A Taste of St. Croix Sets Record with Largest Crowd and Most Restaurants

Chapel Hill, NC (April 30, 2009) - On April 16, Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort hosted the ninth annual A Taste of St. Croix culinary competition, attracting a sell-out crowd of nearly 1,800 people to sample the cuisine of 57 local restaurants - the most ever in the event's history.
The record number of attendees, which included the Governor and First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands and visitors from around the Caribbean and Mainland, enjoyed food and wine tastings, music and dancing along the beachfront grounds of the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort, and an after-party sponsored by Moet & Chandon at Divi's Starlight Grille. The Taste of St. Croix is one of the highlights of the island's event and social calendar.

A Taste of St. Croix highlights the island's robust dining scene and the myriad and delicious restaurants, and offers a unique opportunity to sample the diverse dining of St. Croix. Local chefs prepared specialty dishes that were judged by visiting celebrity chefs including Catherine Driggers from California, Iron Chef winner Kevin Rathbun from Atlanta, Johnny Vinczencz from Miami, Willy Digglemann from Panama, and Top Chef finalist Antonia Lofaso from Los Angeles.

This year's event was dedicated to the memory of Pat Henry, beloved general manager of the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and well-known community figure who passed away last September. Pat vigorously supported and helped grow the event, which is held along the hotel's beachfront every year. The Taste of St. Croix benefits the St. Croix Foundation, a non-profit organization that works diligently to revitalize the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets for this year's event sold out within minutes, grossing $85,000 for the Foundation.

"Pat had a great love for the Virgin Islands community and was a true leader in the area's hotel and tourism industry," said Katherine Pugliese, one of the founders of A Taste of St. Croix. "It was only fitting to dedicate the evening to him." Pugliese announced to the crowd a portion of the event's proceeds would fund a scholarship established in Henry's name, to help St. Croix youth wishing to pursue a career in the hotel and tourism industry.

The tenth edition of A Taste of St. Croix is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2010. Information about travel packages to the Divi Carina Bay Resort during the 2010 Taste of St. Croix will be available later this year at www.diviresorts.com/tasteofstcroix. The page also contains a list of winners and images available for editorial use.

About the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience:

The St. Croix Food & Wine Experience showcases the diverse cuisine and wine available on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The five-day event includes gourmet dinners, wine seminars, wine auctions, and the annual culinary competition, A Taste of St. Croix, which is held at Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort. The Taste of St. Croix's most anticipated and scrumptious element is the tasting and culinary competition, which features local chefs preparing specialty dishes for attendees and celebrity chef judges who vote on their top picks in such categories as best appetizer, entree, dessert, presentation and more. The event benefits the St. Croix Foundation (www.stxfoundation.org), a non-profit community foundation that administers a number of local programs. The event was started in 2001 by restaurant owners Katherine Pugliese and Kelly Odom, both restaurateurs on St. Croix, and is recognized as the pre-eminent food and wine event in the Caribbean. For more information, visit www.atasteofstcroix.com.

The winners of A Taste of St. Croix are:

Best Presentation: St. Croix Central High School Cooking Class

Beverage:
1st: Dashi
2nd: Verdel Petersen's Cruzan's Cocktails
3rd : Baci Duty Free

Appetizer:
1st: Salud Bistro
2nd: Pickled Greek
3rd: Ono's on the Waterfront

Soup & Stew:
1st: Galangal
2nd: Bacchus
2nd: Elizabeth's at H2O
2nd: Galleon
2nd: Zebos

Entrée:
1st: Zebos
2nd: Lori's Deli
3rd: Tutto Bene

Dessert:
1st: Rowdy Joe's Northside Eatery
2nd: Creque Dam Farm (VISFI)
3rd: Bacchus
3rd: Elizabeth's at H2O

Local:
1st: Betty's Kitchen
2nd: Roti Master
3rd: Magic Kitchen

Vegetarian:
1st: Tutto Bene
2nd: Annie's Catering
3rd: Galangal

People's Choice: Rumrunners Bar & Restaurant