I was recently received a press pass to go to Saucy Soiree, a food tasting event of all the best restaurants voted by reader’s in the Saint Louis area. This being my first food based event, I didn’t really know what to expect. I learned some things on how to get the most experience and enjoyment on trying new, exciting, and exotic foods at food tastings.

Make A Round.

When going to a large food tasting event where booths are occupying the whole room, it
can be pretty overwhelming. When I first walked in to the event, I made my way around the whole room and looked at the booths from a distance. Not saying you can’t sample the
moment you walk in, but creating a mental checklist of all the establishments you want to try, helps you section out your time.

Ignore Meal Course Rules.

You will have barbecue, and then Chinese food, and then a chocolate cake, and then sushi. Sounds gross, but it will happen no matter what you do (unless your event is organized by meal course). At first, I tried to follow these meal course rules but it was too hard, not relaxing, and not fun. There are rare times in your life where you can just try food from 40+ restaurants in a single setting. If you see something that you want, pick it up and take a bite.

Have A Drink.

You will try something that will not agree with your taste buds–and that’s okay. These events often have drinks of some sort whether it be water, soda, or alcohol. Simply take a
sip to wash the taste out of your mouth before you take the next bite.

Do Not Compare.

While it is hard to have something familiar to you and not compare it to your usual place (I have this problem when it comes to Chinese food), try to forget. Not only will you not
have an open mind when trying this new food, but most likely you be disappointed that the food does not taste like what you are familiar with (and why would it? It’s not the same place!)

Notice The Lines.

There is a reason that a booth will have a long line. There is something new, delicious, or unique that this establishment is offering compared to everyone else. Get in line. Odds are the line is not going to get any shorter. If you can’t wait, keep making rounds and notice if the line gets shorter. If it doesn’t, might as well get in line before they run out!

Take A Friend.

Although prepared to go to the event by myself, I am glad that my boyfriend came with me. Without him, I doubt that I would have tried many things that I would have been skeptical of. I was able to try Strange Donuts simply because he said, “You are trying this. I am going to go get you one.”

Enjoy Yourself.

While you may see a food connoisseur savoring each bite and analyzing each seasoning,
that does not mean you have to keep up. I am pretty positive that when asked how something was I said “Yummy!” at least 20 times.  Mainly that is all I wanted to say because I was enjoying my food and I did not need any interruptions! It is safe to say though, that I had a wonderful time!

Are you a food connoisseur? Do you cook? Do you have a post suggestion? Please leave a comment and follow!

-NYL