Every great trade show needs rockstars. ICC 2014 had them. Every great trade show needs rockstars. ICC had plenty of them. Grant Achatz signing books before presenting Main Stage on Apples, Fire, and Helium (of course he did!) The just completed International Chef’s Congress put on by StarChefs was the 9th edition and was held at the Brooklyn Expo Center. While, if not for Google’s GPS, I might still be looking for the venue, I am certainly glad I found it. Celebrity chefs galore, incredible foods and beverages to sample, a great vibe….and, some interesting tabletop….all made it a trip very worthwhile.
For foodies – both professional and non-professional, this had to be nirvana. With rockstar celebrity chefs like Grant Achatz and Food TV stars like Ted Allen roaming the floor, there was something for everyone who is into food in one way or another. There were also rockstar tabletop companies like Steelite, Front of The House, and Churchill there, as well. So, as we say…. something for everyone – even for the chef looking to take their guest dining experience to another level by improving their tabletop! New KILN dinnerware and Root boards from FOH STONECAST froom Churchill It’s great to see the energy – and the passion – displayed for all things food (and beverage….both the Asahi Super Dry and the Black beers were outstanding) but it is also great to see great tabletop companies engaging the culinary arena in such a way. Particularly impressive was Steelite’s EAT@ICC Pop-Up restaurant that featured different chefs each day. Steelite’s new CRAFT – Red. Available exclusively from New York dealer M. Tucker. Hot. Exclusive. And, Going Fast. The artistry the we witnessed Chef Niki Nakayama from LA’s N/Naka Restaurant do on the Catherine Hurand glass plates from Steelite was pure pleasure….especially when you watched the faces of each of guests she served.
So, while were not sure where next year’s version of StarChef’s International Chef’s Congress is slated to take place, you can be sure it will be on our calendar. the question will then be….with all this – why isn’t it on yours?
