A good cause never tasted so good.
Cal Poly Pomona will host its fifth annual Southern California Tasting & Auction on Sunday, May 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Rose Garden and the adjacent Aratani Japanese Garden. The event, which provides thousands of dollars in scholarships and academic enrichment opportunities for students, is a cornucopia of tastes from some of the region's finest restaurants, wineries and breweries.
Two well-known chefs will offer cooking demonstrations during the event: Darrin Finkel, executive chef for Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney; and James Kelly, owner and chef at Owen's Bistro in Chino. Seating is limited and will be offered to registered guests and sponsors before the event on a first-come basis.
"The staff and team of Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen always look forward to the great food, ambiance and amazing feedback received at the Tasting & Auction," says Bruno Duarte, the Jazz Kitchen sales and special events manager. "We look forward to it every year."
More than two dozen restaurants will participate, including Taste of Asia, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant, Casablanca Mediterranean, Some Crust Bakery and Panda Inn. Among the dozen wineries pouring will be Packing House Wine Merchants, the historic Galleano Winery and Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. In addition, several breweries will be represented, including Anheuser-Busch, Dale Bros. Brewery and Hangar 24.
As in previous years, several high-demand auction items will be up for bid, including a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for two to immerse in a weeklong landscape architecture study experience in Tuscany, NASCAR and National Rodeo packages, and sports and movie memorabilia.
Entertainment will be provided by Kenny Sara and The Sounds of New Orleans on the main stage, and by Cal Poly Pomona music students in the Aratani Japanese Garden. Two W.K. Kellogg Arabian show horses with student riders dressed in costume will also appear.
Tickets for the Tasting & Auction are $90 per person and are available online. No one under the age of 21 will be admitted. For more details about the event, visit www.polytaste.com.