Tasty Bites - and Sips!
Baklava, Ergolavos, Spanakopeta, Oh, My!
Sept. 16-18: For 24 years, Columbia's Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church has hosted one of Columbia's favorite festivals, the Annual Greek Festival. This year's event features the music of the Nick Demos Band and the Nick Trivelas Band throughout the day and evening, Greek folk dancing, church tours — and maybe the best part — delicious Greek dinners and pastries! For a schedule of events, visit columbiasgreekfestival.com
When in Rome . . .
Oct. 2: Enjoy a Roman holiday at the third annual Italian Festival on Saturday, October 2 from 11 am – 9 pm on the 1400 block of Columbia’s Main Street. Activities include live entertainment by the Sensational Epics, a street dance, classic Italian car show, puppeteers, fencing demonstration, a stage production of Pinocchio, crafts, Italian food vendors, games and children’s events. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. For more information, call (803) 600-3720, (803) 256-2776 or (803) 772-0164.
Taste of Charleston
Oct. 8-10: This three-day celebration of Lowcountry cuisine features some of Charleston’s finest, nationally-renowned chefs. For 30 years, this charity fund-raising event has been named one of the “Top 20 events in the Southeast” by Southeastern Tourism Society. An Iron Chef Competition will be held Friday, October 8, at the Culinary Institute of Charleston’s Palmer Campus in downtown Charleston and will showcase some of the best local chefs in a heated head-to-head battle in the Institute’s state-of-the-art amphitheater kitchen. The Taste of the Arts on Gallery Row will be held Saturday evening, October 9, at various art galleries in downtown Charleston. The art walk combines Lowcountry art with the culinary arts and will showcase the talents of local artists while offering guests a sampling of appetizers from a variety of Charleston’s favorite restaurants. The main event will be held on Sunday, October 10, at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant. The event will showcase a sampling of culinary treats from more than 50 of Charleston’s finest restaurants. Additional highlights include the legendary Waiter’s Wine Race, food and wine pairings, a selection of specialty and imported beers, live bands on the main stage and a Kids Corner complete with pony rides. Tickets for all events can be purchased online at charlestonrestaurantassociation.com/taste_of_charleston.php.
It's Certifiably Delicious!
Like eating local? Want to support the farmers in your area and the restaurants serving their produce? Visit www.certifiedscgrown.com and find pages of South Carolina restaurants whose owners appreciate their brethren in the fields. They're backed by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, which has formed the Certified South Carolina program, a cooperative effort among producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and the SCDA to brand and promote Palmetto State products. Besides wanting consumers to easily identify and buy South Carolina foods, they want the eating-out public to know about their choices. The Web site lists what's "fresh on the menu."
