On Thursday, March 4, the Stamford Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2010 Taste of Stamford, held at the Stamford Plaza Hotel & Conference Center.
As a first year attendee at this 17th annual event, I was impressed with the overall festivities, as well as many of the vendors who participated. While there were some standout restaurants with excellent dishes, there were also a few that didn’t quite reach their full potential, especially given that each participant was only hosting several selections from their establishment. This was their moment to shine and offer the best of their best, but unfortunately some fell flat on flavor and presentation.
Not all of the expo participants were restaurants, however. Mixed in with the grilles, delis and bistros were a couple of caterers, a coffee distributing company, wine & spirits distributor, a company that specializes in tea, a supermarket and a bottled water provider.
Before I had an opportunity to make my way past the information table, which was situated in the lobby just outside of the large room where all of the event participants were located, a roaming waiter attempted to shove a sparkling glass of champagne in my face. While it was a nice touch, and a glass of the bubbly would have been a welcome treat, I wanted to keep my faculties about myself because, quite simply, I was on a mission to sample as much food as my stomach would handle in the three hour time frame. While I won’t cover every dish that I sampled, I will highlight some of the standouts of the event.
Flanking the entrance of the room was Myrna’s Mediterranean Bistro to my right and Festivities on my immediate left. In the end, I decided that these were the positions of distinction—you encounter them on your way in; you catch them on your way out.
I decided to work the room counterclockwise and started with Myrna’s Mediterranean Bistro. The Chicken Kebab Kafta with Tahini, Couscous and Tabouli were all nothing short of excellent. The chicken was tender and juicy, which was notable given that, in an effort to keep the food warm, it was placed in a large chafing dish. The fresh tabouli with tomato, scallions parsley and olive oil was highly refreshing and the slight acidity was the perfect balance to the rest of my small plate. If I thought I could get away with it, I would kidnap Myrna’s chef and convince him to cook in my kitchen.
I was surprised to see one of my favorite supermarkets represented in the midst of all of the restaurants. Grade A ShopRite made its presence known by treating my taste buds to the Swordfish Provencal. This tiny morsel of seafood clearly lacked that obvious fishy flavor that seems to be prevalent in other dishes that try so hard to amaze and astonish with fancy ingredients. Of special note were the Marinated Balsamic Mozzarella balls, which had a slight tangy flavor that caused my mouth to pucker delightfully.
When I approached David’s Soundview Catering’s table, my eyes lit up. The Seared Sea Scallops were calling my name and, of course, I answered the appeal. The scallop was nestled on a tiny patch of sautéed spinach and drizzled with a red wine and Portobello mushroom demi-glaze that did things for my mouth that few dishes have done in a while. Expertly prepared with a simple presentation, the scallop was one to put on the list of foods to eat again in the very near future.
Mitchell’s Fish Market presented an inviting display of Chesapeake Bay Mini Crab Cakes, along with a Sautéed Sweet Corn, Diced Pepper, Onions and Herbs salad. The crab cakes were tasty, but I couldn’t help but wonder if “Chesapeake Bay” was a poorly disguised pseudonym for “Maryland-Style”, which always perks my ears up and puts me on high alert. The end result of tasting a restaurant’s so-called “Maryland Style” crab cakes is usually a mushy concoction with more of everything but crab. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Mitchell’s plate as it was appetizing without being too pretentious, and the corn salad was a nice, cooling complement. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not a big fan of the tartar sauce that accompanied the crab cakes.
By the time I made my way over to The Capital Grille, I was a bit worn out on seafood and could have gone for something other than that which hails from the ocean. However, I took one look at the Lobster Mac & Cheese and I heard the angels sing. A round of golf claps to the inspired culinary individuals who combine items which the less adventurous might cast off as trivial and absurd: lobster meat with macaroni and cheese—standing alone, both are delicious, but put the two together and you have a taste combination that is at once upscale and comforting. How could it not be? With fresh lobster meat, a sauce made of Grana Padano, Havarti and Mascarpone cheeses and topped with bread crumbs (and white cheddar), this is a can’t-miss deal. I’m inclined to believe I would make a trip to The Capital Grill just for that side alone.
As there seems to be a running seafood theme here, I am hesitant to break the winning cycle. Another standout sample was the Tarragon Lump Crab Cake with Chipotle Aioli served up by Shelly’s on the River. These tiny bite-sized delights were bursting with the herbed goodness of tarragon, and were well formed without being stiff or, conversely, too soft.
I planned to work the room several times over, so on my initial pass I breezed past all of the bakery dessert tables so that I would have nibbles of sweet nothings to look forward to later in the evening. Unfortunately, by the time the end of the evening approached, there was no room left in my stomach for desserts. I did however sample several of the specialty wines that were offered by Dichello Distributors, Wine & Spirits Division. The wines on hand were selections from Vermont Spirits, Marzano Imports, National Refrescos Import Company and Nicholas Importing.
While some restaurants failed to deliver on taste, in general I would deem the event a success. The 2010 Taste of Stamford provided a unique opportunity to sample fare from area establishments—some that were previously known to me, and others that are a refreshing addition to my list of places to visit. With this year’s event now a part of the history books, I eagerly await the 2011 Taste of Stamford.
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THE PARTICIPANTS: Angela Mia Italian Pastry; Bennett’s Restaurant; The Capital Grille; Coffee Distributing Corp.; Corporate Culinary; Corporate Image Dining; Crumbs Bake Shop; Crystal Rock Water; David’s Soundview Catering; Dichello Distributors, Wine & Spirits Division; Ducky Life Tea; Festivities; Grade A ShopRite; Habana Cuban Restaurant; Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center; Market Restaurant; Mitchell’s Fish Market; Morton’s – The Steakhouse; Myrna’s Mediterranean Bistro; Nestle Waters North America; The Original Pappas Pizza; The Saltwater Grille; Seaside Tavern; Shelly’s on the River; SONO Baking Company & Café; Spinelli Bros. Baking & Glenbrook Deli; Stamford Plaza Hotel & Conference Center; Tabouli Grill
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