Support Benefits Share Our Strength, Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida in One night!

Returning for its 25^th year, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® Orlando, locally presented by Quality One Wireless, will take place Aug. 9 at the Orlando World Center Marriott celebrating Orlando’s culinary excellence and Taste of the Nation’s legacy of combating childhood hunger.

Showcasing the culinary delights of 35 of Central Florida’s leading chefs and restaurants, this year’s Taste of the Nation Orlando will feature two James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalists – Hari Pulapaka of Cress Restaurant and Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Longtime philanthropist Helen Donegan, vice president for Community Relations at the University of Central Florida, will serve as honorary chair of this year’s Taste of the Nation Orlando. At UCF, Donegan coordinates programs for the community and helps cultivate, maintain and enhance the links between the university and the organizations that it serves.

Along with appetizers, entrees and desserts from the area’s finest chefs and restaurants, guests can sample wines, beers and spirits while enjoying the silent auction, exciting raffle prizes, and entertainment by the Mud Rooster Band at this premier culinary fundraising event. This year’s event will also be home to a European-style bier garden sponsored by World of Beer.

Food Network celebrity chef Melissa d’Arabian, best known for her TV series Ten Dollar Dinners,  is cooking up her support for this year’s milestone event as a featured guest. D’Arabian, along with Orlando Sentinel food writer Heather McPherson and Scott Joseph from Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide, will serve as celebrity judges for the annual Chef Throwdown, where two chefs go head to head in a cooking challenge to determine whose culinary creation reigns supreme. Natural and organic foods supermarket chain Whole Foods is providing the pantry staples for the culinary cook-off, and leading premium beef producer Creekstone Farms will award a generous check to the winner of the chef throwdown title to present to Taste of the Nation Orlando.

 This year’s silent auction invites guests to bid on luxury apparel and accessories, stays at upscale hotels, gift cards to the area’s top restaurants, rounds of golf on area courses, and tickets to coveted sporting events. Guests can also enter a grand prize drawing for an all-expense paid trip for two to Oktoberfest in Munich.

Tickets to the event are $150 per person, and all proceeds benefit Share Our Strength’s efforts to eradicate childhood hunger. Local beneficiaries include Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

“The longstanding support of Taste of the Nation has been phenomenal,” said Brent A. Trotter, president and CEO of Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. “The funds raised help us providefood, shelter and services to more than 150 children and their families each night and serve more than 300,000 nutritious meals every year.  Just $50 provides a week of nutritious meals to 34 homeless children, so each ticket purchased makes a significantimpact.”

“For 25 years, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Orlando has provided a meaningful outreach for hungry kids and families across Central Florida,” said Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.  “This support has literally put millions of additional meals on the table for our most vulnerable neighbors, and we’re so grateful for that.”

WHEN:

Saturday, August 9, 2014

6:45 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

WHERE:

Orlando World Center Marriott

8701 World Center Dr., Orlando

TICKETS:

$150 each

ATTIRE:

Cocktail / Semi-Formal

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS

Bahama Breeze

BB Kings Blues Club

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine

Cafe Tu Tu Tango

Capa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando

The Capital Grille

Captain’s Grille @ Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Cress Restaurant

Crimson Tavern at Orlando Airport Marriott

Cuisiniers Catering

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

Emeril’s Orlando

Emeril’s Tchoup Chop

Empress Sissi Cake & Pastry Specialties

FreshPoint

Journeys Catering

JW Marriott Orlando – Grande Lakes

K Restaurant and Wine Bar

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

LongHorn Steakhouse

Marlow’s Tavern

Pirate Chefs of Central Florida sponsored by Nestlé Professional

Orlando World Center Marriott

Red Wing Restaurant

Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld

SeaWorld Orlando

Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Training Program

Soco Southern Contemporary Cuisine

Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, A Land Remembered Restaurant

Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Cala Bella Restaurant

Sushi Pop Restaurant

Taverna Opa

Three2OH

T-Rex Orlando at Downtown Disney

Get your tickets and Full Details @ http://ce.strength.org/orlando