Taste Of Avalon

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The Street Scene of Participants As Far As One Could See Steve's Steak House Offering Pork Tenderloin Dijonaise and Rigatoni El Galleon Offering Bar-B-Que Ribs With Luau Plum Sauce And Onion Rings

The Lobster Trap's Seafood Buffet

The Catalina Country Club Offering Ahi Tune With Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and Wasabi Aioli and Espresso Chocolate Mousse With French Lace Cookie

People Lined Up To Be Served

Taste Of Avalon

The name Santa Catalina Island conjures an image to all age groups. If you are of the Big Band era You remember, "I Met My Love In Avalon" while the Rock n Roll group remembers "Twenty-six Miles Across The Sea". The mystical island has remained a destination of celebration for the many who come for a variety of reasons and images. Recently that image has gone through a great transformation and brought up to the 21st Century. This year the Catalina Company has invested $12,000,000.00 with additions to make the island a family destination.

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Six years ago, island promoters chose the Thursday following Memorial Day to celebrate "The Taste Of Avalon". The festival has grown doubling in size annually. The streets turn into an atmosphere where guest and locals share a camaraderie unlike any other time of the year. Reserve June 2, 2011 for the next celebration you won't forget!

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To participate in The Taste Of Avalon, anyone purchases a ballot for a fee of $2.00. The twenty establishments participating are listed. A symbol indicates if food, drink, or dessert is available with each vendor. Participants pay $1.00 for a very generous sample. Following ten vendor samplings you vote for your favorite drink, food, or dessert and your vote then can be submitted. The offerings were amazing!!!

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We carefully chose ten vendors. Following those samplings I had to agree it was a difficult choice but my choice was made. It will be interesting to learn who receives the top vote. One vendor who prepared for his crowd said his number of participants was 250% of what he had expected. It was such an enthusiastic crowd!

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Food service on the island has had a recent reformation. It is can longer be deemed "eating" on the island, one can choose fine dining. When the New York Times send reporters from their Food Dept. staff to write an article for their newspaper, Catalina Island restaurateurs have sent shock waves all the way to New York City!

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Tonight we are attending the third annual Flying Fish Festival. I will blog that festival as my following posting.