The staff of the Wilmington Convention Center (WCC) took home three awards, including a second-straight people’s choice award, at the recent Epicurean Evening, an annual charity event featuring food, drink and competition from the area’s best restaurants and noted chefs.
The event, which benefited the Methodist Home for Children, was hosted by the convention center and held in the 12,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom under illuminating chandeliers. Over 450 attendees wined and dined on culinary creations from nearly 25 restaurants in and around Wilmington, N.C., including nearby Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach.
The waterfront building’s staff won the people’s choice award for a second straight year and a bronze award for best booth decorations and a silver award for best food presentation. Scott Frazzetta, the WCC’s executive chef, and his team created a lobster strudel topped with a champagne cream sauce filled with Shiitake mushrooms and caramelized leeks. Frazzetta and the convention center received the same honor at the 2011 event.
“The people have spoken, and we are honored to receive the people’s choice award for the second year running,” said Susan Eaton, general manager, WCC. “We want to continue raising the bar for meeting and convention venues by offering more than just fantastic meeting spaces, but also creative cuisine, gracious hospitality, eco-friendly practices and an idyllic riverfront setting.”
The convention center’s award-winning dishes and presentation are part of SAVOR …Wilmington Catering, the full in-house catering service operated by SMG. With multiple dining options, SAVOR caters to all needs and tastes while maintaining menus distinctive to any event, ranging from annual conferences to wedding receptions.
“Each menu we create reflects our coastal location, and our partnerships with area vendors. We strive to achieve the right flavor and presentation for every dish we put out,” said Frazzetta.
The Silver LEED-certified WCC is located along the Cape Fear River in Wilmington and offers organizers and attendees a variety of spaces, including a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, more than 15,000 square feet of pre-function space and nearly 6,000 square feet of additional meeting space. Attendees also have the opportunity to enjoy the coastal breeze on the 12,000-square-foot riverfront lawn or take in the sophisticated maritime design of the building and the vintage photographs located throughout that celebrate Wilmington’s historic past.
