Taste Of Avalon And The Winner Is......

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The Street Scene Of Participants The "M" Restaurant Serving Chicken Curry Spring Rolls With A Sweet Sour Sauce. The Offering Of The Lobster Trap My Luncheon Serving Of 
Curry Chicken Spring Rolls

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I telephoned Catalina Island today to learn the winner of the Taste Of Avalon as curiosity loomed all weekend. The contest winner was announced yesterday, Sunday at 1 p.m. My favorite restaurant was in the running and I thought sure they would be the winner in the food category and possibly also the drink category. The food is artistically prepared from the freshest ingredients and seasoned with the right amount of herbs and spices. As I understood each restaurant was to serve a food which best represented their fare.

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The Lobster Trap which is frequented by "the locals" did one better! They covered the top of the pool table making it a buffet. A complete seafood spread was put out for the taking. Some food was deep fried, some was baked but much mass-produced. Large draft beer was sold for $1.00 each. The votes put them in first place being the winner again for the second year in a row.

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Being a foodie who goes the extra for quality in choices, it was a great surprise to learn The "M" Restaurant came in second place for the food category to The Lobster Trap. I enjoyed the Curry Chicken Spring Roll at lunch the day of the Taste Of Avalon. Enjoying it for the quality ingredients I thought sure it would be the first place winner. Honestly put, the food of the two offerings were of two opposite types and preparations. Congratulations to The Lobster Trap!

Santa Catalina Island Flying Fish Festival

Wayne and Donna, The Chamber 
of Commerce promoters. Gill The Festival Mascot. The Bow Of The Bertha W Built 1924

The Festival Open Air Boat.

Flying Fish Festival

The Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce under the direction of Wayne Griffin, President and Donna Harris, Public Relations and Promotions Director has coupled a long time traditional festival with The Taste of Avalon to kick off the summer series of events held on the island. The Flying Fish Festival has become a widely known event. Flying fish occur naturally in the waters of the island from June thru September. The fish actually fly with their pectoral fins and can fly the distance of 25 to 30 feet propelled in the air.

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The boat "Bertha W" built in 1924 and named after the granddaughter of William Wrigley is equipped with high powdered beam lights equivalent to several thousand watts. Guests are boarded onto the open air boat for a ride along the shoreline at dusk. The light "tricks" the fish believing there is food on the surface and it brings the flying fish out of the water. The fish glisten in the light and draws the oooohs and aaahs from the spectators. It is one of the fun things to do and certainly worth being a spectator if you have never seen this phenomenon. Save Jiune 3, 2011 for the next Flying Fish Festival on Catalina Island.

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So many traditions of this beautiful island can be traced to the many Americans who made the choice of Wrigley Chewing Gum. I found these vending machine on a wall with antiques and nostalgia. I hope this brings back some memories of bygone days.

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.

The "M" Restaurant

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Restaurant Manager Roshan Giving Us An Off Duty Tour! Great Job Roshan!

The Gates Which Hold The Secret Of The "M" Restaurant The Dining Room Of The "M" The Mahogany Bar Well Stocked Outdoor Seating With An Ocean View

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The "M" Restaurant Of Catalina Island

Catalina Island celebrated the opening of its newest restaurant February 12, 2010. The "M" Restaurant will be recognized as the epic center of change with the food service of the island, uniquely offering their customers "New American Cuisine". The menu offers choices prepared from fresh organic vegetables and ranch raised high quality meats and fresh seafood and fish. Sauces compliment the menu choices.

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Upon entering the restaurant your eye is quickly drawn to the pristine cleanliness of the tranquil ocean view dining room. Tables are set with glasses, stemware, and neatly pleated napkins with contrasting tablecloths. Immediately to the left of the entrance is a beautiful mahogany well stocked bar. A great selection of wine choices can be ordered from a wine cellar.

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A patio setting with an ocean view will accommodate summer guests who prefer outdoor dining. This restaurant offers a great atmosphere as well as food choices not often found today in our "fast food" world. You will not be disappointed making  The "M" your choice.

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No other restaurant on the island can advertise the quality and choices on their menu which can be found at The "M" Restaurant. The manager Roshan comes to the island with a lengthy history of successful operation in the food industry, most recently as owner of San Francisco's highly acclaimed restaurant and our favorite, Metro Kathmandu.

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The "M" Restaurant has a website with a posted menu. Treat yourself to a healthy choice with nutrition foremost in your lunch or dinner choice from the menu at The "M" Restaurant. When you visit Catalina Island please tell Roshan you read this write up on "Dine With Donna".

Catalina Island

The Tuna Club

The Tuna Club of Catalina Island was established in 1898 to promote fishing as a gentleman's sport through conservancy. Notice the word gentlemen as no women are members. The Tuna Club established the standards which are used in Anglers Club throughout the world today. The Tuna Club has a display of rods and reels as well as hooks and lures used over the years of the Club's history. Just a couple of notables who hold fishing records at the Club are author Zane Grey, and Winston Churchill.

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The Tuna Club building was also the setting for the 1966 movie "The Glass Bottom Boat" which starred Doris Day, Rod Taylor and Arthur Godfrey. Now that is some reminiscing of bygone names and people. Catalina once was considered the playground of the rich and famous due to the prominence of the visitors of the Wrigleys and the Hollywood scene on the island.

Catalina Island

An Eighty Minute Ride Over Twenty-Six Miles Of Sea Approaching Avalon The Sitting And Dining Area Of Our Hotel Room The Sitting And Dining Area Of Our Hotel Room

And The Marvelous View!

Catalina Island

Our children gave us a stay on Catalina Island for our 50Th wedding anniversary. The island is rich in history with the Wrigley Family of Chicago. Much beauty of the island has been preserved through a Conservancy which keeps sixty-six of the seventy-six square miles from development. I will blog the highlights over the next several days.