Local chefs and retailers prepare for second annual Tour of Kitchens and Homes

Get your taste buds ready. Get set with a pen and pencil to jot down great culinary and kitchen ideas. And, go to the second annual Tour of Kitchens in the Lewiston region on Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13.

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on those days seven entertaining and cooking spaces found in homes in Lewiston and Youngstown, each paired with a local restaurant that will provide samples of their signature dish(s), will be open to ticket holders. Homes will also be paired with a retailer who will prepare a tablescape, illustrating artful ways of setting a table for guests.

Sandy Hays Mies, president of Limelight WNY, LLC, an event management and marketing company preparing the Tour of Kitchens, said this event is sure to be a hit for anyone who is interested in redecorating, refurbishing, rebuilding or simply dreaming about a phenomenal kitchen or entertainment space. You will take away innovative ideas and surely you will be inspired to create a breathtaking tablescape for your next dinner party, she said.

In addition, a portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Historical Association of Lewiston and the Town of Porter Historical Society.

The presenting sponsor for the tour is Kinetic Kitchen and Bath.

Featured retailers include All Season Rental,  Canterbury Place, Celenza Florist, The Country Doctor, The Cottage, Homeward Bound, Lotions and Potions, Room, and Russell's Tree and Shrub Farm.

The samples that ticket holders have the opportunity to taste in the various homes include: herb roasted, grass-fed pork sliders with homemade relish by Carmelo's Restaurant; zucchini supreme by Macri's Italian Grille; Texas crunch french toast by Buffalo's newest restaurant, The Delaware; Brunswick stew by the Brickyard Pub and BBQ; petite Jamaican jerk-pulled pork sandwich with pineapple mango salsa by Wegmans, Niagara Falls; petite Italian rice balls and focaccia topped with caponata by Casa Antica; "kickin' " chicken corn chowder and an oriental chicken salad by the Youngstown Village Diner.

In between visiting the homes, there will be a wine tasting and dessert sampling exclusively for ticket holders at Water Street Landing, located at 115 S. Water St., in Lewiston. Taste wines from Southern Wine and Spirits, accompanied by tastes of delicious specialty cakes and pastries from the Village Bake Shoppe and DiCamillo Bakery, and enter a drawing to win themed culinary gifts. Water Street Landing will offer additional culinary samples at the Patio Bar that are complimentary with a drink purchase.

Silver Spoon Sponsors include Creative Storage, First Niagara Bank, Niagara Frontier Publications, Falls Tent and Awning, Supermarket Liquors and Wines, Great Lakes Real Estate and Buffalo Granite and Marble.

Tickets are now on sale for $25.  They are available for purchase online at www.tourofkitchens.net and also at the following locations: DiCamillo Bakery at 535 Center St., Lewiston, 5329 Main St., Williamsville, and 7927 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls; The Village Bake Shoppe, 417 Center St., Lewiston; Kinetic Kitchens, 1655 Fashion Outlet Blvd., Town of Niagara; Niagara Frontier Publications, 1859 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island; Russell's Tree and Shrub Farm, 9800 Transit Road, East Amherst; Homeward Bound, 927 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo; and at Supermarket Liquors and Wines, 8438 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, which is offering a $5 discount on tickets.

Tickets are limited and are expected to sell out. For more information, call 745-7220 or e-mail [email protected].