FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cara Clinton, Kellen Communications
Telephone: (212) 297-2109
Email: cclinton@kellencompany.com

23 Restaurants Honored Again with Top Wine Spectator Awards

NEW YORK (September 29, 2004) - To be accepted into the elite Distinguished Restaurants of North America () organization is a significant achievement in the culinary world. To also appear on Wine Spectator magazine’s impressive list of restaurant Award Winners is like being struck by lightning in the kitchen—twice.

One member, Tru in Chicago, is among only four restaurants worldwide to be awarded Wine Spectator’s prestigious Grand Award for 2004—a lofty honor, considering that just 88 dining establishments have received this award since the program began in 1981. In addition, Wine Spectator’s second-highest award, the Best Award of Excellence, was presented to 22 other Award-Winning restaurants in 2004.

To date, Wine Spectator has given Award Recognition to 3,487 Restaurants around the world. The awards come in three levels, beginning with the Award of Excellence, which is bestowed on restaurants that offer a minimum of 80 wine selections. The next step up is the Best Award of Excellence, a distinction only 608 Restaurants worldwide have earned. Best Award winners offer a wine selection beyond that of the Award of Excellence winners, typically offering 400 or more individual wines. Of the 22 restaurants to become Best Award recipients this year, 19 won Wine Spectator’s Awards of Excellence the previous year, demonstrating an increased commitment to impeccable fine dining standards. Notable restaurants in this group include Café Des Artistes in New York, Spiaggia in Chicago, and Roxy in Las Vegas.

Tru is also one of only 61 restaurants to be presented with the Award of Excellence for 2005. The restaurants join a celebrated roster of more than 800 fine dining establishments throughout North America to win this coveted honor. The Awards will be formally presented at ’s Annual Awards & Educational Conference at The Breakers in Palm Beach on October 10-13.

For more information about the Award of Excellence or the Annual Awards & Educational Conference, visit www.dirona.com or phone (212) 297-2144.

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