Taste of Hope competition highlights local cuisine

A local chef competition served up some great food recently, while raising money for a good cause.

The second annual Taste of Hope event on Sept. 14 brought together some of the area’s best culinary talent for a friendly showdown. Hosted by Everett’s at Mat-Su Resort, the event raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society, mostly through ticket sales and a silent auction.

Everett’s GM and event co-chair Amber Glasser, an Alaska hospitality industry veteran, said the event was bigger and better than last year.

“It’s all about bringing the community together,” she said. “We’re just trying to have fun and create something that is Valley-centric.”

Fun seemed to be the buzzword of the night. Birdhouse Sandwich Co., the popular Palmer food truck, drove off with the best in show award for its kogi pork belly street taco.

Birdhouse owner Matt Shaughnessy said he was surprised to be named the winner, especially considering he was up against Wasilla restaurant The Grape Tap and Big Lake’s Susitna Brewing Co.

“They carry a lot of weight and get good reviews,” he said. “I was a bit nervous.”

Once the competition got underway, though, there was no time for nerves. Shaughnessy said he was intent mostly on marketing his food to an audience that doesn’t normally frequent food trucks.

“I was head down making tacos the whole time. It went by very fast,” he said. “But It was good vibes and good intentions from everyone. I’ll definitely be doing it again next year.”

Shaughnessy said he chose the kogi (pronounced “ko-hee”) pork belly taco for the event because whenever he features it as a special at his food truck, it sells out. Wrapped in a soft flour tortilla, the pork belly is joined by sesame cilantro slaw and spicy mayo in an ethnic fusion of Korean barbecue and Hispanic street food.

The taco was years in the making. A veteran of restaurant work – his father owned a restaurant when he was a child – Shaugnessy said he worked with a Korean chef years ago who mixed Mexican cuisine with his traditional Korean, including a kogi beef taco. Since pork belly is a staple of the Birdhouse Sandwich Co. menu, Shaugnessy figured it was a natural to give it the kogi treatment. After tweaking the sauce of a Chinese barbecue dish he favored to make it more Korean, the current version of the taco evolved.

“I just started messing around with that,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of pork belly, so I said ‘let’s try this as a taco.’ I’ve been doing it for nine months, and it always sells out.”

Local foodies who have not yet experienced the Birdhouse Sandwich Co. can find it in the parking lot at 127 S. Alaska St. in Palmer, Tuesday through Thursday, most weeks. Shaughnessy said he features the winning kogi street taco a couple times a month for Taco Tuesday. Interested and hungry people can keep up with what’s available on any given day by following Birdhouse on Facebook.

Glasser, the event organizer, was among the fans of the kogi taco.

“I tried everything,” she said. “The taco from Birdhouse was my favorite. It was very popular.”

That’s saying something, considering the competition.

The Grape Tap served a chorizo queso that was paired with wine. “It was so good!” Glasser said. “It was a huge honor to have The Grape Tap involved.”

Susitna Brewing Company, which won awards for best cocktail and best nonalcoholic drink, served up barbecued brisket that Glasser described as “fantastic.” It was melt-in-your mouth tender” she said. “The way these restaurants rally around each other has been humbling. Huge shout-out to all of them.”

Meta and Rose, Bleeding Heart Brewery, Crumby Bakery, Cold Snap Coffee, Snow Thistle Treats and Treasures, Wunderbar, and Anchorage Distillery also participated in the event.

Glasser said a date has already been set aside for next year’s Taste of Hope.

“We had so many amazing Valley businesses come together to donate, volunteer, or both. And the community really showed up for us,” she said. “I feel blessed and honored to have this opportunity. It’s going to get bigger every year.”