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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer 

PELHAM – Food lovers from around the local area gathered in mass at the Pelham Civic Complex on Thursday, April 11 for yet another successful rendition of The Taste of Pelham.

Among the city’s most premier and attended exhibition events, The Taste of Pelham provides attendees with the ability to sample the large variety of tastes that can be found out in the local community.

While highlighting the variety of flavors and cultural influences, the annual event also allowed guests to meet and speak with both the owners and operators of the establishments and a collection of local leaders that included past and present members of the Pelham Library Guild, the Pelham City Council, Pelham Mayor Gary Waters, state leaders and more.

“This is a great opportunity to present a moment of community and fellowship,” State Rep. Kenneth Paschal said. “And of course, you can’t beat the eating.”

This year’s event featured a packed house inside of the Pelham Civic Complex’s Banquet Hall that saw businesses line all four walls of the room.

Among the list of vendors of 2024’s Taste of Pelham were the following establishments:

•  Brownie Fusion
•  Texas Roadhouse No. 196
•  Creekside BBQ
•  Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes
•  Gumbo to Geaux
•  Half Shell Oyster House
•  Moe’s Southwest Grill
•  Joe’s Italian
•  Louise’s Cakes & Supply
•  Pelham High School’s culinary arts class
•  Taco Mac
•  Teriyaki Madness

Throughout the event, guests were encouraged to sample all that was being offered and to make their determinations as to who would carry their votes in a number of categories. In play were the categories of best overall taste, best entrée, best side and best dessert. While not the case in previous events, this year’s Taste of Pelham had its winners determined by popular vote which was received through the use of QR codes in place at each food station.

When all votes were casts, the winners for each category were announced and printed plaques were presented to each winner.

The winners for the 2024 Taste of Pelham were as follows:

•  Best overall: Gumbo to Geaux
•  Best entrée: Chef Andy Pelham with the Pelham Civic Complex
•  Best side: Chef Andy with the Pelham Civic Complex
•  Best dessert: Brownie Fusion

The winner of best dessert, Brownie Fusion, marked a moment of success for owner Crystal Williams and her husband, who celebrated their first ever presence at the annual event with a win.

“My husband and I celebrated our 16th Anniversary at Taste of Pelham for the first time and won best dessert,” Williams said. “Thank you to everyone who voted Brownie Fusion for best dessert.”

The winner of best overall for 2024, Gumbo to Geaux, added their latest victory to their pot of past successes, which have seen them also net success with 2022’s best entrée category and 2023’s best dessert.

In highlighting all of the establishments that contributed to the menu, the event also served in its primary purpose of raising awareness and funds for the Pelham Public Library, a mission that the event has undertaken since its inception.

Official numbers place the total funds raised for the Pelham Public Library at $8,500.

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