On Friday, April 27, 2018, more than 1,000 charity-minded foodies gathered at Ice Palace Film Studios for the city’s premier culinary event for a cause – South Florida’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry®. The annual tasting event, which featured Miami-Dade and Broward county top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists, raised more than $189,000 through local event proceeds and national partnerships, all to support No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America.
The 30th annual soirée was hosted by Y100’s Nick Pena and CBS4’s EMMY Award-winning reporter Lisa Petrillo with a special performance by international pop star, Betty Who. Leading the pack of over 60 of the city’s best food and drink destinations were Chef Chairman Timon Balloo and Honorary Chef Chair Allen Susser.
This year’s after party took place at R House, the vibrant restaurant and gallery where chef/owner Rocco Carulli along with Taquiza, Ms. Cheezious, Tropical Fluff, MadLab Creamery and Estrella Damm kept the party going with delicious bites and libations.
Taste of the Nation South Florida 2018 chefs and participants included: 3030 Ocean, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Alter, American Social Brickell, Area 31, Bar Collins at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Bazaar By Jose Andres, Beaker & Gray, Bird & Bone at The Confidante Miami Beach, Biscayne Bay Brewing, BLT Prime, Boulud Sud Miami, Bourbon Steak, Bubbles + Pearls & Bowls + Buns, Burlock Coast, Byblos, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, Concrete Beach Brewery, Corsair kitchen and bar, COYO Taco, EDGE Steak & Bar, Finka Table & Tap, Fooq’s, Glass & Vine, Gold Marquess Fine Chinese Cuisine, Habitat, Itamae, J. Wakefield Brewing, Kuro at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, KYU, Le Zoo, Lure Fishbar, Macchialina, Mason, Meat Market Miami Beach, NaiYaRa, Novecento, Paulie Gee’s Miami, Per’La Specialty Roasters, Phuc Yea, Pink Pie, PLANT MIAMI, R House Wynwood, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stiltsville Fish Bar, StripSteak by Michael Mina, Stubborn Seed, SUGARCANE raw bar grill, SuViche, Tanuki, Temple Street Eatery, the Cafe at Books & Books, The Dutch Miami, The Salty Donut, The Strand, The Tank Brewing Co., Three & No. 3 Social, Whisk Gourmet Food + Catering, Wynwood Brewing Company.
One in six children in this country struggles with hunger; in Florida it’s one in five. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Already, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger with 500 million meals. This year, South Florida’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry raised enough to help feed children in need more than 1,890,000 healthy meals. Local beneficiaries include Florida Impact, FLIPANY and Feeding South Florida.
South Florida’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry® is supported by national co-presenting sponsors Citi and Sysco®, national media sponsor Food Network, national sponsor OpenTable and local sponsors Mike Sipe Entertainment, Events on the Loose, Breakthru Beverage, Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Estrella Damm, Glenfiddich, Pink Pie, Rums of Puerto Rico, Panache Events, Freebee, CBS4, iHeartRadio, Social Thinkking, Secret Sauce, Staff Squad and Brustman Carrino Public Relations. To learn more about South Florida’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry®, please visit: www.NoKidHungry.org/SouthFlorida.
