35th
Annual Taste of the Town Santa Barbara
35th
Annual Taste of the Town Santa Barbara, benefiting the Arthritis
Foundation, was held again in the beautiful setting of Riviera
Park Gardens overlooking the city. Tina Takaya and Richard Yates,
co-owners of Opal Restaurant & Bar again retured to co-chair
the annual event. The area's signature culinary event benefiting
the Arthritis Foundation, featured tastings from 80 of the finest
local restaurants and Central Coast wineries, breweries and
distillers Noon to 3 p.m. at the Riviera Park Gardens, and was
one amazing meeting of supporters of the Arthritis Foundation,
who also loved savoring fine wine and food samples, while enjoying
a silent auction, and enjoying live music.
Toast of the Town Tasting Tables
The
2016 Youth Honoree was Erin Mahan, a senior at Dos Pueblos High
School with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of arthritis that
affects the spine and other joints. Mahan exuded enthusiasm
when talking about her experience at Camp Experanza this summer,"it
was a truly amazing experience. I met so many strong kids and
teens going through similar challenges and I made lifelong friends."
The Medical Honorees were Dr. William Gallivan and his wife
Karen Gallivan, RN, who work together in their Santa Barbara
office and have been volunteers with the Arthritis Foundation
since 2011. They were co-chairs of the 2013 Santa Barbara Walk
to Cure Arthritis. The event co-chairs were board member Amye
Leong and John Stampe.
Jerry Jordano Central Coast Home Health Congratulates
2016 Youth Honoree Erin Mahan
35th
Anniversary Taste of the Town Arthritis Foundation was a delightful
slice of gourmand heaven for attendees who sampled tastes from
a collection of Santa Barbara's finest restaurateurs, and caterers.
Wonder sips were poured by Brander Wines, Margerum Wine Company,
Melville, Mosby, Pali Wine, Presqu'le, Qupe, Refugio Ranch,
Sanford Winery, Sanger Winery, SB Winery, Silver Wines, Sort
This Out Cellars, Thacher Tolosa, Whitcraft Winery, Zaca Mesa,
Kessler/Haak, LaFond, Lucs & Lewellen Vineyards, Alexander
& Wayne, Alma Rosa, Arthur Earl, Au Bon Climat, Brewer Clifton,
Caribbean Coffee, Carr Vineyards & Winery, Cebada Vineyard,
Cutler's Artisan Spirits, Demetria Estate, DV8 Cellars, Figueroa
Mountain Brewing, Firestone Walker, Gainey Vinyard, Geissinger
Winery, Grassini Family Vineyard, island Brewing Company, Jaffurs,
Jalopy, Jamie Slone Wines, and Ken Brown Wines. All this was
going on as CJ Ward (KEYT3), who also served as emcee at the
Connoisseurs' Circle Dinner and Auction, kept things lively.
Three
Honorary Lead Chefs for the event included Bacara Resort &
Spa's Executive Chef Vincent Lesage, who recently opened the
beautiful new restaurant Angel Oak at Bacara; in addition to
Patrice Martineau, Executive Chef at Montage Beverly Hills and
Chef Johan Denizot, Executive Chef at the Belmond El Encanto
Santa Barbara. Each chef and his team designed a course as part
of a spectacular menu for event sponsors and their guests at
the unique eighth Connoisseurs' Circle dinner. It was a true
gastronimique dinner followed by a very entertaining auction
at Bacara Resort & Spa.
Chef Patrice Martineau - Chef Johan Denizot - Chef Vincent Lesage
Chef
Patrice Martineau - Chef Johan Denizot - Chef Vincent Lesage
2016 Taste of the Town sponsors included official Automotive
Partner, BMW Santa Barbara, wine glass sponsors Montecito Bank
& Trust and HUB International Insurance Services, Inc.,
and event sponsors were First Click, Inc., The Berry Man, Inc.,
opal Restaurant and Bar, Terry Ryken, Diana MacFarlane, Amye
Leong & Bob Price, Jeffery Baldwin & Michal W. Wiesbrock,
as well as Jerry Jordano, Central Coast Home Health, Inc.
2016
TASTE OF THE TOWN HONORARY LEAD CHEFSS
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Chef
Vincent Lesage:
Bacara
Resort & Spa At the age of 30, Chef Vincent Lesage's
impressive career already includes Michelin three-star
restaurants in Paris as well as experience at some of
the world's most luxurious hotels. Born and raised in
Paris at the center of the food universe, Lesage was surrounded
by the rich flavors and techniques that define French
gastronomy. After graduating from the Institut Paul Bocuse
in Écully, France, Lesage trained at some of the
world's most celebrated establishments including The Ritz
Paris, the Michelin three-star restaurant L'Astrance,
and Michelin three-star restaurant Bras. Most recently,
Lesage served as the Executive Chef of Balboa Bay Resort
in Newport Beach. Since 2015 as Executive Chef of Bacara's
renowned culinary program, Lesage oversees the resort's
six dining experiences including a new signature restaurant
Angel Oak.
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Chef
Patrice Martineau:
Montage
Beverly Hills Award-winning Chef Patrice Martineau was
recently named Executive Chef at Montage Beverly Hills.
Martineau was classically trained in some of France's
most acclaimed restaurants. He began his career in his
hometown of Champagne, France at two legendary restaurants,
Le Chateaubriand and Le Valentino. Chef Martineau later
moved to Burgundy as Chef de Partie at the region's world-renowned
Michelin two-star Abbaye de Saint Michel and Michelin
three-star La Côte Saint-Jacques. Chef Martineau
later moved to New York and served as Chef de Cuisine
at Daniel Boulud's iconic New York eatery, Daniel. He
acted as Boulud's second-in-command at Daniel for six
years amidst Manhattan's highly competitive and robust
culinary landscape. Martineau was then tapped to assume
the role of Executive Chef at London's Savoy Hotel, before
joining the pre-opening team as Chef de Cuisine at The
Peninsula Tokyo's Peter Restaurant. Most recently, Chef
Martineau served as Executive Chef at the Belmond El Encanto
Hotel and the Viceroy Palm Springs.
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Chef
Johan Denizot:
Belmond
El Encanto Johan Denizot is the Executive Chef of Belmond
El Encanto, recently joining the resort from Bacara Resort
& Spa. Situated on seven acres of lush gardens with
sweeping ocean views, Belmond El Encanto is known for
its California coastal cuisine, highlighting the local
bounty of the resort's surroundings, and expertly prepared
at The Dining Room and Terrace. French born, raised, and
trained, Denizot garnered nearly a decade of culinary
experience before beginning his successful career in the
United States, where he launched the pastry and bakery
program at Annabelle's Bar & Bistro in San Francisco.
Denizot went on to implement creative menus at Root 246
in Solvang and most recently Miro at Bacara, where he
was instrumental in the restaurant earning its Forbes
four-star rating. Fluent in French, English, and Spanish,
Denizot received his Certificate of Professional Studies
in the Culinary Fields at the Restaurant Formation School
in Pontarlier, France, and then received his Certificate
of Professional Aptitude at CFA Hilaire de Chardonnet
in Besançon, France. Ron Melville, Melville Winery
was named the 2016 honorary lead winery.
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About The Arthritis Foundation:
The Arthritis Foundation is the Champion of Yes. Leading the
fight for the arthritis community, the Foundation helps conquer
everyday battles through life-changing information and resources,
access to optimal care, advancements in science and community
connections. The Arthritis Foundation's goal is to chart a winning
course, guiding families in developing personalized plans for
living a full life - and making each day another stride toward
a cure. The Foundation also publishes Arthritis Today, the award-winning
magazine that reaches 4 million readers. www.arthritis.org.
By Bonnie Carroll
About Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll has been a food/travel/lifestyle writer since
1983. She is the founder & publisher of Bonnie Carroll's
Life Bites News - www.lifebitesnews.com,
does travel and food reporting on KZSB1290 radio, and contributes
to a variety of national and international travel/lifestyle
publications. Her first children's book C.C. Charles was published
in 2002 and she is currently working on a second book. Contact
her at Contact her at writebc@aol.com.