Thoughts on the Great Tastes Show - in Introverted Quatrain

Again, it was great fun Saturday at the Great Tastes Show at the Tremont Grand. My sister was surprised when I told her that she had a comp ticket waiting for her. So the both of us went! (a fellow blogger told me she almost feels like she knows my sister because of how much I talk about her. Damn Swiss cheese for brains, who was it!?!?) I took photos of just about everything I ate and drank. I could discuss SO much so, as I often do in this situation, I am going to limit myself by speaking in poetry. No haiku this time - my slightly larger waistline (due to Saturday's festivities, I mean) requires something bigger - a quatrain analysis in abba format.

I've never seen this parking place before.
How did the Tremont Grand so well hide it?
The sis and I we drove around a bit,
And soon we found a spot right by a door!

"I like this getting in for free" I said.
The swag we got was paltry but still free!
A nice wine glass to drink from and to be
Inebriated, not sober instead.

We sampled fare from restaurants galore -
Ones that I, for mere lack of funding, don't
Have much experience with - so I won't
just whine - I'll tell y'all about 'em some more!!!

Of many places with bad food, 'twere not.
Nope. Mostly I ate well on Saturday.
Although I had some rice dishes I'd say
Weren't worth feeding to your dog or, um, cot?

It doesn't look crowded, does it? Oh, it got crowded. Three floors of crowded!

I ought not bitch - I mean the food was free!
The samples, anyway. The liquor, too.
Yes, lots of wine and beer and vodka - ooooh!
I almost got too drunk to go and speak.

This is just sooooo wrong - but sooooo good!

They had absinthe! Most int'resting of all.
It's licorice-y. I could drink but half
Of one. Though Rachel told me she did quaff,
With husband Matt, two cups, as she'd recall.

I haven't had vodka in a while. I'm glad I didn't finish the absinthe after I had this.

I'm surprised that I did not get too wasted!
So many wines and beers from California,
as well as here, Argentina, Australia.
That Aussie vodka was good that I tasted.

I've never understood the allure of a place where you have to pay $75 to cook your own food. But it's tasty, and it's working, so why question it?

Reviews: Liked Sascha's. Pazza Luna good.
The Melting Pot was a yummy surprise,
The ladies lovely, (Too bad I like guys.)
And yes, in line too long for Vīn I stood.

Mmmm. Hummus.

We tried Velleggia's, but were left quite listless.
The guy was gone, no food, plates sat unused.
Plus, the Taverna's ran out! So I cruised
To Velleggia's for plates, just to get hummus!

You wanna know where the lines really got seized up? Promise two hundred hungry Baltimoreans free cake samples. That'll get a crowd.

Still more to (mostly) rave about. Tusk? Pretty.
Caroline's Cakes and Ryleigh's Oysters pleased.
The promise of some orange chicken teased,
but PF Chang's, though flavorful, was gritty.

These were some tasty dips, yessirree...

Also a lot of items there to buy, man.
Some dip mixes from Gourmet Creations.
But I bought no more. Oh, wait - one more station.
The Wicked Natural guys came from Rhode Island!

Here are Kit (Mango & Ginger), Jake (Unique Culinary Adventures) and Andrea (Kitchen Goddess) next to Rachel (Coconut & Lime), who holds the mike. My sister did get lots of photos, but most of them were blurrier than this. Not her fault. I should've showed her where the flash was. And it isn't like I haven't taken a bad picture or two. Or seven. Or ninety-three.

The time for our blog panel came. We had
Eleven blogs, and some technical glitches.
Kit had a Pow'r Point, but they had to ditch it.
No visuals, but, hell, we speakers were rad.

Rachel (Coconut & Lime/ Food Maven) and Xani and Erin (Black Coffee & a Donut) field questions.

I don't look good in photos. Roopa (Raspberry Eggplant) and Margo (Pigtown Pigout & Design) are on either side. Actually, the blurrier I am the better!

So up came Xani, Erin, Dara, Roopa,
And Rachel with fresh marshmallows she brought us!
Dan with HG zines, and the Kitchen Goddess,
Jake, Margo, Kit, Liz Large's blurb, and (oops) moi.

So 'bout the show? Not much more to say 'bout it.
Thanks for your hard work, Dara! Nice meeting everyone.
Still, there's one thing more Great Tastes' folks ought to have redone.
I wish the show had not been so damn crowded!!!

It doesn't look bad, but now picture four times as many people. The camera belies the crowd.

That was fun. Do you realize how difficult it was to rhyme anything with "Rhode Island"?