Highlights Of The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show Of New York

Over 600 exhibiting companies showcased thousands of new products and services at the 14th Annual International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York. The Show, which was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center March 4-6, 2007, offered chefs, restaurant owners, operators and others in the industry the opportunity to meet with some of the industry's leading vendors, view and sample the latest cuisines from Japan, and learn from some of the biggest and best names in the industry.

There was a tremendous buzz on the Show floor that this was one of the best events in years," said Ron Mathews, Event Director for Reed Exhibitions, producers of the Show. "We had so many exciting highlights from the Japanese Pavilion, to Danny Meyer's keynote address, to PMQ's New York Pizza Show and New York Wine Expo that the thousands of restaurant owners who attended were able to walk away with some terrific new products and ideas to bring back to their businesses.

"One of the highlights was the Japanese Demonstration Theater and Pavilion, organized by The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), where twenty-five food and product vendors showcased historical food preparation techniques and highlighted new trends and innovations. During the three-day event, the aisles of the Japanese Pavilion were packed with attendees experiencing the subtle flavors and texture of Japanese Premium Rice and richly marbled Wagyu as well as samples of artisanal Kelp and White Sesame Oil.

"The companies that took part in the Japanese Demonstration Theater and Pavilion were thrilled with the restaurant owners and operators they met with during the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York," said Jessica Parton, Research & Public Affairs for JETRO - New York. "Vendors new to the U.S. market realized the added value of their products that incorporated the use of organic ingredients and kosher certification, making the Pavilion a productive cross-cultural business learning experience for all involved.

"Also popular was the Nation's Restaurant News New Product Gallery where over 150 of the newest and most innovative products were introduced into the marketplace. During the first two days of the Show over two-thousand attendees cast their votes for their favorite new products. The Best of Show Award was presented to Orchid Island Juice Company for their Orchid Island Fresh Juice; Orchid also won The Best Beverage Award. The Best Environmental Safety Award was presented to FundaMental Designs for their FIFO, First In, First Out Squeeze Bottle. The Best Technology Award was presented to Pay @ Table by POSitive Computing Services. The Best Healthy Food Award was presented to Bake n' Joy for their Whole Wheat Muffins. The Best Entrie Award was presented to Thyme and Truffles for their Asian Noodle Nest. The Best Snack Award was presented to Dark Horse Catering for their Crescent Duck Pate. The Best Dessert Award was presented to Junior's Cheesecake for their Black Forest Cheesecake Layercake. The Best Equipment Award was presented to WingDipper for their Wing Dipper.

"What a terrific way to end a phenomenal Show," said Aaron Foss, Creator of the WingDipper. "We officially launched our product on Sunday, the opening day of the Show, met with hundreds of potential customers, received really strong sales leads, and ended up receiving a best new product award. We couldn't be more excited with the results of this Show."

There were several other exciting special events including the 18th Annual U.S. Pastry Competition which took place during the Show. First place was presented to Ebow Dadzie from Foulkie Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY; Ebow won $4,000 and a gold medal. Second place was presented to Christophe Mazeaud from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, CA; Christophe won $2,500 and a silver medal