Hundreds attend the 14th annual Taste of Clearwater. Some starve themselves to not feel guilty about packing it in.
By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published September 24, 2003
CLEARWATER - When the doors opened at 5 p.m., hundreds of people rushed into the Harborview Center, hurrying to the booths like a herd of hungry buffalo.
While standing in line, they had smelled the scent of cooking she crab soup, of chicken and steak skewers with Asian peanut dipping sauce and could wait no longer.
Strangely enough, many of them first bypassed Salt Rock Grill and the Melting Pot at the 14th annual Taste of Clearwater and headed straight to the Bud Light/Amber Bock stand, which filled up almost instantly.
"He ran over here," said Patty Bott, standing next to her husband, Bill Bott as he reached out for a small glass of dark brew.
Nearby, Marilyn Mason of Tarpon Springs tried a glass of IPA, a new India pale ale style beer made in Washington.
"It's good," she said.
Stacy McCreary and her family didn't stop for beer. They headed right for the Shephard's restaurant booth and got small plates heaped with orange lacquered seafood trilogy and roasted Thai pepper beef satay.
"It's fabulous," said McCreary, eating a piece of lobster.
Visitors to Tuesday's event paid $20 at the door to sample menu selections from more than 50 Tampa Bay area restaurants. Proceeds will benefit the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Event veterans say they prepare by starving themselves all day so they can really pig out.
"I had only waffles and peanut butter crackers," said Dolly Mullikin of Clearwater, as she ate chicken and egg rolls from the Bennigan's booth. "Nothing else."
Toynetta Brown from Palm Harbor did even better.
"I just ate a bowl of tater tots to get me through (the day)," she said, while enjoying a plate of barbecue chicken and ribs from the Mugs 'n Jugs booth.
It was worth the effort. She said the barbecue dish she was trying "had a really nice taste to it."
"It's sweet and sour," she said. "Not too tangy."
Shirley Utterback had just a salad on Taste day, and she was glad. She was really enjoying the event, especially the seafood.
"I thought it would be more crowded with long lines," she said, while eating some grouper from Frenchy's Restaurants in Clearwater Beach. "But it's not like that at all. All the food was easily accessible. I like that."
