Celebrate the Bounty, a Local First Utah fundraiser

I was recently invited to be a food judge for Celebrate the Bounty, an annual fundraiser for the Local First Utah organization. But this event is so much more than a fundraiser. It is a showcase of local, from foods to purveyors.
Several local restaurants and makers come together in an effort to feed the masses while educating them on the importance of buying from and supporting our local Utah businesses and therefore our local economy.

This year, participating restaurants included; Tiburon, Meditrina, Pallet, Manolis, Frida Bistro,   Even Stevens  , Red Iguana , Avenues Bistro on Third , Dolcetti Gelato, Sage’s Cafe  and Argentina’s Best Empanada

Local libations were provided by Squatters Craft Beers and Unita Brewing, Vida Tequila, Sugar House Distillery and Beehive Distilling. Wine was offered by IG Winery, from Cedar City.
Rico’s Warehouse was the perfect venue, offering a large open space to accommodate all the action and the evening was a buzz with live music, chatter and of course, eating.
The format is very causal dining, patrons visit each restaurant station throughout the evening and get a hearty sampling of what that restaurant has prepared for the evening.

Beehive Cheese on each VIP table

Local cheese maker, Beehive Cheese, provided cheese bites for all  the VIP tables to nibble on. Oh For Heaven’s Cakes provided us with a tasty cupcake and all guests recieved PopArt popcorn as a fun take away in variety of flavors.

Beef Tostada by Frida Bistro, Winner of Best of the Bounty

Choosing our local favorites proved to be a challenge for us judges. All the dishes were incredible and beautifully presented and each one had a uniqueness to it.

After tallying our votes and some discussion, the winners of the evening were Frida Bisto, chosen for the Best of the Bounty award and Manoli’s, awarded for Best Use of Local ingredients.

Beet Salad by Manoli’s, Winner of Best Use of Local ingredients

Celebrate the Bounty is a fantastic way to try new foods and restaurants and support all things local. Be sure to put it on your calendar for next fall.