On Sunday June 11, 2017, Mohonk Consultations and a group of nearly 160 supporters presented the annual Distinguished Achievement Award to John Novi, the “fearless and imaginative” chef who is internationally celebrated as one of the founders of New
American cuisine. Locally, the High Falls native is also known as a tireless advocate for the preservation of family farms and Hudson Valley history. His generous donations of catering services to agricultural, arts, educational, environmental, and historic group fund-raisers has made him a local hero to many nonprofits.
While many people know of John Novi’s meteoric path to culinary stardom (within just one year of opening, New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne awarded Novi’s DePuy Canal House Four (4) Stars, the highest accolade), many don’t know that as early as 1966, John was on a mission to protect the D&H Canal and formed its first board of directors. Recently retired as DePuy Canal House chef, John was instrumental in securing a grant that helped transfer this historic building to the D&H Canal Society.
Special guests Kevin Zraly, founder and instructor of the Windows on the World Wine School; Steve Kolpan, Professor and Chair of Wine Studies at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park; Janet Crawshaw, Publisher, Hudson Valley Table; Chris Marx, Dean, SUNY Ulster; and Michael Ryan, lead massage therapist at Mohonk Mountain House, shared their personal memories of how Chef John helped launch their careers and inspired a new generation of chefs and local food enthusiasts.
To honor John Novi’s passion for using local ingredients, Mohonk Mountain House’s Executive Chef Jim Palmeri and Director of Food and Beverages, Robert LeDuc, prepared a menu sourced from our local farms.
Guests had the opportunity to bid for a dinner for six, prepared by Chef John, at a silent auction and proceeds were donated to Mohonk Consultations. Mohonk Mountain House donated the ingredients.
Above: John Novi in his legendary DePuy Canal House Restaurant kitchen. In 1983, People Magazine called John “fearless and imaginative” and two years later, Time Magazine named him “the Father of New American Cooking”.