Chef in Shorts [Boston]

“Who wears short shorts…”

The theme of dinner last Friday was shrimp. This little crustacean (along with Mr. Lamb) was the dominant protein at the 13th Annual Chef in Shorts Party benefiting the Greater Boston Food Bank (see end of post for more info on this awesome organization). Held at the Seaport Boston Hotel, over a dozen chefs (whose thankfully, kept it professional and shielded their hairy legs in chef PANTS) fired up their grills for a fun filled and laid back party to celebrate the beginning of summer.

A few of my favorites from the night as follows:*
*Note that I’m not a fan of lamb – my sister’s sign is a sheep in the Chinese zodiac (awkward!) – so I didn’t sample any of the lamb dishes (but heard there were some fantastic ones present).

I started the night with the most delicious drink of the night – Market’s lychee, lime, ginger beer, and orange juice concoction garnished with fresh blackberries. This refreshing and crisp drink was not only incredibly tasty, it was also presented elegantly as well.

Chef Rachel Klein at Aura Restaurant served an Asian styled grilled shrimp dish accompanied with a soba noodle and seaweed salad. The silkiness of the seaweed provided a great contrast to the firm starchiness of the soba.

The Woodward restaurant in the new Ames Hotel provided a seared pork belly filet with pickled rhubarb and spring onions on a rich jalapeno and cheese focaccia bread. This perfectly portion sized morsel was quite hearty – one sampling already left me sweating butter.

Argh shame on me – I forgot which restaurant served this sautéed scallop dish, but this was simply divine. The fiddleheads (my favorite vegetable) made this dish even more special. [Ed Note: I was informed later that these were from Stanhope Grille at the Back Bay Hotel]

TOP PICK ---> My absolute favorite of the night was Bond’s grilled shrimp on a corn flan. The flan – certainly the highlight of the night - was enveloped by a delicious flaky and airy crust – it tasted like a smooth and creamy corn muffin. The shrimp was a nice bonus (although it could have used less salt).

I was hankering for something sweet to end the night and red velvet cake from Sweet Tooth Bakery was just what I needed. Simple, traditional, but extremely well-made, this soft and buttery cake was the perfect way to cap of a succulent (and calorie laden) night.

About the Boston Food Bank:  The Greater Boston Food Bank distributes nearly 31.5 million pounds of food annually to more than 600 hunger-relief agencies in a dedicated partnership to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts. Founded in 1981, The Food Bank celebrates its 29th anniversary this year. For more information about The Greater Boston Food Bank, visit their website at www.gbfb.org or call 617-427-5200.