Four Seasons Resort Orlando Hosts James Beard Foundation Dinner for 5th Year

Published on : Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort will host an incredible “Friends of James Beard” dinner benefiting the renowned James Beard Foundation for the fifth year in a row. The event will take place on December 6, 2019 at Ravello, the Resort’s modern-Italian restaurant, and will feature Mediterranean-inspired courses by seven talented culinarians.

The Resort’s Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi and Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber, a 2019 James Beard Award semi-finalist in the Outstanding Pastry Chef category, will host the dinner along with guest chefs who are either nominees or winners of a James Beard Award. Guests will surely be delighted by this indulgent six-course dinner with wine pairings, experienced in the lively open kitchen atmosphere of Ravello. Tickets for the scrumptious affair are USD 250 per person and must be purchased in advance online.

The menu for the event includes:

Reception Stations

Presented by Executive Sous Chef Ryan Schelling, Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Oyster shooters with green tea, sake and matcha
Seafood display with a selection of oysters and cherrystone clams, Champagne-poached shrimp, king crab legs and snow crab claws
House-cured salmon
Smoked swordfish
Ahi tuna
Wagyu crudo

First Course

Presented by Executive Chef Kevin Fonzo, La Tavola, James Beard Award Semifinalist in Best Chefs in America Category

Rabbit porchetta – prosciutto, fennel mostarda, rabbit liver bruschetta, truffle white beans, rabbit confit

Second Course

Presented by Executive Chef/Owner Jeannie Pierola, Edison: Food + Drink Lab, Four-time James Beard Award Semifinalist

Globe artichoke goat cheese agnolotti – sunchoke, matsutake, piquillo, potato, cerignola olives, truffle

Third Course

Presented by Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi, Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Scallop and octopus in brodetto – sea scallops, octopus, Barbera wine brodetto, baby artichokes, polenta

Fourth Course

Presented by Executive Chef Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern 2015 James Beard Award for Best Chef, Great Lakes

“Pheasant in a Pear Tree” – sear rear breast and leg zampone, triple cooked salsify, game bird gastrique, vintage fruit cake, raw and roasted pear gremolata

Fifth Course

Presented by Capa Restaurant Chef Gabriel Massip, Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Boeuf carottes – Creekstone prime beef tenderloin, cardamom-ginger carrots, gratin dauphinois, star anise jus

Sixth Course: Dessert

Presented by Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber, Four Seasons Resort Orlando, James Beard Award Semifinalist – Outstanding Pastry Chef Category

“L’Asiatique” – yuzu white chocolate mousse, mango coulis, black sesame crunch

The annual dinner, which is always a sell-out, is a not-to-be-missed experience.

Orlando: A Dining Destination

Orlando was named People magazine’s “Foodiest City” in 2015, and it’s no secret that Four Seasons Resort Orlando has added to the city’s appeal to foodies since its 2014 opening. The diverse restaurant concepts and amazing culinary team at Four Seasons Resort Orlando have helped set the stage for gourmet dining in Central Florida. Constantly innovating and striving to offer new products, presentations and extraordinary flavours, a meal at one of the Resort’s unique restaurant concepts is always an experience to remember. The Resort has been host to a James Beard Foundation dinner annually, however a true highlight was the team’s invitation to cook at the James Beard House in New York in November 2016. Chef Schenardi and team have since cooked at many invitation-only events, such as the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, and the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival. In addition to his James Beard Award semi-finalist recognition, Chef Saber was also a member of the 2017 American team for the Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie in Lyon, France, an event known in the culinary world as the “Pastry Olympics.”

Many renowned chefs are now lending their names to Orlando, as well. At nearby Disney Springs, Rick Bayless opened Fontera Cocina featuring gourmet Mexican cuisine and Chef Art Smith debuted Homecomin’: Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar, showcasing traditional Southern favourites with sophisticated, chef-inspired creations. Also at Disney Springs, Chef Jose Andres opened Jaleo, a Spanish restaurant in March 2019, and Morimoto Asia by Japanese Chef Masaharu Morimoto is a sought-after dining destination for pan-Asian cuisine.

Source:- Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts