The James Beard Foundation Celebrity Chef Tour will be making a stop in Asheville on September 10. The tour celebrates the nations top culinary talent. Chef William Dissen of the Market Place Restaurant has been selected as the host chef of this exciting event.  A total of 5 chefs, 3 local and 2 celebrities, will be featured at the event. Local chefs invited to participate include Elliot Moss and Dan Rattigan of French Broad Chocolate Lounge (providing the dessert course of the event). A celebrity mixologist out of California, Sara Strom, will also be joining this dream team for an exciting twist. Cleveland, Ohio native, Jonathon Sawyer, is the first Celebrity Chef to be announced. Jonathon has appeared on Iron Chef and received numerous awards including Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef & Bon Apetit Magazine's Best New Restaurant.  Attendees will get to meet the chefs, be treated to a fantastic dinner, and enjoy a a one of a kind cocktail reception. Tickets for the event are are available for $175 and can be purchased online at the celebrity chef tour website at http://celebritycheftour.com/calendar.html. You may also purchase tickets through the event planners website, Mandy Berger of the Buzz, for a link to purchase tickets. Limited space available. Sponsors of the event include BMW of Asheville, Asheville Distilling (Troy & Sons), & The Buzz.  Event Details:  Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Time: Cocktail Reception 6:00 pm / Dinner 7:00 pm The Market Place Restaurant 20 Wall Street Restaurant Asheville, NC 28801 Ticket Price: $175 Website: www.celebritycheftour.com About Chef William Dissen From his upbringings in the hills & mountains of Appalachia, Chef William Dissen always has been in touch with the outdoors & nature. Spending time on his grandparents’ farm – watching his Grandmother cook bountiful meals straight from the garden to the kitchen table – has been a major influence on his style of cooking,as well as his beliefs in sustainable seafood, agriculture & local cuisine.  At his restaurant, The Market Place, in Asheville, NC, Chef William Dissen works with a network of local farms, artisan producers, & sustainable fishermen to produce flavorful, fresh food for his patrons.  Honored as a Rising Star Chef in 2013 by Star Chefs Magazine, Chef Dissen was also named “40 Chefs under 40” for his innovative approach to sustainable cuisine, & was awarded the “Seafood Watch Ambassador” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in 2011 and was honored as a member of their Blue Ribbon Task Force in 2014 for his use of sustainable seafood. William has also hosted the national Outstanding in the Field farm dinner for the past 5 consecutive years, and was chosen as a “Green Chef of the Year” by Fortune Magazine in 2012 & 2013 for their Fortune Brainstorm Green event. Dissen was recently a member of the nationally acclaimed James Beard Foundation’s Chef’s Boot Camp in 2013. “There is no cuisine without gardens & farmers,” says Chef Dissen. “We provide farm-fresh ingredients to entice our guests with simple, yet explosive flavors that enhance the experience of dining.”