The James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced the cities and dates for its sixth annual Taste America® national culinary tour, September 28 – November 17.
Los Angeles’ weekend-long itinerary will kick off on Friday, October 12 at the newly revamped SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills with a one-of-a-kind, collaborative dinner benefiting the James Beard Foundation. The evening will begin with a reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvre from amazing local chefs and restaurateurs such as Wes Avila*** (Guerilla Tacos, Los Angeles), Raphael Francois (Tesse, West Hollywood), Pawan Mahendro (Badmaash, Los Angeles), Mei Lin (Nightshade, Los Angeles),Curtis Stone (Maude***, Beverly Hills), as well as Host Chef Holly Jivin (The Bazaar**, Tres, Los Angeles). Afterwards, guest will be seated for an extraordinary dinner prepared by Taste America Visiting All-Star Andrew Carmellini* (The Dutch, NYC) and Taste America Local All-Star Ludo Lefebvre** (Trois Mec, Los Angeles), who will curate a menu showcasing America’s rich and diverse culinary scene. Capping off the night will be a dessert reception featuring Margarita Manzke** (République, Los Angeles), Lincoln Carson (Bon Temps, Los Angeles), Mitzi Reyes (The Bazaar), and some of the area’s sweetest chefs.
The benefit dinner will be co-chaired by Robert Schueller, Director of Public Relations, Melissa’s Produce and Mary Sue Milliken*, Border Grill and James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees.
On Saturday, October 13 free in-store consumer events will take place at Sur La Table® located at Los Angeles Farmers Market. Activities of the day will include cooking demonstration by James Beard Award winner Mary Sue Milliken and another exciting local chef, book signings, tastings from local producers and artisans, as well as product demos and tastings from national sponsors. On display at the Sur La Table stores will also be JBF’s latest cookbook, Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food. Reservations for the free cooking demos will begin two weeks prior to each event at www.jamesbeard.org/taste-america. Visit Los Angeles’ event page in July for the full schedule and more details.
James Beard Foundation is proud to donate a portion of the evenings’ proceeds to the Taste America Scholarship Fund. Local culinary students in the 10 participating states were invited to apply for this culinary scholarship between April 1 and May 15, 2018, via jamesbeard.org. Candidates will be reviewed by the JBF Scholarship Selection Committee, and recipients will be announced in August 201
“Taste America exemplifies the Foundation’s mission of shining a spotlight on the rich diversity of America’s food culture and the communities that comprise it,” said Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation. “Taste America highlights local foods, beverages, and artisans, offering food lovers the opportunity to have unique dining experiences, engage directly with amazing chefs, and to support the Foundation’s mission to drive towards a better food system for all.
Below is the JBF Taste America 2018 program calendar:
· September 28-29: New Orleans and Phoenix
· October 12-13: Los Angeles
· October 19-20: Louisville and Seattle
· October 26-27: Chicago and San Francisco
· November 2-3: Boston and Philadelphia
· November 16-17: Austi
New in 2018, Taste America will join forces with Feeding America® to reduce food waste and donate otherwise viable food and meals leftover from the weekends’ events to those in need. Logistics will be coordinated with local food waste organizations in each of the ten cities on the Taste America tour.
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America 2018 is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and partners, including premier sponsors Deloitte, El Tesoro, and Woodford Reserve; supporting sponsors Dinova, Gloria Ferrer, Kerrygold, Robert Mondavi Winery, and Windstar Cruises; patron sponsor Choose Chicago; retail partner Sur La Table; and founding partner Bowen & Company. Additional support for Taste America 2018 has been provided by Chefwear and Verterra Dinnerware. Local Partners include SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills. Special thanks to Chen Design Associates, Inc., Gamma Nine, and Petrossian.
Ticket sales for JBF’s Taste America 2018 will begin in July 2018. For more information about Taste America events in Los Angeles, please contact Kelsey Perry at kelsey@afandco.com or 415-781-5700. Visit jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica for more details.
*Notes James Beard Award Winner
**Notes James Beard Award Nominee
***Notes James Beard Award Semifinalist
