Attendees of the annual A Taste of Aggieland event developed their taste buds as they received a portion of food from over 30 local restaurants.
On Feb. 20, the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce hosted A Taste of Aggieland at the Brazos County Expo Complex and recruited 32 local restaurants to distribute their food, compete for prizes and provide samples to attendees.
Local resident Christine McDonald said A Taste of Aggieland allows her to keep up with the expansion of restaurants in the area.
“There is an explosion of restaurants coming to the B-CS area and it is so hard to keep up with all the new ones popping up, so I thought this was a great opportunity to try some of the places we have not been able to get to,” McDonald said.
Max Crawford, Class of 2013, said he has attended A Taste of Aggieland three years in a row.
“Every time I drive up to the Expo for an event, I know I am coming into something fun,” Crawford said. “Taste of Aggieland is a great community event where you can come out and eat all you want.”
The event both brings the community together and gives back to it, according to Jordan Prihoda, A Taste of Aggieland business coordinator.
“A portion of our profits goes towards culinary sponsorships for high school students,” Prihoda said. “This event is really for the community members as it provides us the opportunity to give back to the community and to show our support.”
A Taste of Aggieland recruits fundraising events to spread awareness for certain disabilities. Anthony Zachman, special projects coordinator, said he is promoting his annual Dining in the Dark fundraiser.
“On April 7, The Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living will host the annual Dining in the Dark fundraiser, which includes a mystery meal eaten in the complete darkness,” Zachman said. “Four course meals are delivered by servers who are typically individuals with blindness, or visual impairments.”
Among the several awards A Taste of Aggieland presents, one allows for the inclusion of high school students.
“We have a cooking competition with College Station High School and Rudder High School where local judges decide the winners,” Prihoda said. “Other awards include best burger, best entrée, best decorated booth, peoples’ favorite and more.”
Chuck Wilson, owner of Wayback Burgers, said he hopes his old school burgers will win the best burger award.
“It’s called Wayback Burgers because we make burgers how they used to be made, with 100 percent beef that has never been frozen and 80 percent lean,” Wilson said. “The Double Bacon Burger is our best seller and it’s our favorite.”
David Markley, Cotton Patch general manager, said a few years ago his restaurant won the best entrée with the chicken spaghetti and their famous Dr. Pepper chocolate cake.
“We have participated in A Taste of Aggieland every year, and we enjoy getting our name out there and seeing the people,” Markley said. “Although we sell mainly homestyle foods, our most popular dessert is our Dr. Pepper chocolate cake due to its rich dark chocolate and the fact that we have been making it for 27 years.”
Amanda Fortenberry, manager for The Village, said A Taste of Aggieland is great for businesses to come together and get to know each other.
“It’s been fun being out here with other restaurants, because we get that feel of camaraderie with being in this industry,” Fortenberry said.