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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHEF DAVID MCINTYRE OF CRESCENT HEIGHTS KITCHEN & LOUNGE WINS THE TITLE OF “CHEF OF THE FEST” AT THE 2008 SAN DIEGO BAY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
Southern California’s Largest Wine & Food Festival Awarded Five of San Diego’s Best Chefs $50,000 in Cash and Prizes San Diego, CA (Nov. 19, 2008) – Foodies from all over the United States converged on San Diego’s Big Bay during the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival on November 15 to watch 60 of the city’s top chefs compete for just over $50,000 in cash and prizes and the coveted title of “Chef of the Fest”. “This year’s Chef of the Fest Competition exuded the most talent and mouth-watering cuisine that we have seen yet,” said Michelle Metter, the Festival’s Co-Producer. “Although the Chef of the Fest Competition is only its second year, it has once again been a huge hit amongst the chefs competing for the grand prize. It is exhilarating watching these chefs put their finely honed skills to the test while they compete for the title of Chef of the Fest.” Using a rigorous judging criterion, a field of 60 of San Diego’s Top Chefs was narrowed down to a finalist group of 10 of the Festival’s finest. The top 10 are as follows: 1st Place Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 Chef of the Fest Competition: Chef David McIntyre of Crescent Heights Kitchen & Lounge taking home first place top honors for his Baby Beet and Burrata Salad with Roasted Peppers, Marinated Tomatoes & Pistou 2nd Place Winner: 3rd Place Winner: 4th Place Winner: 5th Place Winner: 6th Place Winner: 7th Place Winner: 8th Place Winner: 9th Place Winner: 10th Place Winner: “Our panel of 16 Celebrity Judges carefully critiqued the flavors and innovative creations of all 60 of the Festival’s chefs,” said Head Judge Chef Vikki Nulman. “If a dish is extremely fresh and has so much flavor that it makes you want to come back for more, then that is a winning dish.” Chef of the Fest winner David McIntyre says that it was “his use of fresh and seasonal ingredients, along with the careful consideration of flavor and presentation” that attributed to his winning of this year’s Chef of the Fest. “It is an honor to even be a part of the competition, let alone win the grand prize.” The 10 finalists were chosen by a panel of judges who graded each restaurant with a point system including scores for presentation, flavor, innovation, quality of product, and preparation in the allotted time. Chef of the Fest judges include Top Chef All-Stars Richard Blais and Casey Thompson, 2007 Chef of The Fest Winner Chef Gary Thompson; Chef Bernard Guillas, Executive Chef of the Marine Room; Chef Mark Blaauboer, dean from the Art Institute of California- San Diego; Ira Falk, Bailli and Consul de Societe Mondiale du Vin; Chef Katherine Emmenegger CCC, ACF chapter secretary; Chef John D. Miller, CHE, culinary educator Art Institute of California-San Diego; Chef Tina Luu, M.A.Ed., The Art Institute of California-San Diego; Chef Mark Sullivan, chef faculty, Art Institute of California-San Diego; Catt White, publisher at Serving San Diego Magazine; Daniel Joly, CCC, CEC; Maria Hunt, food writer and columnist; Susan Theon, Slow Food San Diego; Maria Montana, Food editor at Ranch & Coast. Six judges from outside of the San Diego market, with the exception of TV cooking star Sam Zien, comprised the panel that scored the 10 dishes that made it to the finals. They included Saveur Magazine Contributing Editor, Andrea Ngyuen; Star of the hit cooking show Sam the Cooking Guy, Sam Zien; United States Presidential Master Chef Talli V. Counsel, MBA, CMC; Award-winning Chef Sondra Bernstein, owner and Executive Chef of The Girl & the Fig; Honorable Chef Jimmy Schmidt, owner and Executive Chef of Rattlesnake; and Head Judge Chef Vikki Nulman, CCC,CEC, past president of ACF-Santa Fe, Past Bailli-Santa Fe Chapter. “This year’s Chef of the Fest Competition portrayed the sheer talent and culinary excellence of the chefs, while allowing them to showcase their creative flare in their own recipe,” added Chef Nulman. “The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival has given me the opportunity expand beyond the limits of my restaurant menu, and reveal my creative flare to some serious food and wine connoisseurs,” says Chef David McIntyre. “We try to award the chefs with some exceptional prizes as our way of saying thanks for their excellent display of culinary genius,” says Head Judge Vikki Nulman. The prize package awarded to the “Chef of the Fest” includes a luxurious vacation for two to New York City including round-trip airfare with Virgin America Airlines, a stay at the W Hotel, and a six-course lunch with wine pairing at the famous Café Boulud, a professional range provided by US Foodservice, magazine exposure in Dining Out and San Diego Magazines, $2,000 in cash, 12 live lobsters donated by Chesapeake Fish Company and a organically raised mature steer donated by Brandt Beef, a Friedrick Dick Corporation Knife Trio featuring a 6” forged Chef’s Knife, 6” forged Slicing Knife, and a 6” forged Serving Fork, a special watch from Diamond Boutique, a Signature Dish and Chef Custom Painting by Official Festival Artist Christopher M., and a Tommy Bahama Rum Gift Basket. Additionally, the “Chef of the Fest” winner will return to the 6th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival in 2009 as one of the headlining chefs with their own cooking class and appearances during the Grand Tasting. The second place winner receives two round-trip tickets on Virgin America Airlines and a Sub Zero/Wolf Free Standing Wine Storage unit. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth place winners also receive a cash reward, knives by Friedrick Dick Knives, and Tommmy Bahama Rum Gift Basket.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO BAY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is an international showcase of the world's premier wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods. Held on November 18-22, 2009, the event benefits the American Institute of Wine & Food culinary arts scholarship program. Over 800 wines, 60 of San Diego’s top fine dining restaurants and 30 gourmet food companies and exhibitors participated in the 2008 Festival. Now in its sixth year, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival has quickly grown into a world-class wine and culinary extravaganza. The five-day festival features wine tasting seminars, cooking classes by award- winning chefs, and an elegant Reserve Tasting with Fine Wine/Living Silent Auction. The festival culminates on Saturday at the star-studded Grand Tasting Event complete with an action packed Chef of the Fest competition, celebrity cookbook signing tents, live entertainment and more. For more information visit www.worldofwineevents.com. ABOUT WORLD OF WINE EVENTS World of Wine Events, LLC is an event management and festival production company specializing in the creation of world-class wine and culinary trade and consumer events. World of Wine Events provides strategic guidance, logistics, operations, marketing, and industry insights for winery and spirits road shows, distributor trade tastings, as well as large format tasting and lifestyle festivals. World of Wine Events is the producer of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, Southern California's largest wine and culinary extravaganza. More information on World of Wine Events and the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival may be found by contacting Michelle Metter at 858-578-9463 or by visiting www.worldofwineevents.com.
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San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
World of Wine Event, LLC
10128 Crestview Hts.
La Mesa, CA 91941
619-342-7337