Taste Of St. Croix Dazzles
The annual Taste of St. Croix is one of the true gems of the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience. Food and wine vendors all descend on the oceanfront of the Divi Carina Bay Resort to set up displays showcasing their best offerings. Celebrity judges then taste a little bit of everything to determine just who really outshined their competitors. While winners were crowned at the end of the night (see the full of list of winners below), the festival really is all about celebrating St. Croix's culinary scene.
"It's a fun event not meant to be too competitive," said Katherine Pugliese, one of the founders of Taste of St. Croix, at a pre-Taste press conference. "This event celebrates the diversity of our cuisine."
From sushi to Mexican and traditional island fare like smoked chicken, the island really is brimming with diverse food options. But food is not what the festival is all about.
As the funds raised from Taste benefit the St. Croix Foundation, a nonprofit that works with youth and focuses on education, the chefs at the press conference also commented on what the festival has to offer budding young culinary professionals.
"When you set your sights on something, it's amazing what can happen," says Sam Choy in regards to those looking to start their food careers. "Be confident. Be sure about yourself. What's important is what we leave for our children."
Top Chef alum Leah Cohen came to the festival (despite leaving a busy kitchen in New York City) to show young women how they can rise.
"I'm a good example of a young, female chef," she exclaimed. "Someone you can look up to."
Ellen Gray of Washington, D.C.'s Equinox noted just how special St. Croix really is.
"When you come down here, you fall in love with the place," she said.
And the beauty of St. Croix really was emphasized at Taste. The sun was setting on the beach as festival attendees filed in and lined up to get food from different booths lined alongside the Divi's private boardwalk. When the sun finally set, the Divi's pools acted as a gathering for people who were dancing, drink and just enjoying themselves.
While I unfortunately did not get to sample everything I wanted (my stomach is only so big, after all), I did try some particularly memorable cuisine. Highlights included the lobster enchiladas from Maria's Cantina. I enjoyed the familiarity of the enchiladas and the special lobster addition that give it a twist.
The most surprisingly tasty morsel was a veggie burger from Eat @ Cane Bay. The burgers tasted thick, juicy, and were seasoned with a spicy, but not overpowering zest. For a few seconds, I actually thought they were a traditional Angus beef patties they were so dense, unlike typically veggie counterparts that fall apart way too fast.
Dashi had a super fresh sushi roll. They even thought ahead and brought a plastic bottle traditionally reserved for ketchup filled with soy sauce that the staff could drizzle on.
I also fell in love with the luscious lobster risotto from Angry Nate's that was topped with a creamy white sauce.
The tastiest desserts I sampled included the booze-infused cupcakes from Dulce Bakery (I adored the chocolate cupcake filled with a rich and creamy ganache-like caramel and Bailey's filling) and a key lime cheesecake from Palms at Pelican Cove.
The cheesecake was fresh, firm, and subtly infused with flavor and perfectly complemented by a key lime couli and fresh lime zest.
The night concluded with a Moet & Chandon after party where guests partied into the wee hours of night. I'm sure that none of them when to bed hungry.
The full list of winners included:
Best Presentation
Winner — Dulce Cupcakery: See this shop's delightful display — complete with boozy cupcakes like Bailey's caramel and mojito flavors here http://instagram.com/p/mn7-SNrYtn/
Honorable Mention: Sejah Farm
People's Choice
Winner — Tutto Bene Restaurant (for the second year in a row): This spot's antipasto dish (which was in the shape of a happy face) looked bright and stood out from the other displays. Check it out here: https://twitter.com/ttobat88/status/454368962265243648
Entrée
First: Renaissance at Carambola Resort
Second: Ziggy's Island Market and Libation Station
Third: You Are Here Bar and Grill
Appetizer
First: Fort Christian Brew Pub
Second: Maria's Cantina
Third: Dashi
Soup and Stew
First: Turtles After Dark
Second: Tutto Bene Restaurant
Third: Verdel Petersen with VLP Enterprises
Desserts
First: Ha'Penny Beach Club
Second: Palms at Pelican Cove
Third: The Terrace at the Buccaneer
Local Fare
First: The Galleon and Ridge to Reef Farm (tied)
Second: Queen Maubi
Third: Camisha's
Vegetarian
First: Renaissance at Carambola
Second: Eat@CaneBay
Third: Shanti Shawa Vital Ital Experience
Beverage
First: Baci Duty Free, for the second year in a row
Second: Sejah Farms
Third: The Pink Spot
Teresa Tobat is a writer and editor based out of Washington, D.C. View her website at teresaktobat.com. Follow her tweets @ttobat88