The Clifton Center, located at 2117 Payne Street, will host its 17th Annual Taste of Frankfort Avenue, sponsored by Brown-Forman, on Sunday, June 28, 2009 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This year’s fundraiser, themed “A World of Tastes on Frankfort Avenue,” will include cuisine from over 30 of the Avenue’s signature restaurants featuring an American and international flair, a Taste-ful Silent Auction, cooking demonstrations, special exhibits, live entertainment and drawings for the “Taste Tour” dining out raffle. Taste tickets are $40 and are available online at www.cliftoncenter.org/taste or by calling (502) 896-8480.
For the first time, the restaurants will be spread throughout two floors of the Clifton Center, providing guests with the chance to peruse the entire facility and the restaurants a chance to spread out and encourage more intimate contact with the chefs. The evening will also include a treasure hunt, in which the winner will receive a party for 30 people, either in their home or at the Clifton Center, catered by members of the Taste Committee. There will be two drawings for the “Taste Tour” raffle, when two names will be drawn to win meals for 4 people at 12 restaurants on Frankfort Avenue. Raffle tickets are $20.
This year’s event boasts more participating restaurants than ever before, including 60 West Bistro, Basa Restaurant, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Bourbons Bistro, Brendan’s Restaurant & Pub, Crave Café’ & Catering, Caffe Classico, Consumers Choice Coffee, Fat Jimmy’s, The Grape Leaf, Heine Brothers Coffee, Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen, The Irish Rover, J. Gumbo’s on Frankfort, Java Brewing Company, L & N Wine Bar and Bistro, Nancy’s Bagel Grounds, North End Café, Porcini, Shiraz Mediterranean Grill, Sol Aztecas Mexican Grill, Sweet Surrender Dessert Café, The Sweet Tooth, Tony Boombozz, Varanese, Volare, Zen Garden and Zen Tea House.
Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on unique auction items, including a week's stay for six in a Colorado vacation home, a hot air balloon ride during the September Balloon Race, throwing out the first ball at a Bats baseball game, a Nashville overnight and Titans tickets, a guided neighborhood bike tour by Joe Ward of Freewheeling Around Louisville fame, a luncheon and tour of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a Go Green Tour of Louisville’s Irish neighborhoods, and multiple dining out opportunities including a "River Road Dining Tour" that features meals for four people from five local eateries.
In addition to the support from the restaurants, 90 other individuals and businesses will participate in the event. Underwriters include CBS Outdoor, D.D.Williamson, First Capital Bank, Metro Signs, and Sysco Louisville. Other support is provided by Ballou’s, Bluegrass Brewing Co., M2-Maximum Media, Pepsi-Cola, St Joseph’s Childrens Home, and Ecosteward, who will assist with recycling compost-able food service products and event trash.
The 2009 planning committee of over 30 volunteers is led by Dell Courtney, a Clifton Center Board member of five years, and owner of VisionWorks, an event and campaign development company.
All proceeds from the 17th Annual Taste of Frankfort Avenue go toward enabling the Clifton Center to provide its great meeting and performance spaces at reduced rates to nonprofit organizations. The Center is used by numerous local and regional organizations that represent a wide variety of interests and people of all walks of life.
