New Area Restaurants Add Exciting Tastes and Flavors
To The 10th Annual “Taste of Coastal Carolina”
The 10th annual Taste of Coastal Carolina was held on Tuesday, March 12th at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern, to benefit the Neuse RIVERKEEPER Foundation. Twenty-six eastern North Carolina restaurants and caterers participated, giving the SOLD-OUT crowd of 650 attendees a wonderful evening. Patrons and General Admission ticket holders enjoyed outstanding food.
Restaurants competed for votes to be named the “Best” in a number of different categories including Best New Taste Participant and Overall Favorite and winner of the coveted, traveling “Peppermill” trophy.
The Overall Favorite Restaurant and winner of the Peppermill Trophy was a New Bern favorite and past winner, Persimmons and Chef Gerry Fong for his Citrus Crab Salad. Second place went to the new Indian restaurant in New Bern, Bay Lea, for their array of great Indian dishes, including chicken tikki masala, curried beef meatballs and korma. Third place was awarded to The Flame Catering and Banquet Centre, and its owner/chef Smoke Boyd for serving his beef short ribs in plum glaze and a wonderful butternut squash soup.
Event Chair Sherrie Starr Presents the Peppermill Trophy to Persimmon's SousChef Terence Guion
Winners of this year’s voting among attendees for Best New Participant at the Taste went to: 1st Place – Bay Leaf, 2nd Place- Lenoir Community College’s Culinary Arts Program for a Mongolian Beef appetizer and 3rd Place – The Peach House Restaurant in Kinston with its chicken casserole, salads and desserts.
Starr Presents the Award to Bay Leaf's Chef, Rashpal Singh
Voting was also tabulated for 5 special food categories: Best Appetizer, Best Soup, Best Lighter Fare, Best Entrée and Best Dessert. The winner and runner-ups were:
Best Appetizer
1st - Persimmons for their Citrus Crab Salad
2nd Lenoir Community College’s Culinary Arts Program for their Mongolian Beef appetizer
And a Tie for Third Place – Village Food Emporium, Oriental, for their various appetizers – tuna burger bites, meatballs, and Reuben phyllo cups, 247 Craven for cured salmon on a potato bilini, and Our Picnic Basket, Kinston, for an artichoke and banana pepper spread.
Best Soup
1st- The Flame who served Butternut Squash Soup
2nd 247 Craven with Ashley’s Italian wedding soup with Benton bacon meatballs
3rd Captain Ratty’s with their New England clam chowder
Best Lighter Fare
1st – The Folded Napkin presented their signature Chicken Salad
2nd- Tie among Kitchen on Trent (peach muffins and bbq), TaTa’s Takeout Café(Sweet Potato Fluff and Mac & Cheese and Peach House( layered salads)
Best Entree
1st- Bay Leaf Restaurant
2nd- The Flame for their Beef Short Ribs with Plum Glaze
3rd-Christoph’s on the Water who served Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Sausage Biscuit Stuffing
Pictured are Jorn McDaniel of the Perfect Bite and Gene Litz , iBiscotti, LLC
Best Desserts
1st- Baker’s Kitchen with a huge assortment of cookies and bars
2nd- The Perfect Bite with mini cheesecakes and strawberries and chocolate
3rd – iBiscotti, LLC who presented a large variety of flavored biscotti
The other new restaurants who participated in this year’s Taste: The Courtyards at Berne Village Catering, El Tequila, Lawson’s Landing, Moore’s BBQ, and Shoreline Deli. Returning New Bern favorites included: Annabelle’s , Cerro Grande, Friday 1890 Seafood, Tina’s Sweetshop, and Trent River Coffee.
Click here to see the list of all participating restaurants
Thank you to our Partner Sponsor
In-kind Sponsors are Coastal Beverage Company, Minges Bottling Group and Beer Army.
Our media sponsors are NextMedia Group and the County Compass Newspaper
Our Operating Support Sponsor is EarthShare North Carolina.
In addition, we are grateful for our ticket outlets, especially Mitchell Hardware and the New Bern Harris Teeter, as well as Cravin’ Wine, Funky Monkees, Nautical Wheelers, and the Kinston/Lenoir County Visitors Center. Other thanks go to our volunteers, especially the students from West Craven High School’s Culinary Arts program, students from New Bern High School’s Interact Club, Epiphany High School students and students from the Lenoir Community College’s Culinary Arts program. The wonderful flower arrangements around the ballroom were created by the Trent Woods Garden Club.
