Celebrity Chefs Announced for 2nd New Hampshire Restaurant Week

Online, April 29, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Chefs from around the state have been chosen as Celebrity Chefs for the second annual statewide New Hampshire Restaurant Week presented by the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association. The eight-day event, slated for May 17-24, features more than 150 restaurants presenting three-course prix fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner.

"We are thankful that NH Restaurant Week was so successful last year," said Mike Somers, president and CEO of the NHLRA. "Our Celebrity Chefs are returning, and we're excited to have some new faces. It is great to see locals and visitors alike experiencing New Hampshire as the culinary destination we know it is."

The Celebrity Chefs were chosen for their contributions to the culinary community in New Hampshire, according to the NHLRA. They each strive to bring quality food, unique menus and a higher standard to the restaurant offerings in the Granite State.

The Celebrity Chefs representing Restaurant Week NH are:

Celebrity Chef Nicole Barreira
Nicole Barreira joined Great NH Restaurants in 2006. Receiving three degrees from Southern New Hampshire University and hoping to start her doctoral studies soon, she has been the face of
T-BONES and Cactus Jack's for years, known to regulars as "Chef Nicole" and for her pink chef's jacket. She began working in the industry at 14, and now as corporate chef, she plans and develops all seasonal and specialty menus for T-BONES and Cactus Jack's.

Celebrity Chef Benjamin Knack
Benjamin Knack started his career at a four-star restaurant rated as one of the top 20 in America, and he continues that high standard with his work at the Bedford Village Inn. A graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, he worked in Phoenix and Boston before arriving at the Bedford Village Inn. Reality TV show fans may recognize Chef Benjamin from his time on Season 7 of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" with Gordon Ramsay.

Celebrity Chef Jeffrey Paige
Jeffrey Paige is a 25-year veteran of the food service industry, opening Manchester's Cotton in 2000. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he's cooked for Julia Child, President George Bush, President Bill Clinton and the European Parliament. In 1991, he began New Hampshire's first Farm to Restaurant Connection. Chef Jeffrey has authored three cookbooks, most recently in 2009: "Cotton - The Cookbook."

Celebrity Chef Bud Selmi
Bud Selmi has worked in the Mount Washington Valley for more than 40 years, currently at the Margarita Grill in Glen. A Certified Chef through the American Culinary Federation, he also works closely with the ACF's NH Chapter's Junior Program. In 1999, Chef Bud was named Chef of the Year by the ACF's White Mountain Chapter. He is also the owner of Sizzlin Sauces, an award-winning line of sauces and marinades.

Celebrity Chef Todd Sweet
Todd Sweet has worked in professional kitchens since he was 12 years old; currently he's behind the creations at the Portsmouth Brewery. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he has worked in Paris, Vienna and even a five-star cruise ship across the Pacific. He previously taught at the McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy, where he taught American regional cuisine.

Celebrity Chef Roland von Gunten
Roland von Gunten is the director of culinary operations for The Common Man family, and joined the family in 2007. Born and raised in Switzerland, Roland has vast experience in the hospitality industry, both internationally and here in the United States. Roland held cooking positions with Alpine Resorts Hotels in Switzerland before moving to Boston, MA and becoming the executive sous chef at Swiss Hotel Lafayette.

Celebrity Chef Scott Ouellette
Scott Ouellette started with his first restaurant in Atlanta Georgia, Adams at the Fox, serving as the chef for the 1996 Australian Olympic team while there. He moved north when a fire destroyed the restaurant to work at The Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness, NH. Then he opened The Sea Garden restaurant in Rockport, MA and sold it to open Canoe Restaurant in Center Harbor. Five years later, he opened O Steaks & Seafood in Laconia, and three years after that, he opened O's Concord location. Just recently, he opened a catering and banquet facility in Moultonborough, NH, The Winnipesaukee Room at Magic Foods Catering.

The Restaurant Week NH Celebrity Chefs will be featured on radio, TV and in print publications throughout the state. Restaurant Week NH media partners are WZID 95.7FM and New Hampshire Magazine.

Restaurant Week NH is presented by The NH Liquor and Wine Outlet and Great New Hampshire Restaurants (T-BONES, Cactus Jack's and Copper Door). Supporting sponsors are Coca-Cola, Bombay Sapphire East Gin, Woodford Reserve, and Estancia Wines. Contributing sponsors are American Express, Sysco, PSNH, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Woodstock Station Inn & Brewery, North Country Smokehouse and Goodwin Associates. Restaurant Week NH is also funded in part by NH Division of Travel and Tourism.

Any restaurant or lodging facility may participate in this event by visiting RestaurantWeekNH.com, or by calling the NHLRA at 603.228.9585. The NHLRA is at 341 Loudon Road, Unit 3, Concord, NH 03302. For updates on Restaurant Week via social media, follow on Twitter at twitter.com/RestaurantsNH or like the Facebook page at facebook.com/RestaurantWeekNH. For more information about the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, visit NHLRA.com. For further information about New Hampshire, visit www.VisitNH.gov.

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