Patrons Sample Items from 19 Local Restaurants at Taste of Georgetown
November 06, 2011
By Christy Anderson

The sounds of good music and laughter filled the air as more than 1,000 people communed on Front Street for the second annual Taste of Georgetown.

The band Longitude and Friends played while 19 local restaurants and civic groups from around Georgetown County served up food at this year’s sampling feast.

Among their offerings were such Lowcountry favorites as shrimp and grits, pulled pork BBQ, crab cakes, and chicken pilau, as well as soups, chilies, desserts and drinks.

“The tomato pie is wonderful,” raved Susan Dismukes of Georgetown.

Dismukes attended the event for the first time Saturday with friends Bobby and Sue Garrison.

The trio held Sanford’s tomato pie high on their list of favorites, but admitted everything they had tasted — from the Rice Paddy’s turkey with cranberry cream cheese to the County Sheriff’s Office’s chicken bog — was truly delicious.

They were patiently waiting to try the River Room’s black-eyed pea cakes with red onion aioli.

“The weather is so pretty,” Sue Garrison said. “We are having a really good time.”

Many of the restaurants gathered under large tents in Francis Marion Park with the Winyah Bay offering a picturesque backdrop.

Others set up tents on the sidewalk in front of their establishments along Front Street.

After purchasing food tickets, patrons could either stroll the sidewalks, shopping between stops, or take a free trolley to each stop, thanks to Swamp Fox Tours.

Visitors could also make bids on items in the silent auction donated by local businesses and individuals.

Dick Clute, who chairs the annual sampling, said the crowd was expected to reach at least 2,000 this year.

“Georgetown is an absolutely beautiful city with its oak lined streets, historic buildings, unique shops and fabulous restaurants, and that’s what we’re here to highlight today,” Clute said.

He added that it was all to raise money for the Family Justice Center of Georgetown. A hundred percent of the revenue collected from ticket sales went to the Family Justice Center.

The Family Justice Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides coordinated services and educational programs for domestic violence.

According to its Web site, in its first four months alone, the center provided services to approximately 125 victims of domestic violence.

Georgetown’s Justice Center is modeled after the first Family Justice Center, which opened in San Diego, Calif., in 2002.

There are now over 40 centers nationwide.

According to their Web site, the centers have proven to reduce homicides and fear and anxiety for victims and their children, while increasing community support services and victim safety and empowerment.

For more information about the Family Justice Center, contact Alicia Barnes at (843) 235-0956 or visit their website at www.fjcgeorgetown.org.

For more information about the Taste of Georgetown, call Dick Clute at (843) 237-7343 or visit the website at www.tasteofgeorgetownsc.com.