VOL 26 ISSUE 34, Aug. 25, 2025
Condé Nast Traveler, an award-winning global travel magazine, recently highlighted Delaware North and Patina Group for delicious culinary offerings at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Downtown Disney in California.
In the article “50 States, 50 Desserts: America’s Favorite Sweet Treats,” editors Arati Menon and Megan Spurrell identify the most iconic dessert in each state, with the Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie, a special dessert offered by Delaware North Parks and Resorts locations at Shenandoah National Park, selected for Virginia. The article notes:
Virginia’s Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie is nearly as famous as the views from Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive. This towering dessert layers blackberry ice cream, fluffy house-made meringue and blackberry compote within a graham cracker crust. When it’s in season (April through November), you can find it inside the park at Skyland and Big Meadows Lodge. It’s the perfect way to end a day spent exploring the mountains – with a side of Blue Ridge views, of course.
Its roots run deep in Appalachian tradition, and is prepared with simple, local ingredients. Its connection to the land is tangible: Wild blackberries grow in abundance along Skyline Drive and the park’s hiking trails. Dreamed up in the 1980s by Clyde Gray, a chef at Big Meadows Lodge, it’s since become a destination dessert.
Paseo, an elevated Mexican dining concept located at Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort in California, was featured in the “21 Best Mexican Spots in LA, from Mariscos Trucks to Barbacoa Pop-Ups and Shishi Restaurants” article from Condé Nast Traveler, which highlights the essential spots for the best Mexican food in and around Los Angeles.
The restaurant is a collaboration between Patina Group and celebrated chef Carlos Gaytán and has garnered widespread acclaim since opening in 2024. The article notes:
The modern Mexican menu reflects Gaytán’s upbringing in Huitzuco, Guerrero, as well as his time spent at his Riviera Maya restaurant Há. Standouts include Yucatan Fish, an achiote-marinated catch of the day baked in banana submerged in a vibrant, creamy habanero salsa, and Mama’s Cochinita Pibil, a tender Guerrero-style marinated pork shank that drips its juices into a luscious black bean puree. For a treat, book one of Gaytán’s seasonal tasting dinners to experience his cooking in person.