FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Thousands turned out Tuesday to sample dishes from dozens of Pee Dee restaurants at the fifth annual Taste of Florence.
For the Midnight Roosters head chef Ryland Culbertson, it’s an opportunity to try new things.
“It gives us a chance to, you know, showcase what we have to get out of the big box restaurants. People don’t know what we have until we come to events like this and show our faces,” said Culbertson.
Each year, the Taste of Florence gives almost five thousand people a chance to try a little something different from forty restaurants in our area.
“To be honest, it kind of warms me a little bit. I don’t mean to be emotional but I’ve never had this experience to be able to put my food in someone else’s mouth and see that facial reaction, that’s what does it for me,” said Culbertson.
Judges sampled food from all of the vendors and judged each on three elements.
“We do taste, we do presentation, we do creativity, and we talk amongst ourselves. We don’t know where it’s from or the vendor or anything but everything has been wonderful, wonderful,” said judge Lisa McCutcheon.
Organizer Jennifer Hoover says all money brought in from Tuesday’s event goes to support the Kings Academy in Florence.
Here are the winners from Tuesday’s event:
Best Appetizer – Mr. B’s
Best Entrée – The Inn at the Crossroads
Best Dessert – Cast Iron Waffles
Best Booth – Hunt Bonz Deli
