A little background music can be quite pleasant when you eat out. But not when the beat sounds like a heavy thunderstorm approaching -- and the dinner is a picnic in the vineyards.

That threat -- eat fast or get soaked -- was an empty one last Sunday at Saab Vine Dining, however.

The storm that hammered Hamilton made a merciful skip around Vineland Estates winery, and some 600 guests at the annual fundraiser for Theatre Aquarius stayed dry as they filled up.

Almost two dozen area restaurants and caterers set up kitchens around the winery property in a bid to wow visitors with their food creations.

An equal number of Ontario wineries kept glasses filled as well.

The buzz starts early as to who is scoring the kudos, as people pass each other along the roughly two-kilometre route.

Tastes are entirely personal, of course, and everyone has an opinion. But what I'm looking for at such an event is ease of handling and eating the morsels (this is a "stand up and juggle a plate and glass at the same time" thing, after all) in addition to more traditional food concerns such as flavour, balance and creativity.

On that score, my first-place winner had to be 13 Mountain Street restaurant in Grimsby. It offered first a delightful aperitif of watermelon and grape juice spiked with Cointreau, then moved to a "Canadian quesadilla."

That turned out to be a compact and eminently manageable wedge of crispy tortilla stuffed with Quebec foie gras and double cream brie, garnished with a seasonal strawberry preserve that both highlighted and countered the richness of the filling. Outstanding on every count.

I also like chefs who are bold and adventurous when it comes to spicing, and Ya Man! Caribbean Cuisine in Hamilton filled that bill with a selection of jerk salad, banana curry and ackee and salt fish that did not shy away from the chilies or a colourful combination of ingredients.

Valley Gourmet in Dundas got spicy as well, with a fiery curried mango cold soup served in edible and cooling cucumber cups, followed by grilled jerk pineapple and a succulent spicy tea-crusted lamb.

Man does not live by heat alone, though.

The sizzling mini lamb burgers with tzatziki and grilled asparagus from Water Street Cooker in Burlington had exactly the right balance of juiciness and rich, meaty flavour.

Meanwhile, the hickory-smoked rib-eye on flowering spinach biscuits (more like pancakes) created by Chef & Wife caterers in Dundas was tender, juicy and subtly smoky.

Subtle smoke cropped up again at Rendezvous Fine Dining from Brantford, with a delightful smoked tomato sauce draped over skewers of simply grilled chicken.

Other food creations that earned the little star I put in my notes:

* The sweet/ savoury/ crunchy jicama slaw and the cold (intentionally and properly) veal saltimboccas from 2020 Lakeside and La Costa Nuova in Burlington.

* A sweet and sesame spiked Thai beef salad on a slaw of cabbage, peppers, cucumber and pineapple from Boo's Bistro in Hamilton.

* The spicy gazpacho shooters with a surprising smoky edge offered by Pepperwood (Burlington) and Rosewood (Mississauga) bistros.

* The new, nicely balanced icewine and hot pepper jelly from Castlefield Jellies in Hamilton.

* Pearl St. Cafe in Burlington reprised one of its perennial faves in a dessert theme, with oat nut cake with caramel rum sauce alongside berry-topped orange pound cake.

* Tiny (one bite each, thank you!) crab cakes crowned with wasabi and mango salsa from The Catered Claw in St. Catharines.

Here's a quick rundown of other dishes Vine Dining guests enjoyed:

* Grilled veal on slices of polenta from Acclamation Bar & Grill in Hamilton.

* Steak frites in takeout boxes from Bistro Parisien in Hamilton.

* Miniature Berkshire pork burgers with rhubarb ketchup from host Vineland Estates restaurant.

* Grilled beef with black currant demiglace and (clever because they stayed crisp) won ton chips from Chagall's On Two in Hamilton.

* More beef -- a saucy burger topped with seared filet from Brownie's Downtown in Hamilton.

* Peach Champagne Vichyssoise and -- bold and challenging -- alligator and pineapple jambalaya and scallop ceviche from Casablanca Winery Inn in Grimsby.

* Smoked duck on spicy risotto cake from Incognito restaurant in Hamilton.

* A saucy beef stew from the Restaurant at EastDell Estates winery in Beamsville.

I don't score the food from the Go Cooking booth (on this day working with students and staff from Liaison College in Hamilton) because that's a program offered by The Hamilton Spectator.

But the team ventured into molecular gastronomy with little cups of vegan soup made from tomato water, cucumber, red onion and a tomato foam.

dkislenko@thespec.com

905-526-3450