Enjoying wine at the Golden Foodie Awards. Photo courtesy of the Golden Foodie Awards.
Coming up on September 28, Orange County will host the Annual Golden Foodie Awards. Pam Waitt, the President of the OC Restaurant Association said, “The Golden Foodie Awards are something that’s so different from anything that’s ever been done, because we are honoring and celebrating the independent restaurants and the chef-driven restaurants. The Golden Foodie Awards specifically only honor that”.
Pam continued, “It is something that’s really great for the chefs and it’s important in that it celebrates REAL food with real people that are cooking in the kitchen. It’s something we really feel strong about because they work so hard and this allows a democratic voting to take place and the people to decide their favorites”. This event, including only Orange County restauranteurs, highlights the excellence of the vibrant Orange County restaurant scene.
The Golden Foodie Award. Photo courtesy of the Golden Foodie Awards.
The red carpet party will not only feature savory delight for the guests to partake of, but will also feature decadent sweets for everyone to enjoy. Valenza Chocolatier, B. Toffee, and Casey’s Cupcakes will all be present for attendees to enjoy. Valenza Chocolatier will showcase their exclusive Golden Foodie Awards ‘Bonbons of Gold,’ which puts an adult spin on the traditional peanut butter cup, wrapped in a 23k edible gold dusted shell.
The ‘Official Toffee of the Golden Foodie Awards,” B. Toffee, will offer samplings of delicious handcrafted fine-toffee confections. Casey’s Cupcakes will, once again present the official ‘Golden Velvet Cupcakes,’ red velvet cakes frosted and dusted with 24-carat gold dust and glitter. Scrumptious “gold kissed spheres” known as Golden Chocolate Rochers by the talented Pastry Chef Jeffrey Kahle of the Fairmont Newport Beach will also be available for sampling.
A stunning array of cocktails and libations will be paired with the sweet treats. Pam described the creation of some of the cocktails at the Golden Foodie Awards, saying “We have an array of different teams from different brands and different bartenders. There will be multiple cocktails featured at the Golden Foodie Awards, Besides some of the ones we have already featured, there are several that are still in the designing mode.
Already announced libations including Piper-Heidsick champagne will be awaiting guests on the gala dining tables during the ceremony alongside Patron XO, Chambord and fresh roasted Kean Coffee. The Fresh Patron Cocktail Bar will feature the famous Patron Tequila and nectar juices for those interested in an invigorating cocktail. A vibrant and tropical cocktail inspired by Belize, named “Kanantik” (which means “to take care” in Mayan Mopan) will be highlighted at the gala and is hand-crafted by Koire Rogers, Arc Restaurant, using fresh fruits native to Belize and Ketel One. A sweet and juicy seasonal fresh fruit bar by Melissa’s Produce will also be spotlighted.
During the after party, Kean Coffee will serve a Golden Affogato at their Pour-Over Bar. This special combination of drink and dessert will consist of a shot of Golden Mean Espresso drizzled over After’s Artisan Vanilla Ice Cream then topped with Golden Caramel and speckled with Guittard Chocolate Shavings.
The Golden Foodie Award is Orange County’s top culinary prize. Photo courtesy of the Golden Foodie Awards.
More information can be obtained from the Golden Foodie Awards website. During the past few months, the Golden Foodie Awards have held a series of chef demos to introduce Orange County foodies to some of the chefs and their cuisine, “This is the People’s Choice, the choice for everyone in Orange County. I think it’s fantastic that we only have three categories in because the People’s Choice Awards voting has not started yet. It starts August 3rd”, said Pam.
The three categories are the only ones not determined by the People’s Choice voting. Instead, the categories of Golden Chef Award, Golden Pastry Chef Award and Best New Restaurant are voted on by members of the local restaurant industry. Pam said about the camaraderie between the restaurants and chefs, “Everybody supports each other so much, whether they win or lose. They’re supporting their friends, their peers; it’s a nice event, a very warm and wonderful event”.
The September 28th Gala Event for the Golden Foodie Awards will be held at The Fairmont Newport Beach. Tickets are still available through the event website. Voting for the various categories will begin August 3rd, as part of the “Golden Dine Out’ where for three weeks, patrons will be able to visit nominated chef driven and independent restaurants. Information on the nominated restaurants is available trough the Golden Foodie Award’s Facebook page.
The Golden Foodie Awards
September 28, 2014
The Fairmont Newport Beach
