The James Beard Foundation Taste America Comes to Las Vegas with an  Iron Chef In Sepetmber 2013.

Posted on 25 August, 2013 by Elaine and Scott Harris

Any time the James Beard Foundation comes to town it’s a very big deal for culinary enthusiast from all walks of life. The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America®: “Local Flavor from Coast To Coast,” a national traveling food festival , is visiting including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.The renowned foundation as partnered with with Chase Sapphire Preferred® Visa Signature® for an historical tour to US Culinary centers of excellence. . The five-weekend festival will visit 10 cities from September 20 through October 19, 2013.

Of course the Culinary All-Star city of Las Vegas is a stop on the foundations tour of America’s diverse culinary offerings. Friday Sep 27th and Saturday Sep 28th will bring the esteemed foundation to the center of the Las Vegas strip with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto at the helm.

Iron Chef Morimoto

The historical weekend will kick-off on Friday, September 27 with a plethora of free culinary events throughout this epicurean epicenter of Las Vegas. It will culminate in an exclusive dining event at The Mirage Hotel & Casino the evening of Saturday, September 28. The evening event  will feature  a spectacular poolside gala  co-hosted by James Beard Award winner and Taste America All-Star, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Host Chef Christian Schmidt  from the Mirage Resort in Las Vegas .Guests will also enjoy works of art creations and cocktails from several of Las Vegas’ most celebrated local chefs, including James Beard Award winner Saipin Chutima (Lotus of Siam), Eric Klein (Spago), Brian Massie (The Light Group), Laurent Tourondel (BLT Burger), and many more !.

Tickets for “A Taste of America” are now available for purchase at jbftasteamerica.org, and are priced at $120 per person, all-inclusive. VIP tickets are also available for $250, which include exclusive access to the official after party at 1 OAK nightclub at The Mirage immediately following the poolside reception. The James Beard Foundation is proud to donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to The Epicurean Charitable Foundation.

 Saturday, September 28

10 a.m.:                        Sur La Table at Fashion Show Mall

This full day of free consumer retail events features in-store chef appearances, cooking demonstrations, tastings from local artisans and producers and a special cooking demonstration and book signing with Taste America All-Star Masaharu Morimoto at 2pm.

Taste America Vehicle

Yes , Las Vegas has a variety of local farmers markets at various locations throughout the weekend  and this special vehicle  will be there to promote healthy, sustainable practices with tastings and demos from participating chefs.

 8 p.m.:             “A Taste of America” Poolside Reception at The Mirage 

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Host Chef Christian Schmidt, will be poolside for an evening will include a tasting reception featuring mouthwatering dishes and cocktails from several of Las Vegas’ finest restaurants at The Mirage’s award-winning pool. Immediately following the reception, the VIP ticket holders will have access to an exclusive after party at 1 OAK nightclub.

Elaine Harris, Cuisineist Editor-In-Chief and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto Poolside at the Mirage Resort Las Vegas

“The Taste America traveling food festival will shine a light on the dynamic culinary cities across the country,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “Our Taste America chefs will be working with local farmers and artisanal producers of everything from cheese to chocolate. With the support of Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature, we are now able to bring together the best innovators in our food world to educate and entertain Americans about local flavors from coast to coast.”

When the James Beard Foundation comes to town, it is an event not to be missed. No matter where you live in the United States, the JBF Taste America will not be too far way. For more information,  visit jbftasteamerica.org. See you there!