TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala

Yes, this post is late (the event was two weekends ago) but I got so caught up in the technical advancements of the blog last week (twitter! foodie blogroll!) that I let this slip my mind.

In any case, Z and I headed to Sharon two Saturdays ago for the TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala, an event filled with delicious food, an auction emceed by Billy Costa and Matt Siegel, and lots of older women with sequin mini-dresses and ample cleavage. Wowza.

Some of the restaurants that came and participated were: Taranta, The Beehive, Olives, Beacon Hill Bistro, Meritage, Upper Crust, Prezza, Avila, and Eastern Standard, to name a few.

Standouts from the night? I adored the duck pierogi from The Beehive and the delicate ravioli with mushrooms from Olives. Eastern Standard served a yummy sausage and sauerkraut dish; however, Z and I decided if we were Padma and Tom, we’d shake our heads and go, “It’s just too messy to eat!” We were also fans of Beacon Hill Bistro’s yummy duck dish.

There also were some disappointments... The Upper Crust’s pizza was cold by the time it was set out. Cold pizza is great as a night-after breakfast. At a tasting event? Not so much. I wasn't a big fan of Meritage’s tomato soup either, which tasted a step above (or below, depending on who you talk to) Campbell’s, and awkward to eat with no spoon.

There was no shortness of desserts that night, including a spectacular multi-tier cake, emblazoned with all the logos of the sponsors on the side. Who can argue with a massive slice of chocolate cake at the type of event that usually serves up portions smaller than your palm? There also was a chocolate fountain at the Lindt display, and a table of Italian desserts like tiramisu and éclairs. YUM.

Jenny Johnson, TV Diner executive producer and on-air personality, is a friend of mine, though when I say she did a fantastic job with this event, I’m not just saying that because she's my friend. I'm saying it because she used to be my boss. Ha! Just kidding =) She looked radiant in a beautiful shimmering dress, showing the over-accessorized, sequin-bedazzled ladies how it's done.

Guests left with quite a nice gift bag, filled with homemade cookies from Harvard Sweet Boutique, some biscotti from Sage, a Lindt chocolate bar, and lots of freebies to local salons and gyms.

All in all, a delicious night in the ‘burbs!