March 23rd: Somerset Hills Education Foundations (SHEF) 10th Annual Chili Cook-Off. Come celebrate the 10th anniversary of delicious chili tasting, great music and dancing, western entertainment and a unique silent auction! This year’s event takes place at beautiful Tranquillity Farms in Chester, NJ. Attractions include a mechanical bull, Tito’s Handmade Vodka Bar, Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Stand, Epicure Foods cheese displays, and over twenty chefs competing for awards. The VIP Chili Pepper Lounge is hosted in the Farm’s “Champion Circle” oak bar room and has additional catering and specialty drinks.
For more information, contact Event Planner Bridget Kevorkian at bkevorkian@shefnj.org or 978-882-2879.
Tickets and event details are available at SHEF’s website.
April 2nd: Mays Landing: Gourmet dinners at Careme’s hosted by the American Vegan Society, at the Academy of Culinary Arts. Experience a meal of exceptional quality prepared and served by the culinary students under a chef educator. Call 856-694-2887 or visit www.americanvegan.org.
April 5th: Trenton: New Jersey Agricultural Society Annual Gala. The New Jersey Agricultural Society will be hosting its Annual Gala on Friday April 5th at 6:00 pm at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe, NJ. The Gala supports the Agricultural Society’s three programs: New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger, Learning Through Gardening, and the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program. The New Jersey Agricultural Society is a 501(c) 3 non-profit dedicated to preserving and enhancing agriculture, farming and related activities and businesses in New Jersey through educational, informational, and promotional programs. NJAS is the oldest agricultural organization in the nation.
The Gala, consisting of a cocktail hour, open bar, buffet stations, silent auction, palm readers, casino, raffle, and award ceremony. The event is open to the public, and the Ag Society encourages anyone interested in supporting their mission to attend. Businesses can support the Gala through donations of Silent Auction prizes and advertisements in the NJAS Gala Ad Journal. Ad journal rate range between $50 and $125 and are due by March 15th, 2013.
Tickets are $85. More information is available at www.njagsociety.org, and registrations and donations can be sent to semprebellaevents@hotmail.com.
April 5th: Jersey Shore Restaurant Week April 5-14 Spring Breaks at The Jersey Shore. Ten days, great deals, and fabulous meals!
It’s a wonderful opportunity to shake off the winter blues and re-visit your favorite restaurants or try some new ones. Enjoy 3 course dinner menus for $20.13 or $30.13 and special lunch menus at participating restaurants. See their Special Events Page for all the fun details.
April 6th: Belmar: The Great Jersey Shore Burger Contest will be held on April 6th from 1:00-4:00 PM at Bar Anticipation. The event is sponsored by Driscoll Foods and MagnaCare and DL Foodservice, and promised to be a great time for all! (Our Executive Editor, Deborah Smith, will be serving on the Judging panel.)
Come vote for the “Best Burger at the Shore,” enjoy samples of select craft beers, and taste ALL of the competitors’ burgers. Your vote will help determine the “People’s Choice Award” winner. Live classic rock will be provided by The Billy Lawlor Band, and a cash bar is also available
Where: Bar Anticipation, 703 16th Avenue, Lake Como NJ
When: April 6th, 1:00-4:00 Pm
Order your tickets here and don’t miss out on an awesome event!
April 8th: 2nd Annual Taste of Montclair, at The Conference Center, University Hall at Montclair State University. Enjoy the culinary delights of more than 30 chefs who will serve up tastes in an eclectic array of food to the approximately 500 people who will once again enjoy The Taste of Montclair. Freshly shucked oysters, Italian, Spanish, American, Fusion, barbecued chicken and ribs, French, Southern, and even good old fashioned American ice cream are some of the expected treats.
Tickets are $50, and can be purchased online or from any of the ticket locations listed on the Taste of Montclair website.
April 11th: Oyster Point Hotel’s “All Hands On Deck” Re-Opening in Red Bank, New Jersey from 6:00-9:00 PM. The opening will support The Boondock’s Fishery in Red Bank. The Navesink Business Group and Red Bank Flavour Restaurants have joined forces with The Oyster Point to help Boondocks’ owner Kelly Ryan rebuild her business.
The official Seafood Week Kickoff will take place Monday, April 15th at 12:30pm in Palm Walk where guests can sample Fin’s famous lobster bisque, share the wonder of the Atlantic City Aquarium’s touch tank, and catch a special “Under the Sea” themed Zumba demo by Tilton Fitness.
For more info, see Seafood Week at the Tropicana online!
April 18th: Atlantic City: Chef Jose Garces Hosts “THE LATIN ROAD HOME” Multi-Course Meal
At 7:00 p.m., join Chef Jose Garces at his gorgeous tapas bar and restaurant, Amada (609-225-9900) at Revel (500 Boardwalk, 855-348-0500) for a decadent, multi-course meal celebrating the publication of his second cookbook, The Latin Road Home.
The show-stopping menu will include: Tiradito de Lubina, black bass ceviche with yuzu (Peru); Pan de Yuca, yuca bread with queso fresco, served with guava-chile butter (Ecuador); Crema de Quinoa de Zuleta, quinoa chowder with sweet corn (Ecuador); Enchilado de Langosta, lobster in spicy tomato sauce (Cuba); Carne Asada a la Tampiqueña con Arroz Rojo y Refritos, grilled marinated skirt steak with red rice and refried beans (Mexico); and Crema Catalana, chocolate custard with vanilla berries (Spain).
For $85 per person, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity, guests will enjoy dishes from each of the book’s five chapters: Ecuador; Spain; Cuba; Mexico; and Peru. An optional wine pairing will also be available for $40. Reservations required, please call 609.225.9900 for more information.