Taste of Success for Fundraiser

The eats and sips were definitely delicious at this year's A Taste of Santa Cruz.

Lovers of good food and wine flocked to the Coconut Grove last Thursday for a chance to enjoy the specialties of local chefs and winemakers at the the sixth-annual food sample-a-thon. And the large crowd translated into proceeds for a Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS (SCAOR) Housing Foundation program that awards grants to first-time, low-income home buyers in the county. More than 100 families have been able to buy homes, thanks to this program.

Andrea Harbert, in charge of advertising and marketing for SCAOR, reported that close to 625 tickets were sold at this year's event, and approximately $30,000 was raised.

"We think the event went extremely well," Harbert said, "especially considering these tough economic times. The attendance was a little less than last year, but this
only served to provide more space to taste for attendees, and we received a ton of positive feedback about that."

She also got a lot of good feedback on the tastings.

"A number of new restaurants came on board this year and, in combo with our returning vendors, provided some excellent eats and sips."

Definitely delicious.

I made the rounds while an auctioneer took bids on art, restaurant certificates and fabulous vacations to places such as Puerto Vallarta, New England and New Orleans. Note for next year: People got incredible deals on auction items.

The first stop I made was at , where two types of pizza and bow-tie pasta tossed in basil pesto were served. I tasted the pasta, and it was yummy, pesto being one of my favorites. I also like the slight chewy consistency of the bow-tie pasta.

Kathleen Rawson from said this was their third year at A Taste of Santa Cruz.

"It's a wonderful event," she said. "I really enjoy it. It's so well organized and everyone's so nice. And it definitely helps our business and allows us to connect to people. They connect to our food, to our faces, to our location."

Her cafe offered some unique, tasty treats. Crostini topped with baked brie, mushroom duxelle and roasted garlic, vegetarian Tuscan stuffed mushrooms and toasted focaccia topped with caramelized onions, chopped dates and blue cheese. This last was scrumptious—the sweet caramelized onions and dates complemented each other, and both contrasted nicely with the blue cheese.

offered smoked salmon spread on sliced baguette and hummus on pita bread, both delicious. One of the restaurant's owners, Sierra Cash, said Johnny's changes its menu seasonally so ingredients are fresh. "We're a seafood restaurant," she said, "and we want to focus on local fish."

My next stop was Kiss Catering, which served a baked-onion dip on crostini. I think this was one of my favorites of the evening. Before I even tasted it, the heavenly smell of the sweet roasted onions made me close my eyes and breathe in the delicious aroma. Owner Sandy Johnson-Dexel wouldn't divulge the recipe for the dip, but it was rich and creamy.

This was Kiss Catering's first year at A Taste of Santa Cruz.

"The event has been great," Johnson-Drexel said. "I've seen many repeat customers here. It's been like old home week."

offered excellent house-smoked salmon, and crab cakes chock full of crab and topped with a chipotle aioli.

Chef Adam Becerra said the salmon is smoked fresh daily over cherry wood and alder at a low temperature to maintain the buttery texture of the salmon. In the crab cakes, he uses only a few panko bread crumbs, giving the cakes a full crab flavor and texture.

Shantee Kingsland, who does all the promotional and food events for Hawg's, said she enjoyed this event more than many others she's attended.

"This event was actually very fun," she said, "because it pairs up with a lot of other organizations from Santa Cruz—wineries, real estate agents. It's also fun because it's at night; it's much more magical. And here at the Coconut Grove with all the lighting inside and on the ocean, it's really nice."

The restaurants and caterers I've mentioned here were only the beginning. There were some 35 food and wine participants in all.

Don't miss A Taste of Santa Cruz next year. It's worth the price of the ticket, and you can enjoy your tastes and sips even more knowing it's all for a good cause.