2008 Woodie Awards
Critic's Column
Taste of Chattanooga sates patrons
By Brittany L. Shaw
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Culture
If the monotony of campus cuisine has finally taken its toll on your taste buds, but the lure of more sophisticated fare seems frightening, Taste of Chattanooga may be the answer to your undernourished cries.
I attended the March 13 event, unsure of what to expect but certain that at least my $6 entry fee, which went to the Kidney Foundation, would be well spent.
If you normally shun new food for fear of suffering either taste bud trauma or potentially exorbitant prices, Taste of Chattanooga, at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center, offered a breadth of dining choices to pleasure any palette for a fraction of what it would cost to actually attend one of the featured establishments.
The particularly splendid part of the deal is that, for between $1 to $3 per item, you have an opportunity to sample everything from those intriguing restaurants you simply haven't visited to your new favorite bakery you never knew existed.
After all, even if you find the deli you were dying to try doesn't live up to your expectations, at least you only spent $1 versus the $5 you would have otherwise spent.
Given the variety at Taste of Chattanooga, however, instances of unfulfilled expectations are virtually guaranteed to be few.
Thanks to a few vendors featured at Taste of Chattanooga, I had to edit my current list of favorite food options in favor of some of the new.
Placing among my new list of favorites, and soon of other bread-lovers, Niedlov's Breadworks on East Main Street serves an abundance of organic breads and could soon debunk the adage that man cannot live on bread alone.
JetStream Grill, former weatherman Neal Pascal's new venture, won the people's choice award and served up a "predictably good" chicken picatta and crab cakes.
If barbeque whets your appetite, Texas Roadhouse served some amazing smoky barbeque, as did Shane's Rib Shack, which was a little sweeter but just as good.
Hair of the Dog Pub, which I admit I had never visited, or expected to have food for that matter, showcased alcohol-inspired fare delicious enough to tantalize even teetotallers, with a Beer Cheese Soup and savory Guiness Ice Cream. The pork tenderloin on pita bread also landed a spot on my list of new favorites.
And if the delightful dishes and desserts are not enough to satiate your hunger for new experiences, the social event may even leave you with a few new friends and contacts.
For myself, the event provided both and proved a delightful experience.
So next year, broaden your horizons and save a few bucks to prepare for a far more rewarding treat, a scrumptious Taste of Chattanooga.
I attended the March 13 event, unsure of what to expect but certain that at least my $6 entry fee, which went to the Kidney Foundation, would be well spent.
If you normally shun new food for fear of suffering either taste bud trauma or potentially exorbitant prices, Taste of Chattanooga, at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center, offered a breadth of dining choices to pleasure any palette for a fraction of what it would cost to actually attend one of the featured establishments.
The particularly splendid part of the deal is that, for between $1 to $3 per item, you have an opportunity to sample everything from those intriguing restaurants you simply haven't visited to your new favorite bakery you never knew existed.
After all, even if you find the deli you were dying to try doesn't live up to your expectations, at least you only spent $1 versus the $5 you would have otherwise spent.
Given the variety at Taste of Chattanooga, however, instances of unfulfilled expectations are virtually guaranteed to be few.
Thanks to a few vendors featured at Taste of Chattanooga, I had to edit my current list of favorite food options in favor of some of the new.
Placing among my new list of favorites, and soon of other bread-lovers, Niedlov's Breadworks on East Main Street serves an abundance of organic breads and could soon debunk the adage that man cannot live on bread alone.
JetStream Grill, former weatherman Neal Pascal's new venture, won the people's choice award and served up a "predictably good" chicken picatta and crab cakes.
If barbeque whets your appetite, Texas Roadhouse served some amazing smoky barbeque, as did Shane's Rib Shack, which was a little sweeter but just as good.
Hair of the Dog Pub, which I admit I had never visited, or expected to have food for that matter, showcased alcohol-inspired fare delicious enough to tantalize even teetotallers, with a Beer Cheese Soup and savory Guiness Ice Cream. The pork tenderloin on pita bread also landed a spot on my list of new favorites.
And if the delightful dishes and desserts are not enough to satiate your hunger for new experiences, the social event may even leave you with a few new friends and contacts.
For myself, the event provided both and proved a delightful experience.
So next year, broaden your horizons and save a few bucks to prepare for a far more rewarding treat, a scrumptious Taste of Chattanooga.
