Wow! What a night!

The tent was a rockin' -- did you come knockin'?

Taste of the Valley 2009 was a fantastic success and raised over $14,000 for Tri-Town Youth Services! With over 250 people in attendance, the white tent was filled with happy attendees filling their bellies with brilliant, innovative, and creative appetizers and desserts from local restaurants and caterers. From ceviche to gourmet flatbreads to lobster bisque to to melon sorbet to finger-lickin' ribs and more, no one went hungry! The Shiny Lapel kept the crowd moving and grooving all night long - and some lucky attendees even got to sing with the band!

We extend special thanks and gratitude to the nine restaurant participants in Taste of the Valley 2009 - whose generosity and passion for food make our event possible. This year, participants and judges voted for their favorite restaurants and caterers. Although it was difficult to choose and the results were close, the winners of the 2009 Taste of the Valley awards were as follows:

Best Chocolate Dessert - The Back Porch
Best Ethnic Food - The Ivory Restaurant
Best Use of Local Ingredients - The Lace Factory
Best Soup - Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station
Best Seafood Appetizer - On the Rocks at Foxhopyard
Best Vegetarian Appetizer - Pizzeria DaVinci
Best Dessert - du'Glace Bistro & Patisserie
Best Appetizer and Best Presentation - Gabrielle's

And the coveted Taste of the Valley fork went to.................
Most Creative Dessert and Best Overall - Brushmill by the Waterfall

Congratulations to everyone - the food was amazing!

We would also like to thank all of our sponsors and contributors including: Clark Group, The Valley Courier, Whelen Engineering, Essex Savings Bank, Angus McDonald/Gary Sharpe, & Associates, Reid Brothers Tents, Tower Labs, Comprehensive Wealth Management, Shiny Lapel Trio, Ciel Printing, The Lalikos Family, Maple Self-Storit, Hale Hill Biofuels, Lamburt Corporation Insurance, Trendowski & Allen PC, Essex Lions, Scott's Farm & Greenhouse, Alexa Carlson Catering, Olsen Sanitation, Dunkin Donuts and The Deep River Historical Society.

Every year, our community raises a fork to support the youth of our community and it is a pleasure for all of us on the Taste of the Valley committee to be a part of an event that is not only becoming a showcase for our local chefs, but has a significant impact on Tri-Town Youth Services' ability to provide advocacy, programming, and support to local youth and families. Since 2007, Taste of the Valley has raised $38,000 - we can not thank you enough for supporting our efforts!

See you next year!

One last note...lost & found! A red fleece jacket was lost at the event as was a pair of black prescription sunglasses. A leather and silver bracelet was found. Call 526-3600 if you have any information about these items!

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