Ted Nugent, co-owner of Cebu, a restaurant at 8801 Third Ave., and his chef Carlos Rodriguez, served Carlos’ delicious crab cakes.

The tasting event took place in the school’s Aldo Bruschi Auditorium on Fourth Avenue and 97th Street from 3 to 5 p.m.

The participating restaurants included Aero, A/C Collucio Brothers, Arirang, Bay Ridge Manor, Campagnia, Cappucino Café, Cathy’s Place, Chadwick’s, Ember’s, Gino’s, Greenhouse Café, Ho’Brah, Hunter’s Steak and Ale House, Istanbul Kitchen, Las Margaritas, Leo’s Calamari, Leske’s Bakery, Mike’s Deli, Molte Bene, Nature’s Grill, New Corners, Off Shore Restaurant, Paneantico Bakery Café, Petit Oven, Pipin’s Pop-Up, Ponte Vecchio, Positano, Salty Dog, Sancho, Sapporo, Shangri-La, Sofias, Kettle Black, Lockyard, Pearl Room, Wicked Monk, Tuscany Grill, Vesuvio, and Xin.

Italian, French, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese and American cuisines were all represented.

And guests got to enjoy glasses of wine with their food, courtesy of Henry Harde Inc. Wines and Liquors at 9314 Third Ave.

The set-up permitted guests to freely roam the vast auditorium, stop at a table, and get a tasty morsel of food before moving on to the next serving station. Tables were set up in the center of the auditorium so that people could sit while they ate.

Best of all, there was no limit on the number of times one could taste a certain dish. People were revisiting their favorite stations for seconds, even thirds.

Taste of the Ridge was the brainchild of the Rev. Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, vicar of development for the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, who is a former chef. Twenty years ago, Gigantiello was a young parish priest at St. Patrick Catholic Church and came up with the idea of raising money for the school by having restaurants offer samples of their dishes.

---

Related Articles

Chamber of Commerce hosts Bay Ridge business mixer

April 25 | By Paula Katinas