Open Roads and Food Abound, the Hudson River Valley Hosts the New 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster

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MONTVALE, NJ--July 29, 2011: Mercedes-Benz USA hits the road this summer with the new 2012 SLK Roadster and James Beard Foundation award-winning Best New Restaurant recipient, ABC Kitchen Executive Chef Dan Kluger, to create an inspirational menu that highlights great ingredients through an outdoor road experience.

Traveling through the Hudson River Valley of New York, Executive Chef Kluger picked ingredients for the Mercedes-Benz "On the Road" menu straight from local family farmers and purveyors that call the Hudson Valley home.

"There's nothing like an exhilarating drive through the country with the top down while seeking out new experiences along the way like stopping at a local road side farm that makes the journey more memorable," said Mercedes-Benz USA Director of Communications, Geoff Day. "The 'On the Road' summer menu by one of America's celebrated chefs captures the essence of taking an ordinary experience to new heights whether it's in the dinning room or on the road in a new SLK convertible."

The 2012 SLK represents the third generation of a sports car that rocked the automotive world when it unveiled the first automatic retractable hardtop in modern times. The sleek roadster is powered by a new 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates 302 horsepower.

By envisioning the perfect summer escape for a Mercedes-Benz owner who takes pleasure in the joys of life including travel and top-notch cuisine, Mercedes-Benz is bringing its relationship with the James Beard Foundation to the forefront. MBUSA sponsors the Best New Restaurant award and this year's recipient is Chef Dan Kluger and Jean-Georges' ABC Kitchen in New York City. The Mercedes-Benz partnership with the James Beard Foundation supports the mission of preserving and celebrating America's culinary heritage.

The Mercedes-Benz "Open Road" menu is inspired by specialty vendors in the Hudson River Valley, including:

Paffenroth Gardens, "King of the root crops" vegetable farm
Windfall Farms, Micro-greens and vegetable greenhouse and hoop-house farm
Tuthilltown Spirits, New York's first whiskey distillery since the Prohibition era
Tantillo's Farm, 79-year-old family-run fruit and vegetable farm
Lynnhaven Dairy Farm, Dairy goat farm that produces a variety of cheese and yogurt blends

The five-course menu that Chef Kluger crafted incorporates ingredients from these Hudson River Valley farm stops and includes: strawberries with goat cheese, lime and arugula; roasted squash with parmesan and lemon; piedmontese ribeye with chanterelle mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and nepitella; roasted corn with manchego, jalapenos and lime; and chocolate cake with whiskey ganache.

MBUSA offers all of their driver's exclusive James Beard Foundation memberships and access to events taking place at the landmark James Beard House in New York City.