Share Our Strength's (SOS) mission to end childhood hunger results in a highly-anticipated annual event that brings Miami's most talented chefs together to let hundreds of guests taste some of their best dishes. Once again chaired by Chef Allen Susser, the 19th annual Taste of the Nation was held for the first time ever at the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne.Susser collaborated with the Ritz's director of social catering, Elda Brouwer, along with SOS committee members to make sure everything ran smoothly. "The event is like an oversized puzzle [because there are so many vendors involved]. You have to make sure the pieces stay together," Brouwer said.
The evening began with a cocktail reception, where guests sipped champagne and bid on auction items such as seven-night Caribbean cruises, Miami Heat game packages, baskets of wine, and top-of-the-line cooking equipment, all procured by Durant Consulting Inc. So Cool Events decorated the reception area with lit acrylic furniture. So Cool's new clear acrylic chairs were paired with tables covered by iridescent blue linens and topped with tall curvy acrylic centerpieces.
At 7 PM, the doors opened to the main ballroom, where 43 top chefs were ready to feed more than 700 eager guests. The color scheme featured rich earth tones such as pumpkin, paprika, and yellow squash. A circular truss that housed the Leblon tequila bar was placed in the center of the room, creating a focal point. Using lime green napkins, vases filled with limes and white calla lilies, and its bright bottles of tequila to decorate the area, the Brazilian liquor company added a splash of color to the otherwise neutral room. Conga drums surrounding the Leblon bar served as cocktail tables after being fitted with glass tops (provided by DECO Productions). Every restaurant also decorated its booth to reflect the cuisine and ambiance of the eatery. The entire room was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.
Participating restaurants ranged from A Fish Called Avalon to Wish, and all prepared bite-size entrées or desserts. The guests energetically shuffled down each row trying (and re-trying) all the dishes while the chefs maintained a frenzied pace to keep up with the demand. Highlights included lamb sparerib served nacho style on a wonton crisp with wasabi by Chef Keyvan Behnam of China Grill; plantain-wrapped jumbo lump crab with avocado aioli by Chef Roly Cruz-Taura of Fifty; espresso tres leche from Chef Patrick Broadhead of Max's Grille Coral Gables; and a sashimi pizza with bluefin tuna, romesco sauce, baby spinach, and shaved Manchego cheese from Chef Jose Mendin of SushiSamba Dromo.
The restaurants designed their booths with as much precision as their dishes. Those with memorable presentations included Whole Foods Market, which covered every inch of the table with a colorful array of cheeses, fruits, breads, and other accoutrements. Tuscan Steak (which served a truffle Florentine T-bone steak with scallions on a toast point) used a loaf of bread with three votives in it as an alternative candleholder. The host hotel created a display of wooden pedestals surrounded by tropical flowers, and a vase filled with stones and palm leaves topped with two flamingos that the Ritz's master pastry chef Frederic Monnet made out of white chocolate. The display was the perfect platform for his mini desserts such as white chocolate mojito mousse, chocolate torte with espresso crème brulee, and fruit sushi (made with cinnamon rice pudding, fresh fruit, and toasted coconut).
The fanciful feast ended up raising a record-breaking $111,000, which will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank, Camillus House, and People Acting for Community Together.
—Vanessa Goyanes
The evening began with a cocktail reception, where guests sipped champagne and bid on auction items such as seven-night Caribbean cruises, Miami Heat game packages, baskets of wine, and top-of-the-line cooking equipment, all procured by Durant Consulting Inc. So Cool Events decorated the reception area with lit acrylic furniture. So Cool's new clear acrylic chairs were paired with tables covered by iridescent blue linens and topped with tall curvy acrylic centerpieces.
At 7 PM, the doors opened to the main ballroom, where 43 top chefs were ready to feed more than 700 eager guests. The color scheme featured rich earth tones such as pumpkin, paprika, and yellow squash. A circular truss that housed the Leblon tequila bar was placed in the center of the room, creating a focal point. Using lime green napkins, vases filled with limes and white calla lilies, and its bright bottles of tequila to decorate the area, the Brazilian liquor company added a splash of color to the otherwise neutral room. Conga drums surrounding the Leblon bar served as cocktail tables after being fitted with glass tops (provided by DECO Productions). Every restaurant also decorated its booth to reflect the cuisine and ambiance of the eatery. The entire room was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.
Participating restaurants ranged from A Fish Called Avalon to Wish, and all prepared bite-size entrées or desserts. The guests energetically shuffled down each row trying (and re-trying) all the dishes while the chefs maintained a frenzied pace to keep up with the demand. Highlights included lamb sparerib served nacho style on a wonton crisp with wasabi by Chef Keyvan Behnam of China Grill; plantain-wrapped jumbo lump crab with avocado aioli by Chef Roly Cruz-Taura of Fifty; espresso tres leche from Chef Patrick Broadhead of Max's Grille Coral Gables; and a sashimi pizza with bluefin tuna, romesco sauce, baby spinach, and shaved Manchego cheese from Chef Jose Mendin of SushiSamba Dromo.
The restaurants designed their booths with as much precision as their dishes. Those with memorable presentations included Whole Foods Market, which covered every inch of the table with a colorful array of cheeses, fruits, breads, and other accoutrements. Tuscan Steak (which served a truffle Florentine T-bone steak with scallions on a toast point) used a loaf of bread with three votives in it as an alternative candleholder. The host hotel created a display of wooden pedestals surrounded by tropical flowers, and a vase filled with stones and palm leaves topped with two flamingos that the Ritz's master pastry chef Frederic Monnet made out of white chocolate. The display was the perfect platform for his mini desserts such as white chocolate mojito mousse, chocolate torte with espresso crème brulee, and fruit sushi (made with cinnamon rice pudding, fresh fruit, and toasted coconut).
The fanciful feast ended up raising a record-breaking $111,000, which will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank, Camillus House, and People Acting for Community Together.
—Vanessa Goyanes
The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne's pastry chef Frederic Monnet made a tropical display for his array of decadent desserts at the 19th annual Taste of the Nation to benefit Share Our Strength.
Chefs set up their stations in one of the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne's ballrooms.
A colorful display of cheeses and accoutrements made Whole Food Market's booth a popular spot.
Chef Roly Cruz-Taura of Fifty presented his version of a crab cake: plantain-wrapped jumbo lump crab with avocado aioli.
Chef Steve Mendez from Nikki Marina cooked rock shrimp with scallops served on truffle herb crostini on a bed of champagne-dressed lettuce with potatoes.
Chef Keyvan Behnam of China Grill made lamb sparerib served nacho style on a wonton crisp with wasabi.
We Take The Cake offered tasty bites of its signature moist cakes.
Chef Michael Bloise of Wish served tiramisu with citrus rice pudding and orange sorbet.
Chef Patrick Broadhead of Max's Grille Coral Gables made espresso tres leche for the event.
A capoeira performance went perfectly with Leblon's Brazilian tequila drinks.
