Annual event showcases food
CRANBERRY TWP — Hundreds of people packed both the township municipal building and their stomachs Wednesday at an event that featured samplings from nearly 20 restaurants.
Participants needed only to pay $15 for access to the municipal center's gymnasium, which was filled with succulent smells and plentiful offerings of some of the best food in the region.
Now called the Taste of the Chamber, the event is in its 13th year and is organized by the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Those who waited through humidity and the rain in a line outside were greeted by the scene in the gym, which resembled a buffet line full of an array of foods, desserts and drinks.
Wayne Young knows a bit about the event, which was previously known as the Taste of Cranberry, because he's been to every one of them.
He waited in line with his wife as the clock ticked closer to 5 p.m. and said he could only find one problem with having so much food in such a little space.
“The only problem is that you can't sample everything,” he said with a laugh.
His wife, Helen, stood nearby and said the couple loves coming to the event, mostly because there are different restaurants and foods to try each year.
“If there's something new, we'll test it here before deciding if we want to go to dinner there,” she said.
Unlike the Youngs, this was Rebecca Martin's first time experiencing the unique fundraiser because this is her first year as the president and CEO of the chamber.
She said the Taste of the Chamber is about so much more than just food, being that it brings together residents in all sorts of different professions.
“Any time we can connect a business with another business, or a business to the rest of the community, then that's a great event for the chamber,” she said.
Cathy Brimner certainly agreed with that assessment as she prepared dozens of samples of low-calorie smoothies.
The manager of the Dairy Queen on Route 19 in Cranberry Township, she said the business couldn't possibly pass up the chance to market itself to so many people at once.
“We sponsor ball teams and are always involved in Cranberry's Community Days celebration,” Brimner said. “This is just another way to engage with our community.”
Not everything at the event was edible, however, as more than a dozen businesses set up information booths.
Beth Pawlowicz, the director of admissions for the new Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School that will open in Cranberry next year, said she came to show appreciation to a community that's welcomed the project with open arms.
“We came to say thank you and to show that we're excited to be a part of such a vibrant area, to be part of Cranberry Township and Butler County as a whole,” she said.
But in the end, many of the hundreds in attendance come for the cake and sandwiches, the steak and other desserts.
Deb Lewis summed up the experience when asked why she continued to come back to the Taste of the Chamber event.
“Everything here is always so good,” she said. “It's lots of bang for your buck.”
