By Karen Barter
Now established as one of the best events on the North Shore, Taste of The Gables was held on Sunday, September 21st in the big white tent on our oceanfront lawn. Lead by our Honorary Co-chairs, Sarah & John Seamans, and the Honorary Committee, Ann & Bill Leaver and Cynthia & Paul Soucy, many Gables friends were involved. Along with the event committee, chaired by Board of Trustees member KC Commoss, this group worked tirelessly for months gathering auction items, listing chefs & ads, securing sponsors, selling tickets and planning for another perfect night!
Over 25 chefs and beverage vendors came to display and serve their sumptuous specialties. Attendees could feast on squash-filled raviolis in a gorgonzola sauce from Vinwood Caterers, refresh with a Ryan & Wood vodka drink, enjoy a Finz raw bar of oysters and then wander over to Harbor Sweets for a chocolate morsel. The cast of chefs and vendors was truly outstanding! They included Tim Hopkins, Jodi Dee Bakes, Turners Seafood, The Adriatic Restaurant, Far From the Tree Cider, Opus, Thai Place, Thirsty Ventures, Events by BH, The Affordable Chef, Hotel Hawthorne, Sweet Peas, Cape Ann Brewery, Western Mass Flowers and Senor Sangria! All are listed on our website. Please remember to use the participating chefs and beverage vendors for your next party.
As the fog rolled in across the harbor, creating a mystical setting, attendees voted Ken Rothwell, of Ken Rothwell’s Catering, as Best Chef and Denis Rochford, of Hotel California Tequila, for Best Beverage.
Gid’s Giddy Four jazz band set the mood with their smooth, velvety sounds, and Alyssa AlKhowaiter, soloist, delighted the crowd.
The silent auction of over 50 original pieces of art was crowned with The Gables’ mission posters of children from our educational programs and preservation projects in our historic houses. The live auction included 18 luxury items from sculpture to fine art and Chestnut Street dinners to Caribbean vacations.
The proceeds from the evening will benefit the preservation projects of The Gables’ eight historic houses. Paddles Up!, a segment of our live auction, raised over $10,000 to benefit our educational program, Caribbean Connection. This popular, award-winning program, for which there is a waiting list, will return next summer for underserved middle school children from immigrant families.
We are so grateful to our sponsors! Without their generosity, this event could not happen. We salute Eastern Bank, Soucy Insurance Agency, Footprint Power, KODA Enterprises Group, Will & Laura Wrightson, Beverly Bank, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Clarke Brothers Fuel, Serafini, Darling & Correnti, Minuteman Security Technologies, National Grid, Waters & Brown and Insight Performance.
Next year’s event will take place on Sunday, September 20th here at The Gables. So mark your calendars, save the date and plan to have a reunion of friends and family come to celebrate at this awesome event! Website admissions begin in late summer.