Apologies to anyone dining in a marquee New York restaurant on Wednesday night -- we were hogging all your chefs and a restaurateur or 10 over at the Roseland Ballroom. And no, we won't apologize; it was all for a great cause.

Since 1988, the Share Our Strength organization has drawn together chefs, mixologists, volunteers and food fans in cities around the United States for Taste of the Nation events benefiting local food assistance organizations via funds generated by ticket sales, sponsorships and silent auctions. New York City's 2009 installment featured small-plate fare from more than 50 eateries and chefs, including newly minted James Beard Award winner Dan Barber's Blue Hill, Danny Meyer's entire armada of restaurants and the revitalized Oak Room as well as generously poured tipples from the likes of Audrey Saunders, Tony Abou-Ganim, Jim Meehan and many (many ... so, so, many ... ) more.

After the jump, read more about celeb spotting, volunteer opportunities and the best bite we had all night.
The increasingly jolly crowd was all abuzz about standout plates like Jean-Georges' slow-poached hen egg yolk between brioche rounds, topped with dill and caviar and Artisanal's tempura cheese-on-a-stick, as well as food celeb sightings -- ballcapped Mark Bittman signing books, Food & Wine's luminous Gail Simmons blithely ignoring gawkers, Drew Nieporent honing his one-liners. Still, amidst this mad food whirl, one particular mouthful stopped us in our tracks.

Gramercy Tavern's Chef Michael Anthony and crew crafted "Ramps and Ricotta," a one-bite dish in the form of a small pastry pillow, airy enough to rest atop a bed of grass without bowing the blades. The initial crisp of soufleed thyme and cayenne dough, followed by a quick, light crunch of pickled ramps in a sweet dab of ricotta, with a sultry, slow-to-fade finish of house-cured lardo was presented in a single mouthful so as to, as Chef Anthony told Slashfood, "be playful."

"The magic hinges on the light weight," he said. "On a night of so many incredible dishes, we wanted to share one memorable bite without taking up much tummy space."

As to the presentation grass bed, he added, "We worked really hard with the florist."

Chef Anthony also shared that he was delighted with the evening's turnout.

"In this tight economy, non-profits have been hurt badly. Folks who need help the most have been left out. Now, more than ever, we need to band together."

Hungering for a way to help? Visit Share Our Strength for more information on how to donate or volunteer.