Monday, November 10, 2008

bids and squids

The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction has become one of my favorite events to attend. My wife and I got to experience it on Sunday night. As I wrote last year, it's up there with Feast With the Beasts as a great night of food and fun.

While all the other guests headed to the various serving stations around the room for roast beef, lamb and seared tuna, I went straight to the Sugarbuzz Bakers table and grabbed a slice of their Chocolate Toffee Cake. Why not have dessert first? The Caramel Apple Cake looked good but I waited too long to get some. There were only crumbs left when I returned to the Sugarbuzz table later in the evening.



The cakes from Sugarbuzz got third place overall from the judges. The Crown & Goose came in second with a duck cake (think crab cake) with pickled fall root vegetables. Sapphire rightfully took first place with an outstanding Ika salad -- ginger marinated squid with Asian vegetables and a sweet eel sauce -- and Caribbean tuna nigiri -- sashimi tuna served with pineapple calypso sauce and topped with toasted coconut.

Although they didn't make the top three, my wife and I agreed that the chicken Marsala and lobster ravioli from Carrabba's Italian Grill were excellent. We eat a lot of chicken and know a delicious chicken breast when we taste one.

Chef Walter was one of the judges. I was very impressed by his successful weight loss. He's been following a dietary program through the UT Medical Center. We caught up with him as he was leaving with some takeout containers for his wife, Miss Anne.



My wife and I also had nice conversations with Maestro Lucas Richman and Russell Biven. We especially enjoyed talking with former WBIR reporter Jim Ragonese and his wife Jaime. She said that I really need to read a book about cadavers called "Stiff." I recalled that the same author had written a book with a one-word title about sex and that it wasn't called "Stiff."

In addition to the live auction for big-ticket items like an emerald and diamonds ring from Lamon Jewelers, there was a silent auction in the lobby before dinner was served. My wife bid on a basket full of Thanksgiving items but was outbid. I was temped to place a bid for a custom website package until I saw that they offer "professioanl graphic design."

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

5 Comments:

Anonymous Jere said...

The caramel cake was still delicious, crumbs or not.
But, oh my, that toffee cake was the best cake I have tasted in a while.
At first I thought the Starbucks table was just a throw away contestant, but they had a gingerbread flavoring to add to the coffee, and with a bit of half-n-half, that was really good (and I am not a coffee drinker).

11/11/2008  
Anonymous Sandy Weaver Carman said...

Frank, I love that you ate dessert first. And speaking of "first" I doubt that slinky things with suckers covered with a snakey sauce and served with raw fish would have gotten my vote for first place!! Sounds like a fun night, and good for you not to bid on that professioanl graphic and web design package!!

11/11/2008  
Anonymous antique china replacement said...

that chocolate tofee cake sure does look good! :D
-jack

11/11/2008  
Blogger Amelia said...

Walter has a lot of perseverance to have done this diet. He makes all that great, sometimes unhealthy, food on the noon show but manages to not cheat most of the time.

11/13/2008  
Blogger chris said...

I found myself starting the bidding on many of the silent auctions- I won two bottles of wine for the starting bid, which I was very happy with. I also stalked the table where I was bidding on the stadium walk-through with the Vols, and for only fifty dollars I will now be meeting next years team (and coach). Oh, and the food was excellent! :)

11/13/2008  

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home