The Taste of the Town provides everything to suit your taste

UPDATE:

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The winners of the 30th Taste of the Town provided by The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce...

Best Appetizer - Brazille at Nordstom - Ahi Tuna Poke: marinated tuna and daikon sprouts on a seasoned wontons with asian slaw

Best Entree - Morton's Grille - Grilled beef tenderloin with caramelized onion and blue cheese

Best Dessert - CHI St. Luke's Health - The Woodlands Hospital, a berry-infused quench

People's Choice - Bob's Steak & Chop House - 2nd year in a row. This year's offering: dark chocolate wrapped in smoked bacon and smothered in orange glaze.

See both video and photo gallery in links provided.



ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

For three decades The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce has promoted its members in the food and beverage industry by organizing the Taste of the Town (TOTT) event, hosted at The Woodlands Marriott Hotel & Convention Center.

For five hours the community samples the culinary cuisine and delicious desserts from local restaurants, caterers and bakeries, in an all-you-can-eat event, but it’s so much more than a food fest.

Many of the vendors at TOTT pass out discount coupons and free appetizer cards to entice you to drop by their restaurant. These premiums save a lot of money for those who dine out frequently. All the vendors pass out their menus which will enable you to peruse it before arriving at the restaurant, or calling for take-out.

The new CEO and President of The Woodlands Area Chamber, J. J. Hollie, was delighted with the turnout and especially the participation by chamber members, both the vendors and volunteers. (See video.)

“We’re so grateful for everybody who comes out,” said J.J. Hollie. “We’ll have six thousand plus people here tonight. It’s a great event. Ashley Byers and Carmen Smiley did a phenomenal job organizing this year's Taste of the Town."

Many businesses use the event to treat their clients to a night out, complete with a couple of drink coupons. It’s an opportunity to socialize with clients and build the relationship. It’s especially beneficial when launching a new business. Courtney Weidner will be rolling out a new concept with a mobile kitchen that specializes in vegan cuisine. Falacos will hit the street this spring, and Weidner connected with the breweries and wineries at TOTT, to exchange business cards and check on the availability of their calendar of events.

“I was able to cover the whole county in one location in one evening, at the Taste of the Town,” said Weidner.

Other companies not in food and drink, come dressed wearing their colors...company shirts sporting their logos. Sprout Fine Floral Concepts is another of the event's traditions with their mobile floral centerpieces.

Planning block parties outdoors is difficult with the varied weather conditions. The Taste of the Town is the biggest indoor block party in The Woodlands...indoor tailgating inside ‘the bubble.’ To better accommodate the crowd, some logistics changes were made this year. Current Chamber Chairman, Keaton McDaniel, reflected on this.

“The aisles are wider this year giving everyone a little more elbow room. It’s much easier to move around,” said McDaniel. “And the food this year is the best I remember it ever being. Everyone brought their A game tonight.”

To underscore Chairman McDaniel’s latter comment, In canvassing the crowd, everyone mentioned a different favorite.

The event also provides an opportunity to reconnect with acquaintances. Overheard numerous times throughout the evening, “I see you all the time on Facebook, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen you in person.”

Unable to get around lately due to knee replacement surgery, Dawn Candy, a board member for the Greater Montgomery County Restaurant Association (GMCRA), was on hand and reflected when she was the team leader for the Chamber's TOTT...

"It was at this event that I looked around and thought to myself, there sure are a lot of restaurants in this area, and yet we don't have a restaurant association for their benefit," said Candy. "That set the wheels in motion, and Alaire Cadero and I went to work on it."

The GMCRA has grown to seven dozen members, but Candy said they would like to see all restaurants join the association, which shares essential information, health guidelines, and more, with the food industry. (See related link for more information about the Greater Montgomery County Restaurant Association.)

And there’s never a shortage of politicians working the room. A decade ago, candidates for the Woodlands Community Association board, seized this opportunity to campaign a month before the election, and it has since become one of the best venues for campaigning. Instead of going door to door, it gives politicians a chance to do a meet-and-greet as the community comes in the door.

The food has all been consumed and the ballroom cleared. All that’s left is what didn’t make it to the mouth, and landed on the floor. Fred Domenick, of General Manager at Marriott International, just shrugged it off.

“We love this event. It’s one of our most heavily attended events here at The Woodlands Marriott. It’s great to see such a great turnout,” said Domenick. “We’ll take care of the aftermath.”

Whether you attend for the light bites, to professionally network, or just socialize, the Taste of the Town has something to suit everyone’s taste.

See related link for photo gallery of 2016 Taste of the Town at-a-glance.

#TOTT #FoodFest