Executive Chef Shannon Bard
Portland, Maine, November 14, 2013— The James Beard Foundation in New York Cityhas invited Executive Chef Shannon Bard of Zapoteca (Portland, ME.) and Mixteca (Durham, NH) restaurants to show off her culinary talent at the James Beard House. The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire.
“I am extremely honored by this invitation from the James Beard Foundation,” said Executive Chef Shannon Bard. “Many of my culinary mentors and inspirations are James Beard Award winning Chefs and I am not only humbled but, of course, very excited for this opportunity.”
Chef Bard will be preparing a Maine meets Mexico menu on Monday, January 27, 2014 at the James Beard House. Tom Bard, Shannon’s husband and co-owner will be pairing wine with the dinner along with Sergio Ramos, managing partner of both restaurants who will be pairing tequila with several of the courses. Ramos is one of only four tequila sommeliers in the country. He recently completed the first phase of Tequila expert class “T” certification by The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico and endorsed by the Association of Tequila from Mexico.
Shannon Bard is New England’s proverbial Wonder Woman. Innovative chef of two highly regarded restaurants, wife and mother of four. Growing up in Oklahoma, Shannon and her family would sit together and enjoy large meals prepared by her grandmother and mother. Shannon would join them in the kitchen and spend hours making vibrantly flavored meals prepared from scratch. Meanwhile, her father and grandfather, both small farmers, imparted lessons on seasonal produce and the hard work and dedication farmers put into each and every crop.
These early influences, inspired Shannon to attend culinary school. Following her training at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, TX, Shannon along with her husband, Tom Bard and long-time friend, Sergio Ramos, opened Zapoteca Restaurante Y Tequileria in Portland, Maine and in March 2013, Mixteca Taqueria Y Cantina in Durham, NH.
Shannon is dedicated to offering authentic, seasonally influenced Mexican dishes with bold, innovative flair.
For more information on the restaurants visit http://www.zapotecarestaurant.com or www.mixtecataqueria.com.
Media Contact:
Angie Helton, Northeast Media Associates
207-653-0365
nema@maine.rr.com
About Mixteca & Zapoteca
Executive Chef Shannon Bard and her husband Tom Bard opened their first restaurant, Zapoteca Restaurante Y Tequileria, in Portland, Maine in 2011. The mission of Zapoteca is to take deep-rooted, vibrantly flavored Mexican dishes, use a combination of modern and old world cooking techniques and present dishes in a truly unique way.
Following her training at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, Texas, Shannon, her husband Tom Bard and long-time friend Sergio Ramos opened Zapoteca Restaurante Y Tequileria.
Mixteca, their second restaurant, opened in Durham, New Hampshire earlier this year. For more information on the restaurants please visit http://www.zapotecarestaurant.com
and www.mixtecataqueria.com.
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