Greater Hartford residents looks forward every year to the Taste of the Nation benefit held at Marquee Events & Catering in the Gershon Fox Ballroom in downtown Hartford. The annual event is held to raise money for Share Our Strength, an organization whose noble mission is to eradicate hunger in children (see www.nokidhungry.org). The chair of the fundraiser was Angela Pitrone, with Tyler Anderson, chef-owner of Millwright’s in Simsbury, taking over the spot of honorary co-chair from Billy Grant of Bricco Trattoria in Glastonbury and Restaurant Bricco and Grants in West Hartford.
Not only was the Taste of the Nation a chance for people to support a tremendous cause they believe in but it was an opportunity to sample treats from some of Connecticut’s top restaurants and food and drink purveyors. In the eyes of this observer, who has attended this event for a number of years, and seemingly in the eyes of many other observers as well, this year’s Taste of the Nation was one of the best. There was live entertainment, a silent auction, a V.I.P. lounge and a beer garden.
The foods provided by restaurants and distributors were tremendous. Where at some eleemosynary events, many purveyors seem to provide routine treats and expend minimal effort, at this event each restaurant seemed to be striving to outdo the others. When restaurants compete like that, the guests are the winners. Just a partial list of the participating food purveyors would include Millwrights, Max Downtown, ON20, Firebox, Dish, Bricco, A’Vert, The Mill at 2t, Barcelona, Bartaco, Peppercorns, Piccolo Arancio, Cavey’s, Bear’s Smokehouse, Wood-n-Tap, Black Bamboo, The Oyster Club, The Cupcake Brake, Mozzicato’s, and many others. Beer purveyors included Thomas Hooker, Black Hog, Allaghash, City Steam, Samuel Adams, Harpoon, Broad Brook, Half Full, and others.
One of the most interesting participants was Artisan, a terrific restaurant which came all the way from the Delamar Hotel in Fairfield for this event. Of course, the folks behind Artisan might have had a (commendable) ulterior motive: they’ll be opening an Artisan in the West Hartford Delamar Hotel scheduled to open in 2016. This event was a great way not only to support a worthy cause but to spread awareness of one’s restaurant.
FEEDBACK: Let us know in our comments section if you participated in or attended this year’s event and enjoyed it as much as we did!