First Annual Gourmet & Grapes at The SanctuaryThe first 2009 Gourmet and Grapes event held March 13-15 was a huge success! Guests were invited to test their palates with distinguished wines from around the world, and experience delicious cuisine from our own Sanctuary chefs and renowned celebrity chefs from the Lowcountry and across the nation. The finale Wine Odyssey event was attended by many, as the silent and live auctions were held to benefit The Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center. Over $100,000 was raised for the cause! The weekend began with a Champagne and Wine reception held in the beautiful Sanctuary Hotel lobby. This concluded with a bag piper that led the group to The Ocean Room where Chef Charlie Trotter from Charlie Trotter's in Chicago produced a six course exclusive dinner paired with extraordinary wines from Louis Latour. The following day consisted of winemaker sessions including Dan Duckhorn, Antinori, Moet Hennesy event where 12 diferent chefs from the Lowcountry came out to Kiawah to support this event and cause. The weekend ended with the fantastic Sunday brunch in Jasmine Porch. This first time and annual weekend event would not have been a success without the dedicated committee members involved, supportive staff members, chefs, volunteers and SPONSORS. Thank you from The Sanctuary and MUSC. Please review the list of committee members involved below and chefs and sponsors of 2009 Gourmet and Grapes held at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Continue to check back for photos from this year's events and the dates for 2010 Gourmet and Grapes at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
Committee Members:Casey Lavin
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Chef Charlie Trotter |
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Chef Biographies
Chef Brett McKee
Oak Steakhouse Restaurant - For nearly twenty years, Chef Brett McKee has thrivedon a whirlwind of activity, fearlessly spearheading numerousfine-dining establishments throughout the Charleston area. In January2005, Chef McKee introduced his most significant restaurant, Oak Steakhouse, a New York-style Italian Steakhouse. Upon opening, Oak Steakhouse was named “Best New Restaurant” by the Charleston City Paper and received recognition in the New York Times;Bon Appetit; National Geographic Adventure; Charleston Magazine; JohnMariani’s “Virtual Gourmet” newsletter and more. In 2007, he was alsoone of five finalists for Chef magazine’s “Chef of the Year” and in 2008, he was awarded the Culinary Legend Awardat the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. With continual acclaim fromlocal and national press, Chef McKee is often credited for inspiringthe popularity of steakhouses in Charleston.
Chef/Owner Fred Neuville
Fat Hen/Wild Olive - For Chef Fred Neuville, Fat Hen isn't just a new business endeavor; it's a new way of life. As Founding Chef, Partner and Executive Chef at 39 Rue de Jean, COAST Bar & Grill, and Good Food Catering for the past six years, Neuville spent his days in the restaurant fast lane making an indelible mark on the Charleston food scene. Native of Roanoke, VA, Neuville graduated from The Culinary Institute of America. Immediately following graduation, he was recruited to support in the start-up of Linwood's Cafe & Grill in Baltimore, MD. With his skills honed after five years in a restaurant kitchen he became Chef Garde Manager for The Willard Intercontinental in Washington DC.
Executive Chef Nathan Whiting
The Dining Room at Woodlands - Chef Whiting began his kitchen experience at the age of 13 while working in a Greek restaurant in Williamson, NY. His formal education came from Johnson and Wales University, where he studied French technique and cuisine. After graduation he began working at the esteemed Peninsula Grill in Charleston in the kitchen of Robert Carter, where he learned quickly in his first "true professional" kitchen. At around this time, Woodlands received its fifth star from Mobil. Whiting knew that he wanted to work in the area's best kitchen, so he left the Peninsula Grill for Woodlands. He became the executive chef at Woodlands in the fall of 2008.
Chef Partner, Mike Lata
FIG - Lata is a self-taught, two-time James Beard award nominee whose farm-to-table philosophy and European style of cooked based on premium, seasonal ingredients have earned him top ranks in the Southeast's dining scene. Lata's active endorsement of local farmers since opening FIG in 2003 has helped guide the conscience of the Charleston culinary scene toward the appreciation of locally grown, seasonal foods.
Executive Chef, Robert Wysong
American Culinary Federation ~ Certified Executive Chef
The Sanctuary Hotel - A 1993 graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Charleston, SC, Wysong's career as a culinarian spans twenty years and includes experience in private clubs, (The Pensacola Country Club) resort hotels, (The Grove Park Inn and Spa), independent restaurants, (Magnolia's Raw Bar and Grill, Asheville NC/Restaurant Marianne/Charleston SC) and the luxury hotelier, (The Ritz Carlton Golf Resort-Naples) where he explains, "you have the most creative reach and freedom of expression". "I cook in the Southeast, where my family heritage lies", explains Wysong; which enables him to draw upon the region's climate and resources to inspire simple, yet refined-ingredient driven cooking style. The Lowcountry of South Carolina is a perfect fit for this philosophy and style. Chef Wysong leads the culinary team of professionals that oversee the restaurant and banquet dining experiences at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort since 2005.
Chef de Cuisine, William Morrison
The Atlantic Room - Born in Gainesville, FL., William's childhood was a nomadic one due to his father's work as a nuclear engineer. Moving around the country exposed him to numerous types of cuisine. "Growing up, I was surrounded by food, art and engineering," says Morrison. Despite going to engineering school, William eventually turned his back on the profession because of his love for cooking. He enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. William comes to Kiawah from Ginn Company Resorts in Columbia, SC., where he was both Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director. He also previously work at L'Escalier restaurant at The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL.
Chef de Cuisine, Joseph Dion
Tomasso at Turtle Point- Originally from Massachusetts, Dion has been part of the culinary environment since the age of 15. Working with chefs taught him hard work, organization, efficiency and cleanliness, essential for operating a successful kitchen. Dion was an integral part to the opening of Max's Tavern in the Basketball Hall of Fame, a high volume American style steakhouse. Upon his arrival to Charleston in 2004, Dion worked at Slightly North of Broad for acclaimed local chef Frank Lee. Before becoming chef at Tomasso, he was a Sous Chef at Jasmine Porch in The Sanctuary Hotel. With his new menu at Tomasso, Chef Dion will utilize the bounty of local ingredients that the Lowcountry has to offer. His experience with both high volume restaurants and more intimate settings makes Dion a wonderful fit for Tomasso at Turtle Point Clubhouse and it's guests.
Chef de Cuisine, Nathan Thurston
The Ocean Room- Nathan Thurston, Chef of The Ocean Room, has been a member of the culinary team since the opening of The Sanctuary. Chef Thurston is a graduate of the highly acclaimed Johnson & Wales University with degrees in business and culinary arts. Thurston also has trained at the four star and four diamond Biltmore Estate (Asheville, N.C.), Josephine's Cafe (Marion, N.C.), The White Horse Inn (Madison, WI), The Vineyards (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and The Atlantic Room (Kiawah Island, S.C.).
Executive Pastry Chef, Laura Fieberg
The Sanctuary- Fieberg started her career in pastry working for her family's business, Chicago's "Dessert Gourmet." Later, she attended The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (Napa Valley), graduating in the top of her class. She began her professional career at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in St. Thomas, USVI. In 2001 Fieberg moved to Los Angeles where she worked as the pastry chef for Felt and later Lucques restaurants. During her time in Los Angeles, she also was a consulting pastry chef for Fox Studios and worked with Spago Restaurant providing food for such events as The Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards. In late 2003, Fieberg returned to her native Chicago to assist her mother with their family business. The business was sold in 2006. She worked for Whole Foods as The Midwest Regional Bakery Coordinator until her joining The Sanctuary culinary team in late September.
Executive Sous Chef, Ben A. Randow
The Sanctuary- Ben Randow seeks balance when he's cooking - whether it's preparing Buttermilk Fried Smoked Duck or Charleston Shrimp and Grits. Randow is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, SC where he was awarded Apprenti Cuisiner for classical French cookery. He started as a banquet prep cook in 1995 at Quail Run in Santa Fe, NM, and Cippriani's and Unique Cuisine in Baton Rouge, LA. Over the past six years he has worked at every kitchen on Kiawah Island. In 1999 he was promoted to Sous Chef at The Dining Room at Osprey Point, and in 2004 opened Jasmine Porch at The Sanctuary. His culinary skills helped Jasmine Porch to the award for Best Down Home Cookery by Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report.
Chef Doug Blair
Voyseys at Cassique- Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Doug Blair is Voysey's Executive Chef. He has more than 18 years experience and worked in some of the finer restaurants in Seattle before settling in Charleston. Since then, he has graced the kitchens of such well-known Lowcountry eateries as The Indigo House, The Country Club of Charleston, and Beaumont's. Blair was personally trained by Chef Colicchio in his New York kitchens.
Chef Brad Jones
82 Queen- Executive Chef Brad Jones. Ones of the professionals behind the success of 82 Queen is Executive Chef Brad Jones, a veteran chef of 6 years at 82 Queen. "We put a lot of time and effort into each dish to make it unique," says Jones. Chef Jones credits the authenticity of 82 Queen's Lowcountry cuisine to its homegrown ingredients. "We use a lot of local herbs and vegetables when they're in season...like okra, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers and mushrooms to showcase our prime cuts of beef and fresh seafood. Our shrimp, crab, grouper, flounder, snapper and black fish are so fresh...they were probably swimming in local waters a day or two before being served at our tables," concludes Chef Jones.
Chef Craig Deihl
Cypress- Chef Craig Deihl is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University and a native of Danville, Pennsylvania. After training for nearly five years at Charleston's Magnolias Uptown/Down South, he helped launch Cypress in 2001. Deihl knew from an early age he was destined for a career in the kitchen. His first job, at the Pine Barn Inn in Danville, taught Deihl the art of running a kitchen from cooking to ordering food and running a staff. Chef Deihl is inspired by the challenge of plying a prominent role in Charleston's burgeoning dining scene and influencing the national reputation of the Holy City's cuisine.
Chef Marc Collins
Circa 1886- Chef Collins began his career working on the Paradise II, a private yacht that was the sister ship of the Presidential yacht, Sequoia, in Erie, PA., starting as a dishwasher and working his way up through many different positions. While attending a vocational culinary school in Erie, he took a job at the Erie Country Club, serving under Executive Chef David Spadafore, a Gold Medal winner in the Culinary Olympics. His education continued at the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh, and after graduation, he headed south to Texas to learn more about their food traditions. In 2001, Chef Collins moved to Charleston, SC., and was named executive chef of the Wentworth Mansion's restaurant Circa 1886.
Chef Sean Brock
McCrady's- After graduation from Johnson & Wales and apprenticeships with Chefs Rick Tramanto, Gale Gand, Grant Achatz and Paco Roncero of La Terraza del Casino in Madrid, Chef Sean Brock began his professional career as Chef Tournant under Chef Robert Carter at the Mobil Four-Star/AAA Four-Diamond award-winning Peninsula Grill in Charleston, SC. After two years at Peninsula Grill, Chef Brock earned the position of Executive Sous Chef under Chef Walter Bundy of Lemaire Restaurant at the AAA Five-Diamond/Mobil Five-Star Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. His success in Richmond led to his promotion within the Elite Hospitality Group in 2003 to Executive Chef at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee (sister properties include The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond and The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which have both earned AAA Five-Diamond distinction). Chef Brock spent just under three years fine-tuning his craft in Nashville before accepting a position as Executive Chef at McCrady's Restaurant in Charlesotn, South Carolina.
**PLEASE NOTE: 50% of your proceeds will benefit MUSC'S Hollings Cancer Center and appropriate documentation will be provided. Event program content including guest appearances and speakers are subject to change.
*Event content and pricing is subject to change.
Call our reservations specialist for details (800) 654-2924
CANCELLATION POLICY: 14-day cancellation policy. Room deposit(one-night stay) is taken at time of call and is nonrefundable if thereservation is cancelled within 14 days of the event. Day PassReservations follow the same 14-day cancellation policy. If a dayreservation is made within 14 days of the event, the full amount willnot be refunded.
