And The Winners Of The 2015 Golden Foodie Awards Are . . .

    NEWPORT BEACH, CA, October 01, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The 2015 Golden Foodie Awards was a night to remember as it celebrated the outstanding achievement of local culinary experts on Sunday, September 27th at the Fairmont Newport Beach. The sold out show played host to Orange County's culinary elite who sipped on spectacular cocktails and delicious food. The red carpet affair awarded Golden Foodie Statues made out of pewter and plated in 14K Gold to the winners.

The event kicked off as guests were posing for premiere press photographers as they snapped photos on the red carpet. Heads turned as the talented who's-who joined the affair. The red carpet was full of food celebrities such as Simon Majumdar, known as the Food Network's 'toughest critic' and Master of Ceremonies for the night's event, Chef Ludo Lefebvre, star of ABC's The Taste and owner of Trois Mec, Top Chef All-Star Marcel Vigneron, Former LA Rams Quarterback Vince Ferragamo, Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, Wing Lam, co-owner of Wahoo's, and many more.

Prior to the Awards, guests indulged in an overwhelming array of food stations and cocktail bars on the elegant candlelit patio of the Fairmont Newport Beach. A few delicious bites from some of Orange County's best restaurants included 48 Hour Imperial Wagyu Beef Cheek with smoked beet, aged balsamic and purple watercress from SOCIAL Costa Mesa, sweet corn panna cotta with aerated burrata, freeze dried corn and chive blossoms from Cucina enoteca and SeaSalt Restaurant (scheduled to open at the end of the year) will be premiering their Santa Maria Tri Tip Sandwich and Mac and Cheese. Guests quenched their thirst with Kean Coffee, VOSS Water, Ketel One craft cocktails, Roca Patron Cocktails and wines by Coppola at the Celebrity Cruise wine bar.

The doors into the ballroom opened to reveal beautifully decorated tables showcasing a cornucopia of desserts and libations. The Fairmont Newport Beach Pastry Chef, Jeffry Kahle created the "Golden Goo Goo Peanut BUTTAH", a decadent and rich peanut and chocolate confection with layers of chocolate brownie, peanut butter milk chocolate ganache, and a roasted peanut and honey caramel. All dipped in 70% chocolate and touched with gold. Vicky Hsu and Rachel Klemek of Blackmarket Bakery created the "Golden Eclipse Cake" with layers of Vanilla Sponge Cake and Chocolate Cake, both drizzled with Orange Bourbon Simple Syrup, enclosing a Passion-Orange Diplomat Cream, topped with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Gold Decor. Golden Foodie Award winning Banana Bread Pudding by Chef Deb Sims of Maro Wood Grill, handmade Chocolate covered strawberries and Alfajores by Villa Roma, Bonbons of Gold by Valenza Chocolatier and B. Toffee adorned the tables.

The ballroom filled with love and laughter as Simon Majumdar warmed the crowd and guests laughed at the new video series Simon Says: Golden Foodie Awards VIDEO LINK. Celebrity guests, top chefs and food industry icons presented awards in 24 categories of culinary excellence. All winners took home extravagant prizes including the Golden Foodie Statue and a hosted meal at The Grand Terrace at Honda Center during an Anaheim Ducks game.

The extravagant evening continued as guests flooded out of the ballroom and onto the illuminated patio under the blood moon night sky to enjoy a Casino Royale-themed after-party that included the Infinity Lounge, swanky and Hollywood-esq lounges by Sweet Salvage Rentals, cocktails from the Ketel One Vodka and Roca Patron, nite bites by Seasalt restaurant, Golden Affogatos by Kean Coffee and After's Ice Cream. Guests, celebrities and winners danced and celebrated under the star-lit sky and spoke of a culinary night to remember.

"We are just so happy that this event has become such a wonderful part of the local culinary scene and the level of passion and community is extraordinary," says Pamela Waitt, creator and producer of the Golden Foodie Awards and President of the OC Restaurant Association Inc. We are excited about the evolution of this event.

And the 2015 Golden Foodie Award Winners Are...
Best Cocktails: The Blind Rabbit
Bartender of the Year 2015: Alex Filkins, Wild Goose Tavern
Best Food Talk Radio: The Fork Report with Neil Saavedra
Best Food Writer: Cathy Thomas
Best Sushi: Hamamori Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Best Dessert: Maro Wood Grill
Best Service Award: Anaheim White House
Best Indian Cuisine: Adya
Best Mexican Cuisine: Taco Maria
Best Italian Cuisine: Brunos Italian Kitchen
Best French Cuisine: Pascal's San Juan Capistrano
Best Asian Cuisine: AnQi
Best Mediterranean Cuisine: LUCCA
Best Vegetarian Cuisine: Provenance
Best Beer: Haven Gastropub
Best Wine: Selanne Steak Tavern
Best Pizza: Brick Pizzeria
Best Steak: The Ranch Restaurant
Best Burger: Mick's Karma Bar
Best Californian Cuisine: SOCIAL Costa Mesa
Best Seafood: Scott's Restaurant and Bar
Best New Restaurant: SOCIAL Costa Mesa
Pastry Chef of the Year: Chef Ashley Guzman
Chef of the Year: Chef Andrew Sutton

Golden Foodie Awards would like to thank its sponsors:
Fairmont Newport Beach, Sub-Zero and Wolf, Infiniti, Celebrity Cruises, Orange Coast Magazine, 95.5 KLOS, The Fork Report with Neil Saavedra, Ketel One Vodka, Los Angeles Times, Melissa's Produce, Southern Wine & Spirits, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Voss Water, Kean Coffee, Code Four, Roca Patron, Sadie Rose Baking Company, Aloha POS, The District at Tustin Legacy, Sweet Salvage Rentals, Awesome Casino Events and Greer's OC.

The Golden Foodie Awards
The Golden Foodie Awards are like the Oscars of food with the fun of the Golden Globes. They are the People's Choice Food Awards. . . The Golden Foodies are a People's Choice Food Awards. The event was created to honor extraordinary culinary talent. The Golden Foodies harness the collective power of the "Food Loving" community to recognize local excellence and celebrate with an incredible red carpet gala. This event is only for the chef driven and independent restaurants. http://goldenfoodieawards.com

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