Seven James Beard Award-Winning Chefs, Plus You, Equals One Memorable Evening of Culinary Delight

Hosted by the Scottsdale Culinary Festival and The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, the 2010 Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner will begin around sunset at 6 p.m. on April 13, with hors d’oeuvres, aperitifs, and other reception menu items prepared by The Westin’s own Executive Chef Todd Berry. Plates will feature traditional Italian ingredients in unexpected ways, such as espresso-dusted rabbit loin on white polenta with rhubarb jam, grilled saltwater prawns with romesco broth and truffle oil, and chestnut and fig-stuffed quail. The pre-dinner nosh will be served on The Westin’s well-manicured lawn, where guests can mingle and admire the spectacular ice sculptures and the property’s picturesque lake.

Then the evening will continue with the first of the dinner’s six courses served at 7:30 p.m., each dish prepared by a different award-winning chef. Delight in fricassee of Hudson Valley foie gras, pan-seared monkfish with lardo, truffle and puttanesca sauce, deconstructed tiramisu and more. The Spanish red prawns with a lobster coral sea urchin vinaigrette from Alex Stratta, who is executive chef at Wynn Las Vegas, is sure to be a standout.

Attire will be cocktail, and tickets are priced at $200 each, with the proceeds benefiting Ballet Arizona. For more information, and to purchase tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime dining event, visit the festival’s website.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is located at 6902 E. Greenway Parkway in Scottsdale

Image courtesy of Steven Greco Photography