The 2014 Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRōNA) conference will conclude Wednesday, Oct. 8 with a public black-tie optional gala awards dinner at the Brown Hotel. The Bourbon & Beyond 2014 conference gala dinner hosted by local TV and radio personality John Ramsey begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, followed by a six-course dinner at 7 p.m. prepared by top chefs from across Louisville. The cost is $175 per person. For reservations, call (606) 392-1555. For more information, go to DiRoNA.com.

The dinner will also include an awards ceremony for new DiRōNA members, scholarship recipients and 2014 Hall of Fame members, including the founder of OpenTable, Chuck Templeton and Agostino and Vincenzo Gabriele, owner of Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant in downtown Louisville. The Hall of Fame award is given to nominees with at least 25 years of dedicated service and significant contributions to the dining industry.

The Bourbon & Beyond gala dinner includes:

First Course by Agostino Gabriele, Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant
Artichoke bottom filled with crab and scallops topped with shrimp and sauce Americano

Second Course by Anthony Lamas, Seviche A Latin Restaurant
Tuna with Bluegrass soy, coconut and sesame powder

Third Course by Dean Corbett, Corbett’s An American Place
Duck breast with duck confit, smoked sweet potato, crisp kale and a port-currant reduction

Fourth Course by John Castro, Winston’s Restaurant at Sullivan University
Locally-sourced heirloom tomatoes with crisp country ham, Sophia goat cheese and red vein sorrel

Fifth Course by Josh Bettis, The English Grill at the Brown Hotel
Brown sugar-braised short ribs with spiced kabocha squash, wild mushroom “bone marrow” and bourbon poached apples

Dessert by Derek Spendlove, Sullivan University
Persimmon brûlée with cranberry sauce