Taste of NFL, June 16, 2010

I think my favorite food event of the year is Taste of the NFL. First, it benefits a great charity, the Freestore FoodBank. Second, some of the best chefs in town come out for it, but they’re also joined by new chefs on the block– trainees from Cincinnati COOKS!, which is a free, ten-week culinary training program that prepares low income, at-risk individuals for employment in the food service industry. Cincinnati COOKS! uses donated and rescued food to prepare meals and snacks, much of which is used to feed children in the Kids Cafe program (and apparently also Taste of NFL). Their dishes are almost always some of the best at the event.

Now, as Liz has pointed out, this event isn’t about the Freestore FoodBank. Well, it is, but it takes a back burner to the NFL part of the event. Cincinnati’s Taste of the NFL is second in size only to the one they throw for the Super Bowl– that’s HUGE.  There are players everywhere– as they schedule it during their mini camp– and Ben-Gals everywhere, too.  I’m sports stupid, so I’m pretty sure I could walk into Carson Palmer and not know it (except that I imagine that would be like walking into a brick wall, right?) but most of the people there are voracious fans looking for autographs.  That’s great.  Why?  This is the Freestore FoodBank’s second largest fundraiser a year.  They raise more than $160,000 at this event, second only to the Rubber Duck Regatta.  The restaurants donate their time.  They get their vendors to donate food.  Local celebrities donate their time, and local businesses donate stuff for the silent auction.  It’s a great event.

My tips:

• Check out the sponsoring liquor’s ice luge.  No, really.  It’s always interesting.
• Walk around first before you take your first bite, to make sure you have room for everything you want to try.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Bid on something from the Silent Auction; they often have cool, non-football-related stuff.
• Check out the Cincinnati COOKS booth.  You won’t regret it.

This year’s event, hosted by Jose Salazar and Summer Genetti (two of my favorite chefs in town) and Bengals player Keith Rivers, occurs next Wednesday, June 16 at 6:30 PM at Paul Brown Stadium.  Tickets are $150, and you can buy them here.  Don’t have $150 to plunk down on the event?  You can always donate here.  The Boyfriend will be attending in my stead, as I have to be out of town for work, so expect his write-up the next day.

Thanks to the Wordsworth folks for providing passes to this event.

Tagged as: freestore foodbank, jose salazar, summer genetti, taste of the NFL