Old Hickory Steakhouse at Gaylord Texan Serves Black Diamonds in Creative Cuisine.

GRAPEVINE, TX (January 20, 2008) - The Old Hickory Steakhouse at Gaylord Texan Resort - offering the highest quality Certified Black Angus beef, fresh seafood, an artisanal cheese selection, tempting tableside desserts, and an extensive wine list – is currently featuring exclusive Périgord Truffles from France, otherwise known as “the black diamonds of the kitchen.”

Now through the end of March 2008, Old Hickory will feature Fresh Winter Truffles and Whole Truffles Shaved Tableside on their nightly menu.  In addition, a Valentine’s Day Champagne Dinner hosted in the fine dining restaurant will feature Fresh Truffles presented by award-winning Executive Chef, Joanne Bondy.

To best experience the truffles, Chef Bondy suggests the following pairings:

PROTEINS: Veal, Chicken, Eggs, and Foie Gras
STARCHES: Pasta and Risotto
VEGETABLES: Leeks, Mushrooms, and Potatoes
WINE AND SPIRITS: Port, Soft Reds, Madeira, and Cognac

ABOUT BLACK PERIGORD TRUFFLES
Truffles are a group of valuable and highly sought-after edible species of underground ascomycetes belonging to the fungal genus Tuber. All are ectomycorrhizal and are therefore found in close association with trees. The ascoma (fruiting body) of truffles is highly prized as food. It has a smell similar to deep-fried sunflower seeds or walnuts, though not all people are able to smell the odor of this fungus. Water that truffles have been soaked in can taste a bit like soy sauce. While the aphrodisiacal characteristics of truffles have not been established, it is still held in high esteem in French, northern Italian and Istrian cooking, and in international haute cuisine.

The Black Périgord Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is named for the Périgord region in France and grows exclusively with oak. The Périgord harvest season runs from December through March.  As with all truffles, they are hunted and discovered by pigs and century dogs. 

ABOUT GAYLORD TEXAN RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER
Already the premier convention destination of the American Southwest, Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center on Lake Grapevine offers world-class facilities, more than 400,000 square feet of convention space and four-and-a-half acres of Texas vistas under signature atriums. Ideally situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Grapevine, Gaylord Texan is only six minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Gaylord Texan is a Gaylord Hotels-branded property owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a Nashville-based hospitality and entertainment company that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry. For more information, visit www.gaylordhotels.com.

For more information on Gaylord Texan Resort or Old Hickory Steakhouse, please call (817) 778-1000 or visit www.gaylordtexan.com.  

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Media Contact:
Martha Neibling
Public Relations Director
817-778-1145
mneibling@gaylordhotels.com