ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.--()--The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) honored chefs, culinary industry professionals and foodservice establishments at the 2011 ACF National Convention held at the Gaylord Texan, Dallas, July 22-26.
More than 1,200 chefs, cooks, students and foodservice professionals attended the 2011 ACF National Convention in the Lone Star State. The event provided attendees with opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative workshops and seminars, cutting-edge demonstrations, a trade show featuring more than 100 exhibitors, national competitions and ACF’s annual national awards. This year’s guest presenters included Food Network’s Alton Brown and Bryan Caswell, as well as Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and senior policy adviser for healthy food initiatives.
In addition to ACF’s annual awards, the USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids national cook-off took place July 25. South Education Center Alternative Intermediate District 287, Richfield, Minn., was selected as the grand-prize winner and took home $3,000. Here is a look at all the 2011 ACF award winners:
U.S.A.'s Chef of the Year™, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions
Todd Kelly, executive chef/director of food and beverage, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati
Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Splenda®
Kyongran “Alex” Hwang, assistant pastry chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta
Chef Educator of the Year
Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE, chef-instructor, Kendall College, Chicago
Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.
Aaron Guajardo III, graduate, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.
Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
ACF Louis Joliet Chapter, students at Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.: David Basile, Robert Belanski, Aaron Guajardo III, Laura Korte and Michael Shannon, CC; coached by Kyle Richardson, CCE, CEC, CHE, ACE, AAC
Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S®
Russell Scott, CMC, WGMC, executive chef, Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Windermere, Fla.
Hermann G. Rusch Chef's Achievement Award
John Zehnder, CEC, AAC, executive chef/food & beverage director, Zehnder’s Restaurant, Frankenmuth, Mich.
Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers
Kendall College, Chicago, members of ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.: Gabriele Ausraite, Robert Baki, Jacob Clara, Paige Rogers and Jacqueline Wallner; coached by Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE
ACF National Championship: Cooking for Life, sponsored by Dansko, MenuMax and Sodexo
Morrison Management Specialists: Paul Jensen, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Skyline Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.; and Miles McMath, CEC, CDM, senior executive chef, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.
Paella, Please! Competition, sponsored by Riviana Foods Inc.
Samuel Murillo, executive sous chef, Talking Stick Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.
ACF Immediate Past President’s Award
Joe Aiello, CEC, AAC, chef/owner, Apropo Catering, Schiller Park, Ill.
ACF Industry Partnership Award
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Madison, Wis.
Chapter Communicator of the Year
Jeffrey Rotz, AAC, culinary educator, Chefs Helping Chefs, LLC, Eustis, Fla.
National Chapter of the Year
ACF Pikes Peak Chapter, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo.
Region of the Year
ACF Central Region
ACF President's Medallion Recipients
Phil Cragg, CEC, CCE, AAC, culinary educator, Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts, Mays Landing, N.J.
Daniel D’Angelo, CEC, AAC, chef-instructor, The Art Institute of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Phil Learned, CEC, AAC, HOF, retired, Andover, Maine
Damian Martineau, AAC, chef/owner, Damian’s on the River, New Boston, N.H.
Michael McGreal, CEC, CCE, department chair, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.
Jill Mora, professor, College of Southern Nevada, North Las Vegas, Nevada
Richard Nickless, CEC, CCA, AAC, chef/supply and services director, DDSN Coastal Center, Summerville, S.C.
Mary Zappone, CCE, AAC, chef-instructor, Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, Pa.
Cutting Edge Award Recipients
Tim Appleton, culinary-arts instructor, Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Jeffrey Bricker, CEC, CCE, hospitality program chair, Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis
David Chenelle, executive chef, Premier Food Service, San Diego
Desmond D’Souza, CEC, executive chef/owner, Clay Oven Indian Caterers, Longwood, Fla.
Sam Kass, White House assistant chef and senior policy adviser for healthy food initiatives, Washington, D.C.
Ricardo Santana, executive chef, Impressions Catering, Ontario, Calif.
Derek Spendlove, CEPC, CCE, AAC, chair, baking/pastry arts, Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky.
Bill Sy, CEC, CCE, academic director, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Tucson, Tucson, Ariz.
ACF Achievement of Excellence Awards
Back Door Café, Johnstown, Pa.
Café Cimino Country Inn, Sutton, W.Va.
Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland
Casola Dining Room at Schenectady County Community College, Schenectady, N.Y.
Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club, Farmingdale, N.J.
Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, Homestead, Pa.
FishBones, Lake Mary, Fla.
Goodwill Great Lakes at the Naval Station Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Ill.
The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Asheville, N.C.
Hotel du Pont, Wilmington, Del.
The Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Pa.
Iridescence, MotorCity Casino Hotel, Detroit
JaCiva's Chocolates, Portland, Ore.
La Tavola, Sayville, N.Y.
Lilly's Bistro, Louisville, Ky.
Magnolias, Charleston, S.C.
Pacific Asian Bistro, St. Augustine, Fla.
The Palmer House® Hilton, Chicago
Pier 37 Bar & Grill, Chicago
Premier Food Services, San Diego
Red Rocks Country Club, Morrison, Colo.
Savannah Red, Charlotte Marriott City Center, Charlotte, N.C.
United States Olympic Committee Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center Food & Nutrition Services, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Chef & Child Foundation Awards
True Spirit
Dan Thomas, catering supervisor, JCPS Nutrition Service Center, Louisville, Ky.
Little Oscar Award
ACF Orange Empire Chefs & Professional Cooks Association, Costa Mesa, Calif.
American Academy of Chefs (AAC) Awards
Chair’s Medal
Stafford DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, corporate executive chef, PCI Gaming Authority, Atmore, Ala.
Joseph Amendola Award
Derek Spendlove, CEPC, CCE, AAC, chair, baking/pastry arts, Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky.
Chef Good Taste Award
J. Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC, executive chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta
Sharing Culinary Traditions Award
Frank Leake, CCC, CCE, AAC, professor of culinary arts, Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii
Lt. General John D. McLaughlin Award
William J. Tillinghast, CEC, AAC, MBA, director, culinary/pastry programs, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Lawrence A. Conti, CEC, AAC, HOF, Chair’s Achievement Award
Donal Weaving, CEC, AAC, Indianapolis
American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame
Anthony Graffeo, CEC, AAC, retired executive chef, Saugus, Mass.
John Kaufmann, CEC, AAC, retired chef/owner, Antioch, Ill.
William “Bill” Lyman, CEC, AAC, (posthumous), Johns Creek, Ga.
Bruce Riddell, CEC, AAC, retired executive chef, Colorado Springs, Colo.
American Academy of Chefs Honorary Culinary Hall of Fame
Jim Doherty, HAAC, HBOT, executive vice president, Lebhar-Friedman, Inc., New York
2011 American Academy of Chefs Academy Fellows
Jeffrey Bricker, CEC, CCE, program chair, hospitality, Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis
Nancy Burback, CEC, CCE, assistant professor, Delgado Community College, New Orleans
Janet Crager, CEC, director, culinary services, Avamere Health Service, Medford, Ore.
Carl Deutsch, CCC, CCE, Philadelphia
Scott Erwin, CEC, research and development manager culinary innovation, Tyson Foods, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas Thomas Hannum, CEC, safety manager, DuPont Hospitality, Wilmington, Del.
Peter Hodgson, CEC, executive chef, Salt Lake City Marriott University Park, Salt Lake City
Robert Hudson, CEC, CCE, culinary-arts department chair, Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Mark Kent, CEC, operations manager, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
John Kukucka, executive chef, Essex Golf & Country Club, LaSalle, Ontario, Canada
Lawrence Matson, CEC, CCE, culinary director, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Dallas, Dallas
Michael Osborne, CEC, general manager/executive chef, Manchester Coffee County Conference Center, Manchester, Tenn.
Douglas Patten, CEC, CCA, corporate executive chef, Flik International/Compass Group, Rye Brook, N.Y.
Brian Peffley, CEPC, CCE, pastry-arts instructor, Lebanon County Career and Technology Center, Lebanon, Pa.
Steven Pollack, CEC, executive chef, The Pepper Pike Club, Cleveland, Ohio
Garrett Sanborn, CEC, CCE, Ed.D., chef-instructor, Oldham County Board of Education, Buckner, Ky.
Andrea Schrenk, CEPC, CCE, pastry chef-instructor, Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
Samuel Sears, CEC, CCA, executive chef, South-Van Events, Lexington, Ky.
Michael Smith, CEC, corporate executive chef, Custom Culinary, Inc., Lombard, Ill.
Mark Wilson, CEC, executive chef, Sodexo Senior Services, Allentown, Pa.
2011 American Academy of Chefs Honorary Fellows
Blaise Alan Dente, CCC, chef/owner, Dente’s Catering Service, Pittston, Pa.
Mary Huebner, marketing director, Canada Cutlery, Inc., Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Peter Huebner, president, Canada Cutlery, Inc., Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Noreen Kinney, president, Cordon D’Or - Gold Ribbon, Academy of Culinary Arts, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, executive director, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, Chicago; vice president, Laureate International Universities Center for Excellence in Culinary Arts
Cindy Komarinski, CCC, CCE, associate professor, Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, Pa.
Kathleen Mancini, business development, Allen Brothers, Dallas
David Smith, CC, retired, Nashua, N.H.
Michael Zappone, academic director, culinary and hotel/restaurant management, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
Sponsors of the 2011 ACF National Convention are: Allen Brothers; American Lamb Board; American Technical Publishers; Barilla America, Inc.; Barry Callebaut; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; Ben E. Keith; Cabot Creamery Cooperative; Canada Cutlery Inc.; The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Inc.; Cleveland Range, LLC; Contessa Premium Foods; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Dansko; Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt; Dietz & Watson, Inc.; Ecolab; French's Foodservice; Gourmet Trading Company; Indian Harvest; The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes; Johnson & Wales University; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; King & Prince Seafood; Kingsburg Orchards; Koch Foods, Inc.; Lactalis Foodservice; Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America; McCormick for Chefs; MenuMax; MINOR’S®; Mississippi Seafood Marketing; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; Plugra European Style Butter; PreGel America; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Riviana Foods Inc.; S & D Coffee; Saputo Cheese USA Inc.; The Schwan Food Company; Sodexo; Splenda®; Texas Beef Council; Tyson Food Service; Uncle Ben’s®; Unilever Food Solutions; United Egg Producers Certified; US Foodservice; Valrhona; Victorinox; Villeroy & Boch; Vitamix Corp.; Washington State Potato Commission; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board; and Youngstown Distributors.
About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members in 225 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.
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