Win Two Tickets to A Taste of Talent

Northwestern New Jersey’s premier culinary fundraising event, A Taste of Talent, will be held at Perona Farms on behalf of Project Self-Sufficiency on Monday, May 6th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. In addition to feasting on appetizers, entrees and desserts from more than 40 area restaurants, patrons will be invited to bid on a raffle featuring valuable items from Tiffany’s, ###a name="_Hlk5177784">as well as a silent auction curated by Holly George, President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Interior Designers. Organizers are inviting area residents to submit a brief essay of 200 words or less, describing with whom they would like to share an evening at A Taste of Talent; the companion can be real, fictitious, historical, or known to the contestant. The winner will receive two tickets to A Taste of Talent. Essays should be submitted by Monday, April 29th, to Project Self-Sufficiency, 127 Mill Street, Newton, New Jersey, 07860 or sent by email to

“A Taste of Talent” benefits Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non-profit agency specializing in services for low-income families in Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon and Warren. Sponsorships for the event range from $500 - $30,000, and a limited number of individual tickets are available at a cost of $200. Guests will be invited to stroll through the Perona Farms greenhouse, newly renovated rooms and the facility’s cavernous kitchen. A cooking demonstration will be given by Andre de Waal, Executive Chef of Andre’s Lakeside Dining, who is serving as the Culinary Chairperson of this year’s event.

This year, participating restaurants will include Perona Farms; Andre’s Lakeside Dining; Black Forest Inn; Blue Heron Tavern; Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse; Café e Dolci; Café Pierrot; Caffe NaVona; The Carriage House; The Chocolate Goat Gift Shoppe; The Clay Oven; Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream; DeBragga, New York’s Butcher; Fenwick Catering & Events; Front Porch Organics; George’s Wine & Gourmet Gallery; Gourmet Gallery; Hayek’s Market; The Hummingbird House; Jesse Jones, Chef to the Stars; Krave Café & Caterers; Lake Mohawk Country Club; L’Amico NYC; Lola Restaurant; Lorraine Cake Shop & Tea Room; Mama’s Café Baci; North Shore House; Oldwick General Store; Pattycakes Bake Shop; The Pasta Shop; Pies on Wheels; Ristorante Il Porto; Ryland Inn; St. Moritz Bar & Grill; Salt Gastropub; Slamwich Scratch Kitchen; South + Pine; Stone Water; Springhouse Creamery; Tanti Baci Caffe; Tim Schafer, “The Brew Chef”; Two Teaspoons; wheelHouse Kitchen & Bar; White Birch; Windy Brow Farms; Yetter’s Diner; and others.

“We are exceptionally grateful to all of the chefs, and to our faithful donors, who make A Taste of Talent an exciting event year after year,” commented Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon. “We are looking forward to sharing the experience with our essay winner.”

Sparta realtor and Project Self-Sufficiency Leadership Council member Julie Killen is volunteering as the Honorary Chairperson of the event. “A Taste of Talent is the community working together to make life better,” summed up Killen on the impact of the annual fundraiser.

Perona Farms Executive Chef Kirk Avondoglio adds that Perona Farms enthusiastically embraces A Taste of Talent year after year. “What a wonderful event. I look forward to it every year. It’s nice to see all the chefs come together. There is a lot of camaraderie and it does so much for the people served by Project Self-Sufficiency. It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.”

Project Self-Sufficiency has served low-income families residing in northwestern New Jersey for more than 30 years. The agency’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holistic, respectful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children while achieving personal and economic self-sufficiency and family stability.

Perona Farms is located at 350 Andover-Sparta Road in Andover. To make a contribution to Project Self-Sufficiency, to obtain tickets to A Taste of Talent, or to find out more information about the programs and services available at the agency, call 973-940-3500 or 844-807-3500, or visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org. Essays must be submitted by April 29th to pss@projectselfsufficiency.org or mailed to Project Self-Sufficiency, 127 Mill Street, Newton, NJ 07860.