ANAHEIM GARDENWALK SUPPORTS ORANGE COUNTY YOUTH CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM WITH “CHEF CHALLENGE” ON OCT. 22
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 27, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT:
Deborah Blackford/blkfrd@earthlink.net (714) 280-8765
Carmen Herlihy/cherlihy@mcraigassociates.com
Jennifer Geisman/jcgeisman@mcraigassociates.com (646) 249-5189
ANAHEIM GARDENWALK SUPPORTS ORANGE COUNTY YOUTH CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM WITH “CHEF CHALLENGE” ON OCT. 22
Chef Challenge Showcases Center’s Restaurants
with Tastings and Entertainment
(ANAHEIM, CA) – Anaheim GardenWalk invites the public to get a taste of what’s served at the center, as it hosts Chef Challenge on Sunday, October 22 from 3pm – 5pm. The event is sponsored by Dining Out Magazine in partnership with the California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF). Guests can visit these participating restaurants: House of Blues Anaheim, Fire + Ice Grill + Bar, Grasslands Meat Market BBQ & Churrasco, McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang’s, McCormick & Schmick’s Grille, Roy’s Restaurant and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., where they will receive a free sample of the restaurant’s signature dish. After they have finished sampling the dishes, guests can vote on the dish they liked the best for a chance to win prizes. The Anaheim GardenWalk chef who wins the challenge will receive an award and professional grade knives. Samples are first come, first served. Attendees need to sign up at the event at one of two registration tables (located in the Gala Garden and by the Concierge Kiosk on Katella) to receive their voting cards. Guests will also be treated to free entertainment including a photo booth, henna tattoos, a balloon artist, a special Gourmet Chef virtual reality game by Go VR Gaming and live music by The Federales.
In addition to the professional Anaheim GardenWalk restaurant chefs competing, high school students enrolled in culinary arts programs throughout Orange County will also compete in the inaugural Chef Challenge event. Twenty top culinary students have been selected to serve as sous chefs, helping chefs from nine Anaheim GardenWalk restaurants prepare signature dishes for sampling. The culinary show-down is raising money and awareness for the county’s high school culinary arts programs. More than 1,600 Orange County students are enrolled in ProStart, a program to prepare young people for careers in culinary arts and hospitality management. Fieldtrips, job-readiness trainings, classroom speakers, and equipment are just a few of the enrichment services offered to ProStart classes by the California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF).
“We are excited to host such an impactful event for Orange County high school culinary students, and participate in helping them cultivate relationships with area chefs, so that they can be mentored for future success,” said Robin Weeks-Wynne, senior director of marketing and tourism for Anaheim GardenWalk.
About Anaheim GardenWalk: Anaheim GardenWalk is an eatertainment destination that blends dining, nightlife, family-friendly fun, outdoor art, and unique shops in a single amazing location. GardenWalk is home to a distinctive collection of popular restaurants, a vibrant nightlife with two rocking dance clubs, retail stores and renowned live concert venue, House of Blues Anaheim, featuring musical artists new and old, and its famed Gospel brunch. Family-fun entertainment highlights include GO VR Gaming, Mission Escape Games, and Bowlmor Lanes. The 460,000-square-foot outdoor dining, entertainment and shopping destination is situated in the heart of the Anaheim Resort District, just steps from the Disneyland® Resort, Anaheim Convention Center, and a short drive from Angel Stadium and Honda Center. Anaheim GardenWalk provides a one-of-a-kind guest experience and a world-class gathering place for locals and visitors.
Recently named “Best-Of” for its arts program by Orange Coast magazine, Anaheim GardenWalk is well-known for its art galleries, exhibits and pop-up galleries. For more information, visit Anaheim GardenWalk and follow the center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About the California Restaurant Association Foundation: California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy. The California Restaurant Association Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California's current and future restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRAF supports the restaurant community through emergency assistance grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 9,000 high school students each year, and scholarships.