Amanda Freitag Named 2016 Phoenix All-Star Taste America
The James Beard Foundation (JBF) is pleased to announce the fourth consecutive year of the Taste America® national culinary tour, which will bring celebrated chefs and eager diners together for a unique series of delectable events this fall. Spanning six weekends between September 23 and November 5, 2016, this year’s program will stop in 10 dynamic American cities including Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, OR, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities. Each city’s weekend-long itinerary will feature a one-of-a-kind benefit dinner prepared by a Taste America All-Star and Local Star chef; free in-store consumer events at select Sur La Table® locations with celebrity chef appearances, cooking demos, book signings, tastings from local producers and artisans; and more.
Taste America Phoenix will kick off on Thursday, September 22 with a Welcome Reception at Fox Restaurant Concept’s Little Cleo at The Yard. The festivities will continue on Friday, September 23, at The Camby with A Night of Culinary Stars, an exclusive dining event benefiting the James Beard Foundation. The evening will begin with a walk-around tasting reception filled with cocktails and hors d’oeuvre from local chefs and restaurateurs, followed by an extraordinary four-course dinner crafted by James Beard Award winner and Taste America All-Star Amanda Freitag, a Local Star chef and a Host Chef, who will collaborate to create an unforgettable one-night-only menu. Local chefs participating in A Night of Culinary Stars will be announced with the box office launch in June 2016. Please visit jbftasteamerica.org for more details.The full 2016 Taste America program calendar is as follows:
- Sept. 23-24 Los Angeles: All-Star Scott Conant*/Phoenix: All-Star Amanda Freitag*
- Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Kansas City: All-Star Gavin Kaysen*/New Orleans: All-Star Alex Guarnaschelli*
- Oct. 14-15 Chicago: All-Star Missy Robbins***
- Oct. 21-22 Portland, OR: All-Star Stephanie Izard*
- Oct. 28-29 Twin Cities: All-Star Jose Garces*/Boston: All-Star John Besh*
- Nov. 4-5 Charleston: All-Star Dan Barber*/San Francisco: All-Star Anita Lo**
*Notes James Beard Award Winner
**Notes James Beard Award Nominee
***Notes James Beard Award Semifinalist
“In recent years, it has been exciting to watch Americans take an ever-growing interest in the sourcing, preparation, and artistry that goes into the food we eat,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “There are great chefs turning out truly inspired food from Charleston to Portland and everywhere in between, and we are thrilled to be able to bring so many of them together to foster a delicious dialogue about our country’s vibrant culinary landscape for the fourth year running.”
The James Beard Foundation is proud to donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to the Taste America Scholarship Fund. Local culinary students in Arizona are invited to apply for this culinary scholarship between April 1 and May 15, 2017, via jamesbeard.org. Candidates will be reviewed by the JBF Scholarship Selection Committee, chaired by Ungaro.
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America 2016 is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and partners, including premier national sponsor New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation; supporting sponsors Breville®, Sodexo, and TABASCO®; retail partner Sur La Table; national media partner Saveur; and digital media partner The Daily Meal®. Additional support has been provided by Chefwear and VerTerra Dinnerware. Taste America Phoenix’s local sponsors include The Camby and Fox Restaurant Concepts.
For more information about Taste America events in Phoenix, please contact local planner Robyn Lee at 480.951.2950 and follow #JBFTasteAmerica on Twitter and Instagram.
About the Author - PhoenixBites
Written by a staff member of PhoenixBites.
More Posts by PhoenixBitesRelated Posts
Harry Potter Birthday Bash at FOUND:RE! Join the Wizarding World
Calling all Harry Potter fans! Mark your calendars for an extraordinary event happening on Saturday, July 29 at FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel and Match Market & Bar. Get ready to be... Read More
