Summer is approaching, which means Chefs & Champagne is upon us. The annual fundraiser and tasting party, thrown by The James Beard Foundation (JBF), will take place on Saturday, July 29, 2017 at the Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, New York. This is one event not to be missed. During Chefs & Champagne guests are treated to an amazing culinary experience from more than 40 chefs, beverage masters, and artisanal purveyors. There is always a lot of Champagne and Wölffer Estate wines flowing through the magical evening.
JBF announced today, Marcus Samuelsson, multiple James Beard Award–winning chef, author, philanthropist, and restaurateur, will be honored at this year’s Chefs & Champagne event. Marcus Samuelsson is the acclaimed chef behind Red Rooster Harlem, Ginny’s Supper Club, and Streetbird Rotisserie. A committed philanthropist and the youngest person to ever receive a three-star review from The New York Times, Samuelsson has won multiple James Beard Foundation Awards including Best Chef: New York City, and was tasked with planning and executing the Obama Administration’s first State dinner. He was also crowned champion of television shows “Top Chef Masters” and “Chopped All Stars,” and served as a mentor on ABC’s “The Taste.” Samuelsson co-produces Harlem EatUp!, an annual food and culture festival launched in Harlem, New York in 2015, and is also the founder of the website Food Republic. He is the author of Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home cookbook and The New York Timesbest-selling memoir Yes, Chef, as well as the young adult version, Make It Messy. His newest book, The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem, was released in October 2016. He opened Marcus at MGM National Harbor outside of Washington, D.C., in December 2016 and has announced the opening of Red Rooster Shoreditch in East London. In May 2016, he was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.
Among the chefs scheduled to appear at the fete include: Greg Baxtrom, Olmsted, Brooklyn, NY; Anthony Carcaterra, Verde Wine Bar, Deer Park, NY; Brian Cheewing, Wölffer Kitchen, Sag Harbor, NY; Philippe Corbet, Lulu Kitchen & Bar, Sag Harbor, NY; Pastry Chef Britt-Marie Culey, Coquette Patisserie, Cleveland, OH;Tom Fraker and Marco Zapien, Melissa’s Produce, CA; RobbGarceau, Neuman’s Kitchen Events & Catering, LIC, NY; Michael Kramer, JIANNA, SC; Oliver Lange, Zuma, USA; Jeffrey McInnis and Janine Booth, Root & Bone, NYC, and Stiltsville Fish Club,Miami; Junghyun Park, Atoboy, NYC; Roxanne Spruance, Kingsley, NYC; Galen Zamarra, Mas Farmhouse, NYC.The Chefs & Champagne main event will take place from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Saturday, July 29, and is open to the public—reservations are $200 for James Beard Foundation members and $275 for non-members. General admission includes all tastings, silent auction bidding opportunities, and a gift bag. VIP premium admission, beginning at 5:00 pm, is $375 for James Beard Foundation members and non-members. VIP tables of 10 are available for $4,000. The VIP experience includes an additional exclusive reception hour with early access to all tastings, reserved table seating, advanced silent auction preview, gift bag, and access to the VIP after-party. Reservations can be made by calling (212) 627-2308 or at jamesbeard.org/chefsandchampagne.