Article: "Outback at Alisal" Weekend Event with Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone

**texasmesquite** · 07-09-2009, 11:56 PM

"OUTBACK AT ALISAL" WEEKEND EVENT ANNOUNCES SPECIAL GUEST: CELEBRITY CHEF CURTIS STONE
Source: americancowboy.com

Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort and the South Australian Tourism Commission Invite Guests to Saddle Up for a Down Under Adventure in the Wild West Filled with Ropin’, Ridin’, Food, Wine, and more!

Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, together with the South Australian Tourism Commission and the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, are thrilled to announce that Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone will treat guests to a lavish wine dinner during the Outback at Alisal Weekend. Curtis Stone is the host of TLC’s “Take Home Chef”; has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Martha Stewart, Fox Morning Show, Ellen Degeneres, and Entertainment Tonight. Additionally, Curtis released his fourth cookbook, Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood, this April.

Outback at Alisal is a cowboy adventure weekend bringing the Australian Outback to the California Central Coast. Guests will horseback ride, sip Shiraz, dine at an Australian and American BBQ feast, and much more. Guests will also be eligible to win a trip for two to the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive in August 2010 (valued at $8,000.00).

The Outback at Alisal weekend package for two includes:

Studio accommodations for three nights, four days
Welcome reception
Special lakeside lunch
Wine dinner featuring Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone
Australian and American BBQ
Breakfast horseback ride
Screening of “Australia” the movie, under the stars
All meals, including wine
Chance to win a trip for two to the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive in South Australia
Unlimited ranch activities including golf, horseback riding and more

WHEN:
September 17-20, 2009
To make a reservation, please call 800.4.ALISAL, visit www.alisal.com or email: reservations@alisal.com

COST:
The Outback at Alisal Weekend is available for $2,495.00 for two people, all-inclusive. Additional per person, and suite rates are available upon request.

WHERE:
ALISAL GUEST RANCH & RESORT
1054 Alisal Road
Solvang, CA 93463
800.4.ALISAL
www.alisal.com

Curtis Stone
Curtis Stone is a master chef, best selling author, TV host, and entrepreneur. When it comes to cooking, his philosophy is to cook as Mother Nature intended: buy locally produced seasonal and organic ingredients, keep recipes simple, and allow the food to speak for itself. Curtis’s fourth book, Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood, was released April 7, 2009 by Clarkson Potter. Curtis’s passion for food can also be seen on TLC’s hit show “Take Home Chef,” which is currently in reruns. A partner on AOL Food’s “Trade Secrets,” Curtis provides expert advice, recipes and tips to the portal’s millions of users through a series of user-friendly videos, http://food.aol.com. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Curtis left Victoria University in 1994, determined to fulfill his dream of working in the world’s best restaurants, he walked into legendary Chef Marco Pierre White’s kitchen and offered to work for free in exchange for the opportunity to work alongside the three-star Michelin genius. After proving his worth by working for free for the first month, Curtis was brought on staff and remained at The Grill Room at Café Royal for two years. From Marco’s Grill Room, Curtis advanced to Sous Chef at Mirabelle where he contributed to the restaurant’s well-regarded Mirabelle Cookbook. Curtis remained at Mirabelle for two years, during which time it was awarded a prestigious Michelin Star. Curtis was then handed the reigns to Marco Pierre’s flagship restaurant, Quo Vadis, where he received critical acclaim and remained there until 2003 when he made the leap to television. His first show “Surfing The Menu” ran for four seasons in 26 countries. Curtis is based in Los Angeles. For additional information, please visit http://www.curtisstone.com.

Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort
Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort offers 73 telephone- and-television-free guest cottages and suites, the brand new Alisal Fitness Center & Spa featuring weight and cardio equipment, fitness classes, and indulgent massage and facial treatments; two 18-hole championship golf courses; six tennis courts, and a 100-acre spring-fed private lake with water sports, including fly fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, as well as archery, and an air-rifle shooting range. Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort has long been considered the premier full-service guest ranch for couples, families, and conferences since it opened in 1946. This secluded hideaway is one of the few places where time seems reluctant to move forward. www.alisal.com

South Australia and the Outback
South Australia, the fourth largest of Australia’s six states, is located in the southern half of the country. Adelaide, the capital city, is a delightful jumping off point for exploring the region. Surrounded by parklands, Adelaide is home to just over 1 million people, and the Central Business District is one square mile, perfect for exploring the fine museums, great restaurants, and the famed Central Market—the largest covered market in the Southern Hemisphere—on foot. South Australia is a haven for wine lovers as well. Over 60% of all Australian wines come from the state’s wine regions.

South Australia is known as the “gateway to the Outback.” For many people, even Australians, the Outback is an unknown and mystical place, a world away from their daily lives. For South Australians, the Outback is just that, out back. It is the ease of this access that makes it the ideal place for an Outback holiday. Take the Explorer’s Way from Adelaide to the Red Center of Australia. Learn about the rich heritage of the Outback’s Aboriginal nations. Visit the Flinders Ranges and see Wilpena Pound, a giant stone amphitheatre that is millions of years old, and check out the Opal mining capital of the World, Coober Pedy. www.southaustralia.com

Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive
The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive is an epic journey involving 600 head of cattle, 120 horses, some of Australia’s most famous and experienced cattle drovers and a roaring good time. The Drive is the ultimate way to see the Outback and is perfect for that travel enthusiast who’s always wanted to learn about the region’s history and culture. The Drive itself is broken down into stages, each showcasing distinctly different Australian terrain. Seven tours are available as five-day packages. Visitors are welcome to join the Drive for more than one and can even experience the whole six weeks if they are so inclined. Each rider will have his own horse and all equipment and meals will be provided. Visitors will overnight in a tented village with excellent facilities including, hot showers, bar service and hearty, traditional Australian fare. An on-site library filled with books on Australian Outback history will provide ample reading material for inquiring minds. www.cattledrive.com.au