Taste of St. Augustine 2014 - They Came To Play

There were not as many restaurants at this year's Spring tasting event. But, the ones that did present let the tasters know that they had come to play and left taste buds dancing.

There was the Fudge Lady with delightful treats that of course pulled in a couple of face painted kids eager to taste 

And the future Olympian just having fun in between visits to various tables. I promised his mom that the future star would be featured.

The Culinary School was not be outdone and presented a wonderful assortment great treats as well.

But the restaurant that really took the gloves off and walked away with the victory was The Casa Monico with an offering of local shrimp resting on a bed of cornbread and Zucchini muffins, with cilantro creme fraiche.. It was truly heaven!

La Cocina collected style points in addition a tasty offering of Kale crusted Flounder over purple mashed potatoes and Tequila cilantro citrus sauce.

Of course my friends from San Sebastian Winery were there offering their great local wines.  

All in all it was a foodie's dream day. I walked away with a joyous feeling and numerous great tastes still dancing on my tongue. But the best part of it all is that a hotel restaurant agreed to do a full spread once they develop their new menu for my podcast. Great sights and sounds are in the future.

Aaaaah... A Taste of St. Augustine

It's that time of year again! The Taste of St. Augustine has returned and if you are a foodie it was the place to be.

Mojo's above was really taking the event very seriously... well maybe, but the food was great . What always amazes me about these tastings is how each restaurant is able to maintain a high level of presentation despite all the obstacles that accompany setting up outside, but present they did. There were so many great offerings I decided to display the restaurant followed by a picture of some of the great food they developed. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

Pop-N-Off, a gourmet popcorn restaurant was a crowd favorite and won an award category. A very friendly pair I might add!

The restaurant "Gas" had only been open 6 weeks but also won recognition for it's tasty treats

Raintree restaurant had some particularly appealing dishes and was also recognized with an award.






And then there was The Fudge Lady with some of the most appealing comfort food you could ever find.

Talk about presentation and taste, Zhanras really hit the mark! Their fish literally melted in your mouth and the sauce only added to the heavenly taste.

If you are thinking of a backyard outing then Woody's is the place to go. A 30 year community favorite, they truly raise the bar for bar-b-Q while adding a down home sense of friendliness. Yum!

And, if you have ever wondered about hotel restaurant food... wonder no more. The Aviles at the Hilton provided two dishes that let you know they put a good bit of love into their dishes. I stopped by twice. It was just that good!

Antonio's Grill stole the show with their home made Italian sausages. Just watching one being put together made you want to not stray far from their booth.

St. Augustine is known for it's casual dining and Barnacle Bill's did not disappoint. Their smoked chicken Wings and Caribbean slaw was more than finger lick'n tasty. And, they were pretty good in terms of presentation too.

Adding a touch of the Continental, La Cocina's European offerings provided some flair to the event.







The South Beach Grill also provided some great local sea food served with their own aloha style.

I stumbled upon The Present Moment Cafe last year and was glad to see they returned this year. Having dropped by their little cafe I can personally attest that their spinach salad is to die for!

And finally, one of my favorite places (I've written about them on several occasions) The San Sebastian Winery. As usual they had friendly faces providing various winery offerings.

So there you have it gang. Some of the best St. Augustine has to offer. If you are ever in the area by all means give these places a try. You will find not only great food but some of the friendliest people in the area as well.