FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA RELEASE

Roadrunner Food Bank

CONTACT: Jasmin Holmstrup

505-247-2052, ext 129

505-306-5203 (cell)

ROADRUNNER FOOD BANK SOUPER BOWL 2007 CHAMPIONS

Prairie Star, Trombino's Bistor Italiano, and

Flying Star Cafe Win Division Categories

Albuquerque, NM - January 30, 2007 – The people have decided the best soup in Albuquerque. A sell out crowd at Roadrunner Food Bank’s Souper Bowl 2007 awarded the title of People’s Choice for Soup to Executive Chef Heath Van Riper of the Prairie Star for his Sweet Corn and Crab bisque. In the Critic’s Choice, Kirk Underwood of Trombino’s Bistro Italiano won for Rosie’s Sausage Bean Soup. For a second year in a row, Executive Chef Willem Bloom of Flying Star Café took home the People’s Choice Award for Desserts with Insomniac Cake and chocolate truffles.

“Souper Bowl 2007 was our best event ever.  The proceeds raised from Souper Bowl 2007 will become more than 715,000 pounds of food for hungry New Mexicans,” said Melody Wattenbarger, Executive Director for Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico.  “Our thanks to everyone who made this possible: Our Sponsors, the 30 participating Chefs and 28 restaurants, 80 volunteers and the 1100 guests.”

The winners in the coveted People’s Choice award for Soup were Heath Van Riper, Prairie Star for Sweet Corn and Crab Bisque,  2nd Place went to Cory Gray of the Artichoke Café for the Green Chile Enchilada Soup, and 3rd Place went to James Duke of the St. Clair Winery and Bistro for Yellow Pepper and Pear soup.

The winners in the Critics Choice award were Kirk Underwood of Trombino’s Bistro Italiano for Rosie’s Sausage Bean Soup, 2nd Place went to Jeff Berres of the Embassy Suites for the Seafood Capeehina in Tortilla, and 3rd to Cory Gray of the Artichoke Café for the Green Chile Enchilada Soup.

The winners for the People’s Choice for Desserts were Executive Chef, Willem Blom of the Flying Star for Insomniac Cake and Chocolate Truffles, 2nd Place went to Andrea Schulte of the St. James Tearoom for Scones with clotted cream, Cream-filled chocolate cake and Lemon tarts with pear. 3rd Place went to Chuck Weck from Theobroma Chocolatier for Hand-dipped Chocolate covered Strawberries and Truffles.

Souper Bowl 2007 was presented by Roadrunner Food Bank and New Mexico Mutual. Other Sponsors include: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Avanti Corporate Services, Wal-Mart, Citi Cards, UPS, Berger Briggs Real Estate and Insurance, General Mills, Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, and Schreck, McNulty-Zahm, Mutual of America, First Community Bank, Charles Stephen and Company, and Randy Gleason Consulting.  Additional in-kind sponsors are Now We’re Cooking, Sign and Image Factory, ABQ Ride, and Bueno Foods.

Souper Bowl 2007 participating Chefs and Restaurants were:

Souper Bowl 2008 is scheduled for January 26, 2008 from 11am-2pm. Pre-ticket sales will begin in August of 2007.

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Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico is New Mexico’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger.  Through its statewide network of 700 partner agencies and 7 regional food banks, Roadrunner Food Bank distributed more than 14 million pounds of food in 2006 to approximately 240,000 New Mexicans in need.  Roadrunner Food Bank is the  only New Mexico member of America’s Second Harvest—the Nation’s Food Bank Network.  In the 27 years since it was founded, Roadrunner Food Bank has distributed more than 150 million of food statewide.  For more information about Roadrunner Food Bank and its programs visit www.rrfb.org