GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.,
Oct. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/
-- Tirza Diaz De Villegas is enjoying the sweet – and savory –
taste of victory, as she was declared the winner of the Red Robin
Savory Scholar Gourmet Dipping Sauce Contest at the Food Network
New York Wine & Food Festival's Blue Moon Burger Bash on
Friday, Oct. 18. Diaz De Villegas'
Tirza's Tangy Cilantro & Garlic Sauce, which includes
Heinz® Mayonnaise, garlic, onion, lemon, cilantro and
Greek yogurt, was selected as the favorite Steak Fry dipping sauce
by attendees at the event and Katie
Lee, earning her a $5,000
scholarship and the chance to have her sauce served in Red
Robin® restaurants nationwide next year.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131019/NY00571)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120522/NY11686LOGO)
"It has been such a rewarding experience participating in Red
Robin's Savory Scholar Contest, and I am so thrilled my dipping
sauce has been selected as the winner," said Tirza Diaz De Villegas. "What an amazing
opportunity this has been to jumpstart my career in the hospitality
industry."
Red Robin's Savory Scholar Gourmet Dipping Contest, held from
Aug. 26 through Sept. 9, included
more than 100 sauce entries from students at Florida International University's (FIU) Chaplin
School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. Each FIU student
created a dipping sauce that could accompany Red Robin's signature
Bottomless Steak Fries. The recipes were evaluated by Red Robin and
Heinz chefs, and food and lifestyle expert and author Katie Lee.
Three finalists were named and each served his or her gourmet
dipping sauce at the Blue Moon Burger Bash. Attendees at the event
voted for their favorite dipping sauce and Lee announced Diaz De
Villegas as the winner on stage.
"Tirza's Tangy Cilantro & Garlic Sauce had a unique blend of
mayonnaise, garlic, onion, lemon, cilantro and Greek yogurt and
pairs perfectly with Red Robin's Steak Fries," said Lee.
"Congratulations to Tirza for making an award-winning sauce!"
"As the gourmet burger authority, we also know what it takes to
create a great accompaniment to that burger – crispy steak fries
and a craveable dipping sauce, which Tirza has given us with her
Tirza's Tangy Cilantro & Garlic Sauce," said Denny Marie Post, Red Robin's senior vice
president and chief menu & marketing officer. "We're
thrilled to provide Tirza with the opportunity to have her sauce on
our menu next year."
"We are pleased that Red Robin provided our students with a
platform to prove their innovation and creativity, as they prepare
to become the future leaders of the industry," said Mike Hampton, dean of Chaplin School of
Hospitality& Tourism Management at FIU.
For more information about Red Robin and to find a restaurant
location, visit www.redrobin.com.
About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ:
RRGB)
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a
casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates
through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc.,
is the Gourmet Burger Authority™, famous for serving more than two
dozen craveable, high-quality burgers with Bottomless Steak
Fries® in a fun environment welcoming to guests of all
ages. In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin
serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees,
desserts and signature Mad Mixology®
Beverages. There are more than 480 Red Robin®
restaurants located across the United
States and Canada,
including corporate-owned locations and those operating under
franchise agreements. Red Robin… YUMMM®! Connect with
Red Robin on Facebook and Twitter.
About Katie
Lee
Best-selling author and food and lifestyle expert
Katie Lee describes her style as
casual, comfortable, with a touch of couture. In addition to her
Comfort Table cookbooks, she writes a column for SELF
published her first novel Groundswell in 2011. Katie sits on
the Celebrity Board for Feeding America, and when not working or
volunteering, she enjoys surfing and traveling. You can find her on
Twitter @KatieLeeKitchen.
About the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism
Management
Florida International
University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism
Management has been distinguished as one of the top hospitality
programs in the U.S. More than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate
students from across the United
States and around the world choose FIU for its outstanding
reputation, advantageous campus locations, expert faculty, rich
curriculum, and fast-track career opportunities in the
international hotel, foodservice and tourism industries. In
August 2006 FIU unveiled the first US
School of Hospitality and Tourism in Tianjin, China. The Marriott Tianjin China
Program is FIU's largest international program, with a capacity for
up to 1,000 students. For more information about Florida International University's School of
Hospitality and Tourism Management, visit
http://hospitality.fiu.edu/.
SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.