Last week, I got to dip my toes into the judging pool and get a feel for what it’s like. I was given the amazing opportunity to be a culinary judge at Flavors of Boca, an event sponsored by the Junior League of Boca Raton and its community initiative, C.H.O.W (conquering hunger our way), with the money raised going to charity. Local restaurants and shops were set up with tables to showcase their specialities. There was also a silent auction and raffle for a huge variety of prizes and gift baskets. It was held in the newly renovated courtyard at the Shops of Boca. It was the perfect area for this kind of event. Bars stocked with wine, beer and cocktails are scattered throughout the area and there was a VIP section set up with couches and chaise lounges for those with VIP tickets to relax after they tasted their way through the evening. In the center of the courtyard was a stage where the DJ was setup. Good music filled the air all night and people really looked like they were having a great time.
My fellow judges were Stephanie Miskew, wine sommelier and creator of the blog, The Glamorous Gourmet, and Ken Spahn, founder of Restaurant Placement Group. Stephanie and Ken made me feel so welcome in this scene that they both know so well and they introduced me to a lot of awesome people in the food industry. The three of us were led to each table and the chefs gave the run down of what we were being served. We had some seriously delicious food and when it came down to picking the winners, some of the categories were difficult to pin down.
We started in the VIP area where a few select restaurants were set up exclusively for VIP ticket holders. Our first stop was Blue Martini. They served seared ahi tuna on top of a seaweed and calamari salad. The calamari was sliced long and thin. I love seaweed salad, so of course I enjoyed this dish. We also got to taste their signature drink, the Blue Martini — Van Gogh Blue Vodka, Cointreau, Blue Curacao, sour mix and orange juice.
Stop #2 was the Boca Resort. They gave us a full dining experience with an entree, dessert and a beverage. First we tried the paella with clams, scallops, mussels, shrimp, calamari, chorizo and saffron rice. I avoided the chorizo since I don’t eat red meat, but it didn’t take anything away from the dish. It was still hands down my favorite of the night. Then we sipped on their orange-infused white sangria. We finished with a decadent salted caramel chocolate cake, filled with caramelized banana.
I could continue with the rest of the restaurants in the general admission area, but I'd rather leave you with a little cliff hanger instead. Hope your mouths aren't watering too much yet. Check back tomorrow for the rest of the restaurants and who the lucky winners were!