By Scott Meeker
smeeker@joplinglobe.com
If you want a taste of what area restaurants have to offer, look no further than the annual Flavor of the Four States.
The event, sponsored by the Missouri Restaurant Association, will be held Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. It is designed as a fundraiser for regional culinary students and to give visitors a sampling of what’s on the menu at more than 30 local businesses.
“There are a lot of chain restaurants in Joplin ... not that that’s a bad thing,” said Laura Dudley, manager of Columbia Traders and chairwoman for the Flavor of the Four States. “But it does kind of make it hard for local restaurants to survive because people automatically go where they see the commercials for.
“The restaurants we have here are really good and if people search them out, I think they’ll be impressed with what they find.”
Unlike in past years, there will be no theme for the upcoming event.
“We’re just focusing on Joplin’s signature restaurants,” said Dudley. “We want everyone to be able to do what they do best.”
And the best of the best will be up to visitors to decide.
Each booth will have a can, and those attending can drop their ticket stub in whichever one offers up their favorite food. The winner of the 2008 Vote for the Flavor contest was Red Onion.
There will also be live music and door prizes, including the grand prize Dine Around package, which will include gift certificates from many of the participating restaurants.
Proceeds from the Flavor of the Four States will help provide scholarships for local students looking to enter the culinary field.
During the event, students from Franklin Technology Center, the Nevada Regional Technical Center and the Southwest Area Career Center will compete in a skills relay.
The students will test their skills at tasks such as separating eggs, whipping eggs into a soft peak, dicing an onion and different knife cuts on carrots.
“It’s a way for us to get the students more involved. They really love coming out there and working the booths,” Dudley said. “Since it’s all about raising money for scholarships and sending those students to school, we thought it would be great to focus on them and that it would be good entertainment.”
Participating restaurants and businesses at Flavor of the Four States will be Coleman House Restaurant at Buffalo Run Casino, Caldone’s, Columbia Traders, Del Rio Border Town Cafe, Red Oak Steakhouse at Downstream Casino, Granny Shaffer’s, Gringo’s, Hackett Hot Wings, Heart of America Beverage, Missouri Eagle, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Nevada Regional Tech, Red Line, Red Onion/Bella Peppers, Rib Crib, Savannah’s, Specialty Foods, Sportsman’s Park, St. James Winery, Stone Hill Winery, Sultan of Smoke, Southwest Area Career Center, Taco Hut, the Vinery Wine Shop, Up in Flames, Wood Fire Pizza & Pasta, Twin Bridges Restaurant at Wyandotte Casino, Club 1201/609, Springfield Grocer Co., Holiday Inn, Boulevard Beer, The Bayou, U.S. Foods/Franklin Tech and Twin Hills Golf & Country Club.
For more information, visit www.flavorofthefourstates.com.
Want to go?
Flavor of the Four States will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. They can be purchased at Columbia Traders, the Southwest Area Career Center, First State Bank locations, Big R’s and Sultan of Smoke, or by calling 816-753-5222.
