Friday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a special Friday edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.. **********************************************************
1) Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 7, from 3:30PM – 5:00PM as Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro hosts “Sparkle VIII,” an event billed as “…an afternoon of fashion, food & fun.” The event will bring together people from around Greater Boston to sip cocktails, enjoy light fare and finger foods, and view the latest styles during an afternoon charity fashion show to benefit Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women.

This year’s special guest hosts will be Erica Corsano, lifestyle editor and social columnist at The Boston Herald, and Jenny Johnson, co-host of NESN’s “Dining Playbook.” Modeling the latest summer fashions will be editors, producers, writers and on-air talent from some of Boston’s most prominent media outlets. Graciously donating their time to this year’s event will be: Nelly Carreño, meteorologist for NECN, Sean Donovan, social media maven aka “BostonMo,” Cheryl Fenton, freelance lifestyle magazine writer and Digital Editor for Boston magazine's Weddings, Jacqueline Houton, editor of The Improper Bostonian, J.C. Monahan, co-anchor of WCVB-TV's “NewsCenter 5 at 5:00” and "Chronicle," Lisa Pierpont, editor of Boston Common magazine, Bree Sison of WBZ “This Morning,” Janet Wu, anchor/reporter for WHDH Channel 7.

The all-inclusive $30 admission price is not only a front row seat to the afternoon fashion show, set in communal seating to encourage gab and gossip, but also includes: gourmet hors d'oeuvres, (1) cocktail provided by Brockman’s Gin (full cash bar also available), an exclusive “Sparkle VIII” discount giving attendees 15%-20% off at all participating vendors, and a complimentary gift bag filled with goodies galore. A percentage of proceeds from the event will go to Rosie’s Place.

Tickets are required and can be purchased by calling Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro at 617-723-7575 or visiting sparkle8.eventbrite.com. Tickets are non-refundable. This is a 21+ event.

2) Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation takes place on Tuesday, June 9, and has a stellar lineup of Chefs and restaurants that will be participating. More than 70 restaurants will join SOS Founder Billy Shore to participate in one of the year’s hottest culinary events. The annual tasting event will feature the city’s top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists united for a cause: making sure all children in this country get the healthy food they need, every day.

Some of This Year’s Participating Restaurants Include:
- Lincoln Tavern
- Belly Wine Bar
- Craigie on Main
- Abby Lane
- Tremont 647
- Bistro du Midi
- Bergamot
- Alden and Harlow
- Sweet Cheeks Q
- Ribelle
- Loyal Nine
- TRADE
- Tico
- West Bridge
- Davio’s
- Grill 23
- Harvest
- 80 Thoreau
- Fairstead Kitchen

Proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America. Led by a distinguished Chef Council, Boston’s culinary tastemakers will provide guests with scrumptious bite-size fare, craft cocktails, and desserts of all kinds. One in five children in this country struggles with hunger, including more than 270,000 kids in MA. 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.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 9, 7pm-9:30pm
VIP Admission starts at 6pm
COST: Tickets are $95 for General Admission and $150 for VIP admission. Tickets can be purchased by logging onto www.nokidhungry.org/boston.

3) On Friday, May 1, Shake Shack® kicked off its 4th Annual Great American Shake Sale benefiting No Kid Hungry®. The Great American Shake Sale is a company-wide cause marketing initiative taking place May 1-31 at all U.S. Shake Shacks (excluding stadiums and airports). The goal is to raise awareness and funds for No Kid Hungry in its effort to end childhood hunger in America, where 1 in 5 children do not have consistent access to adequate food.

Throughout May, Shake Shack guests who donate $2 or more to No Kid Hungry will receive a card for a complimentary hand-spun shake—valued at $5—redeemable on their next visit. One hundred percent of donations will benefit No Kid Hungry.

Thanks to the incredible support of its guests in 2014, Shake Shack surpassed its goal to raise $300,000 by more than $38,000. This year, Shake Shack’s new goal is to raise $350,000. If reached, Shake Shack will achieve the significant milestone of donating a total of $1 million to No Kid Hungry in the four years since the launch of the Great American Shake Sale.

Donations to No Kid Hungry help connect children to the healthy food they need through essential nutrition programs like school breakfast, summer meals and classes that educate low-income families on how to cook healthy, affordable foods. Just $2 can provide kids with 20 meals. If Shake Shack reaches its goal to raise $350,000 this year, that’s 3.5 million additional meals for hungry children in America.

4) Now in its 18th year, Chefs in Shorts brings together a group of the area’s top culinary talents who fire up the grills and create their favorite dishes during this expansive outdoor, summer-in-the-city barbeque hosted at the Seaport World Trade Center. Join some of Boston’s best chefs for an evening of grill-offs, desserts, beer, wine and fun to benefit Future Chefs, a local nonprofit focused on first careers in the culinary arts.

WHEN: Friday, June 19, from 7pm-9:30pm
COST: $80 per person (includes admission with complimentary beer, wine and culinary tastings)
TICKETS: Tickets now available online at: https://chefsinshorts.eventbrite.com.
MORE INFO: This event is 21+ and requires proper identification.
BENEFICIARY: Future Chefs’ mission is to prepare urban youth in Greater Boston for quality early employment and post-secondary education opportunities in the culinary field and to support them in developing a broad base of transferable skills as they transition into the working world.

5) Leave the cooking to Prezza this Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, from 4pm-9pm, and treat her to an escape in Italy – sans passport. In addition to serving the regular menu focused on Old World-style cuisine, Owner & Chef Anthony Caturano will be dishing out seven specials at his famed North End eatery.

To start, there are Fried Clams (fennel and caper remoulade sauce - $16), Eggplant Parmigiano (basil, roasted tomato and mozzarella - $14) and Buffalo Mozzarella (tomato, basil and aged balsamic - $16). For the pasta course, Chef Caturano will serve up Gnocchi (San Marzano tomatoes and basil - $18) and Linguine (clams, ramps and butter - $18). There also will be two special entrees, Veal Saltimbocca (crispy prosciutto, sage, roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe - $26) and Chicken Parmigiano (tagliatelle and San Marzano tomatoes - $26).

For reservations, please call 617-227-1577