Foodie Event at the Hippodrome - Alton Brown AND FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

The Hippodrome Foodie Event with Alton Brown was straight up awesome.  I'm not sure how else to describe the entire evening, but I'm not sure I stopped smiling (the picture above was taken at the end of the night and I was STILL smiling!).  Alton Brown was HILARIOUS and kept me entertained the whole time.  He had a special email specifically for the show for audience members to send him questions to answer throughout the evening.  It made for an even funnier time, and proved how much of a talent Alton has at being an entertainer.  I loved his thoughts about food and family and weight-loss.  It was such a great treat to see him in person.

And then when he finished - the night was still not over.

Oh no....for Dan and I, it had only just begun.

More than 20 different restaurants were offering samplings of their fares.  Sure, it was crowded and people were excited - but it was surprisingly not a madhouse.  The lines weren't unbearable, but when they were long they gave us some time to digest our previous sampling, whether it was braised rabbit or a wild boar meat sauce!

Max's Empanadas served mini chicken and beef empanadas, which was a great idea in my opinion - it was unfussy which allowed people to get out of line quickly.

Mr Rain's Fun House carved up a whole pig for their display and served the meat with spicy BBQ sauce.

And then there was Langermanns.  Oh Langermanns I can never forget you.  They seared scallops and served them on cheesy grits and then poured a butter bacon sauce on top.  Warm comfort in a bowl.  I need to go to this restaurant solely because of this....and I guess that was the point :)

Overall , Dan and I had a BLAST!  We both agreed we would absolutely come to this next year, regardless of the performer!  I know it's expensive, but we really thought it was worth it hands down. Oh yes, and Dan came face-to-face with a new true love - the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding from Ale Mary's!  :)