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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Spice Kraft swept the top honors at the 2026 Taste of Del Ray, winning first place in both the judges' choice and people's choice categories, the Del Ray Business Association announced.
The restaurant's butter chicken pot pie and avocado bhel chaat earned the No. 1 spot from both the event's judge and the festival's attendees, who cast votes on their favorite bites.
In the judges' choice category, Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ took second place for its smoked chopped brisket with congee, and Lena's Wood-fired Pizza & Tap placed third with its Cuban pinchos de pollo and mojo chicken and plantain.
For the people's choice award, Little Birdie finished second with its crack chicken dip on crostini and spicy tuna tartare on crispy lotus root. Lena's Wood-fired Pizza & Tap again took third with the same Cuban dish.
This year's judging was handled by Todd O'Leary, president and CEO of Visit Alexandria.
The festival, now in its 17th year, sold out ahead of the event, held Sunday, June 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields at 2701 Commonwealth Ave. With only 500 general admission and 100 VIP tickets available, no tickets were sold at the door. VIP ticket holders got early access, entering at 11:30 a.m. for a wine tasting at the Del Ray Artisans gallery before the food festival opened at noon.
The event, named one of Virginia Living Magazine's top food festivals in the state, encouraged attendees to bring non-perishable food donations for ALIVE!, Alexandria's largest organization addressing food and housing insecurity.
The business association thanked its participating restaurants and sponsors, including the Jen Walker Team, which sponsored the VIP reception; Del Ray Artisans, which hosted it; and Del Ray Cafe, which sponsored live music by Mars Rodeo. The association also credited co-chairs Karen Johnson and Emily Busse and their team of volunteers for organizing the event.
