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Erica Techo
Samples from Five Star Event Catering included bruschetta with a herbed goat cheese spread and topping. Five Star Event Catering was one of nearly 40 vendors at the Taste of Hoover in Aldridge Gardens on Oct. 12, 2017.
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Erica Techo
A singer performs at Taste of Hoover in Aldridge Gardens on Oct. 12, 2017. The sold-out event treated attendees to food samples from around the city.
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Erica Techo
Two children take time to enjoy food from Taste of Hoover in a tree at Aldridge Gardens. The pair also helped serve food from Customs Cafe at the Oct. 12, 2017 event.
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Erica Techo
A representative of Kathy G Catering hands out samples at the Taste of Hoover on Oct. 12, 2017. The sold-out event brought food vendors from around Hoover to Aldridge Gardens.
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Erica Techo
A Taste of Hoover attendee walks away with samples from Jake's Soulfood at the Oct. 12, 2017 event. The Taste of Hoover took place at Aldridge Gardens and brought in nearly 40 food, drink and catering vendors.
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Erica Techo
A representative of The Greek Kouzina stands at the restaurant's table at Taste of Hoover in Aldridge Gardens. The Oct. 12, 2017 event included nearly 40 vendors from the Hoover area.
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Erica Techo
A couple walks into Taste of Hoover at Aldridge Gardens on Oct. 12, 2017. The event included nearly 40 food ,drink and catering vendors who provided guests with samples of some of their favorite dishes.
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Erica Techo
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Erica Techo
A young server offers up samples from Customs Cafe at Taste of Hoover on Oct. 12, 2017 at Aldridge Gardens. The Taste of Hoover included nearly 40 food, drink and catering vendors this year.
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Erica Techo
Taste of Hoover Attendees sit down to enjoy their food at the Oct. 12, 2017 event at Aldridge Gardens. The event included nearly 40 vendors from the Hoover area.
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Erica Techo
The sold-out Taste of Hoover event took place Oct. 12 at Aldridge Gardens.
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Erica Techo
A representative of Back Forty Beer Company hands over a drink at the Taste of Hoover on Oct. 12, 2017. The sold-out event at Aldridge Gardens includes several food vendors from around the city.
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Erica Techo
A woman grabs samples from The Happy Catering Company at Taste of Hoover on Oct. 12, 2017 at Aldridge Gardens. The sold-out event included nearly 40 food, drink and catering vendors.
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Erica Techo
A Taste of Hoover attendee grabs samples from the Spouts Farmers Market booth at Taste of Hoover on Oct. 12, 2017. The Taste of Hoover brought nearly 40 food, drink and catering vendors to Aldridge Gardens this year.
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Erica Techo
About 400 people showed up for the sixth annual Taste of Hoover event tonight at Aldridge Gardens to sample menu items from Hoover restaurants, caterers and other food and drink providers.
Aldridge Gardens CEO Tynette Lynch said this was the most successful year yet.
“We had more restaurants than we’ve ever had, and we sold more tickets than we’ve ever sold,” Lynch said. “It was packed.” Typically, the event has included about 30 restaurants and caterers, but this year there were 38, she said. Gardens officials sold 380 tickets this year and gave out some complimentary tickets, she said.
They had to shut off ticket sales to make sure they didn’t run out of food, and they didn’t, Lynch said. She asked restaurants to bring more food this year as well, she said.
Phyllis Ferguson of Hoover’s Polo Trace subdivision said this year’s event was wonderful.
“The way they had everything set up, it was so nice,” Ferguson said. “There was more food than I could handle. I really didn’t taste everything. I got too full.”
Chris and Beth Williams came from Helena to give the event a first try after someone gave them tickets, and they were not disappointed, they said.
“There was plenty of types of food to choose from and ethnicities,” Beth Williams said.
Her favorites were the jerk chicken, cabbage, rice and beans from Jake’s Soul Food Café and Bar and the pot roast and mashed potatoes from Ashley Mac’s. Her husband really liked the chocolate baklava from The Greek Kouzina. “It was out of this world,” he said.
Holly Barton, a wedding and marketing specialist for Happy Catering, said the Taste of Hoover is one of her favorite events to work each year. It’s a relaxed night, and she gets to meet a lot of people, and they get to sample Happy Catering’s food, she said.
Charity Chancellor, the managing partner for the new Metro Diner in Inverness, said this was a good opportunity for people to learn about their restaurant and try their chicken pot pie.
But she and the women who came with her didn’t realize how fancy some of the restaurants’ decorations would be, she said. They plan to put more into their decorations next year and might cook chicken and waffles on site, she said.
Jackson Ulmer provided music for all the guests as they mingled and moved from table to table, and strings of lights helped provide for serene mood lighting.
Ticket prices for this year’s Taste of Hoover increased from $30 to $40 for members of Aldridge Gardens and from $40 to $45 for non-members. The event raised about $16,000 for Aldridge, which is about double last year’s take, thanks to the increased prices and greater sales, Lynch said.
The Hoover Sun is a sponsor for the Taste of Hoover.
