Chef Michael Tuohy Selected To Attend Terra Madre

Tuohy will Unite with Food Experts around the Globe for Culinary Event in Italy

ATLANTA---- Chef Michael Tuohy of Woodfire Grill has been nominated and selected by Slow Food USA to represent the Atlanta culinary scene in Italy at the Second Terra Madre event this fall. This prestigious nomination and selection process is an honor for chefs and food advocates alike because of the scale of the Terra Madre event in the culinary world. "I'm excited and honored to attend a culinary event of this magnitude," said Tuohy.

"The World Meeting of Food Communities," or the Terra Madre, will be held in Turin, Italy in October. Over 6,000 foodies from five continents and 150 countries will meet and talk for four days about food and cooking trends of the past, as well as modern food developments of today. Farmers, fisherman, shepherds, pork butchers, cheese makers, chefs - all those who are considered true food intellectuals will be on the guest lists for this impressive event. Chefs invited to Terra Madre identify with the slow food philosophy. They pay close attention to the origin and quality of their ingredients and prepare food rooted in local traditions and the characteristics of their region, and emphasize conviviality in their restaurants.

"Terra Madre is about looking into the traditional methods of food preparations and slow food values; I have embedded many of these philosophies into the restaurant [Woodfire Grill]," said Tuohy.

The focus of Terra Madre is to strengthen the network of food communities, cooks and universities. Only around 100 select chefs from the United States will attend, and share their knowledge, experiences, and local answers to many of the food industry's questions. Chefs will participate in workshops and programs specifically related to three themes; Building Local Networks, Accessibility and Agro-Ecology. "The challenge of Terra Madre is to bring to light the hidden thread that links all areas of the food sector, from selection of grain to arable farming, from bread baking to retailing," said Carlo Petrini of Slow Food USA.

Chef Michael Tuohy, a San Francisco, CA native, has been a star on Atlanta's dining scene since he arrived here in 1986. In early 2002, Tuohy made his dreams come true by opening his own restaurant, Woodfire Grill, which has been lauded by patrons and dining critics similarly. National publications have named Woodfire Grill among "America's Best Restaurants" (Gourmet Magazine, October 2003) and one of the "20 Fresh Places to Eat" (Organic Style, 2005). Chef Tuohy and Woodfire Grill have also been the subject of praise in such notable publications as Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Weekend Magazine, Wine Spectator, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
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