Commissioner Darline Riggs said she was very happy with the turnout and plans
to bring it back next year, only bigger and better.
By Dessalines Ferdinand
MIRAMAR — As a longtime Miramar resident and a concerned Commissioner of the beautiful City of Miramar, centrally located in the heart of South Florida between Broward and Miami-Dade with a diverse population of 122,041 residents, Darline B. Riggs (Seat 4), could not stay sit idly by as too many local restaurant owners throughout the city have struggled.
“This always bothered me and made me sad each time I visited restaurants in the city and saw how empty usually most of them are,” said first-term Commissioner Riggs. She is a native of Haiti and immigrated to U.S. with her adoptive parents at the age of 9.
“As Commissioner, I said I need to help these businesses attract more customers. To me, it is clear that most of the restaurants in the city are a little unknown in the community. This is how I came up with the idea of organizing this event. As you know, Miramar is a very diverse city with white, African-American, Caribbean, Hispanic and other races. By organizing ‘TASTE of Miramar’, the goal was not only to provide an opportunity to the whole community to come together and taste the foods of the various restaurant across the city, but also to serve as a great opportunity for these restaurants to showcase their menu and let the residents know about their businesses,” she added.
For the second straight year, with the support of many local business partners as sponsors, Commissioner Riggs joined forces with her staff and some volunteers to organize the Taste of Miramar, which will be another of her signature events, including Back-to-School, Health Fair, Faith Leaders Brunch, Path Way to Success, and Black History Month Cocktail, to name a few.
The second edition of a Taste of Miramar was held on Friday, November 9, at Miramar Town Center. Taste of Miramar 2018 brought over 1,400 people and featured Haitian, Jamaican, Asian, Peruvian, Cuban, Italian, Mediterranean, and American cuisines. 18 restaurants were at the venue, offering a sample of their tasteful menus. Among them were: Taty Griot, Chez Guito, La Carreta, Sushi & Tahi, El Forgon, Barbican, Applebees, Migas, and Latin Fusion Restaurants. According to Commissioner Riggs, an estimated 4,800 plates were distributed to the attendees, and a total of 108 women received massages that were provided by the Miami-Dade College Massage Therapy Program students who volunteered their services. Free transportation was also provided.
From pizzas and Haitian griot (fried pork), Spicy Jamaican chicken curry to delicious deserts and assortments of wine, there was something for everyone to taste at Taste of Miramar.
Ms. Sherry Abdin, a long-time Miramar resident who is Commissioner Riggs’ Community Ambassador, was thrilled with the tremendous success of the second edition. “It is really amazing to see how Taste of Miramar brings the community together,” she said
“I missed last year’s edition,” said 19-year old Fatima, “but for my first participation, it is definitely worth my attendance. I came a little late, and did not have a chance to taste the ‘Haitian griot’, one of my favorite Caribbean dishes, but I enjoyed some Peruvian and Cuban food. They really taste good.”
“The turnout is astounding and the menu very diverse too,” Fatima’s cousin, who goes by the name Marcy, added. “Me, I tasted some Japanese sushi rolls and Jamaican curry chicken.”
The event was more than just a ‘food festival’ – it was a night of fun for the whole family of all ages. There was great conversation among participants. Renowned guitarist-singer Tony Nicolosi and his World Class Band featuring Mitch Goldstein on the Hammond organ and Steve Rheingold on drums took the stage to play some favorite classic rock and jazz hits.
“I enjoy this event as I see how the crowd is really enjoying themselves with not only the food, but also the music played by the band,” noted Haitian entrepreneur Gasner Anilus, PDG of Ekono Insurance (located in Miami). “The elderlies particularly had a good time dancing, since the band played more old school music, some old hits of the past decades.”
“We need to applaud this initiative,” said Jamaican-born Devon, a 44-year resident of Miramar. “I tasted the ‘Pan Con Lechon’, a Cuban sandwich; it really tastes as good as it looks. I also tasted a type of egg roll from El Fogon Peruvian Cuisine (which took home the ‘Best Restaurant Award ‘ ), and it tasted delicious. Prior to attending this event, I did not know about those local restaurants. I can tell you that I will soon visit both of them to better enjoy their food.”
Commissioner Riggs admits that the planning was not easy. “The planning in all honesty was a little stressing – there is always a concern that not enough restaurants will show up, that not enough food will be made, but when everything comes together as perfectly as it did last Friday, I couldn’t have asked for a better team or a better support from the community.”
“Everyone plays a part – my staff, particularly my community ambassador Ms. Abdin, my assistant Pascal Jarbath, the volunteers, Broward College Central Psychology Club students, the director of the Miami-Dade college massage therapy program, my husband Michael Riggs (a 30-year veteran of the Miramar Police Department); local sponsors, such as Wal-Mart, Ely’s Tires, Waste Pro, Island TV, the restaurant owners, and of course the residents who came out in large numbers.”
“Seeing how enjoyable the event was for everyone,” she added, “makes me feel great and this year’s positive responses mean we are planning to bring it back next year, only bigger and better. I’ve had several messages of support and praise following this second edition and I’m very proud of how it went.”
As a wife, mother, teacher, and a 32-year resident of Miramar, Commissioner Riggs is committed to this beautiful city. Making government more responsive to the residents, attracting and keeping businesses in the city, creating local jobs for local people, activities to keep the youth off the streets, programs to keep the seniors active in the sunset of their lives and providing the necessary resources for first responders, Commissioner Riggs is familiar with the issues the residents are facing and she is dedicated to making them her priorities.
When leaders like Commissioner Riggs invests time, effort, and energy into helping our local businesses grow and thrive, it ripples throughout every corner of our community. Events like a Taste of Miramar are precisely what we need to flourish throughout the South Florida region and it’s people like Commissioner Riggs who provide an example of dedication, devotion, and love our community truly needs.
We can all take a page from her book and make a more concerted effort to discover the wonderful local businesses that make this region of the state and country unique. Without our support and without the efforts of people like Commissioner Riggs, our community would not be as strong, diverse, and special as it is today.
