Next Iron Chef Contenders Join Forces To Fight Hunger In San Francisco And Across America
Share Our Strength'®17th Annual Taste of the Nation® San Francisco
Brings Together Top Culinary Talent From Around The Country April 6, 2008

San Francisco, January 31, 2008 - This year's annual Taste of the Nation® will feature Iron Chef Michael Symon and contenders from Food Network's The Next Iron Chef preparing a four-course dinner at Acme Chophouse in San Francisco. The former competitors will donate their time and talents to the fundraiser for Share Our Strength®, a leading organization in the fight against childhood hunger. Kicking off the gala from 5:30 - 6:30pm is a VIP cocktail reception with Iron Chef Michael Symon, Gavin Kaysen (NYC's Café Boulud), San Francisco's own Chris Cosentino (Incanto / Boccalone), Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière/Acme Chophouse/ Mijita) and Elizabeth Falkner (Citizen Cake). 6:30-7:30pm all guests will enjoy appetizers from top local restaurants before a sit-down dinner prepared by the Next Iron Chef contenders and wine pairings from top sommeliers and live and silent auctions. The event is presented by American Express® and 100 percent of proceeds from ticket sales goes to fight childhood hunger and support local grant recipients Food Runners and Sports 4 Kids. Tickets are $250 (dinner only) and $300 (dinner and VIP reception).

This year a committee of sommeliers will pair wines with each course of the Iron Chef dinner; the offering is a first for the organization's milestone year. The all-star roster represents some of the country's most respected authorities on wine, including Paul Einbund (Coi), Eugenio Jardim (Jardinière) and Master Sommelier Larry Stone (Rubicon).

Spearheading the chefs' efforts and hosting for a second year is Traci des Jardins. With Share Our Strength celebrating a landmark 20th anniversary, she reaches out to her peers to make this a national effort. "I believe so strongly in the mission of the organization," says des Jardins, whose work with SOS began over a decade ago. "How can hunger still exist in a nation as wealthy and prosperous as our own?" The socially minded superchef has received numerous industry honors, including James Beard Foundation Award for "Best Chef: Pacific" while her restaurants are the frequent recipients of critical acclaim, such as Jardinière, listed as one of the "Top 100 Restaurants" in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle each year since opening.

Since its inception 20 years ago, SOS has raised over $200 million to support the most effective organizations that feed hungry children, including $70 million from the nationwide Taste events. 11% of San Franciscans live below the poverty line and more than 12 million children face hunger in America. Support from presenting sponsor American Express, national sponsors SYSCO Corporation and Food Network, product-level sponsors S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, WineStyles and OpenTable, and California regional sponsors like Wahoo's ensures that 100 percent of proceeds go to SOS's efforts to end childhood hunger in America.

Tickets for Taste of the Nation San Francisco are $250 (dinner only) and $300 (VIP reception and dinner) and can be purchased by calling 1-877-26-TASTE or visiting www.tasteofthenation.org.

About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength® is a national organization working to make sure no kid in the U.S. grows up hungry. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger, and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Taste of the Nation, The Great American Bake Sale, Operation Frontline and A Tasteful Pursuit. For more information, please visit www.strength.org.