2008 Ivy Awards
 |
|
Restaurants & Institutions Honors Six of the Nation’s Finest Restaurants and Foodservice Operations
Chicago – May 19, 2008 – Restaurants & Institutions magazine (www.rimag.com) bestowed honors upon the winners of its 2008 Ivy Awards, among an audience of industry luminaries at Chicago’s Field Museum on May 18th. Now in their 38th year, the Ivy Awards recognize outstanding achievement by commercial and noncommercial foodservice operations.
The six distinguished honorees joined the 314 outstanding restaurant and foodservice operators that have been inducted into the prestigious Ivy Society to date, since its inception in 1971. Recipients are voted on by R&I readers, who select from among operations nominated by past Ivy honorees, who comprise the Ivy Society.
The 2008 Ivy Awards were presented to:
Alinea, Chicago
Since it opened in 2005, Chef-owner Grant Achatz’s intimate restaurant has been an internationally acclaimed culinary destination. His creative and boldly innovative preparations redefine American cuisine.
Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, Las Vegas
Already renowned for Bacchus, Lake Park Bistro and Bartolotta Restaurant Group’s other Milwaukee restaurants, Chef Paul Bartolotta moved west in 2005, partnering with Steve Wynn to open this elegant restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas. Classic Italian technique and the freshest fish and seafood make for unforgettable dining experiences.
Hotel Healdsburg, Healdsburg, Calif.
Chef Charlie Palmer and co-owners John Holt, Paolo Patrone and Merritt Sher celebrate the senses at this North Sonoma County retreat that offers luxury accommodations, a spa and the Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant, which celebrates the area’s bounty of foods and wines. Charlie Palmer’s Aureole restaurant in New York City was an Ivy winner in 1997.
Per Se, New York City
The menu changes daily at Chef-owner Thomas Keller’s stylish and sophisticated dining room in Manhattan’s Time Warner Center, but the commitment to quality ingredients and impeccable service never varies. Thomas Keller, too, is a previous Ivy Award winner: his The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., was honored by colleagues in 1996.
Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, Plano, Texas
Healthcare foodservice is changing, and Presbyterian Hospital of Plano has been a longtime leader in that evolution. Its Five Star Dining program, which elevates food-quality standards and adapts room-service-style operations, has been studied and embraced by many others in the field.
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass.
With multiple dining stations replacing cafeteria lines, introduction of global cuisines, guest-chef programs and commitments to local food sourcing and support for sustainable farming, UMass-Amherst is a model for contemporary campus foodservice. The university’s dining-service department is educating students about health, nutrition and environmental responsibility while introducing them to a world of foods and flavors.
A team of Certified Master Chefs from The Culinary Institute of America, led by Master Chef Victor Gielisse, developed and prepared the evening’s menu. The menu featured such diverse offerings as confit of duck with fennel and jicama slaw, pan-roasted cushion or lamb loin with grilled tomatillo salsa, and pistachio custard with sweet cherries and crystallized ginger.
Sponsors of the 2008 Ivy Awards Dinner & Celebration include Basic American Foods as premier platinum sponsor, The Culinary Institute of America as principal sponsor, and Jones Dairy Farm and Dunkin’ Brands as showcase sponsors. Lamb was generously supplied by the American Lamb Board, and wines were supplied by WJ Deutsch.
Read more about the 2008 Ivy Award winners.
Premier Platinum Sponsor |
 |
|||
Principal Sponsor |
 |
|||
Showcase Sponsors |
 |
 |
||