Recently, on the lush Caribbean island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I got to attend  the 2011 A Taste of St. Croix held for the 11th year at the Divi Carina Bay All-Inclusive Beach Resort & Casino. What an amazing event and in a beautiful tropical setting!

More than 1,500 people descended upon the resort’s pool and beach areas overlooking the breathtaking turquoise water to sample and savor an incredible selection of the island’s best fare.  It was a seemingly endless variety of colorful and creative appetizers, entrees, desserts, tropical fruit drinks and wines from around the world. I saw firsthand why Forbes Travel ranked A Taste of St. Croix as “one of the 10 best international food and wine events.”  

Calypso and reggae music filled the air while guests mingled, ate, drank and danced under twinkling palm trees and  a sea of stars. Celebrity chefs from around the U.S. served as guest judges. Not only did they have to taste up to 55 entries, they had to choose the top 3 in each category.  The judges included: Anita Lo from New York City, Tiffany Derry of Dallas, Roberto Trevino from Puerto Rico, Ana Sortun of the Cambridge area of Boston, Liza Shaw from San Francisco, Michael “mac and cheese” Ferraro of New York City, and vegetarian chef and television reporter Cindi Avila also from New York.  

It was definitely an event not to be missed and the most delicious part? A Taste of St. Croix, as part of the week-long St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, is a fundraiser for the St. Croix Foundation which supports health, education and community initiatives on the island.