Taste of the Nation Miami

I attended Taste of the Nation at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne for the first time last Thursday, courtesy of Foodbuzz.com and the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. Taste of the Nation is an annual charity event which raises money for the national organization Share our Strength.  One of Share our Strength’s main campaigns is ending child hunger in the United States.  Chef Allen Susser has chaired the local Taste of the Nation event for decades.

This was not a food festival per se, although there was a similar layout: restaurants and wine/spirits companies offering small bites. There was a plentiful array of delicious food from high caliber restaurants.  Wine, beer and liquor were served in normal or generous tasting portions.  A silent and live auction also raised money.

Duck ropa vieja from Asia de Cuba

Taste of the Nation is a good model for other food tasting events. I think it offered a solid value for the price. It was crowded but numbers were such that lines were nonexistent or short. If you felt like the South Beach Wine and Food Festival was too crowded or expensive for you, this might be a good event to consider.  Tickets were $100 if purchased in advance, but Taste of the Nation widely offered a $20 online discount coupon.

Citrus cured wild salmon tartare with Japanese guacamole from Pacific Time

Many of my favorite dishes at Taste were seafood.  Some of my favorite small plates were the citrus cured wild salmon tartare with Japanese guacamole from Pacific Time, the seared tuna with wakame from Alta Mar, and the seared yellowtail jack from Bourbon Steak.

Chef Andres Parlange of Cantina Beach prepares pork tacos.

I also particularly enjoyed the soft shell pork taco with nopales salsa and red sauce from Cantina Beach at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, the simple but flavorful air cured beef with goat cheese from Whisk, the chilled summer corn soup from Wish and the slow roasted pork belly with pineapple BBQ sauce and curried potatoes from the Fontainebleau (There were signs displayed from Scarpetta, Hakkasan, and Gotham Steak, but I think the dish was more of a combined effort than from any one restaurant in particular.)

Slow roasted pork belly with pineapple BBQ sauce and curried potatoes from the Fontainebleau

I savored pistachio and passion fruit macaroons from Solo, the bakery in the Fontainebleau Hotel in South Beach.    Solo displayed an eye-catching collection of macaroons in lovely colors and an ocean scene centerpiece made out of chocolate.

Dessert display by Solo Bakery at the Fontainebleau

Chilled corn soup with basil oil from Wish

Seared yellowtail jack from Bourbon Steak

Musicians at Taste of the Nation

Meringues and escargots Provencal in goat cheese sauce from Au Pied du Cochon

Chef Andres Parlange of Cantina Beach at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne