A Tasteful Affair recently unfolded into a full-house celebration at Port Orange’s Riverside Pavilion, where more than 20 local restaurants turned out with their best bites and boldest flavors.
The 29th annual fundraising event, hosted by the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber of Commerce, kicked off just after 5 p.m. April 30.
An estimated 170 guests filled the waterfront venue, weaving between tasting tables with drinks in hand, as live music and lively chatter carried through the warm evening air.
But for most, this wasn’t only a night to sip and sample — it was a showdown.
Four standout winners emerged, from best appetizer to best entrée and dessert, each chosen by a panel of judges — Port Orange Mayor Scott Stiltner, Frank Scott with WROD Talk Radio, Ammie Ryan with WSBB Radio, and me. The Best Overall winner was decided by attendees’ votes.
Restaurants at A Tasteful Affair 2026
The participating restaurants included: Amber’s Jewel Catering; Aunt Catfish’s; Back Alley Lanes Restaurant; Bella Cucina Italian Eatery; Bliss Beach Café; Chip and Dough; Coast Wine Company; Crabby Joe’s; GoGut Cafe; Houligan’s; Jbird Coffee; Jersey Mike’s Subs; Luigi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante; Malibu Beach Grille; Miller’s Ale House; Nothing Bundt Cakes; Pizza Rays; Supreme Beans Coffee Shop; The Cracked Egg Diner; Tiki Docks; Treats & Sweets Cakery.
What was served at A Tasteful Affair 2026?
A slew of restaurants, cafes and caterers from the Shores, Ponce Inlet, South Daytona and Port Orange served samples of the very best items from their menus.
While Port Orange’s Pizza Rays showed out with homemade roast beef, Bella Cucina Italian Eatery brought a spread of fresh bruschetta, spaghetti and garlic knots, among other items. Homemade baklava was a sweet standout from Luigi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante, though the vanilla latte cupcakes from Treats & Sweets Cakery were certainly a hit.
“The turnout was absolutely fantastic. We contacted 21 restaurants, and we are so excited that all 21 restaurants showed up … . That, to us, was just a major success, because we only had nine restaurants last year,” said Michele Jordan, the chamber’s director of member service, noting guest turnout was more than five times greater this year than last.
“All the comments that were made were really positive, and I was just so impressed with what the restaurants brought. They brought their A games,” she continued, praising Malibu Beach Grille, among other restaurants, for its popular crab cakes, served with a creamy garlic aioli.
Who won A Tasteful Affair 2026?
After sampling items from each booth, all four judges were tasked with reaching a consensus in each category. In some cases, a clear favorite emerged, while others called for a little more deliberation. By the end of the night, four winners were crowned.
Best Appetizer was awarded to Amber’s Jewel Catering, spotlighting the brand’s raspberry and goat cheese flatbread — a perfectly thin slice, each bite giving way to the slight tang of creamy goat cheese and bright pop of its fresh raspberry spread.
“I’m very competitive, so I always want to win,” laughed owner John Monroe, alongside his wife Lynne.
“… And the thing about the flatbread is, it’s very forgiving. It doesn’t matter really what you do to it, you know? We put all kinds of different toppings on ours … . It’s very personal.”
After nearly 30 years in business, the duo was all smiles following their win, describing the evening as “a fun date night.”
“This was really cool; it was sweet,” Lynne added. “… We have so much fun, and we have great staff. They’re our family, and they’ve been with us forever.”
Best Entrée was then awarded to the Shores’ Crabby Joe’s for its poke tuna tacos.
The flour tacos were layered with diced ahi tuna, chopped cucumber, red onion, slaw and spiced wasabi ranch — each bite bringing a bright, layered flavor palate that seemed to take each judge by surprise.
In an unexpected twist, the title for Best Dessert wasn’t given to a baked treat, but rather an iced latte.
Supreme Beans Coffee Shop took home the award for its Honey Bear Latte — rich and creamy, prepared with real honey, cinnamon and the milk of choice.
“It was definitely a shocker for us, but it just gives us motivation to continue to work hard for our community,” said Chef Julian Villanueva. “… So, we’re excited. I get to go back to the team and — one of our own actually created (the Honey Bear Latte), so I get to go and congratulate her,” he continued. “… It’ll be good news and a good morale boost for our team.”
To close out the evening, attendees’ pick for Best Overall was announced — though a three-way tie required judges to step in, with the final nod going to Tiki Docks for its Tampa Cuban.
“It feels amazing to be supported by this community,” said Tiki Docks Managing Partner Sean Strack, noting the restaurant’s fresh-baked banana bread — served a la mode in-house — was another hit among guests.
“A lot of the questions were, ‘What makes a Tampa Cuban different from a regular Cuban?’ It’s the salami, and it goes back to Tampa’s Ybor City, where they were popular for putting that on their Cubans,” he continued. “… It definitely adds that flavor profile that everyone enjoyed today, and that, I really think, was the significance to this win.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Which Daytona-area restaurants won A Tasteful Affair? Here’s the list
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
