An Evening of Good Taste” raised more than $140,000 to support South Nassau Communities Hospital’s Center for Cardiovascular Health.

1. For Immediate Release May 14, 2013
Contact: Damian Becker, Manager of Media Relations
(516) 377-5373
Photo Caption: From left, Joseph J. Fennessy, chair of the board of directors of South Nassau; Richard J.
Murphy, president and CEO; Evening of Good Taste honoree Stephen Bello, executive chef of South Nassau;
and Joseph Quagliata, former president and CEO of South Nassau.
Chefs Raise More than $140,000 for Advancements in Heart Care
Oceanside, NY – More than 500 food, wine and beer enthusiasts turned out to sample gourmet
delights showcased by Long Island restaurants at the 20th anniversary “An Evening of Good Taste” held
at the Crest Hollow Country Club on March 4. The event raised more than $140,000 to support South
Nassau Communities Hospital’s Center for Cardiovascular Health.
South Nassau executive chef Stephen Bello, C.E.C., C.C.A., A.A.C., who co-founded An
Evening of Good Taste in 1992, was the event’s honoree. “Since its founding 20 years ago, An Evening
of Good Taste has been one of Long Island’s premiere culinary extravaganza fundraisers,” said Chef
Bello. “It is gratifying and humbling to be the honoree because there are so many outstanding individuals
who have contributed just as much as I have to the event’s annual success. This includes generosity of
the sponsors, the commitment to quality and excellence of the participants, the selfless efforts of the event
volunteers and the support of South Nassau’s board of directors and administration.”
A talented culinarian, Chef Bello supervises the dietary staff of South Nassau and its employee
cafeteria, serving 1,200 meals a day, as well as catering and makes daily donations of food to Meals on
Wheels. He has won numerous awards during his career including the Gold Medal at the Les Amis d’
Escoffier Society at the Culinary Exhibition in Cologne, Germany; the New York Guild of Chefs
Humanitarian of the Year Award; and two national Presidential Medallions from the American Culinary
Federation. He was also inducted into The Chef De Cuisine Society of New York and the prestigious
American Academy of Chefs®, which represents the highest standards of professionalism in the
organization, society and industry.
This popular fundraising extravaganza also provides the region’s culinary leaders with a venue to
showcase their creations and serves as an official competition to determine the top participating culinary
artists, as judged by a team of certified executive chefs from the tri-state region as well as the attendees
who determine the winner of the event’s People’s Choice Award. The competition has divisions for
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2. restaurants, bakeries, culinary schools and ice sculptors and awards are given for appetizers, entrées,
desserts, overall table presentation, bread, pastries and special occasion cakes.
The results of this year’s competition are as follows: People’s Choice Award – STAR Career
Culinary Academy; Restaurant Division – Appetizer: The Hamlet Golf & Country Club (Corn &
Lobster Fillet); Entrée: LN2 Productions (Ribeye); Dessert: Insignia Steakhouse (Chocolate Cage Cake);
Overall Table Presentation: Crest Hollow Country Club; ACF Gold Medal Restaurant – LN2
Productions; ACF Gold Medal Bakery – Spiga Bakery; Bakery – Bread: Spiga Bakery (Eggplant
Parmesan Bread); Dessert Pastry: Sweet Karma (Mini Ganache Tart); Special Occasion Cake: Dortoni
Bakery (Wedding Cake); Breakfast Pastry: Spiga Bakery (Nutella Panini); Student Division – Appetizer:
Joseph M. Barry Career & Educational Center (Jerk Pork); Entrée: Eastern Suffolk BOCES (Duck
Breast); Dessert: Joseph M. Barry Career & Educational Center (Chocolate and Plated Dessert);
Outstanding Student Display: Eastern Suffolk BOCES.
South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than
1,000 physicians and 3,000 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit
teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain
management, mental health and emergency services. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers,
South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty and is the only hospital on Long Island with the
Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® Perfexion radiosurgery technologies. South Nassau is a designated Stroke
Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the
American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American
Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.
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