NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – There were some amazing smells coming from the WTNH Studio Kitchen, yesterday, when Connecticut’s Morning Buzz Host Natasha Lubczenko was joined by Brian Thomas,    the Director of Development for The Connection, along with Executive Chef Diana Lynch, from Taino Smokehouse. Diana came to highlight some of the delicious food that will be found at the Q Williams Taste of Middletown event, taking place on October 12^th at the Wadsworth Mansion.

Brian tells our viewers about this inaugural, annual event, coordinated by The Connection coordinates, which celebrates the vibrant culinary scene of Middletown, while honoring the memory of a beloved community leader. He says, “This is more than just a fundraising event for us, this is a gathering of the community that Q loved so much. And you know, every restaurant we went into, to try to get them to the taste of Middletown was saying, ‘Ohh yeah! He was always here.’” “So, it’s really just celebrating, again, the community he loves so much, and the community that wants to celebrate, and this is our way of doing that for them.”

The late Q Williams actually started the event, way back when he was the Executive Director of the Downtown Business District. Brian says that there will be more than 20 food and drink vendors at the Taste of Middletown event, as well as a silent auction, music, and commemorative t-shirts and tasting glasses. It’s all at the beautiful Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown.

Watch this interview as Chef Diana serves up her classic Mac and Cheese, paired with some amazing smoked pork, and extra BBQ sauce, which Natasha is just thrilled to sample. Diana talks about the culinary scene in the Middletown area, saying, “There’s so much diversity there. It’s not just Italian and Asian or Chinese, but like the smokehouses, and the Thai houses and all sorts of stuff. And it’s just very different.” “And Q was, like I said, he was a regular and he just lit up a room like a Christmas tree. He was just brilliant.”

The Q Williams Taste of Middletown event takes place on Thursday, October 12^th from 5pm – 9pm, and people can buy tickets online. Proceeds will benefit several nonprofit organizations, including The Connection. You can choose from $75 VIP tickets, which get you in an hour early, for advanced access to food and drinks, and then $50 general admission tickets. Both can be purchased by scanning the QR code shown on the screen, or by visiting The Connection’s website at www.theconnectioninc.org.