In The Pipeline:

Any day that starts with a plump and delicious grilled scallop atop a sweet potato puree is a good day, and so it all began last week at the 10th annual Taste of Huntington Beach, which benefits the Children’s Library of Huntington Beach.

The sports complex adjacent to Huntington Central Park was the scene where, under an enormous white circus tent, dozens of local restaurants presented some of their best selections. The aforementioned scallop was served at the Market Broiler booth, and as an official judge, it was my duty to make the rounds and sample something from everyone (in some cases, as with the scallop, more than one).

It was gastronomy heaven for me and close to 3,000 other people at an event that, though marred last year by counterfeit ticket sales, seemed to exceed everyone’s already lofty expectations.

Some other favorite stops of mine were Sandy’s Beach Grill (an amazing lamb chop), Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, RA Sushi and Duke’s. It was a splendid day that celebrated the Children’s Library and the many businesses in Huntington Beach that are creatively (and tastefully) doing what they have to thrive during these challenging economic times.

I asked Gail Page, one of the representatives of the Friends of the Children’s Library, and a member of the Taste of Huntington Beach Committee, for her impressions about the event.

How was this year compared to last?

Ticket sales were ahead of last year; we had more restaurants participating this year than any other year, and the new VIP ticket package we tried for the first time was a big success

Were you happy with the results?

Very pleased. Feedback from our guests was very positive, the weather was perfect, and everyone really seemed to have a great time.

Favorite foods you tried?

Ahi tuna from Duke’s, grilled lamb from Sandy’s, the tuna from the Longboard, gelato from Mangiamo and the crepes from Rockin’ Crepes.

Your biggest surprise of the day?

Everything came together so smoothly it was almost scary — I was just waiting for a problem to come up. But all the advance planning and hard work done by the Taste committee before the event really paid off.

Thanks again to everyone who made the day such a shining success.