Great Tastes & Heart Ball - One Yummy Weekend!
Ok - so you know the people at Moorea - Greg and his team of gorgeous girls (who are all whip smart to add to that) put on a great event. This year’s Great Tastes was NO exception.
Check out a neat article on the event courtesy of BmoreLive
http://www.bmorelive.com/get-a-taste-of-foodie-culture-great-tastes-culinary-expo/
The fun started with an Oyster and Beer event on Thursday night.
I took a new friend an old friend and a friend’s husband - who I guess - qualifies as an “old friend” too - though I see much more of her than him.
Bill my favorite oyster shucker (aside from Bennet in Louisiana) in all of the world - was putting some righteous beauties on my plate and with Clipper’s killer stout - it was - well, let’s just say I was in heaven.
No pictures as frankly - it would be embarrasing to actually show you how obscenely big these beauties were. Thanks to Ryleighs for great ursters.
Friday night - I took the glamazon’s and myself (along with token glamazon for the night - Tiff who is actually a nurse at Hopkins) and we partied with the Green Fairy - that’s right LUCID Absinthe. Delicious stuff. We opened up the dance floor, when do we NOT do that, and had fun. Even better funds were raised for Susan G. Komen foundation.
The day of was great - my apologies to those of you who showed for the 12pm seminar with me - and had to wait due to overspill from previous seminar with Nancy Longo and the kiddies. God Bless Chef Longo for doing that - I mean - come on people we WANT our children to learn how to cook - all the better from a pro -no?
Chef Chris Paternotte of VIn was kind enough to allow me to encroach on HIS time. We tasted some great wines including (Thank you Abby, Paul and Mary of Reliable - you are the best and totally rock!)
In no particular order…. all showed great:
Ghost Pines Chardonnay
Root 1 Sauvignon Blanc
Solaire Cabernet
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs (sparkling)
Rodney Strong Russian River Pinot Noir
As to other neat things at the show (other than the ton of people - whew - next year I’m getting an addendum on my rider - I almost got asphixiated by the crowd there were so many peeps)….great tapenade from Whole Foods (who knew?) - Terrible line at the Lebanese Taverna booth (and you the crazy lady who almost hit me because you thought I was budding in line - I hope that the chicken fell off your plate). Caroline’s cakes were there again (this year I swear I’m getting the caramel for my birthday - and eating the WHOLE thing)… and cheese at Foodies and Cinghiale were some of the best.
Drink wise - loved the wines being poured but my fave has to be Patron cofee tequila liquor. Sorry - hands down - just one of my favorite end of the day sippers after all that food.
KJK you are a Prince for pouring - nobody does it better 
OK - change of pace - Heart Ball.
Foodies and wine afictionados DO have a place to meet and greet at Great Grapes. Aside from the throngs that ALWAYS accompany you, our Blogger and wine enthusiast, making wherever you go about town “the event”, the Great Grapes crowd did, indeed, fill the (quite accommodating) place on Saturday, and were aggressive line place-holders, even for the most modest of morsels. Could have been a little more efficient in the use of the space, and the time, but the combination of presenters, purveyors and patrons (and Patron) made for an enjoyable day.
Comment by The Occasional Gourmande — February 27, 2008 @ 7:03 am