Taste of Wayne coming Aug. 31
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on August 16, 2004 2:02 PM
Do southern-style barbecue and lamb make your mouth water? How do pizza and seafood sound? Top it all off with pie and a flavored coffee and you have the 14th annual Taste of Wayne County.
The food-tasting event will be held Aug. 31 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Officers' Club. It is the official start to the United Way of Wayne County's 2004 campaign to raise money for charitable work.
Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance.
Those attending will receive a free huggie to keep drinks cool. Taste of Wayne aprons will be on sale for $15.
News-Argus/Becky Barclay
It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it -- eat that big Wayne County cookie. The job was done by Mayor Al King to promote the 14th annual Taste of Wayne County for the United Way.
The base will allow people to start entering the gate at 4 p.m., but the doors won't open until 5 p.m. Anyone without a ticket won't be allowed on the base. There will be parking on base at the soccer field across from the Officers' Club.
Participating restaurants so far include Applebee's, Bonfire, Boondoggles, Brooklyn Pizzeria, Captain D's, Chili's, China Garden, China House, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Crossroads Cafe, Culligan Bottled Water, Domino's, Five Star Restaurant, Franklin Baking, Golden Dragon, Grounds For Expression, Ham's, Jersey Mike's and Krispy Kreme.
Also participating will be Lunch Box II, Mt. Olive Pickle Co., Nino's, Papa John's, Pepsi Cola, Pizza Hut, Quizno's, Ryan's Steakhouse, Steve's Pizza, Texas Steakhouse, Toreros', Wayco Ham, Wayne Memorial Hospital and Wilber's.
Restaurants and food vendors will compete in these categories:
Continental (subs, bagels), Country Cooking (fried chicken, meatloaf), southern-style barbecue, Oriental (Chinese, Japanese, Thai), Fine Dining (steak, chicken, lamb, seafood, specialty dishes), Pizza (pizza, calzones, stromboli), Desserts (Danishes, doughnuts, pies, specialty and flavored coffees and drinks), Pub Appetizers (chicken strips, buffalo wings), Mexican (burritos, tacos, Spanish rice), Breakfast (biscuits, omelets) and Open Category.
There will be a People's Choice Award. Those attending will be given a ticket to vote for their favorite restaurant. The restaurant with the most tickets will win the award.
Vendors may begin setting up at 8 a.m. They must enter the Slocumb Gate. Everything must be removed no later than 8 that night.
Marlee Ray, one of the event co-chairmen, said this is a "chance to highlight the food services of Wayne County and give people a taste of what's available here. And it supports United Way, which then provides back to our own community services in a broad range of areas.
"For only $10, people will be able to sample foods from more than 30 vendors. It's for old and young alike. People can take their kids. It's a great family outing."
During the Taste of Wayne, the first drawing for the Fair Share Challenge will be held. Those who have given their "fair share" to United Way, which is the equivalent of one hour's pay per month, will have their name put into a drawing for a new Dodge Dakota truck worth $15,000. The truck was donated by Goldsboro Chrysler Dodge Jeep.
Sponsors for this year's event are RBC Centura and Time Warner Cable.
Ms. Ray encouraged those who have never attended to do so. "It will help them get a sense of who we are in Wayne County. The Taste is an event with a great history. There's something for everybody."