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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Kayleigh Ross of the Jefferson's restaurant, at right, serves some wings at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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R&S Food Service served candied bacon and roasted chicken at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Jessica Daviston, Anna Price and Tom O'Connell were among several hundred guests at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Several hundred people attended the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Rita Dinkel of the Lake Cyrus community gets some sushi samples from the Rock N Roll Sushi booth at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Several hundred people attended the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Among the guests, from left, were Parker Hendrixson, Ellison Hendrixson, Tiffany Smith and Blake Gossett.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Traci Fox, at left, tries some food from the MELT table at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Serving her was Brianna Varner.
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Steven McIntyre of R&S Food Service serves some candied bacon and roaster chicken to David and Molly Custred of the Trace Crossings community at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Several hundred people attended the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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MELT was offering samples of macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese egg rolls and food truck nachos at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Connie and Harry Blalock of the Magnolia Grove community were among several hundred guests at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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David Cohen of The Whole Scoop ice cream shop serves spiced pumpkin ice cream and peanut butter sundae ice cream to Jared and Kayla Neighbors of Chelsea, Alabama, at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Mike Marston of Sprouts Farmers Market serves food to guests at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Sprouts was offering samples of bourbon and black pepper steak tips, black garlic chicken and mushroom sauce and citrus herb chicken.
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Darlene Bocian of Odenville and Glenn Anderson of Alabaster were among several hundred people at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Carrabba's Italian Grill was among 35 food and beverage providers at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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John Taylor and Carol Downey of the Tradewinds Duo perform at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Darrin and Janet Abernathy check out samples from Pho Pho Asian Cuisine at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Brian Mooney of Tre Luna Catering and Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen serves spinach and artichoke dip to Nadia Hussey of Chelsea, Alabama, at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Dottie Keyes of Jubilee Joe's Cajun Seafood Restaurant serves Cajun fried turkey to Anna Price at the 2020 Taste of Hoover event at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
Several hundred people came out to Aldridge Gardens Thursday night for the 2020 Taste of Hoover event, sampling food and beverages from establishments across the city.
Tynette Lynch, the city’s director of tourism and hospitality and CEO of Aldridge Gardens, said this was probably the best lineup of restaurants for the event since it started in 2012.
“I think we have more full-service restaurants than we’ve had before,” Lynch said.
There were 31 food and beverage providers, including many first-time participants such as Jefferson’s, Jimmy John’s, Jubilee Joe’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant, MELT, Pho Pho Asian Cuisine and Super Chix.
Lynch said she was concerned that the movement of the Spain Park-Hoover football game to Thursday night might hurt attendance at the food event, but most people appeared to come to the Taste of Hoover anyway. Some came to the food event, which started at 5 p.m., first and then left to go to the game.
Tickets were $45 for Aldridge Gardens members, $50 for the general public and free for children 12 and younger. All proceeds benefited Aldridge Gardens. After expenses are covered, Lynch estimated the public gardens would net about $10,000.
Live music was provided by the Tradewinds Duo (Carol Downey and John Taylor).
Lauren Grisham, vice president of the group that bought the Jefferson’s restaurant in Hoover in August, said the event was a great opportunity for them.
“We want to get out and meet the people of Hoover and introduce ourselves to the locals, get our name out,” Grisham said.
Harry and Connie Blalock of the Magnolia Grove community said they come to the Taste of Hoover every year. Connie Blalock formerly worked at Aldridge and frequently worked the event, but now she is retired and was glad to be able to enjoy it as a guest. “It’s a great tradition for Hoover,” she said.
Harry Blalock said he enjoyed the wine from International Wines & Craft Beers and the offerings from Super Chix and Rock N Roll Sushi. Connie Blalock said she really liked the “redfish Rockefeller” from the Cajun Steamer Bar & Grill. It’s a Creole redfish filet topped with jumbo shrimp in a creamy spinach and bacon sauce and served over Cajun mashed potatoes.
Nadia Hussey of Chelsea, who was there with her husband from Carrabba’s Italian Grill, said she liked the white chocolate bread pudding served by Tre Luna Catering & Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen, and she had to come back for seconds of Tre Luna’s spinach and artichoke dip.
Jim and Audrey Ann Wilson of the Martinwood community said they were surprised but glad to see such a strong crowd, given the COVID-19 epidemic.
“I think people for the most part were being very careful, distancing and wearing their masks (while not eating)," Audrey Ann Wilson said.
This year, vendors were spread apart more than usual, and seating was spread out more as well.
Jim Wilson said he really liked the chocolate brownie ice cream from The Whole Scoop and the macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese egg roll and food truck nachos from MELT.
Here is the complete list of food and beverage vendors that participated:
- Back Forty Beer Co.
- Bojangles
- Bruno's Hospitality
- CakEffect
- Carrabba's Italian Grill
- Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery
- Chicken Salad Chick
- Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United
- Dread River Distilling Co.
- Edible Arrangements
- Emily's Heirloom Poundcakes
- Eugene's Hot Chicken
- The Happy Catering Co.
- International Wines & Craft Beers
- Jefferson's Restaurant
- Jimmy John’s
- Jubilee Joe's Cajun Seafood Restaurant
- MELT
- Merk's Tavern & Kitchen
- Pho Pho Asian Cuisine
- R&S Catering
- Rock N Roll Sushi
- Santos Coffee
- Savoie Catering
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Super Chix
- Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
- The Cajun Steamer
- The Whole Scoop
- Tre Luna Catering/Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen
- Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar
