Letter: Flavors 2016 A Great Success

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce’s 13th annual Flavors was once again a smashing success. We wish to thank Chairman Michael Ferreira, our host venue, our exhibitors, our sponsors, our members, our volunteers and our residents for this success.

Flavors of Wellington brings together the best of the best Wellington Chamber member restaurants, catering venues, wholesale and gourmet markets, as well as country clubs. They showcase their businesses, products, menus and exceptional service staff. This event could hot happen without their participation, and we are so grateful to each of them for joining us this year.

Thank you to Roxanne Stein and WPTV News Channel 5 for live pre-event broadcasts, as well as Mike Ferreira for exceptional pre-event media coverage on Chukker.TV, as well as The Palm Beach Post, Around Wellington, the Town-Crier, Wellington The Magazine, LocalDines.com and LivingFla.com for their support in the promotion of Flavors. With their consideration, many residents learned of our event and attended as a result.

Congratulations to our winners of the evening: Chef Shannon Atkins of Grand Champions Polo Club Events & Catering for Best Taste, and an incredible showing from three-time winner Bolay for Best Plate Presentation, Best Display and Best Dessert, as well as all our fantastic showcase vendors: Art Cellar, the Binks Forest Golf Club, Chef Donna Kokulak, CJR Fine Arts, Clothed4APurpose, Great American Cookies, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pasquale’s, Rollatini Restaurant, Romeo’s Restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Starbucks, Stonewood Grill & Tavern, Suri West, TaOne Asian Fusion, the White Elephant Bar & Grill, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market Wellington and William Wolf Pecan Bourbon. If you have not visited any of these establishments, please make it a point to stop in and try them out! Each one offers a unique flair, and why go anywhere else when we have so many exceptional choices right here? Plus, you will be supporting our local economy.

The event staff at Equestrian Sport Productions is nothing less than superb. Without the exceptional generosity of Mark and Katherine Bellissimo and the logistical expertise of Vaneli Bojkova, Patti Meile, Kathleen Lewter and the exemplary event staff at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, this event could not be possible. This group of consummate professionals allowed the evening to happen without fail, and our gratitude to them is beyond measure.

We could not be a success without our sponsors and host committee. Our deepest gratitude goes out to Mark and Katherine Bellissimo and Michael Stone of Equestrian Sport Productions, Melissa Ganzi and Grand Champions Polo Club, Mike Ferreira and Chukker.TV, Stephanie Mitrione and FPL, Dr. Randy Laurich and the Wellness Experience and Johnny Meier of My Community Pharmacy.

Thank you to our VIP table sponsors: Awesome Ray Klouda, Carolyn Luther DVM, Chukker.TV, Coast to Coast Pharmacy, Distinctive Title, Donna Nives, Equestrian Sport Productions, Florida Interventional Pain Management, FPL, Grand Champions Polo Club, K&E Travel, Shullman Orthodontics, the Law Offices of Alec Domb, My Community Pharmacy, the Town-Crier, the Wellness Experience and the Village of Wellington.

Thank you to our fantastic celebrity judges: Mayor Anne Gerwig, Nic Roldan, Michael Stone, Roxanne Stein, Mike Ferreira, Stephanie Mitrione and Debbie Crompton. Thank you Studio 54 Band for providing exceptional entertainment all evening.

A very special thank you to our chamber ambassadors Stuart and Diann Hack, Sharon Lasko, Kathleen Williams, Jack Rosen, Jill Davidson, Jen Hernandez, Denise Carpenter and Chamber President Debbie Crompton, as well as Past President Johnny Meier for all their hard work on the event. Thank you Sheldon and Mrs. Laskin, and Karen Gorham, as well as our exceptional students from Wellington High School, Ms. Clawson’s National Honor Society students, Palm Beach Central High School, American Heritage School, Wellington Landings Middle School and Polo Park Middle School. Last but not least, we want to thank the Wellington residents and Wellington Chamber of Commerce members who support this event each year. You make it a pleasure hosting Flavors, and with your participation, we can only grow this event each year to keep it the “Signature Tasting Event” in Wellington!

For more information about the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and upcoming chamber events, call us at (561) 792-6525.

Michela Green, Executive Director, Wellington Chamber of Commerce