"Right before I won, Emeril Lagasse received the (humanitarian) award that Mario Batali presented to him. I got to say hello to them. At the 2007 Aspen Food & Wine festival, I ended up on a rooftop with Emeril and Mario and for some reason decided I would get into a Patrón-drinking contest with Mario. So I said to Mario, 'Congrats, that was a beautiful speech. You know I met you once in Aspen?' And Mario was like, 'Yeah, I drank you under the table with Patrón.'" — James Beard Award winner Gabriel Rucker, to the Oregonian's Michael Russell, on a memorable backstage moment at the Beards. [Eat Beat]
