NEW YORK The Brennan family and Wolfgang Puck were among the honorees at The Culinary Institute of America's second annual Leadership Awards Dinner, held Thursday at Pier 60 here. The CIA last year developed the Augie Awards, named after renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier, to recognize industry leaders who have made important contributions to foodservice. At this year's gala, Puck received the Augie for Chef of the Year, and the Brennan family of New Orleans was inducted into the CIA's Hall of Fame. In addition, the CIA gave out Alumni of the Year awards to Alfred Portale, a 1981 CIA graduate and owner and executive chef of Gotham Bar and Grill in New York, and Melissa Kelly, a 1988 graduate and co-owner and executive chef of Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Maine. The gala also featured a live auction to raise funds for the culinary school.
(To view a slideshow of this event, click here.)