Roughly 400 people were on hand to enjoy the Flavors 2022 Mobile Food & Wine Event, an annual tour of eateries and entertainment destinations in Wellington. Held Thursday, May 19, Flavors is organized by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. It provides people with an opportunity to safely do three of their favorite things: eat, drink and enjoy time with friends.
The evening began with a social mixer for all attendees at the Wellington National Golf Club. Participants were entertained by live music as they checked out what was for sale from the Spark Boutique and La Enovesé, and sampled the cuisine from India Grill & Bar, bourbon from Hope Town Vodka, and a variety of coffees and sweet treats from Starbucks.
The food from India Grill — chicken tikka masala, vegetable samosa, lamb sheekh kebab, garlic naan and cheese naan — was an excellent example of the wonderful international cuisine samples that awaited all participants throughout Wellington.
Many of those who attended Flavors 2022 had participated in the past.
“This is one of the coolest events that the Wellington Chamber of Commerce does each year,” said Lee Frankhouser of Professional Bank Wellington, one of the bus sponsors this year.
As the participants boarded the buses, they were about to engage in multiple off-and-on stops around the village. At each stop, there was a combination of drinks, desserts and sample-sized delights to enjoy.
Those on board the buses were in great spirits. At each stop, attendees had roughly 20 minutes to enjoy the atmosphere and sample the bite-sized cuisine samples.
At Village Music & Café, visitors were entertained by Steve Willey and the Village Music Allstar Band while they enjoyed red wine and flatbread pizza. At Kickback Neighborhood Tavern, Jerry Leeman sang while visitors sampled smoked Jamaican jerk chicken and Oreo peanut butter pretzel pie in a cup, along with cucumber-mint mojitos.
“My favorite dessert was the Oreo peanut butter pretzel cup,” attendee Wanda Randall said.
At Maxwell’s Plum, there were bite-sized samples of falafel with za’atar spice hummus, while Walker’s Cay Bourbon was served by representatives from Southern Eagle. At Hurricane Grill, the mini menu featured firecracker shrimp, mahi fish dip, tortilla chips and raspberry vodka Arnold Palmers on the rocks. Then, attendees were invited to go next door to learn the art of axe throwing at Seven Axes.
At the Mole Cantina Mexicana, passion fruit margaritas and a taco birria (corn tortilla, shredded beef, shredded onion and cilantro) were served. “Those margaritas were tart, not too tart, and sweet with a nice finish,” Janelle Dowley of Wellington said.
At the Poké Company, the spicy tuna nachos and ahi tuna rolls were very popular. Next door at Stonewood Grill & Tavern, the chicken and sausage gumbo was worth having a second serving. At Piatto Bravo, Julie Haven provided a toe-tappin’ atmosphere from the keyboard while each busload enjoyed the ziti and cannolis.
Another one of the stops was in the parking lot at the Courtyard Shops. There, an impromptu venue was created for Whit’s Custard and Professional Concessions. At Whit’s, they served three types of custard (Kit Kat and cream, extreme Reese’s and expresso fudge almond), while Professional Concessions featured three types of craft beers on tap and a grilled kebob sandwich on a brioche roll from its Steak Shack portable serving trailer.
Flavors 2022 was a great time to explore the inventory of restaurants in Wellington.
“This event introduces us to the local businesses in the village,” said Evelyn Reibel, who enjoyed the festivities with her husband Steven.
It’s clear that Flavors 2022 was a big hit.
“I loved it, and the vibe was good,” Kelly Donado said. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
Her favorite dessert was the Kit Kat and cream custard from Whit’s Frozen Custard. Clearly, she was not alone. When the decisions of the judges were calculated, four winners were announced: The Poké Company for Best Taste, Maxwell’s Plum for Best Cocktail, Whit’s Frozen Custard for Best Dessert, and Village Music & Café for Best Stop.
The overall event was sponsored by Florida Power & Light and Gast Construction Group. The entertainment sponsors were K&E Travel and Celebrity Cruises.
“The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is honored to once again celebrate Flavors in our 19th year,” Executive Director Michela Green said. “This event is not possible without the support of our presenting sponsors, FPL and Gast Construction Group, as well as our entertainment sponsors K&E Travel and Celebrity Cruises. Flavors showcases the best of the best Wellington hospitality venues. We are so grateful to each restaurateur for participating each year and for being such an amazing part of the community. We would also like to thank everyone who came out to celebrate with us. We are looking forward to seeing you at Flavors 2023, which will be our 20th year.”
