Culinary Events > Taste of the Nation

Taste of the Nation Maine

June 24, 2012

VIP: $200
2:30pm - 8:00pm

General Admission: $125
3:45pm - 8:00pm

Great Diamond Island

Great Diamond Island
Portland , Maine

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We are excited to announce that the 2012 Taste of the Nation: Maine will take place in Diamond Cove on Great Diamond Island. This year's venue is made possible through the generosity of Diamond's Edge Restaurant & Marina, the Prentice family and Executive Chef Justin Rowe.

The unique ambiance of the Diamond Cove is due in part to the history of the island. Initially an artistic retreat community that hosted visitors including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Diamond Cove was converted almost entirely to a military base to defend Casco Bay at the time of the Spanish-American War.

Known as Fort McKinley, the buildings were constructed between 1891 and 1907 and remained in active use until shortly after the end of WWII in 1945. Today, after undergoing a major restoration in the 1990's, many of the original buildings remain in place - the former Quartermaster's storehouse is now the restaurant - and are all listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Thank you to all of the Participating Restaurants!

It’s one of the best ways to celebrate the bounty of Maine’s summer! Help fight childhood hunger in Maine by pre-purchasing your ticket to the 2012 Taste of the Nation Maine. Join our honorary chef chairs, Sam Hayward from Fore Street and Larry Matthews from Back Bay Grill at Diamond Cove on Great Diamond Island on Sunday afternoon, June 24th. Our event includes food from Maine’s top chefs, specialty drinks from area mixologists, local beers, live entertainment, and a superb auction. Last year, the event sold out and raised over $100,000 to support the needs of hungry children. Purchase your tickets now!
 
The Farmer’s Table (Jeff Landry)
 
Fore Street (Sam Hayward)
 
 
Bresca (Krista Kern Desjarlais)
 
Cleonice / The Maine Grind (Rich Hanson)
 
Back Bay Grill (Larry Matthews)
 
Cinque Terre/Vignola (Lee Skawinski/Chris Geer)
 
Hugo’s (Arlin Smith)
 
When Pigs Fly (Ben Hasty)
 
Grace (Pete Sueltenfuss)
 
Bar Lola (Guy Hernandez)
 
David’s / David’s 388 (David Turin)
 
The Salt Exchange (Charlie/Martha Bryon)
 
Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea (Mitch Kaldrovich)
 
Zapoteca (Tom Bard)
 
 
Kennebunk Inn (Brian/Shanna O’Hea)
 
 
The Frog & Turtle (James Tranchemontagne)

 

Participating Mixologists:

Hugo's - Roxanne Dragon  
Bar Lola - Alicja Bronk-Zdunowski
Old Port Sea Grill - Laura Romasco 
Zapoteca - Jess Federico 
Vignola - Guy Streitburger

 

Thank you to everyone who attended Taste of the Nation Portland, ME 2011.

Board Members

 

John Woods

State Committee Chair

Whitney Bruce

Taste of the Nation Co-chair

Ralph Debay

Raffle Chair

Susan Axelrod

PR Chair

Elissa English

Auction Chair

Jeff Kingman

Social Media Chair

Annie Kiladjian

Auction Chair

Laura Kelley

Auction Chair

Peter Leavitt

Beverage Chair

John Rogers

Beverage Chair

Missy Mans

Auction Chair

Lola Sizemore

Marketing Chair

Andrew Smaha

Restaurant Operations Chair

Carmen Allen

Webmaster

Tom Bard - Zapoteca

Restaurant Chair

Jackie Wiegleb

Communications Chair

Diane Woods

Finance Chair

Michele Zajkowski

Sponsorship Chair

Laura Zimmerman

Beverage Operations

Honorary Chef Chairs

Steve Corry - Five Fifty-Five

Larry Matthews - Back Bay Grill

Lee Skawinski - Cinqueterra/Vignola

Sam Hayward - Fore Street

Jeff Landry - The Farmer's Table

Dinner Series

Arlin Smith - Director - Hugo's

Rand Ardell

Jess Simmons

Rob Evans

Cooking Matters

Kaitlyn Fayle - Administrative Chair

Kristen Miale - Director

Great American Bake Sale

Sharon Kitchens

Dine Out for No Kid Hungry

Rebecca Dill - Maine Restraurant Association

Beneficiaries

Proceeds from our events will support these organizations which are dedicated to fighting hunger in Maine:

Cultivating Community

Cultivating Community teaches organic and sustainable farming practices to grow food in school gardens, community spaces, and partnering farms to feed the most vulnerable in Maine.

Opportunity Alliance

Opportunity Alliance’s East End Kids Katering Summer Food Program collaborates with numerous community partners and volunteers to provide nutritious and accessible meals to children during the summer months when school is out. We are now providing over 1,200 lunches daily to children in our community at 20 locations. Through 50 integrated programs and services, The Opportunity Alliance envisions contributing meaningfully to a community in which families and individuals are thriving and supported as they pursue their aspirations for a better life. Within The Opportunity Alliance, there is a shared belief that positive change is possible.
 

Good Shepherd Food Bank

Good Shepherd Food Bank's mission is to provide food for those experiencing food insecurity by soliciting surplus food and serving as an umbrella organization for food distribution to non-profit programs and food pantries throughout Maine.

Preble Street Teen Center

Preble Street Teen Center is the hub of services for homeless and runaway youth, providing immediate access and an acclaimed service coordination model. The Center helps to meet immediate needs by providing warmth and safety, nutritious meals, clothing, and crisis intervention.

No Kid Hungry Program

Share our Strength's umbrella program to create partnerships, educate families about nutrition, feed children, and build national awareness regarding the barriers that prevent kids from accessing the food they need.

Global Organizations

In addition to supporting Share Our Strength's work to end childhood hunger in America, a percentage of Taste of the Nation events support advocacy and sustainable community development in Haiti, Mexico, El Salvador, and Ethiopia through ACCION International, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, Bread for the World, Global Food Banking Network, Grassroots International, International Development Exchange, Los Niños, Oxfam America, SHARE Foundation: Building a New El Salvador Today, The Lambi Fund of Haiti, and Save the Children.

 

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National Sponsors

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