Rick Bayless To Be Inducted into Chicago
Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame

CHICAGO (August 2008)-Renowned chef and culinary icon Rick Bayless will be inducted into the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame on Wednesday, August 27 in a ceremony from 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St. in Chicago. Bayless is the third recipient of this prestigious Chefs Hall of Fame award, following the inaugural induction of Chef Charlie Trotter in 2006 and last year's recipient Chef Jimmy Bannos.Tickets for the event, featuring a cocktail reception, silent auction, awards presentation and Wandering Feast, are $175 per person ($200 at the door). Tickets may be purchased on line at: www.brownpapertickets.com.

"Chef Bayless was selected as our 2008 inductee for his achievements in culinary excellence," said Chef John S. Castro, co-founder with Chef John W. Kaufmann, of the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame. "His passion as an entrepreneur in this industry is unparalleled."Says Kaufmann: "Chef Bayless has dedicated his life to bringing fine Mexican cuisine to the world, and I believe his passion is unparalleled and something we should all aspire to."

When notified that he is being named to the Chefs Hall of Fame, Chef Bayless said: "It is a great honor. I am personally very excited about having a Culinary Museum in Chicago. We may be the second city but we are second to none in food. The museum will surly be an excellent addition to Chicago's culinary landscape. Over the past 20 years, Deann and I have worked to bring the truly modern and regional cuisines of Mexico to the people of Chicago and the nation. While I accept this honor, I defer accolades to my wonderful staff who without, this wouldn't be possible."

Bayless and his wife Deann own and operate two acclaimed restaurants Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. A third restaurant is on the horizon for a spring of 2009 opening. He is author of six cookbooks and the recipient of numerous culinary and cookbook awards including Food & Wine magazine's "Best New Chef of the Year" in 1988 and the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurant 2007 which is comparable to winning the Oscar for Best Picture.

Joining Bayless in the celebration are ABC-7 Food Reporter Steve Dolinsky, serving as Award Presenter; Cary Miller, Vice President of Food Industry News, Master of Ceremonies, 2006 Chefs Hall of Fame Inductee Charlie Trotter, and 2008 James Beard Best Chef Great Lakes award-winner Carrie Nahabedian will all be presenters.

About the Event
Featuring Palmer House Hilton and event Host Chef Stephen Henry's Wandering Feast., Chef Henry has enlisted the help of area culinary programs and will be assisted by chefs and students from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, College of DuPage, Elgin Community College, French Pastry School, Kendall College and Washburne Culinary Institute.

Chicago acoustic guitarist Jose Cornier will perform his original composition dedicated to Bayless, "One Plate at a Time," at the event.

Sponsorship inquiries contact Barbara Kuck 312-718-3221 and checks for tickets can be mailed to Carmella Anello, Nestle Professional, at 650 E. Diehl Rd. Suite 100, Naperville, Ill. 60563. Make checks payable to Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame. To purchase tickets online, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/38403.

The Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame is a 501 (c) (3) organization created in 2006 by ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine chefs John S. Castro and John W. Kaufmann to preserve, host and foster Chicago's rich culinary history. The group celebrates the achievements and contributions of Chicago's chefs, food manufacturers, restaurateurs and hoteliers. For more information on the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame, please visit www.culinarymuseum.org.

More About Rick Bayless
In 1987, Rick opened the hugely successful Frontera Grill, which specializes in contemporary regional Mexican cooking. Still today it remains one of Chicago's hottest dining spots. In 1988, Food & Wine Magazine selected Rick as "Best New Chef of The Year," and in 1991, he won a James Beard Award for "Best American Chef: Midwest." In 1995, he won another James Beard Award for "National Chef of the Year" as well as an award for "Chef of the Year" from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). In 1998, the Beard Foundation honored Rick as "Humanitarian of the Year." In 2002, Bon Appétit honored him with the "Cooking Teacher of the Year Award".

On the heels of Frontera Grill's success, Rick opened the elegant Topolobampo in 1989. Adjacent to Frontera Grill, Tobolobampo is one of America's only fine-dining Mexican restaurants. Frontera Grill and Topolobampo have received glowing distinctions from such publications as Gourmet, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Atlantic Monthly, Condé Nast Traveler, Zagat's, The Wine Spectator, USA Today, Chicago Magazine and The Chicago Tribune. Topolobampo has been nominated twice by the James Beard Foundation as one of the most outstanding restaurants in our country. In 1995, he and partners started the Frontera Foods line of authentic Mexican prepared food products. He also collaborated with Macy's to open Frontera Fresco in two Chicago-area stores, State Street and Northbrook, as well as one in San Francisco.

His is the author of six cookbooks Mexican Everyday, Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures, Mexico-One Plate at a Time, Salsas That Cook: Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishes, Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, and Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico.

About the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame
Chicago is in the process of developing the culinary museum devoted to the foodservice industry, which would depict global food history from antiquity to futuristic trends. It is a tragedy that the United States does not have a national food museum considering all its global contributions.

The museum will document and promote the historic achievements in the foodservice industry that we all have devoted our entire careers to, and to leaving behind something for the future generations of culinarians, historians and scholars to treasure.

It is the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame's goal to become an allied partner with the Smithsonian Institution our country's national museum, and to establish a food museum "to preserve international food history," in Chicago.

Chicago is ranked No. 8 in the world for its cuisine, Alinea Restaurant was recently ranked No. 1 in the world, hosts seven of the largest annual food related trade shows each year, among them the recent 90th annual NRA Show, and the largest outdoor food festival "The Taste of Chicago".

In September 2008, Chicago will host its inaugural "Chicago Gourmet Food & Wine Festival" which will promote fine dining and will be held annually.

The foodservice industry represents the second largest business segment in the United States and third in the City of Chicago. A wealth of knowledge and resources can be utilized to support our goals. This organization will leverage itself to work with the farming associations, food associations, food manufacturers, equipment providers, and peripheral industry services to maximize available resources.

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To view Rick Bayless's bio, press here.

Chicago Culinary Museum
4318 River Road,
Schiller Park Ill. 60176
(312) 718-3221
www.culinarymuseum.org