Rotary Gives Guests A Taste of Hillcrest

The 11th annual A Taste of Hillcrest attracted about 600 people to on Thursday to sample food from 20 area restaurants.

The event, a combined effort of the noon and sunrise chapters of the Rotary Club of Hillcrest, is the group's biggest fundraiser of the year. Sue Hinkle attended for the first time this year to support her neighbor, Michael LaMarca of , and was impressed with the event.

"It's lovely," she said. "I'm definitely coming back again next year."

That kind of loyalty has helped A Taste of Hillcrest grow from its first year in a hangar at Cuyahoga County Airport.

"It started as a way to raise money to purchase AEDs (automatic external defibrillators)," said Tom Mugridge, event chairman.

The Rotary bought AEDs for schools, community centers and police and fire departments until it ran out of places that needed the devices. However, there was still a need to raise funds, which are now used to pay for Meals on Wheels, senior and youth programs, Special Olympics and other Rotary causes.

"Most of the money comes back to the community through the Rotary's service projects," Mugridge said.

Last year, attendance fell to the 350-400 range and A Taste of Hillcrest raised $13,000. With about 600 tickets sold this time, the event should be back around its typical level of raising $20,000.

"We do have a very loyal crowd of people who come out and support us," Mugridge said, adding that there are 953 people on the mailing list. "They don't all show, of course."

Enough people came that a few restaurants, including "Best Restaurant" winner Freddie's Rib House, ran out of samples early. Popular stops included for pulled pork sandwiches, Pappa Joe's Subs for meatballs and , which served bison burgers.

Other restaurants at A Taste of Hillcrest included , , Appetite Bakery, , Spirits of 56 and Maggiano's Little Italy.

Event sponsors included , Miceli Dairy Products Co., Orlando Baking Company, Home Savings and Vicchiarelli Funeral Home.