Chefs honor their own at annual culinary awards dinner

Each year, the culinary community eagerly awaits the announcement of Chef of the Year. David Simmons, executive chef for Lawry’s The Prime Rib, was announced the 2015 winner during the American Culinary Federation Chefs Las Vegas dinner earlier this month at South Point.

The tradition started in 1970, when the American Culinary Federation held its first official meeting of chefs in Las Vegas, creating a new chapter. The annual dinner celebrated chapter members and their guests at an awards ceremony. Award recipients were kept secret until announced at the dinner.

Besides his work for Lawry’s, Simmons serves as a board member and chairman of the memberhsip committee for the Nevada Restaurant Association and on the professional advisory committee for the Art Institute. He was named to the Best Chef America List in 2013 and 2014.

Simmons recently returned from a month in Seoul, South Korea, where he was instrumental in opening Lawry’s The Prime Rib’s newest restaurant. In his 40-year career Simmons has cooked for presidents, senators, governors, mayors and celebrities.

The gala began with a reception featuring cocktails accompanied by an antipasto buffet offering such items as grilled vegetables and Scotch eggs with Dijon cream. A bruschetta bar served heirloom tomatoes, cucumber pesto, tapenade, brie with honey and pecans on crostini, chicken peg legs with citrus glaze, pork medallions “Oscar style,” and carved Peking duck on steamed buns with hoisin sauce and scallions.

Once everyone was seated in the ballroom for formal dinner, chef Philip Pinkney, chapter president of American Culinary Federation Chefs Las Vegas, spoke of the chapter’s accomplishments in raising funds to continue its various projects such as the Chefs for Kids breakfast program at 13 at-risk elementary schools. The chapter also hosts a Chefs Golf Tournament that funds scholarship programs.

Recognition was given to chefs Frank Insera and Claude Lambertz for their establishment of the poker tournament.

Thanks went to 2014 outgoing Chef of the Year George Bailey from South Point for his superb job in planning monthly meetings, the Chinese New Year celebration at The Joyful House Chinese Restaurant and the Holiday Party at Main Street Station, where toys for needy children were collected.

Lucio Arancibia, 1995 Chef of the Year, was honored for his work as chairman of the Chefs Scholarship Committee. Elected Associate Member of the Year was Sandi Boyer of Detali Foods. Angela Armstrong of the College of Southern Nevada was awarded the 2015 Student Culinarian of the Year honor.

Chefs Lucio Arancibia and Mike Whitesides received the ACF Las Vegas Chapter Hall of Fame Award.

Pinkney gave special recognition to previous Chefs of the Year in attendance: Frank Insera, 1982; Hans Lackinger, 1983; Michael Ty, 1986; Christopher Johns, 1987; Joe Del Rosario, 1994; Lucio Arancibia, 1995; Jean Hertzman, 1998; Heinz Lauer, 2004; Steve Soltz, 2010; Patrick Simon, 2012; Adrian Hill, 2013; and George Bailey, 2014.

South Point Executive Chef Christopher Johns and his staff of Darren Walters, chef of cuisine; chef Jamie Poltrock, banquet; chef Arnulfo Iniguez, assistant banquet; Lupe Cabezas and Juanita Fryer, garde mange; and Richard Niederman, catering director, presented an outstanding dinner beginning with Pacific salmon Rockefeller and Boston salad followed by assorted flavors of fresh-fruit sorbets.

The entree was beef Wellington with perigourdine sauce accompanied by baby carrots and asparagus tips. Desserts were cherries jubilee flambee and petits fours.