Five Benchmark Hospitality International Chefs Featured at New York’s Renowned James Beard House (United States)
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Five Benchmark Hospitality International Chefs Featured at New York’s Renowned James Beard House (United States)
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States - Gourmet restaurants
- Gourmet restaurants
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2010-01-11
Benchmark Holiday Dinner Honors Bob Zappatelli
Five executive chefs from Benchmark Hospitality International, one of the nation’s leading independent hospitality management companies, cooked the fifth annual Benchmark Holiday Dinner recently at the storied James Beard House in New York City. The dinner honored the memory of Bob Zappatelli, Benchmark’s beloved first vice president of food & beverage, who passed away unexpectedly last May. Mr. Zappatelli was instrumental in Benchmark’s active involvement with the James Beard House over the years and together with the five chefs had planned the evening’s menu.
The culinary event featured Benchmark Hospitality chefs Hector J. Morales, Jr., executive chef for the landmark Turtle Bay Resort and its signature restaurant 21 Degrees North, North Shore, Oahu; Peter Csikos, executive chef, The Heldrich Hotel & Spa and its signature restaurant, Christopher’s, New Brunswick, New Jersey and David Rodriguez, executive chef at Costa d'Este Beach Resort and the property’s acclaimed restaurant, Oriente, Vero Beach, Florida.
Also featured were John Billings, executive chef for Eaglewood Resort and its restaurant Burnham’s, Chicago, Illinois; and Francisco Aceves, executive chef of Stonewall Resort and Stillwaters Restaurant, Weston, West Virginia. Mary Watson, Benchmark Hospitality’s Chief Wine Officer, paired each course with fine wines, including her Signature Blend, “Mary’s Cuvée,” produced by the award-winning Corcoran Vineyards, located in Loudoun County, Virginia.
The James Beard Dinner also introduced Giorgi Di Lemis, who joined Benchmark Hospitality International last October as the company’s new vice president food & beverage.
The Benchmark chefs cooked for a full house of over 80 guests, including James Beard Foundation members, several members of the national press, executives from leading New York-New Jersey-Connecticut corporations, and Benchmark Hospitality International's invited guests, which included Mr. Zappetelli’s family. Last June, Benchmark established the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship in partnership with The James Beard Foundation
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