Celeb Chefs Roy Choi & Tyler Florence party for Water at the W Hollywood
Celeb Chefs Roy Choi & Tyler Florence party with smartwater sparkling at the W Hotel in Los Angeles, also known as the W Hotels Insider Collective at W Hollywood.
smartwater sparkling and W Hotels partnered to host a rooftop dinner as part of the latest installment of the Insider Collective, an exclusive series of intimate events that have been popping up at W Hotels around the globe. The private event was held at W Hollywood with special guest, celebrated chef and founder of gourmet Korean food truck Roy Choi, who chatted with innovators of food, fashion and fitness who attended.
Those included TASTE Hall of Fame inductee and chef Tyler Florence, stylist Katie Grand, celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, blogger Dani Song and more…
The special event celebrated the launch of new smartwater sparkling, which has all of the attributes of the smartwater you know and love but with just the right amount of bubbles.
The goal of the W Hotels Insider Collective is to bring together the most dynamic people in the fashion, music, tech, design and culinary worlds as only W Hotels can. Carefully curated, these events are designed to bring together influencers from different worlds for spirited conversation over good music and even better food and cocktails.
Roy Choi is a chef, restaurateur, and author based in Los Angeles who is responsible for essential California restaurants and food such as POT, Commissary, Chego, A-Frame, and Kogi™, one of the first food trucks in a movement that has now gone nationwide. In January 2016, he will open in Watts, an exciting and innovative restaurant concept that combines high quality with fast food. While he has traditional culinary training, he also draws inspiration from music, art, and, of course, well-crafted beer.
YouTube’s Mind Over Munch, Gemma, and Dish it Out scheduled to appear at the TASTE AWARDS
YouTube stars and award winners & nominees Mind Over Munch, Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking, and Dish it Out! are scheduled to appear at the 7th Annual TASTE AWARDS.
Mind Over Munch is an award winners in the “BEST HEALTH & FITNESS PROGRAM (Food & Diet)” category, as well as a Viewer’s Choice nominee for “BEST INSTRUCTIONAL WEB SERIES.”
Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking is an Honoree Award Winner, for the “SPOTLIGHT AWARD.”
Dish It Out!, a previous award winner, is also a nominee for the Viewer’s Choice categories, “BEST HOME CHEF IN A SERIES,” “BEST COMEDY,” and “BEST INSTRUCTIONAL WEB SERIES.”
The TASTE AWARDS take place on February 11th at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.
www.TheTasteAwards.com
Ruth Reichl and Steven & Chris named Persons of the Year
The TASTE AWARDS Committee have named veteran 
food writer and editor, Ruth Reichl, as well as lifestyle television hosts, Steven & Chris (Livewell Network, CBC) as the 2015 Persons of the Year.
Ruth Reichl has enjoyed a long career in food media. She was Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine from 1999 to 2009. Before that she was the restaurant critic of both The New York Times (1993-1999) and the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993), where she was also named food editor.
Ms. Reichl also hosted Eating Out Loud, three specials on Food Network, covering New York (2002), San Francisco (2003), and Miami (2003). She is the executive producer of Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie, public television’s 30-episode series, which debuted in October 2006 and Executive Producer and host of Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth, a 10-episode public television (2009.) She was also a judge on Top Chef Masters.
Chris Hyndman and Steven Sabados are two of North America’s favorite interior decorators and style experts.
With their design company, The Sabados Group, Steven & Chris have helped thousands of clients and millions of viewers discover new ways of making their homes and their lives more comfortable, stylish and positive.
Steven and Chris hosted a string of successful shows, including their 2001 debut Designer Guys, 2003’s Design Rivals, and 2005’s personal makeover show So Chic with Steven and Chris, before launching Steven and Chris on CBC in 2008. Their programs have garnered international attention, airing in over eighty countries.
In 2015, Christopher passed away after a tragic accident in Canada. His partner, Steven Sabados, however will hopefully carry on their tradition, message, and entertaining program.
Billionaire TWITCH founder Justin Kan presents a TASTE AWARD
The TASTE AWARDS have always had personalities, stars and leaders as part of the event. This includes not just winners and nominees, but also the Presenters.
When Justin Kan presented this award he was famous for Justin.TV, which chronicled in a streaming feed every moment of his life.
Now he is known for selling his firm, Twitch, to Amazon for over $1 Billion, an example of a real life unicorn.
Below, The Billionaire founder of Twitch and Justin.TV, Justin Kan presents the Best Film or Documentary award at the very TASTE AWARDS. Justin is joined in this video by food and TV host Leslie Sbrocco.
The TASTE AWARDS celebrate the year’s best in food, fashion, and lifestyle programs on television, in film, online and on radio.
Marisa Churchill stars in new international Baking series
Marisa Churchill, a long-time celebrity awards presenter for the TASTE AWARDS, as well as food television star from shows like “Top Chef”, is starring in a new baking series with Fage Greek yogurt.
The series is called “MY SWEEΤ & SKINNY LIFE.”
Says Marisa, “We filmed 20 episodes geared towards the Greek-American market in the US and also the Greek market,. The show as the show played in Greece too.”
Marisa has also been quite busy in the US, where she appears on The Talk on CBS and also Home & Family on the Hallmark channel
Episode one of here Greek baking series can be seen here: