The annual tasting event from Share Our Strength, Taste of the Nation, is back in Seattle this Thursday. This year’s beneficiaries of the fundraiser to fight hunger include Children’s Alliance, The Market Foundation, Solid Ground, and Food Lifeline. The event will be held in the lobby of Benaroya Hall. As usual, 100% of the proceeds benefit charity (they’ve raised over $70 million in the last 20 years)–so it may be easier to justify throwing down a little extra cash for the $125 VIP access, which gets you in an hour early for a special cocktail hour and first dibs on the bites from restaurants like Poppy, Dahlia Lounge, Tulio, and Sazerac. If that’s a little out of your price range, general admission is a more affordable $75. There will also be a silent auction, with prizes like dinner for 10 at Dahlia Lounge. Suggested attire is given as “urban chic.” Seeing exactly how Seattle interprets that should by itself be worth the price of admission. 6 p.m. (VIP 5 p.m.) Thurs., Jul. 30. For more info, click here.Find more local food events like this plus restaurant gossip and great date ideas in our Big Bites e-newsletter, sent out every Tuesday. Sign up here and we promise we won’t send you a bunch of spam.