Special Guest, CHEF ROLAND MESNIER returns to Boston brandishing his own whisk and wooden spoon. He would love to see his old friends from last year: "Hello Boston - Spread the word I will be back at the beautiful Charles Hotel in Boston on March 14, 2009. Come and join me for an exciting evening with a lot of champagne and the best of food. Bring your camera. See you then. Bye for now."

Roland Mesnier served as Executive Pastry Chef for the White House for 25 years and has created unique and beautiful desserts for five Presidents, their families, and countless heads of state, dignitaries, and celebrity guests. His inspired creations dazzled five Presidents and their families as well as the heads of state and other foreign dignitaries who were lucky enough to sample his sweets.

ROWAN JACOBSON writes about food, the environment, and the connections between the two. He has written for the New York Times, Newsweek, Harper's, Saveur, Eating Well, Wondertime, The Art of Eating, and others. He is the author of A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America and Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis, among other books. His newest book, American Terroir, will be released in 2010. He lives in Vermont with his wife and son.

Rowan will speak on the history of shellfish and be aviailable for book signings.

EXECUTIVE CHEF ERIC HELLNER of Elliott's Oyster House in Seattle will present a live demonstration of Seared Yukon River King Salmon with Fresh Watercress and Lemon Infused Oil as part of the Chef's Stage series.

Executive Chef Eric Hellner began his culinary career in high school as a prep cook and dishwasher at the Three Sisters deli. After a couple more stints in little places he landed his first "real" job in the kitchen of Elliott's Oyster House 20 years ago. This is where he began his love for local NW seafood. He worked diligently with people like Jon Rowley and Earl Owens learning about the great seafood of the area focusing on oysters, salmon and Dungeness crab and how to appreciate and serve it. Especially Oysters where he won a gold metal at the Oyster Games. Chef Hellner then served as chef at Union Square Grill forging relationships with local producers including cheeses, produce, mushroom foragers, chocolate and utilizing the extensive ingredients the NW has to offer on his locally focused menu using the freshest sustainable ingredients from the area. He spent a short time at the Metropolitan Grill featuring some of the best beef in the world and is now back at Elliott's Oyster House, where he is focusing again on the local sustainable ingredients of the region.

Chef Hellner has shared his culinary knowledge on local Seattle television and in national magazines, as well as through cooking classes and demonstrations throughout the region. He believes in giving back to the community and is an active volunteer with the FareStart training program for homeless men and women.

JON ROWLEY, representing KWIK'PAK FISHERIES is supplying the Yukon King Salmon used in the preparation of Chef Hellner's dish and will joing him on stage for the chef's demonstration.

Jon is also a Gourmet Contributing Editor, Who's Who of Culinary Professionals in America inductee, Shaw's Crab House Oyster Hall of Fame and recipient of the Seattle Weekly Pellegrini Award.

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