EVENT
Taste of the Town
TASTE OF THE TOWN
Benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation®
A
NOVEMBER 2008
Casey Tansey and Brooke Ehrhart
Pam and Rick Leet
RSVP
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gricenter International resembled more of a lavish food hall than an expo center during the eighth annual Taste of the Town. The Germantown Chamber of Commerce hosts this event to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation® Mid-South Chapter and taste testers everywhere. This year was particularly special because it marked the return of celebrity judges. FM-100 Morning Show host Karen Perrin, pro basketball player Andre Turner, pro golfer Shaun Micheel, and University of Memphis women’s basketball head coach Melissa McFerrin lent their appetites and waistlines to charity. Each sampled food from three divisions, while learning a valuable lesson in portion control. Perrin joked, “I’ll be lucky to get through one category!” After the scores for the “Best of the Best” were calculated, Ruth’s Chris Steak House placed first in the appetizer/soup/salad division, Stix won the entrée division, and CrêpeMaker swept the dessert division. Many more restaurants and hospitality vendors also impressed with unique and delicious fare. Corliss Jarrett of The Classique Epicurious brought black-eyed pea cake, a recipe she’d adapted from an ancestor and updated with cream cheese frosting and sweet potato crème anglaise, while Big Foot Lodge served Nanaimo Bars, a Canadian dessert. Southwestern Distributors offered Smoking Loon wines, a perfect palate cleanser for salmon, scallops, shrimp, and tuna served over polenta prepared by chefs from Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown. Guests’ eyes were definitely larger than their stomachs this day. Sean Berry emceed, Pat Register provided the tunes, and Jeff Morris handled the live auctioneer duties, rounding up bids on everything from an Orlando, Florida vacation package donated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to a private in-home wine tasting for 12 donated by Kirby Wines & Liquors. A silent auction took place during the event as well, giving guests a chance to snatch up early holiday gifts, like a one night stay at The Alluvian in Greenwood, Mississippi and a fall fashion ensemble donated by Wish. Judy Gupton chaired Taste of the Town with the help of cochairs Janice Hamil and Renee Cook. Event proceeds reached $15,000, a rewarding total for Make-A-Wish Foundation staff. “This is the most Taste of the Town has ever raised!” said Brooke Ehrhart, a special events coordinator for Make-A-Wish. See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
Connie and Rob Arline
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photos by Don Perry
Mark McMinn and Amanda Veteto
Dr. Chad and Rebecca Cullison
Jill and Earl Lake
Allison and Scott Ezell
Shaun Micheel, Karen Perrin and Andre Turner
Wardell and Geralyn Seals