Truffles' Executive Chef John Griffiths Invited to Cook at James Beard House

Online, February 29, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Executive Chef John Griffiths, of Truffles Restaurant in St. Louis, recently accepted an invitation to prepare dinner at the internationally respected James Beard House in New York's Greenwich Village neighborhood on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. Chef Griffiths will showcase his talents, as featured daily at Truffles, to James Beard Foundation members and members of the media with a six-course menu inspired by his journey as a chef.

"The foundation's mission is to celebrate, preserve and nurture America's culinary heritage and future," said Izabela Wojcik, director of house programming, James Beard Foundation. "We selectively invite emerging chefs to share their talents with Foundation members and the public by presenting lunches, brunches, workshops and dinners. We are thrilled to have the talent of Chef John Griffiths joining us at the Beard House for this very special dinner, especially as he is the first chef from St. Louis to be invited to the Beard House since Steve Gontram in 1998."

"Having the opportunity to prepare dinner at the James Beard House is truly an honor," said Chef Griffiths. "An invitation to cook at the Beard House is unrivaled and truly a career highlight like no other." The James Beard Foundation sets the standard for culinary excellence in the country, and I'm proud to use this opportunity to bring more attention to St. Louis and the amazing talent that's emerging here."

Chefs are invited to cook at the famous James Beard House based on one's national or regional reputation, as evidenced by media and resume; known use of high quality, seasonal, and local ingredients; demonstrated excellence in a particular discipline; level of interest by James Beard Foundation's dining members and their guests.

Chef Griffiths has been featured with recipes and reviews in numerous media outlets including Gourmet Magazine, The Nation's Restaurant News, Food Arts Magazine, Feast Magazine, Sauce Magazine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Detroit Free-Press and Zagat Guide: Top Tables of America. He has trained with four certified master chefs and traveled to Europe and Southeast Asia to study, cook and compete. Graduating top of his class at Schoolcraft College, Chef Griffiths held positions with James Beard award-winning Chef Takashi Yagihashi at Tribute Restaurant and famed chef/restaurateur Larry Forgione at An American Place Restaurant as Executive Chef.

Reservations will be available beginning March 7, 2012 by calling the James Beard House reservations department at (212) 627-2308. Reservations will be accepted online at www.jamesbeard.org on April 1, 2012. Foundation members, as well as supporters of Truffles, can purchase all-inclusive tickets for $130 per person. Tickets for the general public are $170 per person.

About The James Beard Foundation
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, nurturing, and preserving America's diverse culinary heritage and future. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts.

Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City's Greenwich Village as a "performance space" for visiting chefs.

For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation's blog Delights & Prejudices. Become a member of the James Beard Foundation, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About Truffles Restaurant
Located in St. Louis, the heart of the Midwest, Truffles is a modern Italian restaurant featuring a daily menu from the kitchen of Chef John Griffiths. The restaurant embodies the philosophy of purity and sustainability, beginning with the use of ingredients from local, like-minded purveyors.

Consecutively honored as Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence recipient since 2004, Truffles has also been acknowledged by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine for offering one of the best wine lists in America. To view the daily menu, visit www.todayattruffles.com, or for more information about the restaurant, visit www.todayattruffles.com.