Southern Utah Culinary Festival opens mouths, fills tummies

Southern Utah Culinary Festival. Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, April 25, 2014 | Photo by Richard Briggs, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Many teased and  satisfied their taste buds during the first of the two-day Southern Utah Culinary Festival, sponsored by the Stephen Wade Auto Group, and returning for its second year in Vernon Worthen Park  at the corner of 400 East and 300 South in St. George.

Locally-owned businesses from around the area sported some of their best culinary creations, culminating in satisfied stomachs of all who made the trek to Vernon Worthen Park Friday.

“It all looks amazing,” Lisa Rands, of St. George, said. “I love going to things like this. I like to see what the town has to offer, and it’s nice to see smaller businesses come out of their shells.”

The salsa offered by Pepper's Cantina was one of the hot items at the Southern Utah Culinary Festival. There's still a chance to get a taste of all the food Saturday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, April 25, 2014 | Photo by Richard Briggs, St. George News
The salsa offered by Pepper’s Cantina was one of the hot items at the Southern Utah Culinary Festival. There’s still a chance to get a taste of all the food Saturday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, April 25, 2014 | Photo by Richard Briggs, St. George News

Rands worked her way through a plate of crépes from Bear Paw Café and said she enjoyed that dish most, up to that point. She’d heard of most of the restaurants at the festival, she said, but there were some she hadn’t heard of, and was happy to try out their menu items.

Ty Empey, of St. George, said he and his family enjoy attending all events held in the city just like the festival.

“It’s always good to get out of the house and come out and be entertained. We usually come to things like this when they have them,” he said. “It’s a good family environment.”

He said the Culinary Festival is a great way to get all the local businesses together and showcase them for the community.

When it came to the food itself, Empey said he most enjoyed the pie from Dixie Meats.

“I never knew you could get such good pies from a meat place,” Empey said.

Restaurants in attendance offered a variety of food, including barbecue, pizza, chicken wings, Thai, desserts, and chips and salsa.

Along with the food, live music was played during the festival to provide entertainment while walking through the park.

There’s still time to visit the Southern Utah Culinary Festival with a full day of offerings to enjoy on Saturday. It starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 8 p.m.  The festival is free, tasting is $1-$2 per restaurant vendor.

Resources

Southern Utah Culinary Festival | Facebook | Website

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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