Please Note: Due to low lighting conditions at this event venue, it was very difficult to capture quality photos for this posting.

Several of the “signature” events of PEI’s Fall Flavours Festival focus on certain foods.  The recent “Beef and Blues” event in Summerside was all about Island beef.

Food Network’s Corbin Tomaszeski was the celebrity guest chef who hosted the evening.  You may recognize him from Food Network’s shows “Dinner Party Wars“, “Restaurant Makeover” and “Restaurant Takeover“.  On this night, however, Chef Corbin was found “working the crowd” in the lobby of Credit Union Place before the event venue was open.

The ice surface of Credit Union Place was transformed into a blues-themed venue for the sold-out event.

The evening began with Joe MacMillan providing blues music to set the tone for the evening.

“Beef and Blues” was structured differently from other signature events of the Fall Flavours Festival that I have attended which, typically, have chefs from the Culinary Institute of Canada or a particular restaurant preparing the food. In the case of “Beef and Blues”, 12 Island restaurants each had stations at which they featured a dish prepared with Island Beef. Island restaurants participating were: Island Stone Pub, Gentleman Jim’s, Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, Rodd Mill River Resort, The Landing, The Catch, Anson’s Restaurant & Bar, Brother’s 2, Five Eleven West, The Big Orange Lunchbox, the Lobster House Restaurant & Oyster Bar, and Pendergast’s PEI Food. In addition, three restaurants or local food producers provided desserts: Sweet Things, Samuel’s Coffee House, and Five Eleven West.

Here’s a small sampling of some of the featured dishes.

The Brother’s 2 Restaurant in Summerside featured the hushpuppy and meatball skewer.

This buttermilk chicken fried steak with tomato and corn salsa came from Anson’s Restaurant & Bar in Summerside.

Guests were free to circulate, in any order they wished, amongst the stations to sample their offerings.  At each placesetting at the tables, was a “Passport to Taste”.

Guests carried their “passport” as they visited the stations and checked off each sample they tried.  At the end of the evening, guests could drop their “passports” into a ballot box for a draw for a three-course dinner prepared by PEI’s Chef Illona Daniel.

The Big Orange Lunchbox from Charlottetown featured dry roast beef ribs with waffle chips and marshmallow dip (yes, marshmallow dip!)

Events such as these put consumers in direct touch with local chefs whom they would probably not see at a restaurant.

No event would be complete without something for the sweet tooth!   Christine Gallant from Sweet Treats in Summerside offered these delectable peach cobbler tartlets.

The table from Samuel’s Coffee House in Summerside was also a busy spot as the whoppie pies proved to be a popular item.

This event offered the opportunity for local chefs to be extra creative with Island beef and gave patrons a good sampling of the many delicious ways in which Island beef can be prepared.

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PEI Shellfish Festival (2012):
Farm Day in the City (2012):
Savour Victoria (2012):
Toes, Taps, and Taters (2013)
Lobster Party on the Beach (2013)
Applelicious (2013)

The Great Island Grilled Cheese Challenge (2013)
Feast of the Fathers (2014)
Lamb Luau at Crowbush Cove (2014)

Feast and Frolic Dinner (PEI Int’l Shellfish Festival) (2014)

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