This could be the dinner of the year. The James Beard Foundation is touring just ten American cities with their 2014 Taste America event and Dallas made the cut (the only Texas city to do so). No fewer than seven chefs who have either won or been nominated for a James Beard award, or have been invited to cook at the James Beard house in New York, will prepare food for a lavish reception and dinner dubbed A Night of Culinary Stars to be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel’s glorious Wedgewood Room on Friday September 26th. Proceeds from the event benefit the James Beard Foundation and Café Momentum, the local project that endeavors to give crucial job skills in the food service industry to at-risk young men from Dallas County Youth Village.
Co-leading the chef team are Taste-America all star and James Beard Award Winner Patrick O’Connell (execuchef of The Inn at Little Washington) and Dallas’ own James Beard Award Winner Stephan Pyles of Restaurant Stephan Pyles, Stampede 66 and San Salvaje. They will each be preparing the dinner. Working the reception tasting are five local executive chefs with James Beard associations: Tim Byres (Smoke — and a James Beard Award Winner), Omar Flores (Casa Rubia), Matt McCallister (FT33), Janice Provost (Parigi) and David Uygur (Lucia).
A live auction at the event features these impressive prizes:
•A progressive dinner with Stephan Pyles at Stampede 66->Stephan Pyles->San Salvaje->his home!
•A Washington DC Trip includes overnight and dining at the famous Willard Hotel in the shadow of the White House. Dinner and overnight at The Inn at Little Washington (Patrick O’Connell).
•Divine Dine Around in Dallas includes dinner at each of the 5 reception chef restaurants.
•Chow down in Cowtown includes dinner at Fort Worth restaurants that have won Beard awards, been finalists, and/or appeared at the Beard House in New York.
•Dallas restaurateur legend Mico Rodriguez offers dinner and drinks with 50 in your home…and he will be there!
•High time in the Hill Country includes overnight at the Inn on Barons Creek, tasting and tour of Becker Vineyards, Dinner at August E’s famous for Nouveau Texas Cuisine, Tour of the Nimitz Museum, Private Tour of the LBJ Ranch House and more.
•A Hall Winery Tour offers a tour of the Napa winery in St. Helena. This first-tier Cabernet Sauvignon producer is owned by Dallasites Craig and Kathryn Hall.
It all adds up to a very special evening that will be a lasting memory to all who attend and is unlikely to be repeated. Order tickets, starting at $350, here quickly as an early sell-out is likely.
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America DALLAS “A Night of Culinary Stars” is presented by Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature.
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America is also supported by retail partner Sur La Table, and national sponsors including Bacardi 8, Breville, and Delta Air Lines.
Local sponsors (to date) include: Allie Beth Allman Realtors, Becker Vineyards, Dallas Modern Luxury, Hall Wines, Hilton Anatole Hotel, MySweet Charity, and Park Place Motorcars Dallas.
