The very special partnership between Pinot, Pigs & Poets and Nebraska’s Taste of Elegance competition hit a spectacular new level in 2019 by raising $520,000 for the Completely Kids organization in downtown Omaha. The event was held May 16 at Omaha’s Happy Hollow Country Club. Approximately 460 children take home a weekend bag of food every Friday. The fundraiser has become one of Omaha’s premier food and wine events and has helped shine a light on childhood hunger in the Omaha community. Since its inception in 2010, the event has raised over $2.5 million for Completely Kids.
The Taste of Elegance competition was the highlight of the evening, sponsored by the Nebraska Pork Producers Association and this year, for the first time ever, the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The 2019 Taste Elegance Chef Par Excellence was awarded to Chef Ben Maides of Au Courant Restaurant. He will attend the 2019 Midwest Pork Summit in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for his winning dish, “Duet of Pork & Carrot with Asparagus.”
The Iowa and Nebraska Pork Producers were thrilled to host the Nebraska Taste of Elegance as a component of Pinot, Pigs & Poets, according to NPPA President Tim Chancellor of Broken Bow. “Working with top-tier chefs by challenging their creativity with pork while also serving the greater good and supporting the excellent work of Omaha’s Completely KIDS organization is a wonderful opportunity for our industry,” he said.