The best restaurants on the North Shore all brought their A-games to the annual Northshore Grand Tasting at Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury. Guests feasted on tuna tartare, lobster, pork belly, and steak from the region’s top eateries, enjoying the opportunity to try eats from Salisbury to North Reading all in one spot at the water’s edge.
Meat eaters rejoiced when Teresa’s Prime of North Reading brought their famous Bacon appetizer: a triple-thick slab of slow-cooked pork goodness, seared with a bourbon glaze, while Tonno offered up pork belly dressed with a sweet-spicy pepper relish. T’ahpas 529 provides tender morsels of perfectly cooked beef.
Adventurous eaters dove into Ledger Restaurant & Bar’s chicken marsala mousse spread on house-baked brioche. Even the beet salad from Opus in Salem was full of surprises—a flavor-packed mix of sweet and salty, anchored by za’atar hummus. To satisfy that sweet tooth, everyone from Ceia Kitchen to Vinwood Catering offered creative treats.
Drinks were flowing, as lead sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka showed up in force, with swag and representatives sporting festive logo-covered blazers. We bet they were popular in the interactive photo booths, which had cute props for making Insta-dreams come true.
Mixology demonstrations added sparkle for the first time this year, putting North Shore’s cocktail artists center stage to mix up some signature drinks—with samples for the approving audience.
DJ Chris Roxx kept the party going with upbeat music, while Tesoro Boston generously donated a 14kt white gold and diamond cuff bracelet to a raffle off to benefit Our Neighbors’ Table and The Greater Boston Food Bank.
In the exclusive VIP lounge, comfy couches and high-end drinks were the norm. Lighthouse Wine & Spirits poured cult wines like Chateau Montelena while Remy Cointreau offered their Remy Martin 1738 Cognac mixed into a tasty Sidecar.
Guests got a sweet sendoff, too—a whoopie pie from Blue Ocean Event Center in a cute box, to enjoy on the way home.
Photography by Elise Sinagra
