Savor food and wine at Toast of the Town

Chefs and wine makers will pair up for Toast of the Town, a new fundraiser for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, set for Friday.

In support of the symphony, guests will sample food created by Georgia and Alabama chefs and taste wine from California, France and Australia.

Toast of the Town co-chairs Faye Melton and Maxine Hudson are familiar with fundraisers such as this. Both have been race-day directors of the Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens.

“We love horses, but we love food and wine more,” Hudson said as Melton nodded in agreement.

The two women brainstormed fundraising ideas with CSO executive director JJ Musgrove. They decided they wanted an event that would attract a younger group of people. The idea of a food and wine event received unanimous approval.

For the food part, Melton and Hudson wanted to feature restaurants and chefs who use seasonal, local products. Their goal was to embrace the “from the farm to the table” process, Melton said.

“You know how the little mom and pop places have the best food?” Hudson asked. They decided the event should reflect that idea.

As this event grows, the two women envision a weekend of food and wine with celebrity chefs doing cooking demonstrations. Though this year’s event is just one night, Chef Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club of Birmingham will do a cooking demo.

Melton and Hudson are having lots of fun planning the event. They want that fun feeling to carry through to the event.

“We just don’t want it to be a stuffy symphony event,” Hudson said.

The deadline to buy tickets (for $75 each) is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Food and wine

The restaurants participating are Apna Bazaar, Ben’s Chophouse, B. Merrell’s, Buckhead Bar and Grill, Buford’s Brownies, Chef Lee’s Peking, Columbus Corner Bakery, Ezell’s, Food Blossom Catering with Jenny Jack Sun Farms, Locos Amigos Cantina, Meritage and Old Siam in Columbus.

Columbus chefs Jamie Gruber of The Market, Jamie Keating of RiverMill Café, Maurice Martin of The Village Kitchen, Tara Van Etten of The Pastry Shoppe at Lewis Jones and Morten Wulff of Green Island Country Club are creating dishes for the event.

Regional restaurants include the Basil Leaf and C’sons of LaGrange, Caly Road Creamery of Roopville, Ga., Fine Italian Foods and First Coast Gourmet of Atlanta and Jimmy’s of Opelika.

Vendors include Apna Bazaar, Brother’s General Store, Buford’s Brownies, Caly Road Creamery, Fine Italian Foods, Fine Whines, First Coast Gourmet and Noble Initials.

Wine makers include Michael Affatato of Chateau La Gatte, Bordeaux, France; Terri Kight of Quivira Vineyards and Winery, Dry Creek Valley, Calif.; Torbreck Vintners, Barossa Valley, Australia; Fritz Stuhlmuller of Stuhlmuller Vineyards, Alexander Valley, Calif.; and Jeff Tamayo of Tamayo Family Vineyards, Contra Costa County, Calif.

Wines you can taste include Alamos, Altos Del Cuco, Al Verdi, Albet, Banfi Vintners, Bennett Lane, Bodega Catena, Bovin, Brotte, Ca Donini, Casa De La Ermita, CG Di Arie, Clayhouse, Cousini-Macul, Catamarca Imports, De Martinio, Duplin, El Coto Crianza, Elizabeth Spencer, Feudo Arancio, Four Vines, Frei Brothers, Gascon, Guardian Peak, Hugel Gentil, J. Lohr, KWV, L’Ecole 41, Louis M. Martini, Lucky Star, Luigi Righetti, MacMurray Ranch, Mark West, Martin Codax, Masco Canali, Mauritson Family, Mezzacorona, McWilliams, Michael-David, Monte Antico, Morgan, NO, Oak Ridge, Orin Swift, Paul Hobbs, Pearly Bay, Phelps Creek, Pieropan, Poderi Colla, Quady, Ramspeck, Riondo Rizzi, Rodney Strong, Rombauer, Saintsbury, Santa Margherita, Schug, Steele, Tangley Oaks, Tilia, Trimbach, Twenty Rows, Whitehaven, William Hill Estate, Writer’s Block, Yealands and ZD.

Silent auction items include packages from Ritz Carlton Atlanta, Ritz Carlton Reynolds Plantation, W Atlanta, Grove Park Inn, Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Barnsley Gardens Resort, a guest house at Lambert Bridge Winery, Calif., a condominium in Steamboat Springs, Colo., a villa in Italy and a flat in Paris.