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Talbot International Food and Wine Festival
Picture this: 1,500 to 2000 people. Five pavilions. Dozens of wines. A venue made for strolling and enjoying
downtown Easton, and some of its star restaurants and shops, too. Ambassadors from France and Argentina came to the event.
Luke Breza, of Great Eastern Chincoteague Oysters, reported that the French Ambassador enjoyed some of his farmed Chincoteagues
on the half-shell at 11:00 in the morning with a hearty "Incroyable!"
Other highlights: - Chris
DeLaurentiis and Doug Stewart of Mitchum's Steakhouse were slicing up the top round for their "upscale spin on a
cheesesteak" as fast as they could manage, and the line still grew. You can imagine: Wafer-thin top round, provolone,
a mushroom mix of oyster mushrooms and portobellos and caramelized onions on fresh rolls. As Chris said, "I'm a meat
guy." At the time, Mitchum's in Trappe was about to open. Hope we're correct.
- Mark Salter of the Inn at Perry Cabin served up a pork tenderloin glazed
with Salter's Pub Sauce, served with
corn salad and a gilled onion-avocado relish, made to stand up to Argentina's hearty Malbecs.
- Mark Chew is the executive chef and owner of the Bay Hundred Restaurant and Tiki Bar on Tilghman Island. His dish
submitted for the Pacific Rim country of Australia? Fresh-that-day Rockfish, Cajun blackened and fried, served on seaweed salad with a hot/sweet Thai sauce.
- Laurie Forster, the Wine Coach, is looking forward
to her upcoming tour through the Wine Country of the Italian Piedmont region at the end of April. "The original home
of the Slow Food movement" and as beautiful as Tuscany, but without the hype. Sounds terrific, check it out.
- Those fine people at Hair O' The Dog in Easton, together with Town &
Country liquors, managed sales for most of the wines tasted that day. Wonderful range of new labels and nice job as always.
Hair O' The Dog featured some terrific Argentinian wines (I liked Zuccardi Q), les vins de Francaise, and Spain. AUS,
IT and the US went to T & C.
- Happy news from Chapel's Country Creamery. The state of Maryland has given the go-ahead for a raw-milk cheese pilot project to Holly and Eric Foster, the first in
the state. Check out their website for info, but have your sound turned down, it moos.
- We talked with Leslie Westbrook,event Vice Chairman, and also with Michelle Corace who, together
with Chair Bill Corace, donated many fine wines for the auction. We asked Leslie how she managed to snag the ambassors for
the event, and she talked about how "friends opened the doors." Plus, she says, she enjoys a challenge. Michelle
was equally gracious. "Do we like the multiple venues?" Yes, we said. Shall we plan on same time next year?
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