There was no reason to go home hungry Tuesday night, as Taste of Conway offered plenty of food and plenty of variety.
Patrons lined up at the Conway Sports Center to sample wares from various restaurants around town. Tables in the middle of the floor allowed them to take a break between visiting the different displays.
Bradley Phillips of Conway said he very much enjoyed the fare offered by America 13-50. He said he had a hamburger, a pot pie and chocolate cake.
"It was great," he said. "It was a gourmet twist on American favorites."
He went on, "This is my first time to be here. Everyone always tells me what a great event it is. I wish I had paced myself a little better, because I'm full and I'm only about half way done."
Brian Knopp said, "My favorite thing here was the Hawaiian tenderloin from Colton's. It was excellent."
Jim Elliot, standing nearby, said, "It was between (the Hawaiian tenderloin) and Lindsey's barbecued ribs. And Lindsey's fried pies were pretty good."
Rhonda Cox said, "I love Dixie (Cafe) because it's good home cooking like Mama used to make." She said she sampled chicken and dumplings, green beans, squash casserole and northern beans from the Dixie Cafe booth.
"It was a meal," she added.
Jill and Bobby Hamilton have lived in Conway several years but were first-timers at Tuesday's event.
"What a fabulous way to get to sample all of these yummy things," said Jill Hamilton.
Bobby Hamilton said, "We're from Louisiana, where there's a lot of good eating, and we were a little disappointed with the amount of restaurants. Now it's catching up."
Vendors appeared enthusiastic as they served up samples for the masses.
Scotty Adams, marketing director for Moe's Southwest Grill, said, "We like the air conditioning. Some of these (events) that you do, they have them outside. Folks in Conway are great."
Shelly James, general manager of Taco Bueno, said of the event, "I think it's an awesome idea. It gives everybody an idea of what we have out there."
Diana Blount, general manager of Ruby Tuesday, said, "It's fun. It really turned out nice. It's nice to see all the restaurants in Conway. It's fun to see what everybody has to bring."
Katie Keck of America 13-50, which has been open about a month, said, "It seems to be going great. It seems like a really great turnout."
Mary Margaret Satterfield, director of marketing and tourism for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, said, "This year has been very exciting. We had a great turnout, great restaurants. This has been an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our restaurants. I think everybody's had a great time and left very full and very happy."
(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
