WRBH 88.3 FM Radio’s A Blind Taste benefit is known for its gustatory charms, and this year, of course, did not disappoint.
The event on Sept. 11 at La Petite Grocery — now in its ninth year hosting — featured a five-course meal, which included: warm bitter greens salad with Gulf shrimp paired with an H. Moser Grüner Veltliner Karmelitenberg “The Classic,” Kremstal 2021; French onion bisque paired with La Cabassonne Bandol Rosé 2022; pan-roasted scallop paired with Copain Tous Ensemble Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2018; braised beef short rib paired with Operation Dragoon Côtes-du-Rhône 2020; and chocolate tembleque paired with Cossart Gordon 10 Year-Old Bual Madeira.
Food was created by La Petite’s chef-partner and James Beard award winner Justin Devillier, Executive Chef Joseph Thiedmann and pastry Chef Shelby Fallen. The wine pairings were from NOLA Wine Merchant.
The dinner service included an educational moment: event co-chair Carl Arredondo, who is visually impaired, gave instructions on how to navigate dining without sight. For example, thinking of your plate as a clock and remembering where things are (your beverage, utensils, etc.,) at certain “times” on the clock face, starting from the center of the plate and moving outward to eat.
There was also a live auction of four themed packages with Charles Smith, WRBH’s board president, serving as the auctioneer. He did such a great job; each package exceeded its estimate! This year’s event took on a particular concern: raising funds to repair the WRBH transmitter, which was damaged due to vandalism.
Joining Arredondo as event co-chair was Angela Hill, who was unable to make the event.
Fun Fact: WRBH 88.3 FM, radio for the blind and print handicapped, began as the dream of a local mathematician, Dr. Robert McClean, who was blind. In 1975, he began leasing airtime from WWNO and renting studio space from New Orleans’ Lighthouse for the Blind. In 1982, he purchased the 88.3 FM signal, making WRBH the United States’ first 24-hour reading radio station for the blind. Today, WRBH remains the nation’s only full-time FM reading radio service and is one of only three such stations in the world.
