NEW YORK, NY (October 8, 2020) – Today the James Beard Foundation announced featured chefs, cities, and programming for its annual Taste America event. The 2020 Taste America event presented by Capital One will take place on Sunday, October 18 in 20 cities nationwide at 5 P.M. PT / 8 P.M. ET.
This year, in lieu of the usual in-person events, participating chefs, special guests, and diners from twenty cities around the country will come together for a virtual communal dinner to eat, celebrate local independent restaurants, and support efforts to rebuild a more sustainable and equitable industry. The special dinner and show enjoyed from the comfort of home will bring together thousands of chefs and food lovers on one special night.
Each event ticket includes a local chef-created three-course meal plus wine and whiskey to be enjoyed at home and access to a broadcast featuring a lineup of James Beard Foundation chefs and special guests from across the country. The broadcast will be emceed by Antonia Lofaso and will feature two roundtables featuring participating chefs listed below as well as special guests including: Carla Hall, Gail Simmons, and DJ Hesta Prynn who will curate music throughout the event. A round of trivia to test your food knowledge in your home city will also entertain and challenge participants.
Capital One cardholders have the exclusive opportunity to purchase a Capital One Access Pass that allows them to enjoy the three-course meal, wine and whiskey, and national broadcast while also unlocking access to a VIP reception with their city’s featured chef and Foundation host prior to showtime and a special gift.
Locally curated menus for each participating city can be viewed at https://www.jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica. Tickets and the Capital One Access Pass are $150 and can be purchased at https://www.jamesbeard.org/events.
Through its Open for Good campaign, the Foundation is working to help the independent restaurant industry survive the COVID-19 crisis and come back stronger, more equitable, and more resilient. As part of this campaign, the Foundation recently announced the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans. The new grant initiative will provide financial resources for food or beverage businesses that are majority-owned by Black or Indigenous individuals, and will be highlighted in the broadcast. For information on the Foundation’s Open for Good campaign, industry support resources, and the Investment Fund, please visit jamesbeard.org/aboutopenforgood.
This year’s 2020 Taste America participating chefs and cities who will appear in the broadcast include the following:
Atlanta
Deborah VanTrece
Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours
Boston
Irene Li
Mei Mei
Charleston
A. John-Carter
The Macintosh
Chicago
Carlos Gaytán
Tzuco
Dallas
Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman
José
Denver
Alex Seidel
Mercantile dining & provision
Houston
Chris Williams
Lucille’s
Kansas City, MO
Sheila Lucero and Michael Corvino
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar and Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room
Los Angeles
Bricia Lopez and Edgar Santiago
Guelaguetza
Louisville
Bruce Ucàn
Mayan Café
Miami
Niven Patel
Mamey Miami
Minneapolis
Jamie Malone
Grand Café
Nashville
Julia Sullivan
Henrietta Red
New Orleans
Kelly Fields
Willa Jean
Philadelphia
Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle
Spice Finch
Phoenix
Danielle Leoni
The Breadfruit & Rum Bar
Portland, OR
Bonnie Morales
Kachka
San Francisco
Brandon Jew
Mister Jiu’s
Seattle
Jason Wilson
The Lakehouse
Washington, D.C.
Erik Bruner-Yang
Maketto
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America is presented by Capital One, the official credit card and banking partner of the James Beard Foundation. Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, Capital One cardholders enjoy exclusive access to James Beard Foundation programming. Taste America is also presented in association with American Airlines, the official airline of the James Beard Foundation and the following partners: Premier Sponsors: Deloitte, Rabbit Hole Distillery; Supporting Sponsors: Kerrygold USA, Whole Foods Market; Patron Sponsors: Cayson, Choose Chicago, dough Wines, McCormick, Upserve and Founding Partner Bowen & Company. Additional support for Taste America is provided by VerTerra Dinnerware and Placon®. Intersport is the Official Broadcast Partner of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America.
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About the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation promotes Good Food For Good™. For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has asserted the power of food to drive behavior, culture, and policy change. The organization is committed to giving chefs a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the James Beard Foundation launched the Open for Good campaign to ensure that independent restaurants not only survive, but that the industry is able to rebuild stronger than before. For more information, subscribe to the digital newsletter Beard Bites and follow @beardfoundation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501©(3) organization based in New York City.
About Capital One
At Capital One we’re on a mission for our customers – bringing them great products, rewards, service, and access to unique and unforgettable experiences they are passionate about. Capital One is a diversified bank that offers products and services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. We use technology, innovation and interaction to provide consumers with products and services to meet their needs. Learn more at capitalone.com/access.
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