Taste of Derby Set to Return in 2011
After its inaugural success this spring with a roster of award-winning chefs and horse racing celebrities from some of the country’s top culinary and Thoroughbred racing destinations, Taste of Derby is set to return in 2011. The celebration helped raise $75,000 to directly benefit hunger relief organizations Dare to Care Food Bank and the World Food Programme in 2010.
The second annual Taste of Derby has been scheduled for Thursday, May 5, 2011 – the eve of the Kentucky Oaks and two days before Kentucky Derby 137 – at the Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center near the heart of downtown Louisville.
A welcome addition to Kentucky Derby Week festivities, Taste of Derby showcases an exquisite mix of culinary flavors prepared by masterful chefs from regions in which Thoroughbred racing is conducted, including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York. In 2011, chefs from Boston, Denver and Detroit will join the mix. Each station’s dish is accompanied by a unique wine pairing and a racing celebrity from each region that will join the chefs, mingle with guests and sign autographs.
Award-winning chefs already confirmed for 2011 include Troy Guard of Denver’s TAG; Levy Restaurants’ executive chef Jo-Jo Doyle (representing Churchill Downs); Stephen Lewandowski of Manhattan’s Tribeca Grill (Belmont Park); Nancy Longo of Maryland’s Pierpoint Restaurant (Pimlico Race Course); Tory McPhail of New Orleans’ Commander’s Palace (Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots); Carrie Nahabedian of Chicago’s Naha (Arlington Park); Paul O’Connell of Boston’s Chez Henri (Suffolk Downs); Brian Polcyn of Detroit’s Forest Grill; Kent Rathbun of Dallas’ Abacus (Lone Star Park); and Nancy Silverton of Los Angeles’ La Brea Bakery and Pizzeria Mozza (Santa Anita Park).
Churchill Downs is inviting all Derby City chefs to participate in the Louisville Chef Challenge on Friday, Nov. 26 for a chance to be featured at the 2011 Taste of Derby.
Approximately 300 guests at Churchill Downs will be invited to taste each participant’s dish and vote for the top two choices they feel best represent the personality and flavors of Louisville. At day’s end, the votes will be tallied and two Louisville chefs will be chosen – one to represent the Kentucky Derby and one to represent the Kentucky Oaks – for the Taste of Derby roster. The winners also will be featured in Taste of Derby promotional materials and their recipes will be published on the Derby party-planning website KentuckyDerbyParty.com.
Those interested in participating in the Louisville Chef Challenge must register online at TasteOfDerby.com by Friday, Nov. 12. They should include a description of the dish they’d like to serve at Taste of Derby (photos optional) and be prepared to serve 300 single-bite portions of the dish at the Nov. 26 Louisville Chef Challenge. Participating chefs will receive two free tickets to attend the races at Churchill Downs on Saturday, Nov. 27.
Taste of Derby tickets are $275 each and include red carpet entry, food and wine tastings, premium open bar, live entertainment and complimentary valet parking. For more information, including participating chefs and to purchase tickets, visit TasteOfDerby.com.
Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2011. The track’s 2010 Fall Meet is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 28. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record six times and the event will return to the track for its next two renewals on November 5-6, 2010 and Nov. 4-5, 2011. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.
- END -
