A Night to Remember: Taste of the South Shore 2025

On the evening of May 7, over 650 guests gathered at the South Shore YMCA’s Hale Family Y branch in Quincy, which was transformed into a dazzling arena of celebration and community impact—complete with its own Jumbotron—for the 2025 Taste of the South Shore. This signature fundraising event brought together the South Shore’s finest culinary talents and generous supporters for a night of flavor, fun, and fundraising.

Guests enjoyed creative tastings and sips from over 30 of the region’s top chefs, caterers, bakeries, wineries, breweries, cocktail masters and non-alcoholic beverage makers. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as attendees mingled and sampled the best the South Shore has to offer.

This year’s culinary champions were selected by a team of distinguished judges, including Maria Allen, Co-Founder of South Shore Home, Life & Style, and South Shore Y member David Silk, Olympic gold medalist and member of the legendary 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. hockey team. Their expertise and community spirit helped spotlight the evening’s standout participants.

The Top Sip award went to Tilden Cocktails, a handcrafted, non-alcoholic beverage company making its Taste debut. The newly introduced Top Sweet category was claimed by longtime Taste supporters Montilio’s Baking Co., and the prestigious Top Taste award was earned by Tosca of Hingham, one of the original Taste participants nearly 30 years ago.

CEO Paul Gorman addressed the crowd, emphasizing the critical role of YMCA programs in supporting children across the South Shore. He spoke passionately about the need to ensure more kids have access to Y camps this summer—to stay safe, engaged, connected, and healthy. “Over 5,000 children attended our camps last year, and no child is turned away based on the ability to pay,” Gorman said. “We work closely with schools and local communities to make sure that kids who need a camp experience get one. Camp is not just a summer activity—it’s a lifeline for working families and a place where children can thrive.”

Master of Ceremonies David Lombardo brought warmth and enthusiasm to the evening, rallying the crowd around the Y’s mission. “Tonight, we gather for an evening of incredible food, incredible drink, incredible desserts—but even more importantly, our incredible Y community,” he said. “We foster innovation, we help shape our future leaders, and the Y is home to countless inspiring stories.”

Lombardo encouraged guests to give generously, reminding them, “Whether you can give a little, whether you can give a lot, we’re looking for 100% participation in giving towards our kids and their future. So tonight, let’s make tonight a night to remember.”

And remember it they will. The event raised just over $400,000 to support camperships and scholarships for Y day camps, overnight camps, sports, and swim programs—ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our incredible host Jimmy Liang, our dedicated Host Committee, our generous Sponsors, and Donors. Your support made this unforgettable evening possible and will have a lasting impact on the lives of countless children and families in our community.

Support The Taste of the South Shore Food and Beverage partners

The South Shore YMCA thanks all the amazing chefs, bakers, and beverage masters, for donating their time and talents to make the Taste of the South Shore 2025 one that will always be remembered. Chefs brought tremendous creativity to every dish, confection, and beverage for guests to sample.

Special Thanks to The Taste 2025 Committees and Sponsors

The Taste would not be possible without the generous support of our donors, committees, and partners. We are deeply grateful to the Taste Planning Committee, led by co-chairs Julie Ellis and Master of Ceremonies David Lombardo, whose dedication, creativity, and hard work brought this event to life.  A special thank you goes to Seth Wereska and his team at Productive Media for their exceptional work in turning the Hale Family YMCA field house into a show-stopping setting that made the evening truly unforgettable.

For a full list of our sponsors, committee members and partners, view our 2025 Taste of the South Shore Program Guide.