Taste of Del Ray Draws a Crowd
Evening Star Cafe, Taqueria Poblano take top awards
Photos
A record number of attendants indulged their inner-foodie at the third annual Taste of Del Ray on Sunday.
Organizers from the Del Ray Business Association said approximately 1,300 visitors made their way through to parking lot behind Virginia Commerce Bank for Sunday's restaurant showcase, a jump of about 300 from the previous year when the event was held as a First Thursday celebration.
This year, with celebrity judge Carla Hall on hand, prizes were awarded in two categories—People’s Choice and Judge's Choice.
In the People's Choice category, where winners were determined by votes placed by attendants, Taqueria Poblano took top honors for its shrimp chalupas. Evening Star Cafe was awarded second place for its beet salad and the soon-to-be-opened Pork Barrel BBQ took third place for—no surprise here—its barbecue pork.
Hall, calling herself "a veggie girl," gave her top award to Evening Star Cafe chef Will Artley's beet salad. She gave Del Ray Pizzeria second place honors for its blackened sliders with provolone and frickles (that would be fried pickles). Hall also gave Pork Barrel BBQ third-place honors.
“You have so many restaurants here in Del Ray, you could go out everyday for three weeks and not have any do-overs,” Hall said.
Hall also gave honorable mentions to Monroe’s and the Caboose Café.
The longest line of the day first belonged to Pork Barrel BBQ, which is said to finally be on the verge of opening, before switching over to Artfully Chocolate/Kingsbury Confections and its ice cream once the sun broke through.
Pork Barrel BBQ partner “Mango” Mike Anderson said the furniture and bar will soon be installed in the restaurant located at 2300 Mt. Vernon Avenue. The lights will be left on sometime this week at the restaurant so people walking by can take a peek.
Participating restaurants and caterers in the Taste of Del Ray included ACKC, A Thyme and Place, Caboose Café, Cheestique, Del Ray Pizzeria, Evening Star Cafe, FireFlies, La Strada, Monroe’s, Popeyes, Pork Barrel BBQ, Sapore D’Italia, St. Elmo’s and Taqueria Poblano.
In This article
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Virginia Commerce Bank
2401 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Taqueria Poblano
2400 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Evening Star Cafe
2000 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Del Ray Pizzeria & Sports Bar
2218 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Monroe's
1603 Commonwealth Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Caboose Cafe & Bakery
2419 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA
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Artfully Chocolate
2003 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Cheesetique Specialty Cheese Shop
2411 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
FireFlies Restaurant
1501 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
La Strada
1905 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Sapore D Italia Ristorante
1310 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA -
St. Elmos Coffee Pub
2300 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA
Juanita Bragg
7:18 am on Monday, June 6, 2011
Keeping watch for opening of BBQ
Julie Forsht
7:56 pm on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Congrats Jeff!
Nadine Boland
10:42 am on Thursday, June 9, 2011
Taqueria Poblano's Shrimp Chalupas were sooooo good and the service was very friendly.
Evening Star Cafe's beet salad was delicious and I don't even like beets. That is how good it was!
Thank you both for participating. Also thanks to all the restaurants who participated. I know it isn't easy. Special thanks to Mary, Pat, Gail, Carol and the rest of the dedicated volunteers who made it all happen.