A few weeks ago Tourism Burlington offered up 10 passes to their Taste of Burlington Summer Launch Event to Food Bloggers of Canada members and I snatched one up!  Taste of Burlington is a Summerlicious-esque dining program where restaurants offer three-course menus, including an appetizer, entree and dessert for a fixed price. The Launch Event gathered 19 of the 24 participating restaurants together at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, where we got to sample food and talk to some of the chefs.

I met up with the one and only Brunette Baker, we ate our way around the stations. Let’s just say they should have given me a bib. These were some of my favourites:

• Honey West – Tied for my favourite bite of the night, which was a Pulled Pork Wonton with Apple & Bacon Jam. It was crispy on the outside, rich and creamy on the inside, with a slight crunch of apple. The bacon jam was served on the side and was totally smoky and to die for. Honey West’s regular menu features a Jalapeno Cheddar Wonton, and I’m sure those are just as good. 
• Queens Head Pub – My other favourite bite of the night was a Sweet Potato & Aged Cheddar Phyllo Dumpling, drizzled with ginger thyme honey and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. I went back for seconds!  I’m usually so judgmental about pub food – isn’t everything just deep fried? – but if everything is as delicious is this, I would definitely be interested in checking out this pub.
• Stone House Restaurant – These chefs were plating up some Hoisin Glazed Pulled Pork Tacos with Carrot & Bean Sprout Slaw & Fresh Coriander. I think I flustered them when I asked if they made their own tortillas! For the record, they don’t, but they do know how.
• Eatalia – I’m a sucker for a big, pillowy, soft stuffed ravioli, and this is what we sampled at Eatalia’s station: Grilled Tomato and Asiago Stuffed Jumbo Ravioli with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Toasted Sunflower Seeds. Their menu looks like Italian classics, and I already know I want to split a Bianca and Diavola Pizza there. Any takers?
• Pepperwood Bistro – We had Four Mushroom Crostini with Ontario Cambozola on a Roasted Garlic Crostini. Garlicky, crunchy, buttery. I’m intrigued by Pepperwood Bistro, as it’s also a Brewery and they have five house brands on tap, which sure sounds appealing for a warm summer night.

You guys, I felt like I was on Top Chef! You know how in some episodes the cheftestants cook for an event and people come around to each chef’s station and sample their bites? It felt like that! It was so fun to try a little sample from so many restaurants, chat with the chefs, and attempt to eat and tweet at the same time. Real Talk: Not only did I show up an hour after the event started because of horrendous traffic, but I also managed to forget my bloggy business cards and leave my camera’s memory card at home, which is why there are not photos to accompany this post. Don’t hold it against me!

A Taste of Burlington is on from July 21st – August 5th, and  you can read more about the participating restaurants on their website. Thanks to Linda from Tourism Burlington for a fun night!

Disclaimer: Tourism Burlington gave me a ticket to their Summer Launch event and asked me to tweet during the event and write a blog post about my experience. Believe me, if I had a bad time, I would not have hesitated to let you know!