The 3rd Annual West Palm Beach Pairings event returned to downtown West Palm Beach on Thurs., May 29, 2014. This event — hosted by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, in partnership with SunFest, Palm Beach Illustrated, LocalDines.com and NPR — gave festival-goers a bite-by-bite tour of the downtown West Palm Beach restaurant scene.
First up — we strolled on over to the check-in table where we picked up our badges and menus for the evening. Inside all of the restaurants were listed with the food and drink items they were serving. Bring on the sangria, a popular beverage for the evening. Now, the only question was — where to begin.
West had won and we found our way to Cabana Las Palmas, where samples of Leblon Caipirinha we served, alongside churrasco and chimichurri — a house favorite; Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes from LongBoards (our favorite of the evening); and a tasting of craft beers to quench our thirst. Other highlights included Roast Pork Sandwich Arancini from Hullabaloo; Grilled Chicken Kebabs + hummus from Leila; Raw Vegan Pad Thai from Bee Organics; and the sample spa services from The Sanctuary Salon & Spa.
During the event, our sweet tooth was not to be denied and there were many options for us to choose from. Amongst our favorites were the Coconut Oatmeal Cookies from Subculture Coffee, a little and crispy delight to the palate; assorted mini cupcakes from Cafe Sweets Bakery with flavors ranging from Chocolate-Peanut Butter to Banana Cream Pie, where guests could try 1 or eat their way around the room; and rum cakes from a soon-to-open sweet shop on Dixie Hwy.
While experiencing new taste sensations from area restaurants was quite enjoyable, it was more important to know that a portion of the proceeds from the event went to benefit Families First of Palm Beach County.