JBF Taste America Local All-Star Annie Pettry joins celebrated chefs to create a one-of-a-kind culinary experience October 19 at Ashbourne Farms
LOUISVILLE, KY (July 16, 2018) – The James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced the cities and dates for its sixth annual Taste America® national culinary tour, Sept. 28 through Nov. 17 including a stop for the first time ever in Louisville in October. The traveling series will bring a unique partnering of culinary greats, dining experiences and educational opportunities to 10 dynamic food destinations this fall including Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Louisville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. In addition to spotlighting the delicious food around the country, Taste America will focus on amplifying JBF food waste and sustainability initiatives and will directly contribute to the Foundation’s Scholarship programs.
As announced by Kris Moon, chief operating officer of the James Beard Foundation, and Mayor Greg Fischer at a press conference today, Louisville’s itinerary will kick off on Friday, October 19 at the 2,250-acre third-generation Ashbourne Farms, 3810 Old Westport Rd. in La Grange, with a collaborative dinner benefiting the James Beard Foundation. The evening will begin with a reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from local chefs and restaurateurs, including Anoosh Shariat (Anoosh Bistro), Paco Garcia*** (Con Huevos), Ouita Michel*** (Woodford Reserve Distillery), Ming Pu (502 Bar and Bistro), Kathy Cary** (Lilly’s Bistro), and Mike Wajda (Proof on Main). Afterwards, guests will be seated for an extraordinary dinner prepared by host chefs Jason Jones and Patrick Roney of Ashbourne Farms, Taste America Local All-Star Annie Pettry (Decca) and a to-be-announced Taste America Visiting All-Star chef, who will curate a menu showcasing America’s rich and diverse culinary scene. Capping off the night will be a dessert reception featuring Damaris Phillips (Food Network’s The Bobby and Damaris Show), Emily Luchetti* (Big Night Restaurant Group, San Francisco), James Adams (Brown Hotel) and Nokee Bucayu (Ashbourne Farms).
The benefit dinner will be co-chaired by Ben Robinson, president of Superior Meats and JBF Advisory Junior Board member; Deborah Greenwald, community volunteer; Rosemary Kirkwood, community volunteer; and Austin and Janie Musselman, owners of Ashbourne Farms. Emcee for the evening will be Kris Moon.
The 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 2018.
“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, KY and Seattle
- October 26-27: Chicago and San Francisco
- November 2-3: Boston and Philadelphia
- November 16-17: Austin
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 sponsor Woodford Reserve; supporting sponsors Dinova, Gloria Ferrer, Kerrygold, Robert Mondavi Winery, and Windstar Cruises; retail partner Sur La Table; and founding partner Bowen & Company. Additional support for Taste America 2018 has been provided by Verterra Dinnerware. Local premier partners include Woodford Reserve and Ashbourne Farms. Special thanks to the other local partners Kentucky Department of Tourism, Kentucky Department of Agriculture and Kentucky Proud, Woodford Reserve, Ashbourne Farms, Davis Jewelers, Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau, 21 C Museum Hotels, Bourbon Barrel Foods, Superior Meats and Louisville Tourism.
Tickets are now on sale for JBF’s Taste America 2018. For more information about Taste America events in Louisville, please contact Estes Public Relations at sarah@estespr.com or 502-614-5996. Visit jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica for more details.
*Notes James Beard Award Winner
**Notes James Beard Award Nominee
***Notes James Beard Award Semifinalist
About the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. For more than 30 years the Foundation has accomplished this mission through programs that highlight food’s central role in our lives. In addition to hosting guest-chef dinners throughout the year at the historic James Beard House in New York City, the Foundation administers the James Beard Awards; grants scholarships for culinary students; produces national events that include our Taste America tour; and creates educational programs for the culinary community and food lovers. The Foundation addresses the growing challenges facing our food system through its Impact Programs, which include the Leadership Awards; Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change; Issue Summits; and Culinary Labs. Industry issues, such as gender imbalance and diversity in culinary leadership, are addressed through our Industry Programs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org and follow @beardfoundation on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
