by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
It seems like the First Coast is holding more and more worthy culinary events. Case in point is this past weekend’s Taste of the Beach in St. Augustine, held at the St. Augustine Beach Pavilion.
Choosing a restaurant can be a dizzying proposition, since St. Augustine and Jacksonville have so much to offer. I absolutely love these “Taste of…” events, because it gives me the opportunity to sample food from a cadre of different restaurants. Why commit to a full meal when you can experience a sampling of the food at one of these events?
This particular event worked, not with an entrance fee, but with taste tickets. Each ticket was a dollar and the samplings ranged in price from one ticket to four. Diners had the option to spend as little or as much as they wanted. The event was specific to the St. Augustine beaches, so it was a great culinary geographical sampling of the area.
I only had 15 taste tickets, so I couldn’t try it all. Even if I had been able to buy a hundred, I would have been too full to enjoy every selection. Fifteen restaurants participated and each offered up two or three selections in one of three categories: entrée, appetizer and my personal favorite—dessert.
My favorite dessert, and the judge’s favorite, since they won for best dessert, was served up by Amici. Their profiteroli, which are basically chocolate chocolate cream puffs, were simultaneously rich and airy.
Seafood seemed to be popular favorite for entrées. My top picks in the entrée category were Café 11’s lovely salmon dish and South Beach Grill’s sashimi tuna stack, served on a crisp wonton with a sweet Thai glaze. Café 11 had the best presentation out of all the attending restaurants in their dessert and entree, an often difficult feat at a buffet style event. It must have been a tough choice for the judges, but it was South Beach Grill that took home the Taste of the Beach Plate Award for Best Entrée.
The lucky (and possibly overfull) celebrity judges got to sample every single item. Since the event went from noon to 6 pm, I’m guessing they paced themselves. The five celebrity judges, included Art May (SJSO), Troy Blevins (Director of Parks and Recreation), Tom Manuel (County Commissioner), Inge Erikson (President of the St. Augustine Jazz Society) and the Beach’s Mayor, Ed George.
While the judges and the patrons were sampling what St. Augustine Beach has to offer, Joe Witiaz & Friends (a jazz combo) and Deaux Oh (an easy listening duet) engaged their ears while the restaurants tickled their taste buds.
But it wasn’t just about food and entertainment. A portion of the proceeds from the event have gone to support Betty Griffin House, which serves victims of Domestic and Sexual Abuse in St. Johns County. They provide emergency shelter to abused women, men and their children. Their support services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, individual and group counseling, community education, and civil legal representation.
Best Appetizer
1st place- Sunset Grille, 2nd place- Beef O’Brady’s, 3rd place- Café 11.
Best Entrée
1st place- South Beach Grill, 2nd place- Panama Hatties, and 3rd place- Jack’s BBQ.
Best Dessert
1st place-Amici’s Italian Restaurant, 2nd place- Café 11, and 3rd place- Pizza Garden & Pastabilities.
Judge’s choice went to
1st place- Purple Olive, 2nd place- South Beach Grille, and 3rd place- Panama Hatties.
People’s Choice
1st place- FA Café, 2nd place- Mango Mangos, and 3rd place- Sunset Grille.
Participating Restaurants included:
Pizza Garden & Pastabilities, Mango Mangos; Café Eleven; Panama Hatties’; Jack’s BBQ; Napoli Pizza; Amici’s Italian Restaurant; Sunset Grille; The Beachcomber Restaurant; South Beach Grill; Zhanra’s; Ambiance Catering; FA Café and Beef O’Bradys
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
