Taste of Derby 2011 Kicks Off Kentucky Derby Weekend

Taste of Derby 2011 will kick off this year’s Kentucky Derby weekend with cuisine from some of the top restaurants in horseracing destinations across America. A premier event of the Kentucky Derby Festival, the May 5 Taste of Derby is held the night before the Kentucky Oaks and provides one of the season’s best opportunities to wine and dine with celebrities and the who’s who of horseracing, all while raising money to fight world hunger.

Organizers have selected nationally renowned chefs from cities that are home to major thoroughbred racetracks. Each chef will prepare signature dishes from their home restaurant, all paired with the regional wine offerings -- not to mention the mint juleps provided by sponsor Woodford Reserve.

This year’s participating chefs include Chef Carrie Nahabedian from Naha in Chicago, home of Arlington Park; chef Nancy Longo of Pierpoint Restaurant in Baltimore, home of Pimlico; Chef Kent Rathbun from Abacus in Dallas, home of Lone Star Park; Chef Tory McPhail of the Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, home of the Fair Grounds Race Course; and Ricky Estrellado of NOBU in New York, home of the famous Belmont Park.

More locally, Taste of Derby will host four chefs from the state of Kentucky: Chef Ouita Michel of Lexington’s Holly Hill Inn, Chef Aaron Stordeur of The Oakroom, Chef Anthony Lamas from Seviche, and Chef Jo-Jo Doyle of Louisville’s Levy Restaurants.

Held this year at the Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center in Clifton, the Taste of Derby will donate proceeds to organizations that fight hunger. Last year’s event raised $75,000 for Dare to Care Food Bank and globally to the World Food Programme.

Tickets are available for $275 and include a red carpet entry, premium open bar, food and wine tastings, valet parking and live entertainment. Visit the Taste of Derby website for ticket purchase options.

Taste of Derby Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby Festival fight world hunger horseracing Kentucky Oaks Naha Arlington Park Pierpoint Restaurant Pimlico Abacus Lone Star Park Commander's Palace Fair Grounds Race Course NOBU Belmont Park Holly Hill Inn The Oakroom Seviche Levy Restaurants Mellwood Center Dare to Care Food Bank