# A New Award For Chefs



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

*Banchet awards make debut*

William Rice
Published February 20, 2002

Four area chefs were honored with the first Jean Banchet Awards of Culinary Excellence during The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Grand Chefs Gala, held earlier this month at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel.

Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill/Topolobampo was selected as celebrity chef of the year. En-Ming Hsu of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago was named celebrity pastry chef; Shawn McClain of Spring was recognized as rising chef of the year and Brian Schoenbeck of Couverture, a wholesale candy purveyor, was voted rising pastry chef of the year.

Four institutions were honored as well. The Entertaining Co. was cited as best catering company, the French Pastry School was named best culinary school and Les Nomades and Charlie Trotter's tied for best fine-dining establishment.

The awards were determined by vote of the 34 chefs participating in the gala plus the nominees. The event raised $300,000 for the foundation. Banchet, chef-owner of Le Francais in Wheeling until his retirement last year, presented medals to the winners.

The Chicago Tribune


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Wow baby $300,000 what did they charge for the dinner and what was served......better yet what type of foundation was it and it appears to be just Chicago chefs.


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## culinarian247 (Jan 21, 2002)

Tidy sum for an inaugural award. Sweeeeeeeeeeeet! :bounce:


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

That's all they said about it.


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