Troutdale Staff Cooks Up Compliments At New York Restaurant

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Troutdale Dining Room, the Tri-Cities’ only successful five-star restaurant, has been honored to cook for the James Beard House in New York City.

The honor brings with it the first opportunity ever for a Tennessee restaurant to be nominated for Best Restaurant of the Year in the Southeast by the “Oscars of the food world” – James Beard Foundation.

Winning the award in 2009 would make it eligible for Best Restaurant of the Year in the entire nation.

An invitation to cook for the JBF is a restaurant’s highest honor, and owner Ben Zandi took a team of talented chefs and organic local ingredients to New York on June 14.

The team came prepared with a menu that combined original, locally inspired food with elegant and refined cuisine that demonstrated a mastery of culinary skills.

“We’ve never experienced anything like this from Tennessee and were thrilled with the experience, the dinner was as good as any restaurant in New York if not better,” a board member stated in a news release.

The local restaurant is situated in a restored 1850 Victorian house on Sixth Street built originally by the Vance family of Bristol.

Ben Zandi, his wife, Debra, and daughter, Sara, own the Troutdale. In February 2007, the Zandis launched a second venture – Troutdale Catering, located in The Lodge at Eastman Chemical.

The restaurant staff was invited back to cook for the James Beard House again next year, which is a privilege and clear sign of total success, said Ben Zandi.

“We came back with the assurance and confidence that we are as good as any restaurant in New York,” he said. “This experience has set a new horizon for us. We want to be the best in the country, right here in Bristol.”

On June 13, The Troutdale was featured on a Martha Stewart live radio show, and later the producers came to the James Beard House to enjoy the meal prepared by Zandi and his team.

James Beard was renowned for bringing full-course meals to American cuisine that incorporated international techniques and fine dining. Friend and cooking legend Julia Child helped preserve his influence by converting his famous house into the James Beard Foundation, where restaurants from around the country are invited to cook for the panel and members.

To learn more about The Troutdale Dining Room, visit http://www.thetroutdale.com.

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