Taste Around Winners

The Lobster Trap, Steve Steakhouse and the Catalina Country Club Win the 6th Anuual Taste Around of Avalon

Avalon, Catalina Island – The Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the sixth annual Taste Around of Avalon, is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Best of Tastes.  The winner of the “Best of Food Taste” is The Lobster Trap, the “Best of Drink Taste” is Steve’s Steakhouse and the “Best of Dessert Taste” goes to the Catalina Country Club.   Each first place winner won $100. 

Twenty food and beverage establishments participated in the annual event held last Thursday, June 3rd as the kick-off to the four day Flying Fish Festival.  Eleven hundred and twenty five participants enjoyed the beautiful evening socializing and tasting the scrumptious food, dessert and drink offerings.

The Lobster Trap won the “Best of Food Taste” category with a record number of 267 votes.  They served up a mouth-watering and generous selection of chicken and seafood including swordfish, salmon, Ahi tuna, bacon wrapped scallops, clams and oysters.  Second in the votes for the Best Taste was the M Restaurant with their chicken curry spring rolls and third place was the Catalina Country Club with their seared Ahi tuna with wasabi on a bed of mashed potatoes. 

The “Best of Drink” category was won by the Steve’s Steakhouse with 134 votes. Their winning drink was a non-alcoholic Lava Flow, a delicious concoction and an obvious crowd pleaser. In 2nd place for the Best Taste of Drink was the Landing Bar & Grill with their pear martini and the key lime martini at the M Restaurant took 3rd.  

The Catalina Country Club received 164 votes for the “Best Taste of Dessert” with their exquisite chocolate espresso mousse.  Lloyds of Avalon came in second with their candy apple and 3rd place goes Avalon Grille with their fried oreo cookie.    

To encourage Tasting participants to visit as many establishments as possible, the Chamber also held a raffle drawing for a $25 Catalina Island gift certificate.  To qualify, tasters had to have their voting cards validated with a minimum of ten tastes at participating establishments. The winner of the $25 gift certificate is local resident, Karl Karstens from Avalon.