Wine, Food, and Tradition: 5th Taste of Tulalip

WHAT’S UP:
The 5th annual “Taste of Tulalip”.  Over 2,000 attendees will sip, savor and indulge during this two day 5th anniversary celebration of wine, food and tradition. The weekend begins with the Friday evening Celebration Dinner – a 6-course meal of exceptional food and wine parings.

Saturday’s Grand Taste features wine from over 120 Washington, California, Oregon, French and Spanish wineries, and a poolside Craft Beer Garden – all alongside an abundant array of food prepared by the resort’s culinary team.  Guests can purchase wine and books from authors Carla Hall and Lois Ellen Frank at the pop-up retail wine shop.  The Taste’s grand finale is a not-to-be-missed Rock and Roll Challenge emceed by Carla Hall, with celeb judges, well known Pacific Northwest chefs and sommeliers battling it out to take home the title.

Other Saturday events, limited to All-Access ticket holders, include a VIP beer seminar; and a cooking demo by Chef Kristen Kish, tenth season winner of Bravo’s Top Chef, followed by a Q & A with culinary luminary Carla Hall.  A special Magnum Party showcases rare, coveted wines paired with dishes by guest chef Dr. Lois Frank. There will also be five special reserve tastings.

The weekend’s featured artist is Jason Gobin.  His hallmark work can be seen on this year’s 5th anniversary signature wine bottle.  This one-of-kind blend is a collaboration between the Tulalip wine team and honorary winemaker Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery.  It can be purchased for $125 at the Taste’s retail wine shop.

WHO’S WHO:
Tommy Thompson
Tulalip sommelier and wine buyer Tommy Thompson has carefully selected over 120 wineries and breweries for the event of the year, as recognized by the Washington Wine Commission.  Thompson keeps adding breadth to Tulalip’s extensive cellar, garnering Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence – one of only 16 in the State for 2012.

Perry Mascitti
Executive Chef Perry oversees seven dining venues, in-room meals for the four-star hotel and catering for the entire Resort Casino.  His creativity shines along with that of his culinary team at the multi-course Celebration Dinner, the nibbles of endless proportions at the Grand Taste, and he is the maestro of the Rock and Roll Challenge.

Carla Hall
Returning Taste of Tulalip alum Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s popular lifestyle series “The Chew”.  Hall shot to fame as a competitor on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” and is also the author of “Cooking with Love: comfort food that hugs you”. She is the owner of Carla Hall Petite Cookies, an artisan cookie company that specializes in creating sweet and savory “petite bites of love.  Her approach to cooking blends her classic French training and Southern upbringing for a twist on traditional favorites.

Kristen Kish
Kristen Kish, winner of Bravo’s reality television cooking competition “Top Chef Season 10: Seattle”, is the second female to win this celebrated cook-off.  She is currently the Chef de Cuisine of Menton, Boston’s only Relais and Chateaux property, and works closely with chef/owner Barbara Lynch, .  As a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, Kish loves the energy, pace, and lifestyle of restaurants.

Lois Frank
Chef Lois Frank of the Kiowa Nation, is a culinary historian, anthropologist, award winning author and photographer, who has spent over 25 years documenting the foods and life ways of the Southwest Native American communities. With a doctorate in food anthropology, she focuses on the locavore lifestyle, traditional cooking and how it is applicable to a modern diet.

WINING & DINING:
Friday, November 8th
Celebration Dinner with 400 attendees
Reception 6:00 pm, Dinner 7:00 pm

Saturday, November 10th
VIP Beer Seminar – 11:30 am
Kristen Kish Cooking Demo  12:30 pm
Magnum Party with 250 attendees – 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Grand Taste with 2,000 attendees – 2:30 to 6:30 pm
Rock -n- Roll Challenge 4:00pm

SPONSORS
Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Le Creuset
Mercedes Benz of Lynnwood
Seattle Magazine
VIKING

LOCALE
Tulalip Resort Casino
10200 Quil Ceda Boulevard
Tulalip, Washington 98271