Community Corner
Judging If Gulfport is the Tastiest Small Town in America
A pair of travelers driving across the country in search of the best small town in America for food stopped in Gulfport for two days of fun, celebration and of course, a lot of eating.
Cities throughout the country are celebrating Uncle Sam's 235th birthday today.
Gulfport had a bit more to celebrate. In fact, the city is trying to be one of the best hosts in the country this weekend, impressing a couple from the Tampa Bay area in hopes that Gulfport will be known as the best small town for food in America.
Bonnie and Jim Parr are part of the Best of the Road competition sponsored by USA Today and Rand McNally. Five couples are zigzagging across America this summer in the search of the best small towns in various categories and the Parrs are searching for the best small town for food.
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This holiday weekend, their trek led the St. Petersburg natives back to the Tampa Bay area, and specifically to Gulfport.
At the Peninsula Inn Sunday afternoon, a party was held in honor of the Parrs, with virtually all of the city’s elite in attendance, as the couple got to nibble on some of the best foods in Gulfport.
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The Parrs simply got lucky that Bonnie Parr read USAToday.com.
"I saw [the project advertised] on USA Today's website," Bonnie Parr said Sunday between bites of barbecue, chicken Cuban sandwiches, empanadas and mango bread. "I saw they were looking for people to participate in the road rally and I read the directions and rules and thought, 'I think we can do that.'"
The Parrs started their trip at Addison, W. Va. and Gulfport is the second in their six-city stops. Future cities will be Burnsville, Minn., Costa Mesa, Calif., Lafayette, La., and Visalia, Calif.
Bonnie Parr has a firm idea of what is important for a small town and Gulfport seems to meet her criteria.
"First, a good small town has to be friendly. It’s got to be friendly," Parr said. "That is one of the main characteristics. [Gulfport] is wonderful. We are so impressed. The quaintness of the town, we love the little streets and the little shops and the color. And of course we understand there is a lot of art here and that adds to the character. Oh, and of course, the water, that's great."
The Parrs will continue to try to eat their way through Gulfport today amid all the many events the city has celebrating the Fourth of July.
"This is wonderful," Bonnie Parr said of the nationwide trek and Sunday's gathering in their honor. "We're a little bit exhausted but the adrenaline is flowing so we just keep going."