International Restaurant and Hotel Awards (IRHAS) honors seven legends of the travel & dining industry at the The Beverly Hilton
The 2008 IRHAS presented by the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards honored seven legends of the travel & dining industry on November 16th, 2008 at the home of the Golden Globes, The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California. The star-studded gala ceremony was hosted by Mark DeCarlo from Taste of America on the Travel Channel and included a special Spotlight on New Orleans along with the presentation of the 2008 IRHAS Honorees, Supporting Recipients, Traveler's Vote Award Recipients & Grand Awards for the International Restaurants and Hotels of the Year.
The 2008 IRHAS honorees were selected by the IRHA Advisory Board in the spring of 2008. The International Restaurant & Hotel Awards paid tribute to these seven legends of travel and dining by screening a video tribute produced by The IRHAS that highlighed the lifetime achievements of each honoree. The annual gala affair promotes the global appreciation of travel, dining and cultural exploration by celebrating legends of the travel and dining industry and the creative community that assists traveler's and foodies in planning unforgettable experiences.
The International Restaurant & Hotel Awards are the world's most prestigious awards recognizing the best value, moderate and luxury travel establishments in the industry. The Best New Restaurants and Hotels of the Year and the International Value, Moderate and Luxury Restaurants and Hotels of the Year were awarded Irha statues in front of restaurateurs, hoteliers, international star chefs, “foodies”, travelers, organization leaders, food, wine and travel writers, travel guide editors and publishers, the IRHA Jury, Advisory Board and a host of others.
The evening included a Spotlight on New Orleans that honored several humanitarians for assisting the City of New Orleans after Hurrican Katrina. Cat Cora from the Food Network and “Iron Chef “accepted an award onstage on behalf of her organization Chefs for Humanity and introduced the Spotlight on New Orleans video tribute - “7.1 Million visitors came to New Orleans in 2007, which was double the amount in 2006. New Orleans is definitely back!” Chef Paul Prudhomme, The Emeril Lagasse Foundation and Best Western for a Better World were recognized prior to the Spotlight on New Orleans video tribute for their tireless efforts to restore the Crescent City. The 2008 Humanitarian Award was presented to recipients The Cvitanovich Family and Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, who received a standing ovation. The Cvitanovich Family served over 77,000 meals after the hurricane hit. Drago’s employees lived onsite and drove meals to anyone they could find in need of a meal.
Other highlights include Coolio from "Cookin’ with Coolio" on MyDamnChannel.com presenting Best of Travel & Dining on Web Award; UK Star Chefs Sophie Michell and Eric Lanlard presenting International Luxury Restaurant of the Year; Deb Italiano, Vice President of Marketing for Travelocity accepting the Marketing Campaign of the Year Award and a cameo appearance by the real “Roaming Gnome”. Director Randall Marshall from the movie “Bottle Shock” presented the Achievement in Wine tribute to the late Robert Mondavi with Christopher Barefoot, the Estate Director of the Robert Mondavi Winery. The audience held their glasses of Robert Mondavi wine high in the air to honor the late legend of wine.
Manny Felix, server extraordinaire from Hollywood’s historic Musso & Frank Grill presented the International Value Restaurant of the Year Award. The IRHAS Executive Producer Toni Bakal and Host Mark DeCarlo stopped Manny before he walked offstage to present him with the 2008 Cultural Icon Award. Manny was selected for his 30-year commitment to Musso & Frank Grill and his incredible acumen in dining entertainment.
2008 IRHAS Honorees:
- Achievement in Wine: Robert Mondavi (In Memoriam)
- Achievement in Food & Dining: Carlo Petrini of Slow Food
- Achievement in Travel: Michael Palin
- Achievement in Design: Philippe Starck
- Humanitarian Award: The Cvitanovich Family & Drago’s Seafood Restaurant
- Visionary Award: Costas Christ
- Lifetime Achievement: Hector Ceballos-Lascurain
2008 Supporting Recipients & Traveler’s Vote Award Recipients:
- Marketing Campaign of the Year: Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome
- Travel & Dining Publication of the Year: Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine
- Best of Travel & Dining in Radio: "Around The World" KZSB AM 1290 Santa Barbara, CA
- Best of Travel & Dining in Web: www.Worldreviewer.com
- Travel Editor of the Year: Travel & Leisure Magazine's Nancy Novogrod
- Best of Travel & Dining in TV: "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations"
- Food & Dining Editor of the Year: New York Magazine, Rob Patronite, Robin Raisfeld
2008 INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS & HOTELS OF THE YEAR:
- International Value Restaurant of the Year
Glen Etive - Havelock North, Hastings, New Zealand - International Moderate Restaurant of the Year
Cochon - New Orleans, LA, United States - International Luxury Restaurant of the Year
Fearing’s - Dallas, Texas, United States - International Value Hotel of the Year
Hotel Sigiriya Near Colombo -Sri Lanka - International Moderate Hotel of the Year
Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao -Bilbao, Spain - International Luxury Hotel of the Year
The Beach House at Manafaru Maldives -Male, Maldives - Best New Restaurants of the Year
Glen Etive - Havelock North, Hastings, New Zealand
Cochon - New Orleans, LA, United States
Hotel Gastronomique de Echoput Hoog Soeren - Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands - Best New Hotels of the Year
Ace Hotel Portland - Portland, Oregon, United States - HOSPES VILLA PAULITA - Barcelona, Spain
The Beach House at Manafaru Maldives - Male, Maldives
ARTRAVEL Magazine sponsored the 2008 Conceptual Design Awards and received hundreds of submissions from around the globe. Leslie Peridou from ARTRAVEL Magazine presented statues onstage to the 2008 Best Conceptual Design Restaurant and Hotel recipients: KOKO Restaurant & Bar in Montréal,, Canada and to Habita Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
For More information on The IRHAS and the International Restaurant & Hotel Awards please visit
Toni Bakal
+1-310-285-3808
IRHA (Farmani Group)
