Healthy lifestyle crusader, author and James Beard Award-winning chef, Rocco DiSpirito, will make a celebrity chef guest appearance at this year’s Orange Bowl Impact and Excellence Awards (The OBIEs): A Taste of South Florida presented by Florida Blue. The event takes place on Friday, May 20, 2016 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center at 7:30 p.m.
One of America’s most recognizable chefs, DiSpirito’s fingerprints can be found across the modern culinary scene. DiSpirito began his career studying at the Culinary Institute of America and Boston University. By the time he turned 20 years old, he was working in the kitchens of legendary chefs around the globe. He was named Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chef,” People magazine’s “Sexiest Chef” and was the first chef to appear on Gourmet Magazine’s cover as “America’s Most Exciting Young Chef.”
DiSpirito is also recognized for his inspiring weight loss journey and has dedicated his life to proving that healthy and delicious are not mutually exclusive. Sharing his passion for cooking and healthy living, he is the author of 12 highly acclaimed cookbooks, including No. 1 New York Times bestsellers The Pound A Day Diet, Now Eat This! and Now Eat This! Diet. His latest New York Times bestseller, The Negative Calorie Diet: Lose Up to 10 Pounds in 10 Days with 10 All You Can Eat Foods, builds upon DiSpirito’s legacy as a health advocate. He also launched The Pound A Diet meal delivery service where he personally cooks for and coaches thousands of clients to better health.
DiSpirito’s culinary career has also led him to success on television. He has starred in many popular TV shows, appearing as the Healthy Food Coach on ABC’s hit series Extreme Weight Loss and its companion series Extreme Weight Loss: Love Can’t Weight. Previously, DiSpirito starred in Restaurant Divided on Food Network in the fall of 2013, Now Eat This! with Rocco DiSpirito, a weekly, nationally-syndicated series that ran in 2012 and Rocco’s Dinner Partywhich aired on Bravo in the summer of 2011. He is a frequent guest on Good Morning America, The View, The Dr. Oz Show, Fox & Friends, The Rachel Ray Show and CBS Sunday Morning among many other programs.
The OBIEs: A Taste of South Florida presented by Florida Blue features a night of extraordinary food, entertainment and giving as the Orange Bowl Committee celebrates those who share the organization’s values in giving back to the South Florida community. Many of the area’s top culinary chefs and restaurants will serve their best bites for the chance to be named Flavor of South Florida. A group of graduating high school senior student athletes from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties will receive scholarships and one outstanding South Florida resident will be honored with the 2016 Keith Tribble Community Service Excellence Award for the work he or she does to make a difference.
Over the years, the Orange Bowl has been able to invest millions of dollars toward South Florida youth and sports through support of intercollegiate athletics, education, events, organizations and causes, in addition to the tremendous economic impact it provides. At this year’s event, approximately $100,000 will be given back to the South Florida community. Proceeds from The OBIEs: A Taste of South Florida presented by Florida Blue will go toward Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, Special Olympics Florida and the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy.
Much of the success and longevity of The OBIEs can be attributed to Florida Blue, the presenting sponsor, which is joined by associate sponsors Capital One, Coca-Cola, Dave & Buster’s, Deloitte, Florida Prepaid College Board, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mercer Estates, NCCI, Stella Artois, Sun Life Stadium, Toyota, Wizard Creations and our media sponsors CBS South Florida Television Stations, WFOR-TV & WBFS-TV.
For an updated list of participating restaurants/chefs, additional information and tickets, please visit our website http://community.orangebowl.org/OBIEs/ or call 305-341-4701. Stay connected by following @OrangeBowlOBIES on Instagram and Twitter.