Help needed at Taste event

Taste of Newport organizers are looking for volunteers who can help stage the Sept. 17 to 19 event at Fashion Island.

Sponsored by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and Wells Fargo, the event relies on some 1,000 volunteers. Saturday and Sunday evening volunteer shifts doing everything from working the admission booth to pouring wine and beer are available.

Now in its 22nd year, the event will feature some 30 local restaurants, wine from more than 15 wineries, cocktails and beer and live entertainment that guests. The event will also feature live performances by the Gin Blossoms and Foreigner.

The chamber expects to attract more than 50,000 people to samples of prime rib, tiramisu, chicken empanadas, lobster rolls and other items.

Admission is $25 for the general public but free for volunteers.

For information on Taste or how to volunteer, visit https://www.tasteofnewport.com or contact Jessica Mills at jmills@newportbeach.com or (949) 729-4410.

In related news, the Newport Beach Restaurant Assn. plans to sponsor the “Chef’s Cooking Pavilion” expo at Taste of Newport.

Last year, the pavilion offered 45-minute, live cooking demonstrations, free tastings and wine pairings.

The expo features presentations by well-known Newport Beach chefs throughout the three-day event. Visitors can meet chefs, ask questions and watch as they cook.

There will be promotional contests and giveaways at the Newport Beach Dining Booth, including gift certificates to participating restaurants and complimentary Newport Beach Dining Guides, according to a news release.

Some of the restaurants participating in the Chef’s Cooking Pavilion include: Rustica, True Foods Kitchen, The Bungalow Restaurant, Five Crowns, Capital Grille, The Beachcomber Café at Crystal Cove, Royal Thai Cuisine, Pasta Pomodoro, The Quiet Women, The Alley Restaurant and the Newport Beach Brewery.

“Chef’s Cooking Pavilion” is sponsored by the Newport Beach Restaurant Assn., State Farm Insurance and Bloomingdale’s, Fashion Island.

Here is the live cooking demonstration schedule: 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sept. 17; 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sept. 18; and 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19.

Taste of Newport is Sept. 17 to 19 at Fashion Island. For more information on the Chef’s Pavilion, visit https://www.NewportBeachDining.com.