A (Culinary) Affair to Remember :: The Golden Foodies Awards

Pamela Waitt is the visionary behind the inception of the Orange County Restaurant Association. She is the sassy, but classy, founder and president who has focused on promoting, illuminating and elevating the Orange County restaurant industry, with a goal on global recognition.

Another original concept of hers was the launch of Orange County Restaurant Week, begun in 2008. The event has since become one of the region's most celebrated dining extravaganzas.

In 2010, Pamela envisioned a glamour-filled, prestigious, annual award show, honoring the Orange County culinary world and from that original idea, the Golden Foodie Awards was born. She started conceptualizing and putting the event together in 2011 and the following year, made that dream a reality. Now in its third year, the event promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The Rage Monthly recently sat sown with "Pam" to get some insight on this year's festivities.

When did your love of the food industry first begin?

When I was really young, my grandmother nurtured my obsession with food. We were always in the kitchen and she would say, "We are going to build some food." She looked at everything in the kitchen as building.

Was there a particular dish you remember?

It was all very classic old-fashioned food; a lot of casseroles and pies. Typically, we would go out to her garden and whatever was fresh, inspired what we were going to cook.

I know one of your goals is to elevate Orange County's food scene into an international dining destination because the culinary expertise is so strong. How is that plan progressing?

It's progressing fantastically, especially when you look at where the food scene was seven or eight years ago. Now, we have world-class chefs like Michael Mina and Rick Bayless converging in Orange County and opening restaurants. We, of course, also have our local chefs here doing wonderful things with farm to table, sustainability and with lots of creativity. People aren't afraid to experiment any more, and so these new chefs and restaurants have blossomed.

What originally inspired the idea to start the Golden Foodie Awards?

Well, I love glamour for sure (laughs) and I felt that everything "food" before the Golden Foodie Awards celebrated the wrong type of cuisine. I felt like it was advertiser-based. Now, this night is a way for the chefs and restaurateurs to celebrate their achievements. They are in the kitchen all of the time and this allows them to reap the benefits of their hard work.

I am fortunate enough to be a voting guild member; how do you determine who will be on the guild?

We find people who are educated about food and on the restaurant industry as a whole. We want varied opinions and strive for a Democratic process and seek out non-biased, fair-minded people to be part of it.

This year's festivities will be held at The Fairmont Hotel. Why does this location lend itself well for the event?

It is one of my favorite hotels in Orange County. When people arrive in the bamboo garden, it is so spectacular. They will be able to eat, drink and listen to music while mingling. Then, the crowd migrates into the ballroom for the awards ceremony, a venue that is set up perfectly for this exciting night.

Which is your personal favorite voting category and why?

Well, I love tacos (laughs), but I also love cocktails. Honestly, I don't have a favorite, it changes each day.

You and your team have created the Golden Chef Series held at the Sub-Zero and Wolf Showrooms, How would you describe it?

That is designed to create an intimate relationship between the chefs and community on a small scale. It gives foodies a chance to learn from their favorite chefs and taste their food in an up close and personal setting.

Something that people may not know about you, is how passionate you are about ending childhood hunger and hunger in general. What organizations are you involved with?

I am involved with several, but I have a strong affinity to Share Our Strength, because their focus is dedicated to filling local food banks with food for kids, who wouldn't otherwise have access.

That's incredible! Tell me more about your future vision for the Golden Foodie Awards?

This brand has the potential to move into other markets. It is very unique, and there is nothing else like it, sort of the "Academy Awards" for the food industry. I hope to see this kind of love shared in other dining destina all over the country.

The grand celebration begins Sept. 28 at 6 p.m., at which time guests will enjoy food from some of Orange County's finest restaurants and chefs. The ultimate adult food, drink and music playground is quickly followed by the Foodie Award-winners, who will be announced by guest chefs from "Shahs of Sunset," some of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" and other celebrity guests. Tables will be adorned with gift bags, fine desserts, coffee and spirits to enjoy during the show.