EVENT
Taste of the Town
TASTE OF THE TOWN
Tasting for Charity
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N O V E M B E R 2 0 11
Stephanie and Joey Brown
Matt and Deb Kirinovic
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n lieu of watching football, nearly 600 Memphians ventured to Hilton Memphis one Sunday afternoon this fall to indulge in numerous, mouth-watering food samplings at Taste of the Town. Hosted by the Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce, the fundraiser for foodies raised enough funds to grant three wishes for Make-A-Wish Foundation® of the Mid-South beneficiaries. More than 40 hospitality vendors took part in the affair chaired by Judy Gupton, who was assisted by co-chairs Janice Hamil and Renee Cook. For several years now, these women have secured a diverse mix of appetizers, entrees, desserts and beverages prepared by equally unique participants. For example, at one end of the ballroom, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s Chef Luther served blackened chicken over grits with shrimp and corn relish and grated Parmesan cheese, while on the opposite end, the Pie Lady offered a spread of cupcakes and chocolate pie slices. Other exceptional offerings included Paula Deen Buffett’s pork sirloin accompanied by watermelon salad, sweet potatoes and Vidalia onions; Grove Grill’s sharp cheddar pimento cheese on bread with bacon marmalade; East End Grill’s spicy crawfish dip served on pita triangles; Interim’s macaroni and cheese topped with country ham; and Southern banana pudding sprinkled with edible gold flakes by Classique Epicurious. In addition to food, coffee, water, soft drinks, wine and even Fireball whiskey, which one patron likened the taste of to atomic fireball candy, were available. The agenda also included music by Pat Register and Donna Wolf, as well as silent and live auctions. Taking a break from volunteering as food judges this year, WKQK 94.1’s Steve Conley and Karen Perrin contributed to the benefit by conducting the live auction. From a children’s birthday party at the Germantown Fire Station to a San Francisco get-away for two and U of M men’s basketball season tickets, Conley and Perrin (better known as “Conley and Karen” on air) roused attendees to bid on a total of 11 tempting items. At one point during the auction, Justin Pioreck, a MakeA-Wish child, joined the auctioneers on stage to urge the crowd, “Give it up for Make-A-Wish!” All those participants eagerly awaiting the Connoisseur Award winners were relieved to hear them announced following the live auction. As the celebrity judges, Jennifer Chandler, Alyce Mantia and Leah Fitzpatrick had sampled to their hearts’ content until coming to the following results: Fine Dining Awards-Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown (appetizer/entrée and overall presentation) and Spindini (dessert); Casual Dining Awards-Jason’s Deli (appetizer/entrée and overall presentation) and CrêpeMaker (dessert). A big thanks goes to each of the food vendors and to the many attendees who have helped contribute more than $100,000 since Taste of the Town’s inception 11 years ago.
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Jessica Jefferies and Paula Casey
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photos by Steve Roberts
Audrey and Andrew Liles
Louis and Renee Talbert
Wardell and Geralyn Seals
Samantha Eichner and Melissa King
Susan Fetz, Stacey and Phil Richards and Sherry Williams
Ken and Jennifer Scroggs