A few weeks ago (...yeah, I'm a little behind, Blogger kept freezing when I tried to save!) I was lucky enough to receive an invite from one of my friends, Pas Niratbhand, Director of Creative and Event Services at Sheckys, to attend their first ever Toasts & Tastings event. I remember thinking to myself when I received my tastings card, which you use very much like tickets at a carnival, that 25 tastings was not going to even hinder my insatiable appetite. I was very wrong!
Because of Shecky's connection in the industry, they had very popular trendy brands, Ciao Bella, Honest Tea and Pop Chips serving up their most popular goodies. In addition, they had Solerno and Frangelico liquor brands whipping up cocktails that perfectly complemented the sweet and savory options that were available, while we waited to get into the wine tasting. (If I had one gripe, it would be that there were more sweet than savory options.) Since I came straight from work, I decided to start with the savory options. Little did I know that those options would offer both savory and sweet options and be my favorite picks for the night!
Tartinery was one of the first stations I tried that I was really impressed with. (We actually passed the restaurant's location a week or so ago and it is GORGE!) I wasn't really versed on the whole idea of tartines, but saw the options as similar to food I would like to be offered in a spa! Some of the options we tried were the Saumon Fume, Mozza, and later on when we hit up the table again, a banana and nutella option that is not on the menu
Our favorite of the night, due to the innovative concoctions, delectable presentation and of course delicious taste factor that cost us multiple worthy tickets, was HighPoint Bistro and Bar. The table was host to Chicken Salad Cones, Creme Brulee Egglings and The Caramel Experiment, a big block of Himalayan rock salt, and caramel, melting together in sublime dessert harmony!
One we filled out stomachs on the multiple dessert stations with cupcakes, cheesecakes and cookies galore, it was time to go downstairs for the grand finale, the wine tasting, that was also included for the event.
The wine tasting was a great learning experience to learn about certain notes that are present in different types of white wines, such as chardonnays, rose`s, and pinots. Not to mention we had the opportunity to learn from a New Zealand Sommelier, see picture below!
Overall, I'd say the event was a success considering it was Shecky's first time throwing the event. We left full of knowledge and food. Even with the first night they hosted the event, they were already adjusting the transitions between the wine tasting sessions to make the switch between sittings more seamless. I'm hoping for the next tasting event they are able to secure more tastings of upcoming restaurants, since I feel learning about new restaurants I would not have known about otherwise was an invaluable experience. The price point of $35 for tickets, I also feel was well worth it when tickets for tastings usually go for $150 and upwards in the city. I'm excited to see what is in store next for this event!
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