Taste of the Beach awards announced

Historic City News was informed of this year’s winning restaurants in the Taste of the Beach contest to benefit Betty Griffin House; held at St Augustine Beach on Sunday May 20, 2012.

Fourteen area restaurants competed for the honors and all helped to make the fundraiser a lot of fun and a big success, according to the emergency shelter’s Community Awareness Coordinator, Kim Brumfield.

Celebrity judges, including St Augustine Beach Mayor Gary Snodgrass, former St Augustine Beach Mayor Frank Charles, former Chair of the Visitors and Convention Bureau John Fraser, Beach Blast-Off Chair Steve Cupolo, and Beach Blast-Off Co-chair Jennifer Sauvage, sampled cuisine from:

Amici’s Italian Restaurant
Dune’s Cracker House
Gas Full Service
Mango Mango’s
Napoli’s Italian Restaurant
Paula’s Beachside Grille
Purple Olive
Red Frog & McToad’s
Ripe Bistro
Sister Shack
Snacktime Anytime
South Beach Grill
Sunset Grille
The Wildflower Café

The winning challengers, by category, for 2012 are:

Appetizer:
1st Place: South Beach Grill
2nd Place: Paula’s Beachside Grille
3rd Place: Mango Mango’s

Entree:
1st Place: Purple Olive
2nd Place: Mango Mango’s
3rd Place: Amici’s Italian Restaurant

Dessert:
1st Place: Purple Olive
2nd Place: Sunset Grille
3rd Place: Sister Shack

Judges’ Choice:
1st Place: Ripe Bistro
2nd Place: Purple Olive
3rd Place: Sunset Grille

People’s Choice:
1st Place: Purple Olive
2nd Place: Gas Full Service
3rd Place: South Beach Grill

The St Augustine Beach Civic Association thanked its members and volunteers, as well as those from the St Johns Business Network, and all of the organizations who contributed the time, effort and money to continue this charity fundraising event for the seventh year in a row.