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Im not sure there is a more ˜Dallas event than the North Texas Food Banks Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Cowboys Tailgate Party. With event proceeds going to a fantastic charity here in North Texas, Cowboys players past and present in attendance along with a vast sampling of 18 different local gourmet food stations, highlighting all the great benefits of DFW in one evening doesnt get much better.
The beautiful Gaylord Texan greets you upon arrival just before turning towards their beautiful event space, The Glass Cactus. I loved their multi-leveled deck and how awesome the view out over Lake Grapevine was at sunset.
Lined all along the outside deck were delicious bites from local DFW eateries such as Del Friscos, Bistro 31, Kamali and Kent Rathbuns Concepts. It was a hoppin party and eating on the go was the name of the game. A piece of advice for the ladies attending next year, skip the clutch and opt for a purse with straps. Youll need all the hand space you can get to hold your cocktail and sample all the culinary fares from each station.
This event was so much fun being able to try out so many local DFW eats all in one place, while knowing it was for a great cause. With so much going on, I want to share my 3 favorite parts of the evening with you so you can look forward to them next year!
The food. Everything was wonderful but I had a few food stations that stood out the most to me.
Ancho Braised Pulled Pork & Oaxaca Cheese Tamal with Chile de Arbol Salsa
Mini Banh Mi
Tequila-Spiced Rubbed Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Grits and Pomegranate-Molasses Glaze.
Each dish brings a different type of food genre to the event. One of my favorite parts was in fact that each chef really tried to bring a dish that varied from the next station yet stayed true to their restaurants style.
The Charity. 2014 marked the 10th year for this event and for every $1 raised, 3 meals are provided to hungry North Texas Children. The Kendra Scott Display captured my attention. Each person donated a set amount and in return was given a mystery box with a piece of Kendra Scott Jewelry in it and all proceeds were being directly donated to the North Texas Food Bank.
The People. It couldnt have been the Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate without Coach Jason Garret chatting up guests and showing off his dimples in photos all night. I was privileged to grab a photo with him. So friendly, he even determined the lighting was off in our first picture so we side shuffled over and took a few more.
With many other players past and present in attendance it is a Cowboys fan heaven. Oh, and did I mention the cheerleaders were there too? They were especially helpful in rallying the crowd to get excited during live auction time!
With all these wonderful items that have been generously donated and the partnerships with Chef Kent Rathbun and the Dallas Cowboys, its no wonder that this event has contributed $1.3 million to the North Texas Food Bank. With a track record like that and all the fun, you dont want to miss this event in 2015!
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