'A Taste of Morristown' serves up sumptuous fare

For those in search of a diverse tasting experience in a fun and festive environment, the 13th Annual Rotary Club of Morristown's 'A Taste of Morristown' on Monday night didn't disappoint.

Drawing a crowd of more than 500 participants to the Hanover Marriott in Whippany, the event offered guests plentiful samples of everything from Italian, Chinese, Caribbean and continental specialties to artisan baked goods, rich chocolate, a selection of wines and craft brews.

SEE PHOTOS: Rotary Club's 'A Taste of Morristown' http://dailyre.co/1BHQwh1

"With over 30 area restaurants participating, it's our biggest event of the year and there's truly so much to try," said Veronica Koons, Morristown Rotary Club member and project manager of this year's event. "A Taste of Morristown offers a great way to sample a restaurant you've wanted to try, learn about new ones you might not have known existed and meet the chefs. You won't get the same experience anywhere else."

A diverse experience

Representing the seven-year-old Hibiscus Cuisine, which is located inside Morristown's Best Western Hotel, manager Karlene Brandon and her team were excited to sample such menu items as their signature 'Rasta Pasta' — lightly seasoned jerk chicken breast with sundried tomatoes and broccoli in a light cream sauce over penne pasta.

"We've been big supporters of this event for years because it's fun and very well-run," Brandon said. "I always like to see all of the other restaurants out there, meet our local customer base and help promote our extensive and authentic menu."

"We're excited to participate and look forward to it every year," said Fredy Umanzor, owner of Chef Fredy's Table (formerly Tim Schaefer's Cuisine), of the annual event. "We always offer three to four dishes for people to try, like grilled salmon over basmati rice, filet mignon beef skewers, our signature jambalaya or a pasta dish," he said. "We love to offer our service and food, meet our customers and be part of the community."

Newcomers to the area's restaurant row were especially excited to take part.

Jack Pires, general manager of the seven month-old Cedar Knolls-based H2Ocean Restaurant & Raw Bar, which specializes in wild seafood and farm-to-table fare, said he and his team were happy to participate for the first time and sample their savory lobster bisque made with wild Maine lobster.

At the five month-old Mr. Chung's, a contemporary Asian restaurant specializing in such creative dishes as Sangria Duck, Penang Curry Chicken and Smoked Salmon Fried Rice, "there's so much going on in Morristown and I really like the community," owner Dan Chung said. "We wanted to be here to meet people and gain exposure for our restaurant because we're so new."

Creativity reigned at A Taste of Morristown but the classics also shone through.

Attendees sampled Tiff's tangy ribs and top-notch tenderloin crostinis from Roots. Upscale 'street fare' was offered by Eric LeVine, owner of Morris Tap & Grill and Paragon Tap & Table, whose steamed pork buns with hoisin sauce featured a crispy, pretzel-like outer shell but a soft and succulent interior.

Guests lined up for such Pomodoro Pizzeria and Restaurant favorites as eggplant rollatini, sausage and peppers, meatballs and chicken scampi. "This is our fourth year at A Taste of Morristown and we love coming because we know everyone here — these are our customers and it's like a reunion," said owner Ori Kasneci.

Sweet surprises

Attendees with a sweet spot for dessert enjoyed a range of treasures, from the brownies, raspberry bars and pastel-colored macarons that Andrea Lekberg, owner of Morristown's The Artist Baker, said were among her perennial crowd-pleasers, to the delicacies of Delightful Abundance, a Fairfield-based bakery specializing in decadent desserts made from scratch.

Enjou Chocolat, a Morristown tradition since 1983, sampled a mouth-watering display of chocolate-covered strawberries, bananas, raspberries and blueberries, "which really pop in your mouth and are prepared with our own homemade chocolate and the finest ingredients," said representative Jennifer Kersh. "We love to come here and see everyone trying out all the restaurants and mingling with their neighbors," she added, noting that Enjou would be offering its popular homemade ice cream and hot fudge beginning two weeks after Easter.

Lori Moro-Sims, new owner of the 45-year-old Woodland Bakery in Chatham, was thrilled for guests to sample some of the shop's signature items — including its original-recipe crumb buns ("more crumb than bun," she said) and confections topped with their popular buttercream icing.

"We're excited to be here and to open up to a new audience that may not have been familiar with our bakery," Moro-Sims said. "You have to know what you do best and focus on customer service," she said of her bakery's strategy in today's competitive playing field. "We're promoting our most classic items and are one of the friendliest bakeries people will ever come across."

Great cuisine for a cause

"We've been coming to A Taste of Morristown for 10 years," said Morristown resident Lucille Knapik. "(We) love it because it supports all of the food businesses in town and gives you the opportunity to try something new and support the places you think are really special."

First-time attendee Steve Lauterback of Morristown agreed. "We had a great time, there was wonderful variety and the wines were terrific," he said.

"We've definitely watched Morristown grow into a serious dining destination," said Richard Ramos, general manager of Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar, which has participated in the event for the past five years and sampled clear, flute-like cones of kabocha squash soup topped with a gala apple compote this year. "People know that we'll be featuring a signature soup here each year and come out to support us."

Attendees also had the opportunity to win such prizes as local yoga classes, knitting supplies, golf bags, jewelry, sunglasses, sports memorabilia, a 55-inch Samsung LED television and more, as part of the 130 donated gifts offered at the event's Tricky Tray this year.

Koons said proceeds from A Taste of Morristown will go towards the Rotary Club's broad range of non-profit initiatives dedicated to helping those in need locally, nationally and internationally and "attendees can feel good that they're giving back and getting involved in the community."

For more information on Rotary Club of Morristown or its annual 'A Taste of Morristown' event, visit www.tasteofmorristown.org.

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