"In the center of the ring just like a circus..."

This evening, I attended the Taste of the South End at the Boston Center for the Arts. The Taste of the South End is an annual event that brings together a few dozen of the hottest restaurants and chefs in the Boston dining scene for a night of bite-sized menu samplings that is akin to culinary heaven. All the proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction benefit the AIDS Action Committee, New England's oldest and largest AIDS service organization. With a combination of two of my life’s passions, food and charity (finance being the third), there was no way I could say no to attending the event. Here were some of the highlights of the night:

Biggest, Boldest, and Brightest
Party Favor’s rum cupcakes tower: This colorful display was the first thing that caught my attention in the VIP section. I later found out the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were laced with Tommy Bahama rum, which was probably why everyone looked extra happy eating these cupcakes.

Best Nostalgic Moment
Franklin Café’s blood orange martini: Franklin Café served their blood orange martini (Charbay blood orange vodka, orange juice, and Campari) using an ice block. Definitely creative, definitely fun, and definitely takes me back to my college party days…

“Cool”est Costume and Cocktail
Flash’s Winter Cosmo: Even as we “Spring” forward our clocks, it still felt like winter in Boston as these lovely ladies handed out their delicious Winter Cosmos (made with Christiania Norwegian vodka, triple sec, fresh lime, ginger, and white cranberry juice).

Friendliest Chef; Meanest Dish
Chef Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley's Bistro: After Chef Gordon graciously posed for this picture, he turned the tables and took a picture of us. Out of all the chefs I met that night, he genuinely seemed to be the most excited to be at the event. And he also makes one mean seafood risotto.

The Dynamic Duo
Mayor Thomas Menino and Jamie Bissonnette of Toro: The heavyweights of the politics and food, along with the event hostess from Boston Magazine, joined forces to learn about oyster shucking from Island Creek Oysters.

Best Dessert
Metropolis Café’s Banana Bread Pudding: A fitting finale to a great evening. The bread pudding was moist and dense, with a slight hint of banana flavor. The spiced caramel rum sauce gave the dessert an extra kick in the sweetness department. BAM!

It was refreshing to see so many charitable Boston foodies open their hearts and wallets, especially during these times of economic uncertainty. All and all, this was a great evening for a great cause.

I want to thank Nicole Kanner of All Heart PR, whose PR firm organized the Taste of the South End, for giving me the opportunity to cover this event.