Gourmet Business, March 2011

James Beard Award-Winning Celebrity Chefs Take Center Stage at Housewares
Charity Foundation Gala

the

Barbara Turf

Six award-winning James Beard celebrity chefs from Chicago will be preparing their signature specialties for a once-in-a-lifetime dinner during the 14th annual Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) Gala, Monday, March 7, at the Hilton Chicago. Participating in this unique culinary experience will be Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia; Shawn McClain of Green Zebra; Arun Sampanthavivat of Arun’s Thai Restaurant; Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster Harlem; and Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris of Prairie Fire.

Barbara Turf, CEO and president of Crate and Barrel, will be honored with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award, and Jerry Rubin, chairman, CEO and president of Helen of Troy, will receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award. The event will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the HCF’s legacy charity, along with Texas Tech University Breast Care Center and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

The gala is held annually in conjunction with the International Home + Housewares Show.

To reserve seats for the 2011 HCF gala, contact Paul Murphy at

508-272-0717, visit www.housewarescharity.org or make reservations on-site at the Show Store on Level 2. 5 of the South Building.

In

Chef Bios
Tony Mantuano, Chef/Partner, Spiaggia – James Beard Award-
winner Chef Tony Mantuano is chef/partner of Spiaggia, Chicago’s
only four-star Italian restaurant, which has remained so for more
than 25 years. Under Mantuano’s guidance, Spiaggia received the
James Beard Foundation nomination for “Outstanding Restaurant
in America” in 2006, 2007 and 2010 and “Outstanding Service” in
2008 and 2009. In November 2010, Spiaggia was awarded one
Michelin star in the inaugural “Michelin Chicago” guidebook. Prior
to opening Spiaggia, Mantuano worked in several Michelin-starred
restaurants in Italy, including the three-star Dal Pescatore in Lom-
bardia. Mantuano has co-authored
two books with Cathy Mantuano, The
Spiaggia Cookbook – Eleganza Italian
in Cucina (Chronicle Books) and Wine
Bar Food (Clarkson Potter), which was
the inspiration for WINE BAR FOOD
outposts at the 2008, 2009 and 2010
U.S. Open Tennis Championships in
Queens, N.Y. His other ventures include
Mangia Trattoria in his hometown of
Kenosha, Wis., and as chef/partner of
the Italian/Mediterranean restaurant
Terzo Piano at the new Modern Wing
at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was
most recently seen in the Champions
round on season two of Bravo’s “Top
Chef Masters.”

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interpretation of the classic steakhouse focuses on artisan meats and sides reinterpreted with McClain’s distinctive flair. In 2006, McClain was honored with the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Midwest” award. His newest venture, Sage, is located in ARIA at City Center in Las Vegas and takes the seasons as its departure point. The menu builds on the irresistible freshness of California local harvest interwoven with Mediterranean undercurrents.

Marcus Samuelsson, Chef/Owner, Red Rooster Harlem – Blending culture and artistic excellence, Marcus Samuelsson has won numerous James Beard Awards, including “Rising Star Chef” in 1999 and “Best Chef New York City” in 2003. He was chosen as one of “The Great Chefs of America” by the Culinary Institute of America. Born in Ethiopia and raised by adoptive parents in Sweden, Samuelsson’s award-winning cookbooks connect contrasting geogra-phies and palates. His best-selling New American Table cookbook celebrates local farms and kitchens. He is the winner of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” season two and was guest chef at the White House for the Obama administration’s first state dinner for Prime Minister Singh of India. His latest restaurant, Red Rooster, recently opened in Harlem.