Foodie Awards Roundup For Laguna Taste Of Food & Music

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—The Laguna Taste of Food & Music Festival was a culinary and sensual delight. There were so many savory and sweet concoctions from the imaginations of local chefs, it was a strain on the belt to simply sample them all. But this gastronomic wonderland that edged toward gluttony, was all worth it to support two essential nonprofits: Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce and KX FM 104.7.

The judging was up to Crawford McCarthy, founder of "The Best Ceats" podcast. The self-described raconteur, provocateur and bon vivant talks about all things related to bars, food, wine, cocktails and restaurants in Orange County.

Around 1,300 people showed up for the sounds of bossa nova and big band music. And, of course, to nibble.

Here are his award-winners for the 2021 Taste of Laguna Food & Music Festival.

• Best Overall Bite: Broadway by Amar Santana, cherry-glazed meatballs
• Best Plated Dish: Craig Strong of Terra/Laguna Beach Co, short-rib cigars
• Best Vegetarian: Harley Laguna Beach roasted cauliflower
• Best Dessert: Nirvana Grille, goat cheese ice cream

There remains one award to announce.

Which local restaurant did the people declare the best? Attendees were invited to cast unlimited numbers of votes, at $1 per vote, to declare their favorite.

And the People's Choice Award winner is:

Wine Gallery, a woodfire kitchen and wine bar. Congratulations to co-founder/winemaker Chris Olsen and Chef Josh Mason.

"The event was such a great success," says Alyssa Hayek, KX FM general manager, "and it couldn't have been done without the support of my entire team, including our volunteers here at KX FM, and everyone from the Chamber of Commerce and their ambassadors. The event exceeded all of our expectations."

A whopping 1,300 people attended the event at the Festival of Arts Grounds. Patch spoke with one couple, who said they'd driven down from Marina del Ray just for the opportunity to sample Laguna's signature dishes. But mostly it was locals, eager to greet the chefs they love and meet new ones. More than $40,000 was raised by silent auction alone.

"This town never ceases to amaze me on how they continue to support everything local," continued Hayek. "I think our town needed the night out. Thank you, Laguna Beach, for making the Taste of Laguna a huge success!"

"We could not have done it without the generosity of our community," added Jayne Herring, KX FM's development director, "from sponsorships, donations to the auction, participating as restaurants, bidding at the event, and for their enthusiasm that night! It was a beautiful evening and my heart was so full."

Check out our earlier account of the fun.