Taste the Nation sign.. Courtesy Photo.
For one night, dozens of Houston’s best chefs will all be in one place, serving small bites, craft cocktails, beer and wine for a great cause. On Thursday, April 24 from 6 to 9 p.m., Silver Street Studios (2000 Edwards) will be home for the return of Taste the Nation, supporting No Kid Hungry, an initiative that fights childhood hunger by the non-profit organization Share Our Strength.
Taste the Nation was an annual event in the pre-pandemic era, and made a return in 2023. The three-hour soirée features a food festival-style set-up where participants have booths lined up and guests can walk-up and grab a small bite or a sip. Aside from the occasional line, these types of events are fun and stress-free. You don’t have to show up at 6 p.m. on the dot or stay until 9 p.m.
Taste the Nation has six top Houston food and drink personalities co-chairing the event: Evelyn Garcia (Jūn) and Dawn Burrell (both “Top Chef” runners-up), Ryan Pera (Coltivare), Leonard Botello IV (Truth BBQ), Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar) and Alba Huerta (Julep). Participating restaurants include many of Houston’s best such as Belly of the Beast, Ishtia, ChòpnBlọk, BCN Taste and Tradition, Musaafer and even the recently opened Camaraderie.
Masson has been involved with the Houston Taste of the Nation event since it started in 2007 and has even helped No Kid Hungry organizers lobby for the cause. “The very first one I went to was with Ryan Pera and Tracy Hartman because we were all at [former downtown restaurant] 17. I just kept doing the event. Then I started talking to the organizers and asked how I could get involved? They invited me on their lobby day to speak to our government representative. I said, ‘Heck, yeah!’ I sometimes like to use my sugar powers for good.”
Masson and Huerta will be hosting demonstrations — and there will be a few fun surprises. The demonstrations are a new addition this year, and Masson says she is particularly excited about what they put together.
No Kid Hungry awarded nearly $18 million in grants to various communities around the country in 2024. In addition to the grants, the organization runs summer and school meal programs, advocates through interactions with local governments, aids in research and offers advice on food accessibility, as well as provided general information through the website’s blog and the Center for Best Practices website. If you are unable to make it to Taste the Nation but would still like to contribute, donations can be made online.
Tickets to the event can be purchased on the website, and there are four ticket options. The general admission ticket, which comes with access to all of the chef and beverage stations at the event is $150. The $200 all-access pass lets you enter the event 45 minutes early, and you get a special reusable plate. The ticket package for $2,500 gives you 10 all-access tickets. $7,500 nets you 15 all-access tickets and a reserved space in a covered lounge.
“People need to get their tickets, have a good time and support a good cause,” Masson said. These events are always tons of fun and you never leave hungry, so consider checking it out.
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