American Culinary Federation announces 2016 national award winners
Patrick Mitchell earned the American Culinary Federation’s esteemed title of U.S.A’s Chef of the Year by winning the organization’s national culinary competition. Mitchell is the executive chef/culinary adviser for Ben E. Keith Foods in Fort Worth, Texas.
Mitchell competed against two other regional winners during the event to win the title. Each had one hour to prepare, cook and present four different show plates using trout and rabbit. Winners were determined based on the chef’s organizational skills, culinary techniques and taste of each dish.
Pastry Chef of the Year went to Cher Harris, CEPC, executive pastry chef, The Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Penn.
More than 15 additional individuals or establishments received recognition as ACF award winners. Here’s the complete list of 2016 ACF award winners and honorees, as well as American Academy of Chefs Awards, which inducted 14 chefs into the honor society:
U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year
Patrick Mitchell, CEC, AAC
Executive chef/culinary advisor for Ben E. Foods, Fort Worth, Texas
ACF Pastry Chef of the Year
Cher Harris, CEPC
Executive pastry chef, The Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Penn.
ACF Chef Educator of the Year
Christopher Misiak, CEC, CCE
Program coordinator/instructor, Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Mich.; ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association
ACF Student Chef of the Year
Michelle Stephenson
Utah Valley University graduate, Orem, Utah; kitchen manager, Station 22 Cafe, Provo, Utah, ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award
Dominick Laudia, CEC, AAC
Executive chef, Boca Grove Golf and Tennis Club, Boca Raton, Fla.; ACF Palm Beach Couny Chefs Association
ACF Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award
James Taylor, CEC, AAC, MBA
Professor and academic chair of hospitality programs, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio; ACF Columbus Chapter
ACF Student Team National Championship
ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon
ACF Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl
Culinary Arts Institute at Utah Valley University
ACF Industry Partnership Award
Industry Partner -- Friedr. Dick Corp.
ACF National Chapter of the Year
ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association
ACF Region of the Year
Central Region
ACF World of Thanks Award
ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona Inc.
Humanitarian Award
South Jersey Chapter
Presidential Knife
Joe Fioretto
ACF President’s Medallion Recipients
- Earl Arrowood Jr., CCC, CCE, AAC
- Mark H. Brown, CEC, CCA, AAC
- Bert P. Cutino, CEC, AAC, HBOT, HOF
- Mark Eggerding, HAAC
- Frederick Ferrara, CEC, CCE
- Nicholas Follacchio, CEC, AAC
- Todd Gold, CEC, CCA, AAC
- Dorothy Johnston, CEC, CCE, AAC
- John Kaufmann, CEC, AAC, HOF
- Patrick Michael O’Brien
- Garrett Sanborn, CEC, CCE, AAC, ED.D
- Fritz H. Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC, HOF
- Peter Sproul, CEC
- Michael Villon, CEC, CCE, AAC
Cutting Edge Award Recipients
- Bruce Davis
- Sarah Deckert, CEC
- Hilmar Jonsson, AAC
- Robert Phillips, CEC, CCA, AAC
- Jeffrey I. Schlissel
- Melissa Trimmer, CEPC
- Scott Turley, CEC
- Fred Wright, CEC, AAC
- Jason Ziobrowski, CEC
Achievement of Excellence Awards
- Apropo Catering; Chicago
- Arugula Ristorante; Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
- Chubby's of Dallas; Dallas
- David's Restaurant; Portland, Maine
- Delmonico's; Philadelphia, Pa.
- Island Sushi & Grill; Las Vegas, Nev.
- Lai Lai Garden; Blue Bell, Pa.
- Lawry's The Prime Rib; Chicago
- Lawry's The Prime Rib; Las Vegas
- MilkWay Café; Philippines
- Monestaro's Ristorante & Banquets; Chicago
- Monterey’s Fish House; Monterey, Calif.
- Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen; Los Angeles, Calif.
- Wacky Zaki's; Philadelphia, Pa.
American Academy of Chefs Awards
AAC Chair’s Medal
David L. Banks, CEC, AAC
Executive Chef/Partner, Harry’s Hospitality Group, Wilmington, Dela.; Regional Director (Northeast), American Academy of Chefs; ACF First State Chefs Association
Lawrence A. Conti, CEC, AAC, HOF, Chair’s Achievement Award
John W. Zehnder, CEC, AAC
Executive Chef, Zehnder’s Restaurant, Frankenmuth, Mich.; Chapter Certification Chair, ACF Flint/Saginaw Valley Chapter
Joseph Amendola Award
Jan Bandula, CMPC, CEC, AAC
Faculty Emeritus, Stratford University, Baltimore, Md.; Chapter Membership Chair, ACF Greater Baltimore Chapter Inc.
Chef Good Taste Award
Peter Hodgson, CEC, AAC
Campus Executive Chef, University of Utah Dining Services -- Chartwells Dining Services, Salt Lake City; Chapter Membership Chair, ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
Lt. General John D. McLaughlin Award
Robert M. Sparks, Chief Warrant Officer 4, U.S. Army (Retired), A.K. Food Consultants LLC, Petersburg, Va.; ACF Old Dominion Chapter
Sharing Culinary Traditions Award
Christopher A. Desens, CEC, CCA, AAC
Program Director, Culinary Institute of St. Louis at Hickey College, St. Louis, Mo.; Chapter Education and Program Chair, ACF Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
AAC Celebrated Chef
Walter Staib
AAC Culinary Hall of Fame
- Robert M. Forquer, CEC, AAC, HOF (posthumous); ACF Conemaugh Valley Chefs Association
- Wolfgang D. Geckeler, CEC, AAC, HOF; ACF Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey
- Walter W. Leible, CMC, AAC, HOF; ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona Inc.
- Louis Venezia, CEC, AAC, HOF; ACF of Greater Buffalo New York
AAC Fellows
- Jacqueline Bamrick, CEC, AAC; ACF of Greater Buffalo New York
- John DiSessa, CEC, AAC; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston
- Brian A. Floyd, CEC, CCE, AAC; ACF West Virginia Chapter
- Otto F. Kurcsics, CEC, CCE, AAC; ACF of Greater Buffalo New York
- Juan Martinez, CEC, CCE, AAC; ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona Inc.
- Jay R. Mahoney, CEC, AAC; ACF West Virginia Chapter
- Greg Mueller, CEC, CCA, AAC; Sodexo
- Renny Parziale, CEC, CCA, AAC; ACF Virginia Chefs Association
- René Rawraway, CEC, CCE, AAC; ACF Akron-Canton Area Cooks and Chefs Association
- Joshua T. Spiess, CEC, AAC; Gulf Coast Culinary Association
- Kenneth B. Trout, CEC, AAC; ACF Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey
- Scott D. Turley, CEC, AAC; ACF of Southeast Iowa
- Jean Yves Vendeville, CEPC, AAC; ACF Chefs of the Low Country
- Joshua Wickham, CEC, CEPC, AAC; ACF Columbus Chapter
AAC Honorary Fellows
- Richard W. Alford, CEC, CCE, HAAC; Associate Professor Emeritus (Retired), University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
- John A. Beaudrie, HAAC; Regional Account Executive - Southern Division, S&D Coffee & Tea Inc., Concord, N.C.
- Graham Elliot, HAAC; Chef and Restaurateur, Graham Elliot Bistro, Chicago
- Nicholas Schiarizzi, HAAC; Executive Chef/Culinary Arts Instructor, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, Boston, Mass.
- Jeff L. Simms, HAAC; Executive Chef, The Breakers, Palm Beach, Fla.
- Harold S. Small, HAAC, JD, HBOT; Bailli Délégué/U.S. National President, Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs of the United States, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.