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Mia Herron

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Chinyere Hubbard

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Centerplate’s Master Chef Philippe Chin, Executive Chef of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and company’s Culinary Leadership Team to Host Event for the James Beard Foundation

Centerplate’s Executive Chefs Skorka, Barnett, Campbell, Leidy and Chin showcase a new era of convention center cuisine to New York City’s Beard House at “Unconventional Chefs” dinner

STAMFORD, CT (JANUARY 27, 2010) – Centerplate, the hospitality provider to North America’s premier convention centers and entertainment venues and the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA) announced today the “Unconventional Chefs” dinner at the James Beard Foundation’s Beard House in New York City on January 29, 2009.  The event will feature an evening of progressive cuisine from five Centerplate executive chefs including Philippe Chin of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, David Skorka of the Dallas Convention Center, Jonathan Barnett of the Miami Beach Convention Center, Robert Campbell of Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre and Jeff Leidy of the San Diego Convention Center. The dinner showcases the cuisine of some of Centerplate’s most accomplished and recognizable chefs, as well as the hospitality leader’s commitment to innovative fine dining in convention center settings. The Unconventional Chefs dinner will highlight contemporary culinary trends, ingredients and techniques for James Beard Foundation members and the general public.

The youngest chef on record to be inducted into the prestigious Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, Philippe Chin joined Centerplate as the Walter E. Washington Convention Center’s Executive Chef in May 2009, where he has since planned and executed menus for the Senate House Dinner, Washington Israel Summit and Human Rights Campaign National Dinner. Already a familiar name to the Beard House, Chin was among the nominees for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the Mid Atlantic Award. The menu at the Unconventional Chefs dinner will include Chin’s own Tuna Tuna, a ginger scented tuna brulee with pickled ginger pearls and kabayaki, a dish reflective of the chef’s signature French Asian upbringing and cuisine, as well as his Truffled Edamame Panna Cotta with red kaiware shoots and black truffle tuile.

“We are proud to showcase our team of elite culinary professionals and their dedication to exciting and innovative cuisine,” said Des Hague, president and CEO of Centerplate.  “The Beard House serves as an ideal setting to share Chefs Chin, Skorka, Barnett, Campbell and Leidy’s unique epicurean talents with New York City’s gourmands.”

“We are delighted to lend Chef Chin’s culinary expertise to such a prestigious culinary organization as the James Beard Foundation,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and CEO of the Washington Convention and Sports Authority.  “As an epicurean leader, Chef Chin’s fresh yet masterful approach to creating a menu will keep the guests on the edge of their seat.”

 The Unconventional Chefs dinner will be held at the James Beard Foundation’s Beard House at 167 West 12^th Street in New York City’s Lower East Side on Friday, January 29^th at 7:00 pm, welcoming both James Beard Foundation members and members of the general public to attend.

Chin’s menus at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center source organic and locally grown ingredients wherever possible. The Center has also implemented a food composting system, oil and grease recycling system and donates leftover food to the DC Central Kitchen. Other recent accomplishments at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center include the Guinness World Record for hosting the largest sit-down dinner, a public local art installation “Windows Into DC” and the Center’s securing of Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in July 2010 and the XIX International Aids Conference in July of 2012.

Centerplate’s service at the Beard House comes on the heels of its execution of artful, locally inspired menus at Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the world’s premier art shows, as well as the announcement of Centerplate’s new long-term contract with the Baltimore Convention Center and merger with the Boston Culinary Group.

About Centerplate

Centerplate crafts and delivers “Craveable Experiences. Raveable Results.” in 250 prominent sports, entertainment and convention venues across North America. Centerplate has provided services to 11 Super Bowls, 19 World Series, key events for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Art Basel Miami Beach, 15 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration.  In addition, Centerplate is proud to serve as a hospitality partner to Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium.  Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com.

About the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA)

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA) creates economic and community benefits for the District through the attraction and promotion of hospitality, athletic, entertainment and cultural events. The Authority owns and manages the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact for the city. The Authority also owns and manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the DC Armory and the surrounding Festival Grounds, and serves as the owner and landlord for Nationals Park. For more information, please visit www.wcsa.com.

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