2016 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors selected to be featured chefs at upcoming James Beard House Dinner

The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism will host a media outreach initiative at the James Beard House in New York City this August, featuring the 2016 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors.

“We’re proud of South Carolina’s unique culinary history and culture, and we couldn’t be more excited that our four Chef Ambassadors have the chance to showcase for the entire country their award-winning work,” said Governor Nikki Haley.

Slated to cook for both a private lunch and a public dinner the Chef Ambassadors will focus their collaborative, five-course menu on South Carolina’s rich agriculture, deep rooted culinary history and diverse goods. Working to incorporate as many Certified SC Grown products into their menus as possible, the chefs will take guests on a culinary journey across South Carolina by way of their plates.

The 2016 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors are:

• Chef Teryi Youngblood, of Passerelle Bistro in Greenville,
• Chef Ramone Dickerson of Wing City/2Fat2Fly in Columbia,
• Chef Forrest Parker of the Old Village Post House in Mt. Pleasant, and
• Chef Orchid Paulmeier of One Hot Mama’s in Hilton Head Island.

 

 

The brainchild of Governor Haley and Chef Brandon Velie of Juniper in Ridge Spring, the South Carolina Chef Ambassador program was developed to bring continued awareness to South Carolina’s world-class epicurean offerings and culinary talent, while also highlighting the state’s unique and varied travel destinations – those best known and those off the beaten path.

The program is managed by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

SCPRT conducts media missions in key markets in an effort to drive interest in and increase awareness of South Carolina as a preferred travel destination. Statewide tourism partners financially support and attend these missions, sharing new and notable information from their respective regions with media focused on travel and tourism.

“Taking South Carolina’s tourism message to major media hubs, like Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York is another way we  further broaden the conversation surrounding the fact that there’s always something new to discover in South Carolina,” said SCPRT Director Duane Parrish. “Our partners work closely with the public relations department throughout the year to shape specific stories on destinations, activities, attractions, festivals, restaurants to consistently garner regional, national and international media recognition and attention, draw in visitors and aid in further growing our state’s economy.”

More about the 2016 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors:

Chef Teryi Youngblood, Greenville – Chef Teryi Youngblood was named Chef de Cuisine ofPasserelle Bistro when the restaurant opened in June 2013. With a menu full of French-inspired dishes, using the purest and freshest ingredients, Chef Youngblood does not believe in complicated food. Believing cooking should speak for itself, and the food should taste like what it is, she implements this thinking into her menu daily.

Chef Ramone Dickerson, Columbia – The stuffed chicken wings created by Chef Ramone Dickerson and his business partner, Corey Simmons, landed a reality TV show on the Oprah Winfrey Network last year called Wingmen. Dickerson owns Wing City restaurant and the 2 Fat 2 Fly food truck, both in Columbia, where their unique approach to stuffing chicken wings with collard greens and rice, macaroni and cheese, jalapeno / bacon and cheddar, has generated a flock of fans. They also appeared on the Steve Harvey Show earlier this year.

Chef Forrest Parker, Mt. Pleasant – From Opryland to the Lowcountry, South Carolina native Chef Forrest Parker joined the Hall Management Group team of acclaimed chefs in 2012. He leads the culinary team at the Old Village Post House Inn. Charleston-educated and trained, Parker includes Southern ingredients and elements in his cooking throughout his career.

Chef Orchid Paulmeier, Hilton Head Island – Chef Paulmeier was a contestant in the seventh season of the hit show, The Next Food Network Star. She opened One Hot Mama’s on Hilton Head Island in 2007. Blending time-tested Southern favorites like collards, cornbread and slow-cooked barbecue and ribs with her own homespun recipes, One Hot Mama’s serves up “comfort food with a kick.”

 

For more information on the South Carolina Chef Ambassador program, visit agriculture.sc.gov. For more information on travel to South Carolina, visit DiscoverSouthCarolina.com.