October 11th, 2012 
Festival goers enjoy the wide food selections at Taste of Charleston (Photo Credit: Kerri Forrest)
The hundreds of cars winding their way through the Spanish moss laden trees and lush farm fields on a dreary Sunday are a testament to the popularity of one of the area’s largest annual foodie events: the Southern Living Taste of Charleston. Hosted by the magazine and the Charleston Restaurant Association, more than 50 restaurants, wineries and beer breweries served thousands under an overcast sky as the 32nd annual festival took over the grounds of Boone Hall Plantation. Foodies from around the Lowcountry were treated to bite sized portions savory and the sweet, seafood and fowl, with fine dining establishments like Hall’s Chophouse side by side with BBQ joints like Sticky Fingers.
Chef Langdon serves up spicy shrimp bruschetta (Photo Credit: Kerri Forrest)
Chef Robert Langdon of Mount Pleasant restaurants Langdon’s and Opal served up shrimp bruschetta while Boone Hall Farms dished catfish sliders. The best salesmen of the day has to be the guys of Poogan’s Porch who guaranteed their fried chicken and deviled eggs were the best “or money back”. Attendees could be overheard asking each other for food suggestions and many took to their blankets and lawn chairs and listened to the bands playing throughout the day. The Beer Garden was also a popular area with tastings of local and regional varieties of the hoppy brew including a number of october/pumpkin brews and even an egyptian cider.
But it wasn’t all about the eats as the Southern Living Village featured magazine editors giving hourly demonstrations on everything from how to create your own 15 minute meals to tips on successful container gardening.
Money raised from the event supports a number of local charities including The Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center, Hospitality Heroes, Shriners Hospitals for Children and Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center
