| Taste of the Triangle 2009 was a spectacular success – EdUCate’s best event ever! The evening got underway at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines before sunset, allowing guests to appreciate golf course views during registration and a cocktail reception. After greeting one another and quickly perusing more than one hundred Silent Auction baskets, attendees were welcomed into the Grand Ballroom by event chairs Brook and Tom Feerick, who thanked their hard-working committee members.
Bill Menish commenced the Live Auction while guests sampled tastes from a few of the twenty-one featured restaurants. Bidding was lively on eight items ranging from surfboards to vacations to a complete kitchen remodel. The live auction alone garnered forty-three thousand dollars, a miracle during these tough economic times!
Mr. Menish moved quickly from the Live Auction to “Fund An Item” pledges. This year’s “items” were laptop computers for University City classrooms. Current and prior EdUCate! Board members challenged attendees to match the Boards’ five thousand dollar donation, and the crowd did not disappoint! Thirteen attendees donated a total of fifty-four hundred (fully tax-deductible) dollars.
After a heartwarming video presentation featuring a spunky Curie student, guests filtered outdoors, where they sampled gourmet cuisine served by some of San Diego’s most illustrious chefs. Bernard Guillas of the Marine Room personally served patrons (on a Friday night, no less!). Paul McCabe slaved over scallops, Jason Graham carefully seared healthy ahi, and Luca Mazzolani plied folks with pasta. All of the food was top notch this year and, thanks to the fabulous restaurateurs, nobody went away hungry!
Diners explored the restaurant tables, and bidders circled the outdoor terrace and silent auction offerings, while listening to a trio of Standley Middle School teacher-musicians: Phillip Marcus, Ray Conseur, and Dan Coulson. Silent auction tables closed and bids were tallied, adding up to almost twenty-five thousand dollars.
Those who felt a late evening chill moved inside and warmed up by dancing, a wonderful way to celebrate living in a tight-knit community of people who value public education! Couples and groups danced as if their kids weren’t watching, butsecretly took pride in the fact that so many students had volunteered at the event and were, in fact, trying to figure out the odd 70’s and 80’s dance styles.
Please enjoy the slide show below, and patronize EdUCate’s wonderful donors’ businesses throughout the year. The 240 teachers and 5400 public school students of UC thank everyone who supported Taste of the Triangle. The EdUCate! Board is especially grateful to the five school principals, School Board member John Lee Evans, and School Board President Shelia Jackson for their support and attendance.
EdUCate! proudly thanks the following restaurants for their
participation in Taste of the Triangle 2009.
Barolo Ristorante Italiano
Barona Valley Ranch and Casino
Cal-a-Vie
Donovan's Steak and Chop House
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, La Jolla
Forbidden Yogurt
Harry’s Bar and American Grill
Infusions of Tea
French Gourmet
Kikuya Sushi
Kitchen 1540 L'Auberge
La Jolla Brew House
Leucadia Pizzeria
Lorna's Italian Kitchen
Miami Grille
P.F. Changs
The Marine Room
The Melting Pot
Torreyana Grill Restaurant
Via Italia Trattoria
Whole Foods La Jolla
Pictures from Taste of the Triangle 2009
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