Taste of Coastal Carolina event benefits river ecology efforts

Lovers of good food, pay close attention. On Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m., chefs from around the area will gather at New Bern’s Riverfront Convention Center for the eighth annual Taste of Coastal Carolina. The event is hosted by the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation, and will showcase various ethnic and regional dishes from over 30 local restaurants.

The menu includes a substantial assortment of foods, including things such as steamed oysters, fried shrimp, grits, soups and even curried goat.

“It’s really whatever the restaurants want to highlight,” said Diane Baldwin, Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation business manager. 

Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Foundation members can buy tickets at the organization’s office for $25. The price does not include beverages; however, wine, beer and soda will be available at a cash bar. Patron tickets are $100 and include V.I.P. seating, an open bar and an “early taste” reception that starts at 5:15 p.m.

The V.I.P. area can hold up to 200 people; however, Baldwin says space is quickly filling up, “There are only a few patron tickets left. We hope to sell all of them before the event.”
Each participating restaurant will host a serving station. People are encouraged to freely move about and sample the arrangements.

 
In previous years, participating restaurants battled their best dishes in Iron Chef-style for the coveted “Peppermill Trophy.” Last year the trophy went to The Chelsea. On Tuesday, however, there will be no competition.

“We’re not stopping it for any bad reason,” said Baldwin. “We just wanted to shift the focus away from specific chefs and onto the entire restaurant crews.”

Filling that void will be the first ever Chefs Parade. “This really is the highlight of the event,” said Baldwin. “We will introduce the restaurants and spotlight their various dishes.”

Tickets can be purchased at Mitchell’s Hardware on 215 Craven Street or online at neuseriver.org. Proceeds from the event will help fund efforts designed to protect the constitution and quality of the Neuse River. The Neuse’s watershed covers over 6,235 square miles and its mouth stretches six miles across, making it the widest of any river in the United States. The river extends 250 miles from the headwaters of Person County to the Pamlico Sound.

 “Regardless whether you are a patron or general admission, everyone loves this event,” Baldwin said. “If you go home hungry it’s your own fault.”
For more information, call the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation at 252-637-7972 or visit neuseriver.org.