Eastbayri.com

SEEKONK — A whole side of broiled salmon sat under a heat lamp on a Johnson & Wales carving station. It’s flesh was flecked with char marks on the outside, a tangerine pink on the inside. Janee Howard – a pretty girl dressed in her black and white JW serving uniform – hovered near it.

“Please tell me how it tastes,” she said.

She was on the job and couldn’t be seen pilfering fish in front of the guests.

How did it taste?

As if King Triton himself had plucked this salmon out of his personal stock and ordered his finest chef to prepare it. It was perfect. Cooked through – not medium rare as is often the case when chefs fear overcooking the fish – and just fatty enough to taste of butter and the sea at the same time.

Such was the quality of food and skills on display at Tuesday night’s Taste of the Town at the Johnson & Wales Inn. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Seekonk sponsored the 16th annual event that featured food from many of the area’s finest restaurants and wine and craft beer tasting by beverage vendors. All proceeds will help children and their community – the main priority of Kiwanis.

Those looking for New England specialties found them at the JW station – shrimp, mussels and fat scallops cooked with white wine and garlic, tossed with pasta. Same for Seekonk’s famous Country Kitchen, who set up a no frills table featuring homemade chili and a clam boil chowder that was defined by the simplicity of its ingredients – a clamboil in a bowl – and a light broth.

One of Seekonk’s more popular restaurants, Chardonnay’s, presented pork medallions in a port wine sauce with a caramelized Gorgonzola crust. Mink Street’s Lemon & Oil deli showcased their healthful and inventive wraps alongside their secret weapon: Housemade pickles.

And then there were the wings.

You could go high class at the event if you wanted, but if you were in the mood for wings this was your night. It seems every third vendor offered up fat wings in a variety of sauces – from the Boneyard BBQ to the Luxury Box.

Final numbers were not available last night, but the group hopes to raise $10,000 from the event. For more about the Kiwanis Club of Greater Seekonk, contact Edith Krekorian at 508/336-8130 or Bev Hart at 508/336-9352.