Taste-of-ALL Charleston, the perennial favorite food fest formerly known as Taste of Charleston, takes center stage from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charleston Civic Center.
NOTE: List of participating restaurants and menus follows story.
IF YOU GO:
Taste-of-ALL Charleston
Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 27
Charleston Civic Center Grand Hall
Tickets: 50 cents each. Tastes cost between 50 cents and $3.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Taste-of-ALL Charleston, the perennial favorite food fest formerly known as Taste of Charleston, takes center stage from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charleston Civic Center. A casualty of the Sternwheel Regatta, which was canceled in 2008, the food-lovers' event took a year hiatus before being resurrected as Taste-of-ALL Charleston, a FestivALL event.
Along with a new name, the event features a renewed emphasis on local restaurants and food vendors, rather than larger chain restaurants.
Richard and Anne Arbaugh, owners of South Hills Market & Café, will man a booth for the first time. They were drawn by a desire to participate in as many community events as possible and by the emphasis on local, independent restaurants.
Taste-of-ALL, presented by Verizon, features 32 local restaurants, caterers, chefs, bakers, ice cream shops and beverage centers. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend. They'll pick and choose items to sample and pay for with tickets, which are 50 cents each. Tastes cost between one and six tickets. Most entrée tastes cost between $2 and $3.
"We plan on feeding 2,000 to 3,000 people," Arbaugh said. "We're happy to participate and to give people a chance to try food made by independent restaurants like ours."
The event's previous two-day schedule stymied some smaller restaurants whose owners couldn't afford to cut loose cooks and staff members for two working days. A single-day, Sunday event is a more reasonable commitment.
"A lot of restaurants that had drifted away are back, and we're excited to have them," said Michael Hensall, Taste-of-ALL chairman.
Organizers also introduce a Beer Nest, sponsored by Proud Eagle Beverages. The beer garden features micro brewed and specialty class beers and ales. The Liquor Company/The Wine Shop will sell varieties of wine for $3. Moxxee Coffee will serve coffees from Bolivia, Rwanda and Columbia.
Food plays the starring role in Taste-of-ALL with cuisine representing Greek, American, Chinese, Cajun, Japanese, Southern, Caribbean, Mexican, Appalachian, Thai and Asian cultures, as well as extensive desserts and pastry.
Visitors vote for the People's Choice awards in the categories of appetizer, entrée, dessert and beverage.
In addition to local vendors, Taste-of-ALL features two out-of-town restaurants, listed as guests of the chairman. The Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg will serve a roma tomato brochette on asiago crostini and smoked salmon on spinach flatbread while Huntington Prime will offer tastes of lamb meatball tagliatelle and trout and braised greens.
"It's a fabulous opportunity for them to introduce their food to the Charleston market," said Henshall.
Chefs Robert Wong of Bridge Road Bistro, Duane Legg or US Foods, Rich Arbaugh of South Hills Market & Café, Gary Needham of Bluegrass Kitchen and Michael Bowe of Huntington Prime will conduct food demonstrations. Demos start every hour between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Tickets for Taste-of-ALL are available at the Civic Center. Call Henshall at 304-767-8959 for more information.
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
Participating restaurants and menus
Best of Crete: gyros, hummus and pita, grape leaf rolls and baklava.
Whitewater Grille, Charleston Marriot: braised short ribs, apple pie a la mode.
Main Kwong: General Tso's chicken, crispy chicken, roast pork lo mein, roast pork fried rice and teriyaki chicken.
Bake 4 U: triple chocolate pound cake with raspberry sauce, cherry scone, magical peanut butter brownie and million-dollar babe cookie.
NOTE: List of participating restaurants and menus follows story.
IF YOU GO:
Taste-of-ALL Charleston
Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 27
Charleston Civic Center Grand Hall
Tickets: 50 cents each. Tastes cost between 50 cents and $3.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Taste-of-ALL Charleston, the perennial favorite food fest formerly known as Taste of Charleston, takes center stage from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charleston Civic Center. A casualty of the Sternwheel Regatta, which was canceled in 2008, the food-lovers' event took a year hiatus before being resurrected as Taste-of-ALL Charleston, a FestivALL event.
Along with a new name, the event features a renewed emphasis on local restaurants and food vendors, rather than larger chain restaurants.
Richard and Anne Arbaugh, owners of South Hills Market & Café, will man a booth for the first time. They were drawn by a desire to participate in as many community events as possible and by the emphasis on local, independent restaurants.
Taste-of-ALL, presented by Verizon, features 32 local restaurants, caterers, chefs, bakers, ice cream shops and beverage centers. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend. They'll pick and choose items to sample and pay for with tickets, which are 50 cents each. Tastes cost between one and six tickets. Most entrée tastes cost between $2 and $3.
"We plan on feeding 2,000 to 3,000 people," Arbaugh said. "We're happy to participate and to give people a chance to try food made by independent restaurants like ours."
The event's previous two-day schedule stymied some smaller restaurants whose owners couldn't afford to cut loose cooks and staff members for two working days. A single-day, Sunday event is a more reasonable commitment.
"A lot of restaurants that had drifted away are back, and we're excited to have them," said Michael Hensall, Taste-of-ALL chairman.
Organizers also introduce a Beer Nest, sponsored by Proud Eagle Beverages. The beer garden features micro brewed and specialty class beers and ales. The Liquor Company/The Wine Shop will sell varieties of wine for $3. Moxxee Coffee will serve coffees from Bolivia, Rwanda and Columbia.
Food plays the starring role in Taste-of-ALL with cuisine representing Greek, American, Chinese, Cajun, Japanese, Southern, Caribbean, Mexican, Appalachian, Thai and Asian cultures, as well as extensive desserts and pastry.
Visitors vote for the People's Choice awards in the categories of appetizer, entrée, dessert and beverage.
In addition to local vendors, Taste-of-ALL features two out-of-town restaurants, listed as guests of the chairman. The Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg will serve a roma tomato brochette on asiago crostini and smoked salmon on spinach flatbread while Huntington Prime will offer tastes of lamb meatball tagliatelle and trout and braised greens.
"It's a fabulous opportunity for them to introduce their food to the Charleston market," said Henshall.
Chefs Robert Wong of Bridge Road Bistro, Duane Legg or US Foods, Rich Arbaugh of South Hills Market & Café, Gary Needham of Bluegrass Kitchen and Michael Bowe of Huntington Prime will conduct food demonstrations. Demos start every hour between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Tickets for Taste-of-ALL are available at the Civic Center. Call Henshall at 304-767-8959 for more information.
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
Participating restaurants and menus
Best of Crete: gyros, hummus and pita, grape leaf rolls and baklava.
Whitewater Grille, Charleston Marriot: braised short ribs, apple pie a la mode.
Main Kwong: General Tso's chicken, crispy chicken, roast pork lo mein, roast pork fried rice and teriyaki chicken.
Bake 4 U: triple chocolate pound cake with raspberry sauce, cherry scone, magical peanut butter brownie and million-dollar babe cookie.
Buffalo Wild Wings: wings with a variety of sauces
Kroger Bakery, Ashton Place: "If You Dare" cake, killer brownies, strawberry shortcake, variety of cheesecakes and cookies or mini muffins.
Holl's Swiss Chocolates Bridge: milk chocolate two-piece box, dark chocolate two-piece box, chocolate truffle pop and strawberry fruit pop.
Bluegrass Kitchen/Tricky Fish: homemade raviolis, tofu sloppy Joe sliders, WV pulled pork sliders, Indian curry and assorted pastries.
Ichiban Pan Asian Cuisine: 1-piece Almost Heaven maki roll, gyoza and squid salad
Zando's Catering Unlimited: Zando's chocolate madness and chocolate brownie cake with vanilla ice cream and topping
Bruno's BBQ: muffuletta sandwich, bruschetta sampler, pizza rolls and multi-berry shortcake.
Li'l Huskey's: turtle sundae, banana split, milk shakes, sundaes and ice cream cones.
The Blennerhassett Hotel: roma tomato bruschetta on asiago crostini and smoked salmon on spinach flatbread.
Moxxee Coffee: Bolivian, Rwandan and Columbian coffees.
Salad Creations: wild Alaskan salmon salad and Chinese chopstick salad.
The Liquor Company: wine, assorted varieties.
Bridge Road Bistro/Bistro Express: -- Caribbean jerk pork slider, chicken salad wrap, baked potato cheddar soup, white chocolate bread pudding and chocolate chip cookie.
Appalachian Appetites Personal Chef Services: coconut shrimp with pina colada sauce, Greek salad, garlic hummus with pita and peanut butter cup brownies.
Tidewater Grill: jerk style shrimp, pan-seared scallops with truffle butter, Ahi tuna w/wasabi ginger sauce, clam chowder and chocolate mousse cup. (Food from The Chop House will also be available in the same booth.)
Frosted Bakery: chocolate dipped strawberry, brownie, cupcake and truffle.
St. Francis Café: seafood pasta, chicken tortilla soup and Hungarian mushroom soup.
Huck Finns: Appalachian gumbo, Cajun potato salad and Southern pimento cheese w/crackers.
Risin Dough Bakery: bread pudding, sweet potato pound cake, pepperoni rolls and dinner rolls or cookies.
AmerAsia Thai -- yellow chicken curry, butterfly shrimp, pad Thai and spring rolls.
South Hills Market & Café: Asian braised pork taco, chicken salad sandwich, jicama slaw with apple and fennel, pastina salad and assorted cookies.
Distinctive Gourmet: Black Bear BBQ Co. "Paw," mountain nachos, bear tracks potato salad and sticky claws bread pudding.
Fresh Brewed and Home Baked: pepperoni/cheese roll, iced caramel mocha, cake, cream puff and éclair.
Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream: hot fudge sundae and ice cream scoops.
Huntington Prime: lamb meatball tagliatelle, trout & braised greens and cake.
Zul's Frozen Lemonade: frozen lemonade.
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