An article about Eliminate Alcohol boycotting Feast Fest misquoted EA Court President John Mecke as saying the decision was "unanimous," then quoted a member of the Court who opposed the proposal.
Rather, the proposal garnered 18 approving votes in the Court of 20. The quoted Court member, Jim Rokkette, was one of only two dissenting members.
FF Wire Service
The NCA Feast Fest lives here
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
EA Boycotts Feast Fest
-Los Angeles
-Feast Fest has become the latest victim of the anti-alcohol-consumption group Eliminate Alcohol.
EA Court President John Mecke said that EA had made the "unanimous decision" to boycott Feast Fest because the event serves alcohol and attracts families, claiming Feast Fest subjects children to untoward exposure to alcohol.
EA voted Wednesday to print and distribute anti-Feast Fest rhetoric and to urge the public not to attend Feast Fest unless it either restricts the event to those 21 and older or eliminates alcoholic consumption altogether. EA would likely prefer the latter. "EA has nothing against Feast Fest," John Sint Wiwelsken, a longtime analyst of EA and its workings, said. "Feast Fest is merely its most recent target in a long line of family-catering institutions it has endeavored recently to have them scrap alcohol. They have no legal standing, and Feast Fest needs not to worry."
Calls to EA offices and Court President Mecke were not returned. Court Member Jimmy Rokkette, who opposed the proposal, called boycotting Feast Fest "ridiculous." "We have very clear guidelines about what constitutes a legal crossing-the-line when it comes to alcoholic consumption. Feast Fest has not even come close to crossing that line."
Event Mgr. William Vanderbilt did not bridle at the boycott, however, instead extending an olive branch to EA by way of a letter to Court President Mecke in which he acknowledged problems with alcoholic consumption at Feast Fest and pledged to curb them.
"Inebriation has become a problem at Feast Fest," Vanderbilt assured Mecke, "and I stand firm in my quest to snuff it out."
FF Wire Service
-Feast Fest has become the latest victim of the anti-alcohol-consumption group Eliminate Alcohol.
EA Court President John Mecke said that EA had made the "unanimous decision" to boycott Feast Fest because the event serves alcohol and attracts families, claiming Feast Fest subjects children to untoward exposure to alcohol.
EA voted Wednesday to print and distribute anti-Feast Fest rhetoric and to urge the public not to attend Feast Fest unless it either restricts the event to those 21 and older or eliminates alcoholic consumption altogether. EA would likely prefer the latter. "EA has nothing against Feast Fest," John Sint Wiwelsken, a longtime analyst of EA and its workings, said. "Feast Fest is merely its most recent target in a long line of family-catering institutions it has endeavored recently to have them scrap alcohol. They have no legal standing, and Feast Fest needs not to worry."
Calls to EA offices and Court President Mecke were not returned. Court Member Jimmy Rokkette, who opposed the proposal, called boycotting Feast Fest "ridiculous." "We have very clear guidelines about what constitutes a legal crossing-the-line when it comes to alcoholic consumption. Feast Fest has not even come close to crossing that line."
Event Mgr. William Vanderbilt did not bridle at the boycott, however, instead extending an olive branch to EA by way of a letter to Court President Mecke in which he acknowledged problems with alcoholic consumption at Feast Fest and pledged to curb them.
"Inebriation has become a problem at Feast Fest," Vanderbilt assured Mecke, "and I stand firm in my quest to snuff it out."
FF Wire Service
Feast Fest Executive Board Invokes Right to Refuse Service in Galen-Ames Matter
-Marina del Rey, Calif.
-The Feast Fest ten-member Executive Board voted 7-3 Wednesday morning to invoke Feast Fest's Right to Refuse Service to Anyone in a matter involving Brianna Galen-Ames, the 18-year-old culinary wunderkind who was a member of Feast Fest for four years before leaving the event in a strained fashion. After serving in four Feast Fests from 2007 to 2010, she announced in October 2010 that that year's Feast Fest would be her last due to her plans to attend a prestigious European cooking school beginning in spring 2011. The school, though, was shuttered unexpectedly for multi-year renovations, so in October 2011, Galen-Ames and Feast Fest scouters began working on a deal to get her back in the event in 2012. However, it had been revealed in her absence that chefs were relieved she had left, viewing her as cocky and immature. And she showed that side of herself when she attended Feast Fest 2011 under the personal invitation of Head Scouter Jim Dall, booing the score announcement of 99.0, the highest ever for a Feast Fest.
Galen-Ames and Feast Fest broke off their talks in January 2012, and had not had contact with each other since--until Friday, when an agent for Galen-Ames ordered two tickets, not identifying who the second ticket would be for, for Feast Fest 2013 on Nov. 28.
"We feel that this agent was attempting to get Ms. Galen-Ames into the event, and with her strained relationship with Feast Fest, there is no telling what she might do. We certainly would not want a repeat of her behavior at Feast Fest 2013. Therefore, we feel it sadly necessary and prudent to invoke our right to deny service to anyone to reject Ms. Galen-Ames' agent's order form," so read the concurrent opinion.
The dissenting opinion, written by Ava van Geilsrolmed, a known Galen-Ames supporter, read in part, "With our already tarnished relations with Ms. Galen-Ames, it is felt by the minority that extending an olive branch by way of offering two tickets to her agent would be the perfect way to offer forgiveness for her actions and to welcome her warmly back into the Feast Fest microcosm. We are certain Ms. Galen-Ames would not conduct her behavior in the manner in which she did in 2011."
"It really is a ridiculous passage of legislation, to invoke the right to refuse clause," van Geilsrolmed said. "They [the Executive Board] is merely trying to respond to the petty requests of the chefs."
Executive Assistant Arthur Ayeiy, who voted with the majority, said, "Ms. Galen-Ames has become a scourge on our event. It would be unwise to have Ms. Galen-Ames become involved with the event again, even in such a way as small as having her attend Feast Fest. This event and Ms. Galen-Ames have gone separate ways. It ought to stick that way."
FF Wire Service
-The Feast Fest ten-member Executive Board voted 7-3 Wednesday morning to invoke Feast Fest's Right to Refuse Service to Anyone in a matter involving Brianna Galen-Ames, the 18-year-old culinary wunderkind who was a member of Feast Fest for four years before leaving the event in a strained fashion. After serving in four Feast Fests from 2007 to 2010, she announced in October 2010 that that year's Feast Fest would be her last due to her plans to attend a prestigious European cooking school beginning in spring 2011. The school, though, was shuttered unexpectedly for multi-year renovations, so in October 2011, Galen-Ames and Feast Fest scouters began working on a deal to get her back in the event in 2012. However, it had been revealed in her absence that chefs were relieved she had left, viewing her as cocky and immature. And she showed that side of herself when she attended Feast Fest 2011 under the personal invitation of Head Scouter Jim Dall, booing the score announcement of 99.0, the highest ever for a Feast Fest.
Galen-Ames and Feast Fest broke off their talks in January 2012, and had not had contact with each other since--until Friday, when an agent for Galen-Ames ordered two tickets, not identifying who the second ticket would be for, for Feast Fest 2013 on Nov. 28.
"We feel that this agent was attempting to get Ms. Galen-Ames into the event, and with her strained relationship with Feast Fest, there is no telling what she might do. We certainly would not want a repeat of her behavior at Feast Fest 2013. Therefore, we feel it sadly necessary and prudent to invoke our right to deny service to anyone to reject Ms. Galen-Ames' agent's order form," so read the concurrent opinion.
The dissenting opinion, written by Ava van Geilsrolmed, a known Galen-Ames supporter, read in part, "With our already tarnished relations with Ms. Galen-Ames, it is felt by the minority that extending an olive branch by way of offering two tickets to her agent would be the perfect way to offer forgiveness for her actions and to welcome her warmly back into the Feast Fest microcosm. We are certain Ms. Galen-Ames would not conduct her behavior in the manner in which she did in 2011."
"It really is a ridiculous passage of legislation, to invoke the right to refuse clause," van Geilsrolmed said. "They [the Executive Board] is merely trying to respond to the petty requests of the chefs."
Executive Assistant Arthur Ayeiy, who voted with the majority, said, "Ms. Galen-Ames has become a scourge on our event. It would be unwise to have Ms. Galen-Ames become involved with the event again, even in such a way as small as having her attend Feast Fest. This event and Ms. Galen-Ames have gone separate ways. It ought to stick that way."
FF Wire Service
NCA Releases Full List of 2013 Award Categories
-New York
-With FF chefs having already racked up wins in some of the initial categories, such as Best European, Most Determined, and Best Fresh Face, the NCA released the full list of awards it will render through Dec. 1. A few new awards have popped up, such as Best Dessert Maker and Best Russian. A number of Feast Fest chefs could contend for the former, and Andri Jones and Alexei Aiber could be shoo-one for the latter. In addition, the NCA's Best Still-Studying award, which has been won four times by Assistant Head Sous-Chef Joe Pasik, has been scrapped due to its similarity to the NCA's Most Studious award, which Pasik has cradled thrice, in 2005, 2009, and 2010.
The full list appears below:
Best (NCA Chef of the Year Award)
Fun Chef Award
Best Sous-Chef/Head-Chef Collaboration
Most Well-Rounded
Most Fiery (With a Pan)
Most Studious
Flashiest
Most Logical
Best European
Best French
Best Italian
Best Creole
Best Latin Influence
Best Chinese
Best Japanese
Best Thai
Best German, Austrian, or Polish
Best Russian (NEW)
Best Sous-Chef Camaraderie
Most Knowledgeable
"Best of the Rest" Best Underestimated/Overlooked Chef
Wisest
Most Responsible
Best "Go-for-it-All" (has been signaled for possible scrapping in 2014 due to similarity to "Most Determined")
Most Americanized
Best World
Best Under-30
Best Under-24 (NEW)
Best Under-18
Best Cordon Bleu Alumnus
Best Mikokoshi Alumnus
Best Brayton Hill Alumnus
Most Loyal to Their Restaurant
Most Intimidating In A Positive Way
"Most Patriotic" Best American Chef
Most Creative
Most Artistic
Best Presentations (NEW)
Most Joyful (NEW)
Most Electric (NEW)
Best Above-50 (NEW)
Best Above-70 (NEW)
FF Wire Service
-With FF chefs having already racked up wins in some of the initial categories, such as Best European, Most Determined, and Best Fresh Face, the NCA released the full list of awards it will render through Dec. 1. A few new awards have popped up, such as Best Dessert Maker and Best Russian. A number of Feast Fest chefs could contend for the former, and Andri Jones and Alexei Aiber could be shoo-one for the latter. In addition, the NCA's Best Still-Studying award, which has been won four times by Assistant Head Sous-Chef Joe Pasik, has been scrapped due to its similarity to the NCA's Most Studious award, which Pasik has cradled thrice, in 2005, 2009, and 2010.
The full list appears below:
Best (NCA Chef of the Year Award)
Fun Chef Award
Best Sous-Chef/Head-Chef Collaboration
Most Well-Rounded
Most Fiery (With a Pan)
Most Studious
Flashiest
Most Logical
Best European
Best French
Best Italian
Best Creole
Best Latin Influence
Best Chinese
Best Japanese
Best Thai
Best German, Austrian, or Polish
Best Russian (NEW)
Best Sous-Chef Camaraderie
Most Knowledgeable
"Best of the Rest" Best Underestimated/Overlooked Chef
Wisest
Most Responsible
Best "Go-for-it-All" (has been signaled for possible scrapping in 2014 due to similarity to "Most Determined")
Most Americanized
Best World
Best Under-30
Best Under-24 (NEW)
Best Under-18
Best Cordon Bleu Alumnus
Best Mikokoshi Alumnus
Best Brayton Hill Alumnus
Most Loyal to Their Restaurant
Most Intimidating In A Positive Way
"Most Patriotic" Best American Chef
Most Creative
Most Artistic
Best Presentations (NEW)
Most Joyful (NEW)
Most Electric (NEW)
Best Above-50 (NEW)
Best Above-70 (NEW)
FF Wire Service
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
NacGnissecorp Wins NCA's Best Fresh Face
-New York
-Eric NacGnissecorp, who burst onto the culinary scene in March after he signed with Feast Fest, ranking second or tied for first in three straight exhibitions and taking on a position as an exalted wunderkind within the event, has been honored with the NCA's Best Fresh Face award, it was revealed Tuesday.
The Best Fresh Face award honors the finest new chef at a restaurant, culinary event, or culinary institution. With Feast Fest having signed seven chefs in the offseason, all of them were eligible for the award. However, no others podiumed.
NacGnissecorp is "ecstatic," a spokesperson for his family said. "He literally fell over when he heard the news. He can't believe how well things have gone for him in his first year here, how far he's come. Eric is over the moon, and, I'd venture to say, a little in happy shock right now."
The spokesperson said NacGnissecorp thought the phone call informing him of the good news, which came about 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, had been an error, until he was showed the official documentation via email. NacGnissecorp left Morro Bay Monday and is back at his home in Muskegon, Mich.
Feast Fest analyst Mike Vilshire posted on this very site a glowing review of NacGnissecorp just about 24 hours before he was honored with the award.
It was the first time since 2010 that an FFer won the NCA's Best Fresh Face honor. That year, Daniel Mettling received the award.
NacGnissecorp had only been a member of the NCA since his signing in March.
FF Wire Service
-Eric NacGnissecorp, who burst onto the culinary scene in March after he signed with Feast Fest, ranking second or tied for first in three straight exhibitions and taking on a position as an exalted wunderkind within the event, has been honored with the NCA's Best Fresh Face award, it was revealed Tuesday.
The Best Fresh Face award honors the finest new chef at a restaurant, culinary event, or culinary institution. With Feast Fest having signed seven chefs in the offseason, all of them were eligible for the award. However, no others podiumed.
NacGnissecorp is "ecstatic," a spokesperson for his family said. "He literally fell over when he heard the news. He can't believe how well things have gone for him in his first year here, how far he's come. Eric is over the moon, and, I'd venture to say, a little in happy shock right now."
The spokesperson said NacGnissecorp thought the phone call informing him of the good news, which came about 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, had been an error, until he was showed the official documentation via email. NacGnissecorp left Morro Bay Monday and is back at his home in Muskegon, Mich.
Feast Fest analyst Mike Vilshire posted on this very site a glowing review of NacGnissecorp just about 24 hours before he was honored with the award.
It was the first time since 2010 that an FFer won the NCA's Best Fresh Face honor. That year, Daniel Mettling received the award.
NacGnissecorp had only been a member of the NCA since his signing in March.
FF Wire Service
McAllister Gets 2nd Most Determined, Leading Avi
-New York
-The NCA today awarded Feast Fest Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister with its 2013 NCA's Most Determined honor. Lynn Avi also podiumed at second place.
The members of the Mason Duo just missed podiuming for what would have been their third time, finishing 7th and 8th, respectively, in the voting.
McAllister won 14.4% of the vote for his second Most Determined bestowment, following a win in the Most Determined Category in 2009. McAllister also podiumed in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Avi won the award in 2008, 2010, and 2011 and podiumed in 2012.
"We are absolutely tickled pink that Mr. McAllister and Ms. Avi, two of our most esteemed chefs, have been able to bring this honor home to Feast Fest yet again," said Event Mgr. William Vanderbilt in a statement. "They certainly embody all of the qualities of only the purest and finest forms of determination in their drive to make Feast Fest one of the world's preeminent culinary institutions and in their quest to thrust Feast Fest toward its golden goal of a 100.0 NCA rating."
McAllister himself said he was "feeling incredible."
Avi had apparently not yet been notified of her honor at press time. Feast Fest officials were working on reaching her New York residence to deliver the happy news.
FF Wire Service
-The NCA today awarded Feast Fest Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister with its 2013 NCA's Most Determined honor. Lynn Avi also podiumed at second place.
The members of the Mason Duo just missed podiuming for what would have been their third time, finishing 7th and 8th, respectively, in the voting.
McAllister won 14.4% of the vote for his second Most Determined bestowment, following a win in the Most Determined Category in 2009. McAllister also podiumed in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Avi won the award in 2008, 2010, and 2011 and podiumed in 2012.
"We are absolutely tickled pink that Mr. McAllister and Ms. Avi, two of our most esteemed chefs, have been able to bring this honor home to Feast Fest yet again," said Event Mgr. William Vanderbilt in a statement. "They certainly embody all of the qualities of only the purest and finest forms of determination in their drive to make Feast Fest one of the world's preeminent culinary institutions and in their quest to thrust Feast Fest toward its golden goal of a 100.0 NCA rating."
McAllister himself said he was "feeling incredible."
Avi had apparently not yet been notified of her honor at press time. Feast Fest officials were working on reaching her New York residence to deliver the happy news.
FF Wire Service
Jenkins Quell L.A. Wild Sale Rumors
-Ingleside, N.C.
-The Jenkinses, Jan and Suzy, owners of L.A. Wild, Feast Fest's official culinary provider, said from their home in Ingleside, N.C. Monday evening that they would not be selling the company to a Virginian, Darrell Miltonwood, for $6.7 million.
Miltonwood announced over Twitter that he had purchased "the Los Angeles Area Wild Company," which is the official full name of L.A. Wild. It turned out that Miltonwood had no connections with the Jenkinses, and that Miltonwood was referring to The Los Angeles Area Wilderness Company, a logging firm.
"We have no connections with Mr. Miltonwood," the Jenkinses assured, "and we have no plans in the near or distant future to part ways with L.A. Wild."
-The Jenkinses, Jan and Suzy, owners of L.A. Wild, Feast Fest's official culinary provider, said from their home in Ingleside, N.C. Monday evening that they would not be selling the company to a Virginian, Darrell Miltonwood, for $6.7 million.
Miltonwood announced over Twitter that he had purchased "the Los Angeles Area Wild Company," which is the official full name of L.A. Wild. It turned out that Miltonwood had no connections with the Jenkinses, and that Miltonwood was referring to The Los Angeles Area Wilderness Company, a logging firm.
"We have no connections with Mr. Miltonwood," the Jenkinses assured, "and we have no plans in the near or distant future to part ways with L.A. Wild."
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