Darrel Lazier, to create tea infused recipes. Some of their creations include:

• Scallops poached with Lapsang Souchong tea
• Peach Oolong sorbet served in a cold peach soup
• Scones with Lychee Tea plumped currants
• Pear dessert poached in Swan's Grey tea

Cynthia's work has received multiple achievements and has been featured in Boston Magazine , Yankee Magazine , Chronicle , Improper Bostonian , and The Boston Phoenix . She has also hosted the Royal Family of Tibet and has been listed in a number of Who's Who publications. With a broad-based education Cynthia now supervises several food and beverage outlets at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, including The Swan's Cafe, Afternoon Tea, Room Service and The Towers Lounge. Since joining the hotel in January 2004, Gold has transformed the Afternoon Tea Program into a wonderful traditional tea experience.

About the Hotel

The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers is completing a $20 million room renovation that updates the technology and comfort of guestrooms while preserving the hotels historic integrity. Built in 1927, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers is a member of Historic Hotels of America, and a recipient of Successful Meetings Pinnacle Award for delivering excellence in meetings. Some of the city's top restaurants can be found at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers Hotel including Todd English's Bonfire, Swan's Cafe, Whiskey Park, McCormick & Schmick's and M.J. O'Connors – a restaurant to suit virtually every taste. With an unmatched location for business and leisure travel, this historic hotel is adjacent to the Public Garden with its Swan Boats and Boston Common. Boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and cafes along famous Newbury Street, are just one black away. Rich in history, the hotel today offers the same hospitality and service that has attracted United States Presidents, international business leaders and celebrities for the past 78 years.