Taste event a big success

To the editor:
If you were not able to attend the 3rd Annual Taste of Jay County event on October 16th, you missed an afternoon of fellowship and spectacular food. This event was hosted by the Jay County Chamber of Commerce and was sponsored by Indiana Michigan Power.  
With their sponsorship, we were able to market the event not only in Jay County, but to the surrounding communities and sell over 250 tickets! There were 22 local restaurants, caterers and food establishments in attendance to offer their “Best of Taste”. What a representation of the variety of excellent food choices offered in our community!  The Jay County businesses and/or Jay County Chamber of Commerce members participating this year were:
American Legion Portland-Post 211, Bell Aquaculture, Buffalo Wings & Rings, Dick’s Pizza Palace, El Camino Real Restaurant, Greazy Pickle Bar and Grill, H&H Catering, Jay Co. Hospital, KellieKakes, Koffee Kup Diner, Mainstreet Market, Margarita’s Mexican Grill, Norm’s Restaurant/Place, Patriot Sweet Cakes, Ponderosa, Portland Moose Lodge #417, Richards Restaurant, Romer’s Catering & Entertainment Facilities, Second Chance Bar & Grill, The Cottage Grill & Creamery, Walmart and Wildtree Foods.
These businesses were set up in the small gym at the Jay Community Center to serve featured items. This year the categories were appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, side Dishes, entrées, desserts, beverages and a new category this year, pizza.  The aroma of tasty food items filled the air along with a buzz of conversation and laughter. The ticketholders filled trays with as much as they could the first trip and entered the large gym to find familiar faces to sit and enjoy their selections. This year the committee invited artists to participate in the event, featuring The Alcove and other artists from the local area. As the guests finished voting, they visited the displays to see what our local artists had to offer. This addition certainly added another layer of fun. Throughout the facility, fall was the theme.  Thanks to The Flower Nook, Cook’s Nursery, Elvin Newhouse, Beyond the Gilded Willow and many volunteers, the Jay Community Center was adorned with decorations to bring the spirit of the season alive.  
Many thanks go to Mr. Greg Franklin for his assistance in making certain we had sufficient electricity for the vendors’ Crock Pots, roasters, warmers and other electrical devices. We could not have made this happen without him. There were many other local businesses that contributed to the event. Miller’s Merry Manor donated the table service, coupon bags for the event and provided volunteers for the day.   Bearcreek Farms allowed us to use table linens and printed the tickets and vendor signs. Portland Lion’s Club offered their tables for the vendors to use for serving. Jay-Randolph Developmental Services volunteers assisted in preparing the coupon bags.  The Rock Church graciously allowed us to use tables and chairs for the dining area.  Pak-A-Sak donated bottled water for the event. Ron Stockton, with Coca-Cola, donated soft drinks and was able to attend the event as a volunteer in serving the beverages.  The Jay County Sheriff’s Department was able to bring volunteers to assist in set-up and tear-down and was very much appreciated.  There were several other volunteers that assisted and we thank you very much. The Taste of Jay County Committee included: Janis Fritze, Gyneth Augsburger, Kathy Carpenter, Nancy Reed, Carla Loy, Tressie Monroe, Lisa Barnett, Laura Baldwin and Mandee Mikulski. A special thanks also to chamber executive director, Vicki Tague, for assisting in the event this year as she always does.
As the event came to an end, the committee counted the ballots.  It was very difficult for the people to choose a favorite in each category.  All of the entries were delectable. But there had to be a winner in each category.  
We congratulate each of the winners and encourage everyone to dine with these businesses to experience their specialties.  Jay County is fortunate to have so many food choices and we thank all of the vendors for their participation. We cannot wait until next year to see what Jay County and its chamber members have to offer.
Until then, Good Eats and Good Times.
Annette Alexander,
chair, Taste
of Jay County
Committee[[In-content Ad]]