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Hollywood, CA – The
Celebrity Chef Tour benefiting the James Beard Foundation is making its way through Los Angeles, stopping for a second time at Twist Restaurant at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa. This time, award-winning Celebrity Chef Nate Appleman will join host Chef Elie Chow and share his deep appreciation of Italian cuisine with a special focus on seasonal ingredients and simple, time-honored preparations in the spirit of
James Beard on September 11th, 2008 for an exquisite dinner at Twist.
Since 2004, the
Celebrity Chef Tour has been recreating the “Once-in-a-Lifetime” experience of dining at the historic
James Beard
House, for which the nation’s top chefs come to prepare menus at the Foundation’s invitation, by featuring the greatest culinary artists in major markets across the United States. While harnessing the excitement and huge popular culture interest in all things food, the
Celebrity Chef Tour benefits the
James Beard Foundation, whose mission is to “celebrate, preserve and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.”
As such, the dinner will feature a tasting of the best of
Chefs Appleman and Chow’s dishes prepared with their contagious creative energy and enthusiasm in the kitchen, with beautifully paired wines in this festive setting. The evening with the
Celebrity Chef Tour will begin at 7:00 pm with a reception of passed hors d'oeuvres and wine, giving everyone a taste of things to come. After the guests are seated they will be served the first of five to seven incredible courses, each of which are paired with a wine from Souverain. After three hours of fantastic food and wine, the night concludes with the chefs making their way to the dining room, usually to a standing ovation, to greet and answer the guests’ questions in an intimate and exclusive setting.
American Express, Yahoo!, Souverain, Certified Angus Beef, Renaissance Hotels and Hudson Valley Foie Gras are proud sponsors of the
Celebrity Chef Tour benefiting the
James Beard Foundation.
Tickets are available to the public for $175 (plus state sales tax). For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit our website at www.celebritycheftour.com.
Celebrity Chef Nate Appleman
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Chef Nate Appleman
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A native of Greenville, Ohio, Nate Appleman grew up cooking and always knew he wanted to be a chef. He enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park at seventeen and completed his internship at Cincinnati's Maisonette under Chef Jean Robert de Cavel; by 1999 he was living in Seattle, working at a French-Portuguese restaurant, Brasa, where dishes like roast suckling pig first inspired his love for the wood fire oven.
A growing affinity for butchery and an interest in curing inspired Appleman to join a friend living in Florence, Italy for six months. While sampling the rustic, local dishes and learning the art of salumi production, Appleman developed a deep appreciation for the region's cuisine and its focus on seasonal ingredients and simple, time-honored preparations. He returned from Italy in 2001 and took a position overseeing the meat station at Campton Place under Laurent Manrique. When renovations closed Campton Place, Appleman was loaned out to Sylvan Portay at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton for a brief but memorable month before moving to Napa Valley with his wife so she could attend pastry school. Appleman took a position as Executive Sous Chef at St. Helena's Tra Vigne for a year, then in December of 2003 received a call from Christophe Hille, a colleague from his Campton Place days, requesting he join him as Executive Sous Chef at a new venture in San Francisco called A16.
Appleman quickly rose to Chef de Cuisine and part-owner of A16 in July 2005. He took on the Executive Chef position in April 2006 and earned certification by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, becoming one of the few certified pizzaiolos in the United States.
Hosting Chef Elie Chow
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Chef Elie Chow
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Elie Chow, the executive chef at Twist, designed the menu as a blend of many distinctive flavors, perfect for sharing. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chow utilizes her experience at the city’s top restaurants (including Pinot Hollywood) to create a memorable and flexible experience for diners of all sorts. “I see Twist as the premier place to enjoy a quick meal before a show in Hollywood or even a big, blowout dinner extravaganza,” Chow says. “No matter the situation, we just serve great food.”
Twist is located in the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel on Hollywood and Highland.
James Beard House and the James Beard Foundation
James Beard is widely recognized as the father of American culinary arts. Throughout his life, he pursued and advocated the highest standards, and served as a mentor to emerging talents. The
James Beard House is where Beard lived, taught, and welcomed friends and colleagues who shared his love for food. Shortly after he passed away, a group of friends sparked a drive to save his home and create a living memorial and a center for the culinary community. It has become what Founding President Peter Kump envisioned it could be, “a culinary place to see and taste the work of this country’s most talented chef’s, wine makers, cookbook authors, and teachers.” The
James Beard House’s sister non-profit organization, the
James Beard Foundation, whose mission is to “celebrate, preserve and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence,” furthers Mr. Kump’s vision by providing scholarships and volunteer opportunities for aspiring culinary professionals, educating today’s youth on the importance of good food and essential nutrition.
The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa
The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa, located at Hollywood & Highland Center, a shopping and entertainment mecca and home to the Academy Awards® ceremonies, offers 632 distinctive guest rooms, 33 suites, and the unforgettable 3,500 square foot Panorama Suite. Awarded the ENERGY STAR® Label from the EPA in 2008, the property is well-known as being a favorite of major production companies and business travelers alike, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa embodies modern luxury accented by classic Hollywood charm, featuring the distinctive restaurant Twist, an outdoor pool overlooking the Hollywood Sign, world-class fitness center, and outstanding service savvy travelers have come to expect from the Renaissance brand name. Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa, 1755 N. Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028, (323) 856-1200, www.renaissancehollywood.com.
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