Thomas Keller, Jérôme Bocuse & William Bradley Headline 2018 Robb Report Culinary Masters Benefiting ment’or

2018 Event Raises $200k in Proceeds, Supporting Up-and-Coming Culinary Talent

For the third year in a row Robb Reportand the ment’or BKB Foundationgathered an impressive master-chef lineup for Robb Report’s Culinary Masters, an extraordinary culinary and golf getaway with proceeds benefiting ment’or. This year’s event took place September 22–24 at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar golf resort and spa in San Diego, headlined by ment’or founders and culinary icons Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse, and William Bradley—four-time James Beard Award nominee and executive chef of Southern California’s only Five-Star and Five Diamond restaurant, Addison. The weekend’s main event—The Gala Dinner, hosted at Addison restaurant, along with an accompanying silent and live auction, generated $200k in proceeds for the not-for-profit.

Featured chefs at Robb Report’s Culinary Masters gather at The Gala Dinner podium at Addison Restaurant, where the evening saw $200k in proceeds generated for the ment’or BKB Foundation.

Founded by Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jérôme Bocuse — ment’or works to inspire culinary excellence in young professionals and preserve the traditions and quality of cuisine in the United States. The proceeds generated from this year’s event will be used to provide fully paid internships to young cooks and facilitate the selection and training of the most promising young chefs who will make up the Bocuse d’Or Team USA. Team USA looks to reclaim the gold medal this January after their history-making performance in 2017, when for the first time ever, Team USA took top prize.

“The Culinary Masters event is always a special event that brings the culinary community together in support of mentoring young chefs for the ment’or BKB Foundation,” said Chef and ment’or President, Thomas Keller. “We have great partners in Robb Report and look forward to more collaborations like this in the future.”

“Fine cuisine is one of our pillars here at Robb Report, and the marriage of fine cuisine and some of the best chefs in the world with the ability to give back to future generations, is what our annual Culinary Masters is all about,” said David Arnold, Managing Director, Robb Report. “We started Culinary Masters seven years ago with a competition that brought together master chefs and up-and-coming talent – and in that format, we were introduced to Chef Bradley whom Thomas Keller had selected as his ‘mentee.’ The fact that Chef Bradley won at that time – 2013 to be exact, and we were here this past weekend at Chef Bradley’s award-winning restaurant, is testament to Chef Bradley, Addison and of course, the ment’or organization. We at Robb Report, and our guests, look forward to continuing this event and our support for the future of the culinary industry, for years to come.”

One of just a few signature Robb Report events that are open to the public, Culinary Masters offers guests the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a weekend with a collective of the world’s most acclaimed names in cuisine, while enjoying exquisite dining and best-in-class golf. This year proved to be no different, with Keller, Bocuse, and Bradley headlining a roster of some of the most talented chefs in the world, including two recently announced James BeardAward winners: Dominique Crenn, winner of the Foundation’s Best Chef West and the current chef-owner of the Michelin two-star Atelier Crenn in San Francisco; and Gavin Kaysen, winner of Best Chef Midwest and the current chef-owner of Bellecour and Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis.

Chef Paul Bartolotta, two-time James Beard Award winner and a co-owner of the Bartolotta Restaurants; Josiah Citrin, two-Michelin-star chef and owner of Charcoal Venice; and Ming Tsai, James Beard Award-winning chef-owner of Blue Dragon in Boston and the Emmy Award-winning host of PBS’s Simply Ming, rounded out the inimitable roster confirmed for the 2018 Culinary Masters.

The Culinary Masters weekend kicked off Saturday, September 22 with a private, exclusive viewing of the brand-new BMW X7. Guests sipped Armand de Briganc Champagne before embarking on an unforgettable dining experience where all eight culinary masterminds contributed their signature flair and award-winning cuisine for the ultimate one-night-only Gala Dinner at the Five-Star and Five Diamond Addison restaurant. Each of the evening’s seven courses were perfectly paired with world-class wines from Crown Point Vineyards and Melka Estates. The following day, chefs and guests took to the stunning Tom Fazio–designed golf course at the Grand Del Mar’s Grand Golf Club for a friendly tournament. Those who preferred to cook rather than chip partook in a hands-on cooking class with master chef Paul Bartolotta and Urbani Truffles. Patron Tequila then took guests on a journey through their tequila portfolio with an intimate mixology class where guests learned how to properly craft The Tequila Daisy and El Presidente Margarita. A casual dinner rounded out the day’s festivities, with an awards ceremony celebrating the golfers’ accomplishments from earlier that afternoon.

Culinary Masters is just one of many events hosted by RR1, the exclusive private membership community of Robb Report which brings the pages of the magazine to life through authentic and extraordinary experiences. To view behind-the-scenes imagery from Culinary Masters, head to RobbReport.com and follow @robbreport and @RR1 on Instagram.

About ment’or
The ment’or BKB Foundation is a nonprofit that aims to educate and inspire excellence in young culinary professionals and also preserve the traditions and quality of cuisine in America. Ment’or is led by founders Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse, as well as an esteemed Culinary Council of over forty renowned chefs. Educational grants and internships are offered to culinary professionals through the Continuing Education Program. The Young Chef and Commis Competition series offer yet another opportunity for them to further their careers. Ment’or has awarded over $1.2 million in grants since 2014 to young chefs all across the US. Ment’or is also responsible for recruiting, training, and financially supporting the promising young American talents who represent Team USA in the prestigious biennial Bocuse d’Or competition, held in Lyon, France. For the first time in history, Team USA 2017 won the coveted Gold Medal at the Bocuse d’Or. Visit: www.mentorbkb.org

About Addison 
Addison is chef William Bradley’s acclaimed contemporary French restaurant nestled in the scenic North San Diegohillside on the grounds of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. Since 2006, chef Bradley has offered a luxurious dining experience with a menu that reflects his refined cooking style and celebrates world-class ingredients. The 80-seat dining room is a sophisticated setting for a four-course menu or the multi-course chef’s tasting menu, which changes based on seasonal ingredients and chef Bradley’s current inspirations. An extensive wine list is far-reaching – from top, California vintages to newly discovered selections from around the globe – offering a selection for every palate that is expertly stored in the restaurant’s renowned cellars, including a show wine room clad in Jerusalem limestone and trimmed in intricately carved Italian stone. Addison has been consistently recognized for its excellence in wine service, earning the Wine Spectator Grand Award every year since 2009 while Bradley has received the Grand Chef Designation from Relais & Châteaux as well as numerous other accolades. Addison is Southern California’s only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond dual-designation holding restaurant. For more information, please visit addisondelmar.com.

About Fairmont Grand Del Mar
As the #1 Luxury Resort in the San Diego according to TripAdvisor reviewers, Fairmont Grand Del Mar features unrivaled service, pampering treatments at a Forbes Five-Star spa and exquisite dining at Addison, a Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond restaurant under the direction of award-winning and Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef, Chef William Bradley. Reminiscent of Spain’s palaces, France’s sun-washed coastal retreats and Florence’s decorative arts, the Addison Mizner-designed resort is well suited to San Diego’s warm climate and outdoor lifestyle. A wealth of activities offers endless opportunities for fun under the sun, including golf at San Diego’s only Tom Fazio-designed course, The Grand Golf Club. Once the sun sets, Club M provides nightlife and entertainment just steps from the comfort of the resort’s 249 luxuriously appointed guestrooms and suites.  To learn more, visit http://www.fairmont.com/san-diego.

About Robb Report
Robb Report is luxury without compromise, attracting a discerning audience with a shared appreciation and desire for quality, artisanship, heritage, fine design, and exclusivity. With its finger on the pulse of the latest superlative products and experiences that sophisticated seek, Robb Report is synonymous around the world with affluence, luxury, and the best of the best. Widely regarded as the single most influential journal of living life to the fullest, with 18 international editions across the globe, Robb Report features directional content from the world’s foremost luxury experts, covering every luxury category and passion. For more information, please visit RobbReport.com.