Taste of the Town
Seaside Smorgasbord
by COLE DITTMER
beachbites
Relish the flavor of Wrightsville Beach during the
second annual Taste of Wrightsville Beach, Saturday,
October 12 at 5 p.m.
Held this year at the MarineMax Harbor Island Marina
and Showroom, the event should draw around 500 people, says event
cofounder Lisa Weeks . Event guests will mingle in the MarineMax
showroom and around the marina, boarding boats to catch some
televised college football action.
With the rock, reggae and R&B sounds of the Blue Tang Bandits
providing the soundtrack for the evening, the main attraction will
be the food. Participating restaurants from last year’s event like Tower 7,
Bluewater Grill, the Oceanic, 22 North, Mellow Mushroom and the
Blockade Runner Beach Resort’s East Oceanfront Dining and the
Holiday Inn Resort will return, along with a few new additions like
Shell Island Resort.
South Beach Grill owner and event cofounder John Andrews
says the inaugural event last year provided a boost for the beach
restaurants, 20 of which are within three miles of the heart of
Wrightsville Beach.
“I think it has helped out the restaurants as a community instead
of as individuals,” Andrews says. “Everybody plays a part, they all
do an excellent job, and a rising tide lifts all boats. That night we
showed there was a really high tide.”
While the participating restaurants experienced a swell in awareness
at last year’s event, the waterways around Wrightsville Beach also
swelled from Superstorm Sandy that passed that evening. Despite
the torrential downpours, Weeks says the level of community support
proved that the event could work again.
“It just brings the community together for a great time and celebrates
all the great restaurants we have,” Weeks says. “Hopefully it helps
them keep their traffic up in the offseason … and it showcases their
cuisine so the locals will support them in the offseason when the
tourists are gone.”
Judges for the Best In Show award will be Eric Gephardt, lead
instructor for the Chef’s Academy of North Carolina, Competition
Dining NC founder Jimmy Crippen, Cape Fear Community College
Hospitality Management faculty member Diane Withrow, WWAY
Good Morning Carolina anchor Randy Aldridge and Wrightsville Beach
Mayor David Cignotti. Ticket prices include tastings of the food and
beverages provided by each vendor, and prices range from $45 for
Wrightsville Beach Foundation members to $50 for adults older than
21. Benefitting from the event will be the Weekend Meals on Wheels
program and the downtown Wrightsville Beach Beautification Project.
For more information, visit www.wrightsvillebeachfoundation.org
The Blockade Runner’s East Oceanfront Dining won the judges’ honorable mention award and third place among the people’s choice category
with former executive chef Mark Lawson’s trio of cumin and chili seared tuna, pulled BBQ tuna and slaw at the 2012 Taste of Wrightsville Beach.
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WBM october 2013
WBM FILE PHOTO