Health & Fitness
Living Local: The Rahway Taste of Spring - A Delicious Food & Wine Tasting Event
Rahway is fast becoming known for its arts scene and I'm lucky enough to be right in the heart of it all. Follow my blog for an insider's perspective on arts & cultural events, dining, and more.
Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It’s a time to celebrate life’s pleasures –and that’s exactly what one can do at the Rahway Taste of Spring. Over the past decade, this annual event has grown from a small celebration of local eateries to a large-scale gourmet food and fine wine tasting event with over 80 participating restaurants, caterers and vendors.
This year, the Rahway Taste of Spring will be held on Friday, April 13, 2012, 5:30-9:00 PM, at the Rahway Recreation Center, 275 East Milton Avenue in Rahway, New Jersey.
Tickets cost $30 per person in advance and $40 at the door. (Tickets at the door will only be available from 6:00-7:15pm.) Non-perishable foods will be collected at the door for the annual food bank drive.
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Tickets are now on sale at the following local businesses: Union County Performing Arts Center (Rahway, NJ), Flynn’s Irish Pub & Steakhouse (Rahway, NJ), Patria Restaurant & Mixology Lounge (Rahway, NJ), Witty’s Discount Wine & Spirits (Rahway, NJ), Mango’s Grill & Restaurant (Rahway, NJ), Rahway Recreation Center (Rahway, NJ), The Rail House 1449 (Rahway, NJ), Beana’s Mexican Restaurant (Rahway, NJ), Pinho’s Bakery (Roselle, NJ), and That Bakery (Clark, NJ).
At the event, restaurants prepare bite-size portions of their best creations – everything from Ahi tuna sushi to pasta to pastries – while other vendors serve fine wine, boutique beer and aperitifs at tasting stations. Specialty products, like gourmet candies, flavored vinegars, locally made ice cream, chocolate wine, and ‘grandma style’ tomato sauce can be found as well.
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Some of the highlights from last year’s event included tasty mixed drinks like cherry tomato gimlets by Patria Restaurant & Mixology Lounge and pomegranate martinis by Bonefish Grill, flavorful pasta dishes, fresh seafood and sushi, and ethnic cuisine like Sri Lankan curries, Cuban-style tapas, and Portuguese-style barbeque.
If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to save room for dessert! Impressive displays of desserts, including numerous types of Italian and Portuguese pastries, artfully decorated cupcakes, truffles and chocolate candies abound. In addition to an annual food competition, there is the Battle of the Bakeries, where top pastry chefs vie for Best Dessert and Best Metro Area Bakery.
After indulging in this gastronomic event, attendees can browse through the featured art show & sale. Two full rooms of handmade ceramics (including wheel-thrown pottery), photography, digital prints, paintings, drawings, and jewelry from recycled materials will be available for purchase from local New Jersey artists. Artwork ranges in price from $20-$250.
Look for restaurant specials throughout Rahway on the weekend of April 14-15, 2012, after the Rahway Taste of Spring. For more information, visit RahwayTaste.com.
