Last month my sister and I attended one of the tastiest contests in the city, Cleveland’s Finest Hors d’Oeuvre Contest. This yearly event hosted by Our Lady of the Wayside gathers together some of Cleveland’s favorite chefs at the gorgeous Terrace Club at Progressive Field.  If you have a difficult time deciding between what to chose on the menu when you go out to eat, Cleveland’s Finest Hors d’Oeuvre Contest is designed for you. No decisions, just nibbles of tasty small dishes.

This was my second event with Our Lady of the Wayside and it was a great night out while supporting a wonderful agency in our area. The $80 ticket price included two floors of fine wine and beer selections from courtesy of Rooster Fish Brewing, Rhinegeist, Clara C, Sobon Wine Company and Moletto Dolce Amore. There was also a silent auction and 50/50 Raffle with some pretty amazing prizes!

This SOLD OUT and record setting event presented by Zito Insurance Agency, Inc., was a fantastic way to kick off Our Lady of the Wayside’s 50th Anniversary.  In fact, this event raise more than $50,000 which all went to benefit this wonderful agency. Cleveland’s Star 102’s Tim Richards, Jen Toohey and Desiray Cross attended with over 800 guests. This year’s entertainment included singer-songwriters, Nate Jones and Jessica Shelter, as well as the Cleveland Firelands Collective.

Not only was the food delicious but it was gorgeous too! Just a couple of items on the menu were Shrimp and grits, Lobster and pea risotto cups, Lobster arancini, and mini veal parmesan sausage. I was really happy that they were smaller portions since there were so many to choose from!

And the winners were:

First place Winner: Corleone’s Ristorante and Bar    Chef Marlon Mayorga took top honors with his citrus seasoned scallop mango puree and pomegranate pearls on a scallop shell.

 Second Place Winner: Tree House Gallery-Clifton    Chef Genevieve Larson presented beef rotello served with a lobster sauce.

 Third Place Winner: Carrie Cerino’s Ristorante and Party Center   Chef Jim Bartko showcased his spicy Caribbean shrimp with calypso rice.

If you missed Cleveland’s Finest Hors d’Oeuvre Contest, you are in luck! The hottest BBQ of the season is the Grapes and Ale event on Friday May 19th. This premiere event allows guests to enjoy samplings of more than 300 internationally acclaimed wines, craft brews and tastes from some of the sauciest restaurants in town. I attended this event last year and it was amazing!