Fresh off the Taste of Home Cooking School that the VDT sponsors each year, this weekend is the annual Taste of Valdosta, sponsored by Quota International of Valdosta to benefit the organization’s many charitable efforts.
If you’ve never been to a Taste of Valdosta event before, it’s awesome. For someone like me who likes just a little bit of a lot of things, it’s ideal, but even for those who like a lot of food, it seems to add up pretty quickly.
The really cool thing about the event is that you get to try all sorts of things that you might have always wanted to, or try a restaurant that you haven’t ever eaten at before.
There’s a $5 admission fee and then you buy tokens for 50 cents each from the Quota folks, and each vendor provides you with an item they are sampling for one, two, three or four tokens, depending on what it is. One year I went from eating chocolate cheesecake, my weakness, at one booth to coconut shrimp and crab bisque at others.
Each vendor usually brings a half dozen or so items to choose from, and there are 20 vendors this year, including a number of newcomers, such as Submarina, Red Velvet, Becky’s Cakes, Barberitos, SurEste and the Georgia Pasty Co. I also heard straight from the owner’s lips that even the Smok’n Pig is participating this year.
There aren’t too many events where you can do something for others simply by eating. Support the Quota Club’s event, enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with friends and family, and try a variety of menu items from a variety of restaurants.
They’re serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center Saturday.
For more information, including a full list of vendors, see the ads which have been running in the Times and consider coming out this weekend.
Break Bread Together, Methodist Home for Children and the Partnership Health Center will all benefit from your attendance and you will benefit from your enjoyment!
Business Roundup
A new dentist office is opening in Valdosta. Dr. Larry Black of Quitman Family Dentistry and Dr. Eric Castor of Lakeland Family Dentistry have partnered to open a new facility in Valdosta with a general practice by day and a walk-in after hours clinic evenings and weekends.
Valdosta Family Dentistry is located at the corner of Connell Road and North Ashley Street in the new North Ashley Professional Plaza, Suite 130, Building H. The practice specializes in helping patients who don’t have a regular dentist or who don’t go to the dentist regularly.
Speaking of the North Ashley Professional Plaza, if you’ve been by there lately, they’re moving forward with their plans for the next phase of building. They’re preparing the property for a new road and it looks like construction will start soon.
There is a new store on North Ashley Street called Weekend Fashions. The new shop is between Firehouse Subs and the nail shop near SGMC.
You can read today all about Serendipity in Hahira, the newest business in town specializing in interesting and unique gift and home items.
There is a new store called Ageless Beauty now open in the new North Oak Square, next to SurEste. The shop is still working out some details, but is based on the Sephora stores’ concept where they will offer a number of different lines of cosmetics, many of which they will have exclusively, like they do the Bare Escentuals line.
The Romine furniture store in Quitman is quitting business after 95 years and three generations. They’ve got a couple of weeks left, so if you’re interested, you need to head over there soon.
I understand that there will be at least two, maybe three, new Zaxby’s around the county soon, possibly Lake Park? I’ll keep you posted.
The folks at Quillian Powell Construction Co. are working on a variety of projects around the county and filled me in this week on a few.
The new emergency operations center is progressing well, and they are using some new construction techniques that will make it different than anything we’ve seen here before. Also, the new fire station in Clyattville should be done in a few weeks, ahead of schedule, and they were able to start this week on Phase II of the Judicial Complex, which will be the administrative offices for the county.
Our economy is still moving and growing, and hopefully the folks displaced at Shaw Industries this week will be able to find other employment very soon.
That’s about it for this week, but if there’s anything I missed, please let me know!
Business
Business This Week: A Taste of Valdosta
- Business
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Business Wish List Results
The results are in from my very un-scientific poll on the businesses that people want to see come to Valdosta. After my comment last week that there seemed to be more requests for retail than restaurants, I was bombarded this week with restaurant suggestions, so I’m guessing even with an OG, readers aren’t quite satisfied yet.
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The Brass Quill Gallery
VALDOSTA — The only way to describe The Brass Quill Gallery to someone who hasn’t witnessed the majesty of its interior is this: If Alice in Wonderland could be interpreted into a modern-day building decorated by the Mad Hatter — that’s The Brass Quill Gallery. It is arguably the most creative decorating scheme in Valdosta. It is because of the business’ unique style, that The Brass Quill Gallery is a metaphorical nest of creativity for those wanting to get inked. -
VIDEO: Social media command center helps Super Bowl visitors
Indianapolis is the first Super Bowl host city to utilize the power of Twitter and other social media to help football fans get the most out of football's biggest event.
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BlackBerry’s Future?
BlackBerry used to be the “it” phone. Notice I said used to be. Just as video killed the radio star, iPhone killed the BlackBerry.
Blackberry has become the new “flip phone.” It’s ancient. It’s out of date and it can’t compete in the iPhone revolution of the smart(er) phone. -
Business This Week: Wishing and hoping for some new businesses
About another 50 or more readers emailed this week to lend some thoughts on the type of businesses they’d like to see come to Valdosta, and places where there are things to do for kids, especially teens, and adults are high on the list so far.
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Don’t let your taxes outsmart you this year!
With tax season rearing its ugly head out of your already busy life, there’s no need for you to feel like you’re alone.
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Business Wish List: the 2012 version
I received an interesting response last week to my query about what people want now that the OG is finally here.
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Downtown Hahira
HAHIRA — The Voice from “Field of Dreams” once famously intoned, “If you build it, they will come.” Stacey Dershimer hasn’t been Hahira’s downtown developmental coordinator for long — one month — but she’s been here long enough to know, if you build upon what you have, more people and more businesses will come.
- What’s next for Valdosta?
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5 tips to help you land a new job in 2012
Job-hunting websites expect hiring to improve in 2012. So whether you’ve been out of work for a while or are simply looking for a change, here are some tips to ensure a successful job search.
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Business Wish List Results
