Contact: Ken Ellens
Ken Ellens Communications
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New York, January 2009 … Benchmark Hospitality International chefs from the company’s fine dining restaurants, luxury hotels and resorts in Colorado and Florida  recently joined with award-winning sommelier Mary Watson of Sterling, Virginia, to present the Benchmark Holiday Dinner.  The event, held at the storied James Beard House in Manhattan , has become a perennial favorite and sold out weeks in advance.

Featured Benchmark Hospitality chefs were Brother Luck, executive sous chef at Cheyenne Mountain Resort and its signature Mountain View Restaurant of Colorado Springs; David Rodriguez, executive chef at Costa d'Este Beach Resort and the property’s acclaimed restaurant, Oriente, located in Vero Beach; Peter Carl, executive chef for Naples Bay Resort and its signature restaurant Olio of Naples; and Konrad Meier, Benchmark’s lead executive chef for its national task force culinary team. 

Ms. Watson has been affiliated with the Benchmark organization for many years, developing wine programs for multiple properties including Lansdowne Resort and its award-winning restaurant, On the Potomac, near Leesburg in Virginia.

The five course menu for the Benchmark Holiday Dinner was served to over 90 guests at the James Beard House.  Guests included James Beard Foundation members, several press, Benchmark Hospitality's invited guests, and executives from leading New York-area corporations.

Attached Photo L-R:    

Chefs Konrad Meier, Brother Luck, Peter Carl, David Rodriguez, as well as Bob Zappatelli, Benchmark Hospitality’s vice president food and beverage, in James Beard’s original kitchen at the James Beard House.  Missing from the photo is Mary Watson, sommelier.

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The James Beard Foundation www.jamesbeard.org, based in New York City, is the definitive culinary arts organization in the United States dedicated to showcasing American chefs' talents. It is named after the great American chef, Dean of American Cooking, and Father of American Gastronomy, James Beard, who authored over 20 cookbooks and hundreds of articles, many of which are still in print. Beard appeared on network television's first cookery program in the 1940s and established a renowned cooking school. The Foundation and The James Beard House, where chefs from around the world showcase their talents, are situated in Manhattan in Beard's original townhouse, located in Greenwich Village.

The mission of The James Beard Foundation is to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of the nation's culinary excellence. The Foundation is a national not-for-profit ­ 501(c)(3) organization. According to the James Beard Foundation, all performing artists deserve a great stage: Musicians have Carnegie Hall; Opera singers have The Metropolitan Opera House; and Chefs, Winemakers and Cookbook Authors have The James Beard House. More than 20 dinners, lunches and workshops are held each month at The James Beard House to showcase culinary artists from America and around the world.

About Benchmark Hospitality International

Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Hotels™.  The privately held company, launched in 1980, is a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers.  Benchmark is a worldwide organization operating over 30 properties representing major metropolitan and resort destinations.   Benchmark's international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, with regional offices in New Jersey and Connecticut.  International offices are located in Tokyo, Japan and Santiago, Chile.  For locations of properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.  

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