In the spirit of laziness for which he is known, ELV is hereby printing the entire press release for the JBF’s WEEKEND OF WINNERS Event. The other reasons ELV is posting this verbatim are: 1) We can’t convey all of the info you need any better than it is laid out below by uber-p.r. guy Ken Langdon; and 2) We are recovering from some severe food poisoning of two days ago — and the unpleasant aftermath of what occurs when face meets tile floor during a bout with same. Translation: ELV’s normally flawless, Dorian Gray-like visage looks like it met with a couple of left hooks from this guy in his prime, and it may be a while before we eat nine courses of seafood again.
THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION’S TASTE AMERICA™ LAS VEGAS
‘WEEEKEND OF WINNERS’ EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE OCTOBER 24 – 26, 2008
~TICKETS ON SALE NOW~
One-of-a-kind dinners and benefit gala celebrate the country’s culinary superstars
(LAS VEGAS, NV – September 16, 2008) – The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Las Vegas™ will take place October 24 – 26, 2008 in Las Vegas, America’s newest and most exciting dining destination and home to some of the country’s most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs. This special assemblage of James Beard Foundation Award-winning chefs, restaurateurs, journalists, cookbook authors and sommeliers will represent some of the most respected and exciting voices defining American cuisine today. James Beard Foundation (JBF) dinners, cooking demonstrations, educational panels and events aimed to inspire, entertain and educate will be scheduled throughout the weekend. Tickets are available now at www.jbftasteamerica.com.
“Taste America Las Vegas will salute America’s newest and most exciting culinary capital in fitting style, with exclusive dining experiences, educational events and an all-star list of participating James Beard Foundation Award-winners,” said Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation.
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Las Vegas will kick-off on Friday, October 24, as Las Vegas superstar chefs prepare private dinners at the city’s most exclusive properties. Each event will be hosted by the Las Vegas restaurant’s chef, along with a JBF Award-winning chef or special guest. Dinners will be intimate, elegant, and feature outstanding food and wine. Several dinners will feature one-of-a-kind auction items including special chef dinners, incredible gourmet vacations, resort packages and more. Participating properties include Bellagio, where three of its star chefs (JBF Award-winning chef Julian Serrano of PICASSO, Martin Heierling of SENSI and two-time World Pastry Champion Jean-Philippe Maury) will join forces inside the resort’s Tuscany Kitchen, an exhibition kitchen where guests can watch, learn and interact as the chefs prepare the cuisine. Caesars Palace will host two dinners, one will feature the cuisine of JBF Award-winning chef Bradley Ogden (BRADLEY OGDEN) and the other will celebrate the southern Italian cooking of Carla Pellegrino (RAO’S). MGM Grand chef Carlos Buscaglia (FIAMMA Las Vegas) will cook alongside JBF Award-winner Fabio Trabocchi (FIAMMA New York). Palms Place will showcase its Iron Chef America winner, Kerry Simon, who will team up with JBF Award-winner, Michel Nischan (SIMON at PALMS PLACE).
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JBF TASTE AMERICA – Page 2
The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino will highlight one of its own JBF Award-winners, Charlie Trotter (RESTAURANT CHARLIE), who will close the restaurant for this special event, and The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino will highlight JBF Award-winner Luciano Pellegrini (VALENTINO). Wynn Las Vegas will also host two dinners, offering guests an opportunity to experience the cuisine of two of its JBF Award-winning chefs – Paul Bartolotta (BARTOLOTTA, RISTORANTE DI MARE) and Alessandro Strata (ALEX).
SATURDAY NIGHT GALA
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Las Vegas benefit gala will take place on Saturday, October 25, at The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino. The fundraiser will take guests on a culinary road trip across America as more than a dozen JBF Award-winning chefs, representing America’s diverse regions, gather to present a once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experience. Confirmed chefs include Patrick Connolly, BOBO, NYC; R.J. Cooper III, VIDALIA, Washington, DC; Traci Des Jardins, JARDINIÈRE, San Francisco; Jean-Louis Gerin, JEAN-LOUIS, Greenwich, CT; Donald Link, HERBSAINT, New Orleans, LA; Shawn McClain, SPRING, Chicago; Adam Siegel, BARTOLOTTA’S LAKE PARK BISTRO, Milwaukee, WI; Holly Smith, CAFÉ JUANITA, Kirkland, WA; Robert Stehling, HOMINY GRILL, Charleston, SC; John Sundstrom, LARK, Seattle, WS; Celina Tio, J U L I A(N), Charlotte, NC; Fabio Trabocchi, FIAMMA, NYC. VIP tables will be hosted by JBF Award-winners and other members of the culinary elite. A live auction of an amazing collection of private dinners, rare wines and other unique experiences, and an amazing dessert spread courtesy of The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino executive pastry chef Long Nguyen, will cap off this incredible evening. All proceeds from Saturday night’s gala and auction items will benefit the JBF, with a portion being used to fund a scholarship for an outstanding student or students majoring in culinary arts management at the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.
SATELLITE EVENTS
A variety of satellite events will take place on both Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, October 26, at the participating hotels. These events, designed both to entertain and to educate attendees, will feature JBF Award-winners including Dr. Marion Nestle, Chef François Payard, Alan Richman and Jeffrey Steingarten, demonstrating and/or discussing their particular areas of expertise. Guests will be able to attend a cooking demonstration, a wine tasting, a pastry demonstration, a panel discussion on the topic of Las Vegas’ transformation “From Hot Buffet to Haute Cuisine” and more. Consumers and media can visit www.jbftasteamerica.com for an updated list of participating chefs, events, ticket information and other news-worthy items.
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Las Vegas is sponsored by American Express®, Delta Air Lines, Green & Blacks® Organic Chocolate, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Los Angeles Confidential magazine, The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, and VEGAS magazine.
About the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org.
Yikes-hope you are feeling better. Call Wolfgang’s crew at CUT and they’ll deliver one of their prime-grade, corn-fed, Nebraska’s steaks to your door.
I hear bloody red meat keeps facial swelling down. At least that’s what I saw on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show!!
Looking forward to coming down for the Beard events in October.
Hey dr you can get your tickets now at http://www.jbftasteamerica.com. Check out Shawn McClain before he hits Vegas!
Thanks Ken, hope to see you there.
I just gave a shout-out for the JBF events over on another foodie website. Hopefully it will generate more interest and encourage some avid diners to come to town for the events.