Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Press Release

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™ Pizza Oven Featured At The Fourth Annual Traverse Epicurean Classic, September 11–13, 2008

CHICAGO, IL (July 22, 2008) – Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™, renowned maker of high-performance grills and outdoor kitchens, is proud to return for its third year to the Traverse Epicurean Classic, a gourmet adventure with an expansive schedule of demonstrations, tastings, dinners and receptions. Chefs Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, partners and co-chefs at Traverse City's The Cook's House and former sous chef and chef de cuisine respectively for Las Vegas Michelin Star chef, André Rochat, will represent Kalamazoo while preparing individual Neapolitan-style thin crust pizzas in the company's Outdoor Artisan Pizza Oven. They will also be grilling sample dishes on its flagship free-standing grill, the Kalamazoo 900HS Hybrid Grill.

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet's Founder and Director of Products, Geoffrey Bullard, says, "The Epicurean Classic is a terrific event that celebrates great food, excellent wine and renowned chefs, and we are especially proud to have Chef Blakeslee preparing amazing thin crust pizzas in our Outdoor Artisan Pizza Oven. Guests at the event will surely be delighted with the culinary experience from The Cook's House and Kalamazoo."

Over the three-day festival, Kalamazoo will serve close to 4,000 attendees in the Tasting Pavilion. Thursday, September 11th opens with the themed reception of "Great Lakes Fusion," for which Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet will provide tastings of the chef's pizzas and grilled dishes. For the Grand Reception dinner, which closes the three-day event on Saturday night, Chefs Blakeslee and Patterson will prepare delicious grilled tastings for the thousands of guests.

"The Cook's House is really excited to team up with Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet for the Epicurean Classic this year," said Chef Blakeslee. "By using local sustainable foods, purchased within days of the event, we will be able to create an incredibly fresh menu that will really highlight the abilities of the Kalamazoo equipment."

The Cooks' House practices a 'field to plate' philosophy by using products that come from the farmers, growers, and artisans who call Northern Michigan home. On Saturday, September 13, Chefs Blakeslee will present a cooking class at the City Market (located on the platform at the Traverse City Railway Station). After discussing the restaurant's mission, Chef Blakeslee will take the class participants through the market and will develop the day's menu based on the best ingredients of the day. Once the class has purchased the food, they will then prepare the meal on Kalamazoo's 900HS Hybrid Grill.

In addition to the tastings each day, Kalamazoo will showcase its cooking equipment to the 60+ culinary experts that attend the Epicurean Classic. The company's Outdoor Artisan Pizza Oven is an easy-to-use, gas-fired countertop oven ideal for baking everything from deep-dish pizzas and calzones to the ultra thin and crispy pizzas being served at the event. Kalamazoo Hybrid Grills enable the serious outdoor gourmet to cook with any combination of wood, charcoal or gas on a single grill.

Visit www.epicureanclassic.com for complete event and program details
as well as online registration. Find more information on The Cooks' House at www.thecookshouse.typepad.com, including the current lunch and dinner menu as well as hours of operation and contact information

About Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet has been bringing gourmet lifestyles outdoors for more than 100 years and is the one-stop resource for creating the ultimate outdoor kitchen. From revolutionary hybrid grills that cook with charcoal, wood and gas, to the most powerful and energy efficient outdoor refrigeration available, Kalamazoo is the leading manufacturer in outdoor cooking and entertaining equipment. The complete line includes grills, refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers, keg tappers, weather-tight cabinets, wok cooktops, lobster boil pits, martini bars and a countertop pizza oven.

Please visit www.KalamazooGourmet.com for more information or call 1.800.868.1699 to speak with an outdoor kitchen design expert.

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Photos and recipes available upon request. For more information or to request an interview, please contact Chris Mordi at 312-423-8714.

Media Contact:
Chris Mordi
Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Phone: 312-423-8714
E-Mail: cmordi@kalamazoogourmet.com