Taste of the Nation Returns to Fight Childhood Hunger

Miami's culinary community gathered at Phuc Yea the other night to feast on a massive Cajun shrimp boil by chef Cesar Zapata.

The party was the official kickoff for this year's South Florida Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry.

The event, which is set to take place April 27 at Ice Palace Film Studios, gathers the top chefs and mixologists in the region for one of Miami's largest evenings of food and drinks to benefit the fight to end childhood hunger.

Event chair Timon Balloo (Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill), addressing the group of chefs, called the annual event "the night we come together as a family to end childhood hunger." Balloo also rallied the chefs: "I want you guys to get excited. We have a lot of young blood, and we want to make this year the best Taste of the Nation ever."

For three decades, Share Our Strength has produced Taste of the Nation with the goal of bringing together a community's best chefs to raise money for the nonprofit's programming.

The South Florida event will present dishes from more than 50 of the area's best restaurants. The evening will also include a silent auction and a Citi lounge where guests can sample a selection of wines, beers, and spirits.

The staggering list of restaurants and bars scheduled to participate are as follows: 3030 Ocean, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Alter, American Social, Area 31, Bar Collins, the Bazaar by José Andrés, Beaker & Gray, Bird & Bone, Biscayne Bay Brewing, BLT Prime, Boulud Sud Miami, Bourbon Steak, Bubbles + Pearls & Bowls + Buns, Burlock Coast, Byblos, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar, Concrete Beach Brewery, Corsair, Coyo Taco, Edge Steak & Bar, Finka Table & Tap, Fooq’s, Glass & Vine, Gold Marquess Fine Chinese Cuisine, Habitat, Itamae, J. Wakefield Brewing, Kuro, Kyu, Lure Fishbar, Macchialina, Mason, Meat Market, NaiYaRa, Paulie Gee's, Per'La Specialty Roasters, Phuc Yea, Plant Miami, R House, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stiltsville Fish Bar, StripSteak by Michael Mina, Stubborn Seed, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, SuViche, Tanuki, Temple Street Eatery, the Café at Books & Books, the Salty Donut, the Strand, the Tank Brewing Co., Three & No. 3 Social, Whisk Gourmet Food + Catering, and Wynwood Brewing Company.

A chefs afterparty at R House, hosted by chef/owner Rocco Carulli, will include bites by Taquiza, Ms. Cheezious, Tropical Fluff, and MadLab Creamery.

General-admission tickets cost $150 and include unlimited sampling from 7 to 10 p.m. VIP tickets cost $200 and include unlimited sampling from 7 to 10 p.m. plus admission to the chef afterparty. VIP Plus costs $250 and allows guests access to the event at 6 p.m. and includes the chef afterparty. Tickets for only the chefs afterparty cost $95.

Taste of the Nation. 7 to 10 p.m. April 27 at Ice Palace Film Studios, 59 NW 14th St., Miami. Tickets cost $95 to $250 via events.nokidhungry.org.