Five West Hartford restaurants were among the 22 chosen to participate in Hartford’s ‘Taste of the Nation,’ a fundraiser for Share Our Strength’s ‘No Kid Hungry’ campaign.
Participants in Taste of the Nation Hartford. Photo credit: Winter Caplanson, courtesy photo
By Ronni Newton
Participating in Taste of the Nation is an honor, and five West Hartford restaurants were hand-picked by Chef/Chair Tyler Anderson to showcase their culinary skills at this year’s event which featured cocktail and dessert receptions as well as a multi-course seated dinner prepared tableside by the chefs.
West Hartford participants were: Grants Restaurant, Restaurant Bricco, Max’s Oyster Bar, Cook and the Bear, and Zohara Mediterranean. Two of the restaurants – Cook and the Bear and Zohara, are preparing to open in West Hartford.
More than 265 people attended Hartford’s Taste of the Nation event, held Nov. 3, 2016, at The Riverview in Simsbury. According to organizers, the event – which featured top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists from throughout the state and region – raised more than $80,000 which translates into 800,000 meals for No Kid Hungry‘s mission of ending childhood hunger.
The amount is double what was raised at last year’s event. Foodshare, Inc., End Hunger Connecticut, and the Community Health Network of Connecticut Foundation will be among the local beneficiaries of the event.
Taste of the Nation chairs from left: Tyler Anderson, Angela Pitrone, and Billy Grant. Photo credit: Sean Patrick Fowler, courtesy photo
Anderson, who is owner and executive chef of Millwright’s Restaurant & Tavern and will partner with Jamie McDonald of Bear’s Smokehouse to open Cook and the Bear in Blue Back Square, co-chaired the event with Angela Pitrone of Deloite. Billy Grant served as honorary co-chair for the event attended by charity-minded foodies.
“I’m thrilled to continue co-chairing this event since 2009,” Pitrone said in a statement. “I believe strongly in No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger and am proud to partner with them and rally for such a worthy cause in Connecticut and across the country.”
According to a news release, “One in five children in this country struggles with hunger with one in six children in Connecticut alone. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Already, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger with 500 million meals.”
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