Press Releases
Famed Chef Thomas Keller, NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris and Hotelier Richard Marriott Participate in 19th Annual Ted J. Balestreri Leadership Classic
Tournament's Monterey Wine & Lifestyle Auction dinner took in $1000/per couple for a dinner at the Sardine Factory Wine Cellar benefitting scholarships for students in restaurant, hospitality, enology and viticulture
MONTEREY, CALIF.– The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) held its 19th annual golf tournament, the Ted J. Balestreri Leadership Classic, last week benefitting scholarships for students in restaurant, hospitality, enology and viticulture. Named for the tournament's founder and former National Restaurant Association (NRA) President, Ted J. Balestreri, the tournament attracts influential restaurant and corporate leaders, including celebrated chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and Per Se, NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris, hotelier Richard Marriott, CIA Director Leon Panetta with his wife Sylvia, and Culinary Institute of America President Dr. Tim Ryan. This year's tournament raised nearly $350,000 for scholarships available to local students.
NRAEF, the premiere provider of educational resources, materials and programs that address attracting, developing and retaining the restaurant industry's workforce, hosted students from Pacific Grove High School who put their culinary skills on display preparing snacks for golfers, creating delicious desserts and working side-by-side with the staff at the Inn at Spanish Bay to execute an outstanding menu for the Monterey Wine & Lifestyle Auction Dinner.
The highlight of the Monterey Wine & Lifestyle live auction was when Bill Anton, NRAEF Trustee and NRA Director, announced a surprise item: dinner in the famed Sardine Factory Wine Cellar for the next evening with guest Chef Thomas Keller and former football star Franco Harris. Paddles flew in the air but no bid was more meaningful than the one made by NRAEF Trustee and NRA Immediate Past Chair, Mike Gibbons. Gibbons donated his seats to NRAEF scholarship recipient and Pacific Grove High School alumna, Alyssa Van De Vort and her mother so they could take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The auction itself of premium wine and lifestyle packages raised $117,000. Auction highlights included a magnum of Joseph Phelps Winery's 2007 Insignia, a bottle of Screaming Eagle, a three-bottle collection of cult wine Scarecrow, dinner for four at The French Laundry and an exclusive dinner in The Sardine Factory Wine Cellar. The Sardine Factory Wine Cellar dinner sold out at $1000 per couple.
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About The Sardine Factory
Established in 1968, The Sardine Factory is known for its impeccable service, wonderful décor, extraordinary wine collection, fresh locally grown produce, delicious sustainable seafood, and USDA prime beef. Over the years The Sardine Factory has hosted celebrities, movie stars, sports legends, and public figures from all over the world. The restaurant was also one of the locations for the first film directed by Clint Eastwood, Play Misty for Me. The Sardine Factory has received virtually every culinary, wine list and service award possible in the industry, including the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, Restaurant Hospitality's Best Wine List in America, voted the Best Restaurant in Monterey by readers of the Monterey County Weekly, Monterey County Herald, and Carmel Pine Cone newspapers, named Top Ten Most Romantic Restaurants on the Central Coast by Open Table, in addition to many other honors and awards. For more information, please visit sardinefactory.com.