JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION

According to the James Beard Foundation they established their dinners and workshops based upon the premise that all performing artists deserve a great stage. They concluded that if musicians have Carnegie Hall and opera singers have the Metropolitan Opera House, a similar style of venue should also exist for chefs, winemakers, and cookbook authors. The James Beard Foundation developed the perfect culinary venue for this purpose within The James Beard House. Dinners and workshops are offered on a monthly basis as a means to promote the culinary arts. The dinners within the house have been so successful that the James Beard Foundation now makes it possible for chefs to present their art out of the house as well.

Recently the James Beard Foundation gave me a great opportunity to present one of my dinners on a grand stage - SeaFair's Grand Luxe Yacht. This is my second time aboard the yacht, and, just like the old Sinatra song, it is “like a friendly home the second time you call”.

For this event the crew and I served 125 guests. Jeff Black, who coordinates the Celebrity Tour dinners, came on board and worked with our crew. We could not have asked for more spectacular weather on the West side of Manhattan in New York City’s Chelsea Piers. The crowd was simply wowed.