Firehouse BBQ, Kenai River Brewing, Kenai Catering and Lucy’s Market take top honors at the 2018 Taste of the Kenai event hosted at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Saturday, March 24th. The event is a major fundraiser for the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council.
Twenty-five vendors filled the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex for the event which featured food, auctions, fundraising and networking opportunities.
Summer Lazenby, Exectuive Director of the KPTMC describes the event as a phenomenal success.
Lazenby: “It was a phenomenal success and we sold 375 seats and then we had 20 some volunteers who came in and made this train keep rolling. We had 25 vendors and most of the vendors had at least two people in their booths, so we had a full house”
Firehouse BBQ, for the fourth consecutive year was awarded Best Entree and Lucy’s Market was selected by the vendors as the Vender’s Choice award winner. Kenai River Brewing was awarded Best Drink and Kenai Catering took top honors in Best Dessert.
Lazenby: “Firehouse brought down the house once again. They’ll have to come back again next year and live up to it again. They were a repeat performer, but we had alot of new people. But one of the really neat things, new things we did this year was we did a vendors choice award. So only the vendors, the 25 vendors who participated selected a winner. And it was Lucy’s Market, and it was great. When it was announced that she was the winner the vendors just errupted and it really spoke to me about the teamwork, the community not only on the Kenai Peninsula, but in the restaurant community itself. It was great to see.”
KPTMC created the Taste of the Kenai to highlight the unique culinary experiences on the Kenai Peninsula, to connect with the community and to encourage residents to get out and enjoy their own back yard.
The KPTMC promotes area businesses and tourism on the Kenai and Lazenby anticipates another banner year in 2018.
Lazenby: “Year after year for the last several years it’s been a record year. And that is what we are hoping for for next year as well. Marketing matters and so that’s whey we are here, we market the Kenai Peninsula as a world class destination. If people don’t know about the Kenai, they’re not going to come to the Kenai and that is why were are here and that is what this function helps support.”