Mercedes-Benz USA Revs Up The James Beard Awards With The Mercedes-Benz Victory Lane Suite To Toast 2011 Winners

NEW YORK, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) took the 2011 James Beard Awards up a notch last evening with the unveiling of the premier Mercedes-Benz Victory Lane Suite, toasting ABC Kitchen in New York as the winner of Best New Restaurant in the United States at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.

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Described as the "Oscars" of the food world, this is the second consecutive year that MBUSA has sponsored the prestigious Best New Restaurant Award. Throughout the evening, the newly crowned chefs made a pit stop at the suite where they celebrated with a ceremonial champagne toast and congratulations from James Beard Foundation staff.

MBUSA began its partnership with the James Beard Foundation last year – sharing a natural connection and passion for commitment to heritage and excellence. The Best New Restaurant Award, given to Chef and Owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten and ABC Kitchen, recognizes a new restaurant (opened in 2010), that consistently displays excellence in food, beverage and service, and is likely to have a significant impact on the food industry in the years to come.  

As the inventor of the automobile, celebrating its 125 year anniversary in 2011, Mercedes-Benz continues to be synonymous with automotive excellence with a long legacy of advancements in vehicle technology from safety to design. "Mercedes-Benz is proud to present The Best New Restaurant Award to Jean-Georges Vongerichten of ABC Kitchen," said Lisa Holladay, manager, brand experience marketing, Mercedes-Benz USA.  "As the oldest car company in the world that continues to innovate and remain on the cutting-edge, we understand what it takes to deliver on the commitment to be the best or nothing."

In partnership with the James Beard Foundation, MBUSA will continue the celebration by offering a $75 James Beard House dining certificate to all new members who are also Mercedes-Benz owners.  For more information on MBUSA, please visit www.mbusa.com.

ABOUT MERCEDES-BENZ

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States.  MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.  

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans in the US.  More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.mbsprinterusa.com.

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION

Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City's Greenwich Village as a "performance space" for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation's blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz USA