Chamber announces Taste Around of Avalon winners

Seventeen Avalon restaurants allowed residents and visitors to taste what local eateries have to sell. This year’s winner for Best Taste of Food is Avalon Grille. Courtesy photo

The Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Bureau, sponsor of the 13th annual Taste Around of Avalon, is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Best Tastes.

This year’s winner of the Best Taste of Food is Avalon Grille and the Best Taste of Drink – with Alcohol winner is The Catallac.

The Best Taste of Drink – without Alcohol is Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co. and the Best Taste of Dessert winner is Steve’s Steakhouse.

Seventeen participating establishments offered 33 “tastes” in the annual event, held this year on May 31.

Each first place winner receives $100 and the top three winners are honored in the annual Catalina Island Visitors Guide, as well as on the Chamber’s website, www.
catalinachamber.com.

More than 500 participants enjoyed the beautiful evening tasting the scrumptious food, dessert and drink offerings and then voting for their favorites.

Avalon Grille won in the Best Taste of Food category, serving a shrimp and pork ramen bowl.

Second place went to El Galleon for their house-special ribs, and Maggie’s Blue Rose took home third-place honors for their avocado enchiladas and duck mole taquitos.

In the Best Taste of Drink – with Alcohol category, The Catallac cruised into first place with their special Catallac Margarita. Steve’s Steakhouse placed second with their key lime pie martini and Avalon Grille finished third with the dragonberry mojito.

Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co. won Best Taste of Drink – without Alcohol for their strawberry hibiscus iced tea. Café Metropole was second with their Green Pier Juice, with Coyote Joe’s in third with the Bernadette Smoothie.

The winner in the Best Taste of Dessert was Steve’s Steakhouse with their key lime pie. Scoops came in second with their acai bowl and Lloyd’s of Avalon was third with their chocolate cheesecake pop.

Congratulations to all the winners.

A big thank you goes out to all the food and beverage establishments for participating and to all the residents and visitors who came out for the evening and voted for the Best Tastes of Avalon!

About the Catalina Island Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau

The mission of the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is to attract visitors and advocate for commerce on Catalina Island.

As the official destination marketing organization of Catalina Island, the nonprofit is governed by an elected board of directors and is funded in part through the collection of transient occupancy taxes paid by guests staying in area hotels and vacation rentals.

For more information visit their website at www.CatalinaChamber.com.