-Marina del Rey, Ca.
-Tigress Head Sous-Chef Lynn Avi could jump over Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister in salary terms in a latest offer made by Feast Fest scouters.
The offer was not to be publicly announced until Monday morning but was leaked Sunday evening by sources familiar with the situation.
Avi, who will enter her seventh Feast Fest this Thanksgiving, will rake in $887,463 this year, having cradles $884,372 last year. Avi's contract expires December 31 and must be renewed in the upcoming offseason, which begins in December. Re-signing the glamgirl Avi for 2013 and beyond will be one of Feast Fest's biggest priorities post-Nov. 22.
This is Avi's second contract renewal negotiation. Originally signed for a two-year, $733,000-deal in 2006, she renegotiated in 2008.
The current proposal is for a 5-year, $903,455 deal.
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The NCA Feast Fest lives here
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Sunday, October 21, 2012
A. Hulckackamp Cleared
-Marina del Rey, Ca.
-Adam Hulckackamp has been cleared as the possible fifth scouter who took a $25,000 bribe from Anah de Vri and Peter di Vris in order to get the Dutch duo an unauthorized $469,000 salary upping.
Hulckackamp had been under investigation as a possible still-unidentified fifth scouter, aside from four now-fired others.
Hulckackamp had been implicated earlier this week in the scandal, because a cousin of his, Stan, was one of the condemned four scouters.
However, an independent investigation found Adam Hulckackamp wholly innocent. Hulckackamp claims to have had "no knowledge" of the incident before it was exposed earlier this month, saying he was "shocked and appalled" when he learned that his cousin was involved.
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-Adam Hulckackamp has been cleared as the possible fifth scouter who took a $25,000 bribe from Anah de Vri and Peter di Vris in order to get the Dutch duo an unauthorized $469,000 salary upping.
Hulckackamp had been under investigation as a possible still-unidentified fifth scouter, aside from four now-fired others.
Hulckackamp had been implicated earlier this week in the scandal, because a cousin of his, Stan, was one of the condemned four scouters.
However, an independent investigation found Adam Hulckackamp wholly innocent. Hulckackamp claims to have had "no knowledge" of the incident before it was exposed earlier this month, saying he was "shocked and appalled" when he learned that his cousin was involved.
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Vanderbilt Wins Managerial Award
The NCA's Managerial Award, given to the best manager of a restaurant, culinary institution, school, or event, went to William Vanderbilt for the second straight year Sunday.
Vanderbilt's fifth nomination led to his second victory in the category, with an outstandingly unanimous 1,533 votes, more than half of all those cast. 103 people were nominated.
"I am so touched and deeply moved to have been honored in this manner yet again," he said, emotionally stricken, at a press conference late Sunday.
"We are elated," Arthur Ayeiy, Vanderbilt's second-in-command, said when asked to describe the feelings of the FF chefs and other staff upon the announcement.
When he won this honor in 2011, some chefs disapproved and even booed at the announcement. This was because Vanderbilt's approval ratings among chefs had dipped sharply the week before the announcement due to his perceived support of reviled former chef Brianna Galen-Ames. However, there seemed to be no such dissension at Vandy's cradling of the award this time around.
Henry Lilton, manager of the New York Thanksgiving Spectacular, the largest Thanksgiving event similar to Feast Fest, placed fifth in the voting. Lilton's "Spectacular" has 34 chefs, about half of the amount Feast Fest has.
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Vanderbilt's fifth nomination led to his second victory in the category, with an outstandingly unanimous 1,533 votes, more than half of all those cast. 103 people were nominated.
"I am so touched and deeply moved to have been honored in this manner yet again," he said, emotionally stricken, at a press conference late Sunday.
"We are elated," Arthur Ayeiy, Vanderbilt's second-in-command, said when asked to describe the feelings of the FF chefs and other staff upon the announcement.
When he won this honor in 2011, some chefs disapproved and even booed at the announcement. This was because Vanderbilt's approval ratings among chefs had dipped sharply the week before the announcement due to his perceived support of reviled former chef Brianna Galen-Ames. However, there seemed to be no such dissension at Vandy's cradling of the award this time around.
Henry Lilton, manager of the New York Thanksgiving Spectacular, the largest Thanksgiving event similar to Feast Fest, placed fifth in the voting. Lilton's "Spectacular" has 34 chefs, about half of the amount Feast Fest has.
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Donavert Defends Dreim, Shady Says FFers Opinion of Dreim Will Influence Rehiring Efforts
-Marina del Rey, Ca.
-Feast Fest chef Lakeland Donavert (don-uh-VAIR) defiantly defended former fellow FF fixture Stephen Dreim Sunday, calling Dreim "a master" whose "love for Feast Fest and wishes for it to reach the highest of heights would have absolutely excluded him from partaking in any nefarious activities that would damage the event's reputation," referring to Dreim's implication in a bribery scandal earlier this week. Dreim's name has been cleared in that scandal, but he resigned earlier this week mere hours before he was pronounced innocent, angered at the intense interrogations and harsh treatment he received during an independent investigation. Feast Fest has tried desperately to re-sign a stubborn Dreim, but some aren't so sure if that's the best move. Chefs have condemned the 33-year-old Americana master, calling him haughty, conceited, and self-centered, while others, such as Donavert, have virulently defended him.
"Feast Fest wishes to do what is best for the chef body as a whole," FF Executive Beryl Shady said early Sunday. "We wish to conform to the wishes of the chef body. If those wishes are saying, 'Hey, we didn't get along with Dreim, so if he doesn't want to come back don't try to get him back,' we'll listen." But, Shady said, "We're waiting for more chefs to voice an opinion before we make a decision based on those dialogues."
Only 23 chefs have voiced a Dreim opinion so far; of those 23, 11 viewed him negatively, 11 viewed him positively, and 1 was neutral.
Dreim is a polarizing factor among FF chefs. Said one of the few neutral chefs, Jack Mark, "You love him or you hate him, that's why he's Steve Dreim."
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-Feast Fest chef Lakeland Donavert (don-uh-VAIR) defiantly defended former fellow FF fixture Stephen Dreim Sunday, calling Dreim "a master" whose "love for Feast Fest and wishes for it to reach the highest of heights would have absolutely excluded him from partaking in any nefarious activities that would damage the event's reputation," referring to Dreim's implication in a bribery scandal earlier this week. Dreim's name has been cleared in that scandal, but he resigned earlier this week mere hours before he was pronounced innocent, angered at the intense interrogations and harsh treatment he received during an independent investigation. Feast Fest has tried desperately to re-sign a stubborn Dreim, but some aren't so sure if that's the best move. Chefs have condemned the 33-year-old Americana master, calling him haughty, conceited, and self-centered, while others, such as Donavert, have virulently defended him.
"Feast Fest wishes to do what is best for the chef body as a whole," FF Executive Beryl Shady said early Sunday. "We wish to conform to the wishes of the chef body. If those wishes are saying, 'Hey, we didn't get along with Dreim, so if he doesn't want to come back don't try to get him back,' we'll listen." But, Shady said, "We're waiting for more chefs to voice an opinion before we make a decision based on those dialogues."
Only 23 chefs have voiced a Dreim opinion so far; of those 23, 11 viewed him negatively, 11 viewed him positively, and 1 was neutral.
Dreim is a polarizing factor among FF chefs. Said one of the few neutral chefs, Jack Mark, "You love him or you hate him, that's why he's Steve Dreim."
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