Yet another local restaurateur getting national—and James Beard—recognition: Cuisine Concepts founder Wayne Kostroski (Bar Abiline, Franklin Street Bakery, and former greats Goodfellow’s and Tejas), who also founded the Taste of the NFL—the organization for which he earned the award. Here’s the release:
—Mike Mitchelson, editor, Foodservice News
TASTE OF THE NFL FOUNDER WAYNE KOSTROSKI NAMED 2010 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
New York, NY (February 1, 2010) – Just in time for this year’s Super Bowl, the James Beard Foundation has kicked off the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards and announced today that Wayne Kostroski, Founder of the annual Taste of the NFL celebration, is the recipient of the 2010 Humanitarian of the Year award. Mr. Kostroski will be honored at this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious honors for culinary professionals, in an awards ceremony taking place on Monday, May 3, 2010 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. The Humanitarian of the Year award is given to an individual or organization whose work in the realm of food has improved the lives of others and benefited society at large. This year’s award is presented by the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism.
“We are thrilled to announce that Wayne Kostroski has been selected as our 2010 Humanitarian of the Year,” says Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation. “Through the Taste of the NFL and his tireless efforts over the years, Wayne has created a national platform that continues to raise awareness and millions of dollars for hunger relief not just in the culinary community, but across the entire country.”
Mr. Kostroski founded the Taste of the NFL in 1992 in an effort to create a national platform that addresses the needs of the hungry and homeless by raising awareness and money through special events and programs. Through the hard work and dedication of hundreds of volunteers, the Taste of the NFL’s Party With A Purpose event takes place each year on the eve of the Super Bowl. At the ticketed Party With A Purpose, thirty-two of the finest chefs from around the country (one from each NFL city) serve up their signature specialties alongside a current, Hall of Fame, or alumni player from each of the NFL teams, with 100% of the event’s proceeds going to support local and national hunger organizations. Since its inception, the Taste of the NFL has distributed in excess of $9 million. The organization has also drafted a dozen NFL teams to create and execute events in their own cities to benefit local food banks and these events have generated more than $4 million to date.
“To be chosen to receive this award is the single most humbling recognition that I have ever received,” says Wayne Kostroski. “I am truly proud of the work and results that Taste of the NFL has done, and to be recognized by the best of the best in the industry is a great honor. The generosity of the entire hospitality industry in all the cities and communities across the country is something that constantly reminds me what a special industry I am fortunate to be part of.”
The Taste of the NFL has also contributed to culinary schools throughout the country and to individuals aspiring to a career in the foodservice industry. Each year, the organization invites hundreds of students at the culinary schools in the Super Bowl city to work alongside the event’s participating chefs as they prepare for the festivities. Over the past 18 years, Mr. Kostroski has seen many of those students become chefs and culinary professionals themselves, all because of the volunteerism and the inspiration that the Taste of the NFL events have provided.
The James Beard Foundation Awards are the nation’s preeminent recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industries. The Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in each of the following categories: Restaurants and Chefs, Books, Journalism, Restaurant Design and Graphics, Broadcast Media, and special achievement awards. One of the special achievement awards, the Humanitarian of the Year honoree is selected by the James Beard Foundation Awards Committee, which consists of the chairperson from each individual Awards program, members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and members at large.
The annual James Beard Foundation Media and Book Awards Dinner, an exclusive event honoring the nation’s top cookbooks, food journalists and culinary broadcast programs, will take place on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at Espace in New York City. The following evening, the James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception will take place at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, during which the Restaurant and Chef and Restaurant Design and Graphics awards will be handed out, along with a number of special achievement awards. All award winners receive a certificate and a bronze medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia.
The 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards are presented in association with All-Clad Metalcrafters; Premier Sponsor: Green & Black’s® Organic Chocolate; Supporting Sponsors: The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival, illy caffè North America, Inc., Louisiana Office of Tourism, Southern Wine & Spirits of New York, Stella Artois; Gala Reception Sponsors: Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water, Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Pernod Ricard USA, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water; Media Sponsor: The Wall Street Journal and with additional support from Chefwear.
About Taste of the NFL
Hunger Related Events (HRE) is a 501 c 3 that serves as the governing body of the Taste of the NFL and exists to raise awareness and dollars for hunger relief organizations involved in tackling hunger in America. Taste of the NFL addresses the needs of the hungry and homeless by raising awareness and money through special events and programs. Founded in 1992, the Minneapolis-based Taste of the NFL has distributed more than $9 million to local and national food banks across the country. For more information, visit www.TasteoftheNFL.com.
About the James Beard Foundation
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation’s blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter.
Recent Comments