Posted on May 14th, 2008
Pack Your Knives and … Enter. Broadcasting & Cable has the scoop on the mega-blitz Bravo is launching to capitalize on all things Top Chef:
Bravo Media is striking new partnerships to sell everything from cruises to cookbooks tied to its shows, in an effort to take its brand name beyond television. The deals, which include a Top Chef cruise, calendar and cooking class. For “Chef”, the network will launch a 20-city mobile tour with an 18-wheel semi-truck branded with show graphics and staffed with former contestants. The truck makes its first appearance at the upcoming NCTA cable show in New Orleans. Separately, Bravo has paired with Jazz Cruises for a Top Chef cruise in May 2009. The boat will hit Mediterranean cities, with former contestants presenting how food is made in each one.
Bravo has also paired with the Culinary Institute of America on Top Chef-branded classes, and with Rizzoli to create “Top Chef: The 2009 Calendar” with fan-favorite chefs and a monthly cooking challenge. A Top Chef cookbook published by Chronicle Books has sold more than 65,000 copies since launching this spring and has been in the top 10 cookbooks on Amazon.com. It is also selling well at Costco, Target and other retailers, and has been ordered for a reprint. Separately, the network has paired with Calphalon to package the book with cookware at retail outlets.
Amadeus, Amadeus. That’s right TMZ broke this one. And man someone is going to get pucked up big time. Seems that down the street for Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, someone has opened up a restaurant called Wolfgan’s Steakhouse. Thing is, yes, Wolfgang does have a chain of steakhouses and they are called Cut, but folks certainly do (search Google if you don’t believe me) often call them Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. According to TMZ: “The most common reaction is, ‘It says Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and you are Wolfgang.’ […] The lawsuit claims trademark infringement and unfair competition. Wolfie wants an injunction.
Robin Uncorks Vegas. I’ve commented before how Robin Leach’s Luxe Life blog is the most amazing chronicle of everything-Vegas any where. Check out today’s for a textural and photographic wrap-up of last week’s Vegas Uncorked F&WF. Yeah we did a good job telling you what to expect, now go to Robin’s and find out how it actually went off.
Posted on May 6th, 2008
We haven’t mentioned the Vegas Uncorked F&WF in a while and, well, seems like a blink of the eye and it’s here already! Well, two days away: running May 8 thru 11, and featuring tons of chefs and myriad food tastings and competitions The event, officially the Second Annual Vegas Uncork’d: A Bon Appétit Epicurean Experience is billed as “a delicious and inspiring star-studded weekend is guaranteed to satisfy every craving when it comes to providing access to world-class chefs, sommeliers, great restaurant design, and Bon Appétit editors and contributors” and looking over the attendees and events it’s hard to disagree with that.
Among the celebrity chefs and foodies are event co-chair Wolfgang Puck who has six restaurants in Vegas, Bon Appétit Executive Chef and Iron Chef Cat Cora, Daniel Boulud, actress and vineyard owner Lorraine Bracco, Daniel Burke, Todd English, Hubert Keller, Michael Mina, Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Kerry Simon, Susan Spicer, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and many others.
Among the many event highlights are: Shop Like a Chef workshop in which Wolfgang von Wieser and “Cat Cora share their expertise on how to get the most out of your organic markets.” Editor Lunch Series, one of which is “an intimate lunch with Barbara Fairchild and Sirio Maccioni, the famed restaurateur behind Osterio del Circo and the legendary Le Cirque in New York City, one of the world’s most celebrated destinations for luxurious dining. Meet the man behind the legend.”
One of the four Masters vs Rookies, Pro-Ams features Cat Cora emceeing, Barbara Fairchild, Alan Richman, Andrew Knowlton, and Bruce Seidel judging. Lorraine Bracco as honary sous chef and competing chefs Todd English and John Church. Or how about the Five Chef gala at the Bellagio where in five master chefs will be in one kitchen serving up the evening’s five-course banquet: Julian Serrano from Picasso, Todd English of Olives, Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Prime, star chef Michael Mina, and desserts by Jean-Philippe Maury.
And those are just three of dozens of inventive events during the four days here. Among others which we can’t even go into detail it would take up too much room here: the intimate Bellagio Editors-at-Lunch Series at Picasso, Le Cirque and Sensi, Cocktail Smackdowns, a decadent Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace, editor-hosted Star Chef Luncheon series at Wynn Las Vegas, A Tale of Five Chefs Gala at Bellagio, Midnight Blackjack and Midnight Poker at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Mother’s Day Brunch at Wynn.
Posted on March 31st, 2008
So the first-ever Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival finally happened and ended last night. It was definitely a rousing success.
Let me quickly mention my irritation at what ever San Francisco Chronicle copy room hack came up with the misleading headline of: For $4,750, foodies eat up the chance to see famous chefs in person Compare the headline to the very last sentence in the article: “Per-person cost for the four-day Pebble Beach Food & Wine extravaganza ranges from $100 for a single class or seminar to $4,750 for lodging and admission to all events.” In short, some intern didn’t read the article and made up a headline that sounds like everybody shelled out five grand to walk through the front gate. Enough of that. From the bad headline to the good coverage:
More than 3,000 people descended on Pebble Beach the past four days, and it wasn’t for the golf. It wasn’t for a sighting of Clint Eastwood, either.
No, they plunked down wads of cash, as much as $4,750 per person, to eat - and to meet 133 of the world’s top chefs and sommeliers, to watch Thomas Keller glaze vegetables, see Jacques Pepin slather caviar on a blini, and get up close and personal with the Mondavi family.
Other interesting observatins, Jacques Pepin’s on why some folks spend so much money:
For Pepin, the French chef, cookbook author and star of several PBS cooking shows, this devotion to fine food could be relief from troubled times.
“The price of gas and the war in Iraq are taking a toll on people,” said Pepin as people lined up to greet him at the Thursday night kickoff reception, where he served his new domestic caviar. “So people want to get together and be hedonistic.”
Among those there two Top Chef folks, Tre Wilcox who didn’t win last season but who was extremely popular contestant on season four. And head judge Tom Colicchio who put on a demonstation.
“I’m only taping 20 days out of the year,” he said. “The rest of the time I’m running my restaurants.” So Saturday he put on his chef’s coat.
“It’s important for me to get out there and do a cooking demonstration,” said the co-owner of several restaurants around the country, including San Francisco’s ‘wichcraft. “People see my show and wonder, ‘Can this guy even cook?’”
Masaharu Morimoto, from Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, didn’t seem to give a hoot how people knew him. He was perfectly content to prepare a couple of hundred dishes for Friday’s lunch - Kobe beef and congee (Chinese rice porridge).
Posted on March 21st, 2008
You recall my first mention here of the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival roughly a dozen days ago. Well, with six more days left before it starts, there’s even more “big names” showing up for what has become (in just it’s first time ever) one of the biggest events ever.
Along with the previously mentioned names of Jacques Pepin, Mark Miller, Thomas Keller, Gary Danko, Charlie Trotter, Tom Colicchio, Ted Allen, Michel Richard, Susan Spicer, Josiah Citrin, Walter Manzke, Todd English, Hubert Keller, and Michael Mina coming to the event …
… Now also add: Cat Cora, Mark Miller, Ming Tsai, Masaharu Morimoto, Alain Passard, Claudine Pepin, and still several dozen more top chefs. Show starts this Thursday, March 27th through Sunday, March 30th. More details at the site.
Posted on March 14th, 2008
Dozens of celebrity chefs at Common Thread’s Third Annual World Festival on Monday, March 17 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
The annual event takes place the Monday of the Housewares Show, in order to bring national celebrities who serve on the Chef Advisory Board to the festival. This year Padma Lakshmi of Bravo’s acclaimed Top Chef will serve as the honorary chair and mistress of ceremonies.
From ABC 7 Chicago:
Festival guests will be treated to global delicacies by renowned chefs including founder Art Smith, TABLE fifty-two; David Burke, David Burke’s Primehouse; Tom Colicchio, Craft; Gale Gand, Tru; Ken Oringer, Clio; Marcus Samuelsson, C-House; Jacques Torres, Jacques Torres Chocolates; Rocco DiSpirito and Ming Tsai, Blue Ginger.
[….] Common Threads, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 2003 by Art Smith, personal chef to Oprah Winfrey. The organization employs cooking and the arts to teach children cultural diversity, nutrition and personal well-being
From The Trib:
If you want to nibble on dishes prepared by Ming Tsai and Paula Deen, be prepared to shell out $500 for the VIP reception at 5 p.m. (where Tsai will produce caviar-topped blinis along with Dennis Joel of Blue Water Grill) and an after-event party hosted by Deen (she’s making banana pudding and minty brownies) at The James Hotel, 55 E. Ontario St., complete with a special performance by John Legend, the Grammy Award-winning singer.
General admission tickets are $250; VIP package, which includes the preview receptions and post-party are $500. For tickets and more information, call 312.752.2692 or visit OurCommonThreads.
