AEGiS-PRn: Region's Premier Culinary Competition Turns Up the Heat for Philadelphia Magazine's 4th Annual PHILLY COOKS!(TM): For First Time, 50 Leading Chefs Put Oven Mitts on in Battle for 'DISH OF THE YEAR 2004' Benefiting MANNA; Presented in Partnership with NBC10

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Region's Premier Culinary Competition Turns Up the Heat for Philadelphia Magazine's 4th Annual PHILLY COOKS!(TM): For First Time, 50 Leading Chefs Put Oven Mitts on in Battle for 'DISH OF THE YEAR 2004' Benefiting MANNA; Presented in Partnership with NBC10

PRNewswire - December 11, 2003

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The oven mitts are on.The chefs are prepping.And this year, the heat is being cranked up higher than ever, as for the first time, 50 of the Delaware Valley's leading epicurean talent prepare to do battle in what has become the area's premier culinary competition for DISH OF THE YEAR 2004, when Philadelphia Magazine, in partnership with NBC10 presents the Fourth Annual Philadelphia Magazine's PHILLY COOKS!(TM), Wednesday, January 14, (snow date January 15) from 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott, 12th & Market Streets.This year, the event moves to a whole new level - with a new venue, the addition of a nationally noted slate of celebrity judges, 50 of the top chefs and restaurants from across the region -- more than ever before -- and an expected attendance of over 1,200.

A competition for both artistry and taste that is a showcase for food craftsmanship, and provides food lovers an extraordinary opportunity to sample the handiwork of 50 master chefs all in one evening while benefiting MANNA, PHILLY COOKS! has in four years set a new paradigm for creativity and challenge within Philadelphia's ever-expanding restaurant community - becoming the "must-do" event for chefs, restaurants and adventurous gourmands.Tickets to the event are $75 in advance, $85 at the door, and can be purchased either by calling 215.781.7346, or visiting http://www.phillymag.com.A unique gift for the holidays, special packages are available for 10 or more tickets purchased in advance for $60 per ticket.

The centerpiece of PHILLY COOKS! is the contest for Best Appetizer, Best Entree, Best Dessert and DISH OF THE YEAR 2004.Raising the stakes to a new level of note this year is the panel of nationally known celebrity judges. Guided by Chef Philip Pinkney of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, using a ballot based on standardized culinary judging criteria, the panel includes Chefs Jim Coleman, Jean-Marie Lacroix, Shola Olunloyo, Guillermo Pernot, Georges Perrier, Joseph Poon, Masaharu Morimoto; Audrey Taichman of Audrey Claire and Twenty Manning, Marc Vetri of Vetri, Delilah Winder of Bluzette, Food Network's Bill Boggs, Bon Appetit's Tanya Wenman Steel, Saveur Magazine's Roger Morris, and NBC10's Steve Levy and Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz, among others, who will choose the winners the night of the event. In addition, the PHILLY COOKS! People's Choice Award, introduced last year, will again be presented by Mercedes-Benz.

A fund-raising event for the Metropolitan AIDS Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA), the region's volunteer-driven organization which provides nutritional support by the delivery of meals and groceries to homes and congregate meal sites for persons living with HIV/AIDS, PHILLY COOKS! will include live cooking demonstrations, live Latin music, a silent auction and of course, a feast of epic proportions!

Representing a gastronomic map that spans the region from city to suburbs, and a wide range of culinary diversity, this year's participants include both new entrants and loyal competitors from years past, such as Center City's The Grill at Ritz Carlton, Happy Rooster, Sansom Street Oyster House, McCormick & Schmick; Old City's Cafe Spice, City Tavern, and Angelina; Fairmount's London Grill; University City's Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar; Manayunk's Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant; Penn's Landing's Moshulu; Savona in Gulph Mills; Bryn Mawr's Spezia; Devon's Shiraz; Marsha Brown in Bucks County; The Restaurant at Doneckers in Ephrata; Catelli in Voorhees; Pinziminio Trattoria in Cherry Hill; and more.

In conjunction with PHILLY COOKS!, NBC10's morning show 10! will spotlight the extraordinary and diverse talents of the region's culinary community, and the event's participants, in both feature pieces and interviews, and NBC10's website http://www.nbc10.com, will provide information and a link to purchase tickets.

The Fourth Annual Philadelphia Magazine's PHILLY COOKS!(TM) is made possible by sponsors Mercedes Benz, Bucks County Coffee, The Fretz Kitchen, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Bartolomeo Pio Wines & Spirits (featuring McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Wines, Ecco Domani, Gallo of Sonoma and Rancho Zabaco) and Center City District.

One of the most distinguished metropolitan monthly publications in the country, Philadelphia Magazine was founded in 1908 as a quarterly illustrated magazine published by the Trades League of Philadelphia, and has been in continuous publication for 95 years.Bought in 1946 by S. Arthur Lipson, the magazine has remained in continual operation by the Lipson family.Current Chairman D. Herbert Lipson took the helm as Publisher in 1961, and in 1986, the torch was passed to S. Arthur Lipson's grandson, David H. Lipson, Jr.In April, 2003, Marian Conicella was named Publisher while David Lipson remains as President.Philadelphia Magazine is a division of Metrocorp.

Now backed by over 1,000 volunteers annually, MANNA provides a full day's nutrition to over 700 individuals six days a week, almost 2,000 meals per day, enabling local families and individuals living with HIV/AIDS to live more independently.To learn more about MANNA, or to volunteer, call 215-49-MANNA or visit http://www.mannapa.org.

The Fourth Annual Philadelphia Magazine's PHILLY COOKS!(TM) will take place on Wednesday, January 14, (snow date January 15) from 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott, 12th & Market Streets.Tickets to the event are $75 in advance, $85 at the door, and can be purchased either by calling 215.781.7346, or visiting http://www.phillymag.com.Special holiday packages are available for $60, for 10 or more tickets purchased in advance.

For more information about Philadelphia Magazine or PHILLY COOKS!(TM), please call Nina Zucker Associates at 610.667.0706.

SOURCE Philadelphia Magazine

Web Site: http://www.phillymag.com

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