North End Bistro in Princeton and Osteria Procaccini in Pennington area among eight restaurants in the northeast to win The American Culinary Federation’s 2014 Achievement of Excellence Award. ACF recognizes those food service establishments that exemplify a commitment to excellence in food service in the marketplace.

Both restaurants are members of the Gretalia Hospitality Group, comprising six area restaurants. In addition to the two listed above, these include Osteria Procaccini in Kingston and now in Crosswicks, plus PJ’s Pancakes in Princeton and West Windsor.

“We’re thrilled to win this award,” John Procaccini, one of the owners of Gretalia, said. “We strive in our family of restaurants to offer delicious food, well-prepared, in a personalized service atmosphere. We are honored to be recognized for professionalism.”

ACF, a professional organization for chefs and cooks, was founded in 1929 in New York City by three chefs’ organizations: the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, the Vatel Club, and the Chefs de Cuisine Association of America. It is an organization based on promoting the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education of culinarians at all levels.

Today, ACF is the largest professional chefs organization in North America. It is made up of more than 20,000 members who belong to more than 200 chapters in four regions across the United States. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef and Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and combat childhood obesity.

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