Christopher Carey, executive chef at Middleburg's Goodstone Inn & Estate, has been invited by The James Beard Foundation to cook dinner at the storied James Beard House in Manhattan. The dinner will take place on Monday, August 4th, 2008, commencing at 7:00 p.m. with an elegant butler-served hors d'oeuvre and wine reception. Chef Carey's five-course dinner, featuring exceptional Virginia cuisine and fine wines, will follow beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Reservations can be arranged by calling the James Beard House at 212-627-2308 and are $125 per person for members of the James Beard Foundation and $165 per person for the general public.

"I am so pleased to be invited to cook at the James Beard House," said Chef Carey. "It is a high honor to do so and to be a part of the pantheon of chefs who have cooked at this celebrated place."

"We are so pleased to welcome The Goodstone Inn and Chef Carey to the James Beard House this summer," stated Izabela Wojcik, director of house programming for the James Beard Foundation. "We look forward to a wonderful evening highlighting the best of Virginia cuisine and fine wines."

The James Beard House was home to the Dean of American Cookery, James Beard, from 1976 until his passing at 81 in 1985. The multifaceted Beard, who established cooking schools and published over 20 important cookbooks, many of which are still in print, left a legacy of culinary excellence and integrity to generations of home cooks and professional chefs. His name remains synonymous with American cookery.

For Chef Carey's James Beard Dinner Menu, he was inspired by the five uniquely beautiful and historic dwellings that make up The Goodstone Inn & Estate's guest accommodations. These include the elegant Carriage House, the quaint Dutch Cottage, the historic French Farm House, the stately Manor House, and the intimate Spring House. He chose to name each course accordingly, providing a "culinary tour" of the Inn.

Throughout dinner, Chef Carey will use ingredients, herbs and produce originating directly from The Goodstone Inn's organically maintained kitchen gardens and orchards. In addition to providing five-star-quality lodging, The Goodstone Inn also offers farm-to-table dining in its restaurant, Hilltoppers, ensuring the freshest and highest quality culinary experience possible for guests.

Christopher Carey is executive chef for The Goodstone Inn & Estate. In this role he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the culinary program. Honored as one of the Best Chefs of Washington, he was previously executive chef for The Ashby Inn of Paris, Virginia and executive chef for Clifton Inn in Charlottesville. He is a graduate of Le Cordon Blue in Paris, the French Culinary Institute in New York and has an economics degree from Fordham University.