Taste at the Beach This Sunday

Food, wine and beer fans have the chance to enjoy the seventh annual Tatste at the Beach Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. on the outdoor patio of the Hermosa Beach Community Center. The Brian Sisson jazz trio will play.

Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hermosa Beach, this year's Taste features 17 food boths, some of those serving cocktails, and ten beer, wine or champagne booths. All participants must be 21 or older.

Jane Walker of Kiwanis expects the following restaurants and dishes to be available: Kincaid's with Shrimp Yucatan and Key Lim Pie; Java Man with a deliciously hip version of cupcakes with shaken iced mochas; Hostaria Piave with house smoked beef carpaccio, Atlantic Salmon cured with Grappa, dill and spices, fennel salad; Silvio's BBQ with BBQ chicken and house salad; Buena Vita with polenta al Fungi; That Greek Place! with Greek pastries and delicious Keftethes (Greek meatballs), among other select tastes.

This year's Taste benefits the South Park Playground Renovation Project, the first all-natural, universally accessible playground in Los Angeles County. The Kiwanis board determines what the funds raised at the Taste will go toward each year, according to Walker.

In addition, the "mission" of the Kiwanis Organization is to "change the world, one child and one community at a time." The Playground Renovation Project is in keeping with this mission, said Walker.

The Kiwanis Club of Hermosa Beach, chartered in 1926, has continuously served the community for the last 83 years. Some Kiwanis sponsored charities include: Hermosa Beach Sister City Association, Easter Seals Developmentally Disabled Program, American Cancer Society, Pediatric Trauma Prevention, Red Cross Blood Drive, Hermosa Beach Unified School District, Hermosa Beach Parks and Recreation Programs, Beach Cities Toy Drive, Blind Children's Center and Relay for Life and Emergency Disaster Relief.

Local officials frequently attend the Taste. Past attendees include City Coucilman Howard Fishman, City Councilman Kit Bobko, City Councilman Michael DiVirgilio and City Councilman Pete Tucker in addition to "former" City Council members such as Michael Keegan who has attended all six previous Taste events, said Walker.

Those who have benefited from past Tastes include: Hermosa Historical Society, Hermosa Art Walk, Project Touch, Kiwanis sponsored charities and Hermosa schools' libraries programs. 

Tickets can be purchased at www.tasteatthebeach.com or by phone at 310-386-7478. Tickets are $65 per ticket and are tax-deductible. Major credit cards are accepted.