Late legendary toque to be celebrated with multi-course dining event led by Host Chef Norman Van Aken and brand new JBF Charlie Trotter Memorial Scholarship
New York, NY (July 9, 2014) – The James Beard Foundation (JBF), the world’s foremost culinary arts organization, is pleased to announce details of its annual fall gala and fundraiser, which this year will pay tribute to the late renowned chef Charlie Trotter and his enduring influence on American dining. On Friday, November 14, the 2014 JBF Gala: Celebrating Charlie Trotter and the New American Cuisine will take place at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City, and will feature a multi-course menu prepared by a selection of Trotter’s dearest friends and protégés. The distinguished lineup includes fellow James Beard Award-winners Norman Van Aken (Norman’s; Orlando, FL), Emeril Lagasse (Emeril’s; New Orleans), Mindy Segal (HotChocolate; Chicago), and Larry Stone (Quintessa; St. Helena, CA), who will be joined by Michelle Gayer (Salty Tart; Minneapolis), Carrie Nahabedian (Naha; Chicago), Guillermo Tellez (Mercadito Hospitality Group; Chicago), and Tetsuya Wakuda (Tetsuya’s; Sydney, Australia).
“Throughout his extraordinary career, Charlie Trotter was an admired leader in our culinary world, playing a major role in shaping the way chefs and how America eats,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “Charlie was the proud recipient of numerous James Beard Best Chef and Restaurant Awards and received our Humanitarian Award in 2012. Our gala this fall will honor and celebrate not only his innovation in the American culinary arts, but also recognize this commitment to philanthropy with a special JBF memorial scholarship.”
Details of the 2014 JBF Gala were revealed last night at a private kickoff event held at Langham Place, Fifth Avenue, the exclusive hotel sponsor of the fall gala. While guests enjoyed special hors d’oeuvres from chef David Vandenabeele (Langham Place, Fifth Avenue, NYC) and chef Tim Graham (The Langham, Chicago) inspired by interpretations of Trotter’s own recipes, the Foundation also unveiled The Charlie Trotter Memorial Scholarship. The inaugural scholarship was created to pay tribute to the life and genius of Chef Trotter, one of contemporary America’s finest, most respected culinary craftsmen.
The Charlie Trotter Memorial Scholarship will be offered as part of the 2015 James Beard Foundation Scholarship Program. In the spirit of his generosity, a grant of up to $10,000 per year will be awarded to assist aspiring culinary professionals who plan to further their education at any licensed or accredited culinary school. Candidates will be reviewed by the James Beard Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee, chaired by Susan Ungaro. Application forms will be available beginning April 1, 2015, at . All scholarship application materials, including transcript, must be postmarked by May 15, 2015. The recipient will be announced August 2015.
For more information about the 2014 JBF Gala: Celebrating Charlie Trotter and the New American Cuisine, please visit jbfgala.org. Tickets to the event are priced at $750 for JBF members/$1,000 for the general public, and can be reserved now by calling 212-627-2308. For table purchases, please contact Kris Moon at kmoon@jamesbeard.org or 212-627-5252.
About the James Beard Foundation:
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful and delicious food. Today the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. In September of 2012, the Foundation launched the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Protocol and helped create the American Chef Corps as a way to champion American chefs abroad, promote American food products and foster an interest in American culinary culture and history through international programs and initiatives. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation’s blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter and Instagram.
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