The Taste of Vienna Food Festival last week proved that sometimes the most memorable food experiences are the ones that don't go according to plan.

What makes a culinary event truly special is when it offers affordable tastes, genuine community connection, and unexpected moments you'll be talking about for weeks afterward - like watching competitive eaters surrender to a slice of chocolate cake.

Today we're diving into the highlights from the Taste of Vienna festival, complete with unexpected drama, culinary gems, and why smaller portions might have been a blessing in disguise:

• A cake-eating competition that turned into an endurance test
• Affordable tasting options that let you sample widely without breaking the bank
• Hidden gems worth seeking out beyond the festival

Let's jump right in!

If you're looking to explore Northern Virginia's food scene but don't want to waste time and money on disappointing meals, here are some resources to help you navigate the local culinary landscape:

Weekly Resource List:

• ​Alexandria's Best Mexican Restaurants (Reading Time: 2 min) ALXnow is running a readers' poll until May 13 to determine Alexandria's best Mexican restaurant, featuring contenders like District Taco, Taqueria Picoso, and Urbano 116 - just in time for Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
• ​Mother's Day Dining in Arlington (Reading Time: 3 min) Arlington restaurants are taking reservations now for Mother's Day (May 11), with special menus at places like Ambar Clarendon, Matchbox, and Makers Union offering everything from unlimited Balkan small plates to princess brunches for families.
• ​Latin Restaurant Weeks (Reading Time: 2 min) From May 2-16, fifteen Latin American restaurants across the DMV are offering special deals, including $40 dinner menus at Inca Social (Arlington/Vienna), $14-16 meal deals at Los Chamacos (Arlington), and a $21 empanada bundle at Mpanadas.

The Taste of Vienna Food Festival: A Day of Culinary Delights and Cake-Eating Drama

Last Saturday, April 26th 2025, the annual Taste of Vienna festival brought together local restaurants, food trucks, and national favorites to showcase their culinary offerings. What was meant to be a simple day of food sampling turned into an unexpectedly memorable experience, thanks in large part to Carnegie Diner's ambitious cake-eating contest.

The Infamous Cake Eating Competition

The festival's undisputed highlight—though perhaps not in the way organizers intended—was Carnegie Diner's cake eating competition. At 2:00 p.m., with the weather sticky but sunny, ten pre-selected contestants took their places on the main stage. The challenge seemed straightforward: first person to finish a slice of Carnegie's 24-layer chocolate cake would win $1,000 in restaurant credit.

What no one anticipated was just how formidable this 2.2-pound confection would prove to be. After 15 minutes of solid eating, none of the contestants had made a significant dent in their slices. Concern began to spread through the crowd as several participants started looking visibly uncomfortable. Within half an hour, two or three contestants simply surrendered, refusing to continue what had morphed from a sprint into what I can only describe as a "horrific marathon of chocolate cake."

After 40 excruciating minutes with no winner in sight, the organizers finally called it quits and resorted to weighing the remains to determine a champion. While the judging method wasn't exactly scientific, the contestants seemed satisfied with the outcome, and the oversized check was duly presented.

Mayor Linda Colbert was on stage alongside a representative from the fire department—perhaps wisely, given the potential medical implications of competitive cake consumption. The Mayor remained in good spirits throughout, later making the rounds among festival attendees.

As a publicity stunt for Carnegie, I'm not convinced it achieved its intended effect. If anything, it made their 24-layer chocolate cake seem more like a mountaineering challenge than a desirable dessert. Perhaps half the size would have created a more enjoyable spectacle for everyone involved, especially the competitors.

Culinary Highlights

This year's festival seemed to address a common criticism from previous years—pricing. Organizers had clearly encouraged vendors to offer affordable taster options, allowing attendees to sample multiple offerings without breaking the bank.

Here's what stood out from my culinary exploration:

​Pure Pasty​

As a British exile in the US, I'm a regular at Pure Pasty, but this time I had a British friend visiting from the west coast of Canada who rarely gets to enjoy a proper sausage roll. The pastry was exactly right—flaky and satisfying—while the filling delivered that distinctive savory British sausage flavor, less sweet than American varieties. Highly recommended, along with their other pasties and chocolate treats.

​Famous Dave's BBQ​

Despite driving past their restaurant countless times on the way to Oakton Giant, I'd never eaten there before. We tried their burnt ends for $5, which my son correctly warned would be too much for one person. The portion was indeed generous, though the barbecue sauce was a bit sweeter than I prefer, and the burnt ends weren't quite as melt-in-your-mouth as ideal. Still, maintaining proper temperature for burnt ends in a market stall environment is challenging, and the meat quality was good. Excellent value and worthy of a follow-up visit to their restaurant.

​Midnight Treats​

Ironically, this vendor had recently closed their Vienna shop, which had suffered from both a somewhat hidden location and the misfortune of being around the corner from Crumbl. Their chocolate chip cookie was deliciously crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle—exactly as a cookie should be. While their offerings tend toward the super sweet side (not typically my preference), the quality was undeniable. Though no longer available in Vienna, they have other locations throughout the DMV area.

​Carnegie Diner​

Before the cake spectacle, I sampled their pastrami sandwich. While the full sandwich was $20 and a half-size $10, I opted for the $5 taster (presumably a quarter portion). Initially underwhelmed by the tiny slice of bread, I watched in amazement as they transformed it into a towering creation packed with pastrami, pickled vegetables, and a generous helping of mustard. The pastrami was superbly seasoned and delicious, though at $5 for a taster, it's definitely on the pricier side. However, Carnegie certainly doesn't skimp on portions.

​Empanadas De Mendoza​

I tried their chicken and pineapple empanada, which was delicious. My Argentinian friend was particularly impressed with the authenticity of their beef empanada, which traditionally includes olives and egg.

Atmosphere and Entertainment

The festival had a pleasantly busy, family-friendly atmosphere throughout. Live bands performed on stage, though they were perhaps too loud—making conversation near the stage nearly impossible. The apparent intention to project sound to the far end of the stalls resulted in an acoustic overload for those closer to the performance area.

Weather conditions were hot and humid for most of the day, but we experienced some refreshing showers and thunder during the cake contest, which helped cool things down.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Taste of Vienna festival succeeded in bringing the community together around food. The organizers deserve credit for assembling a diverse mix of vendors, from Vienna favorites to newcomers, and for addressing previous pricing concerns by ensuring affordable tasting options were available.

Despite—or perhaps because of—the cake-eating competition's unexpected turn, the festival provided both culinary satisfaction and memorable entertainment. I look forward to seeing what next year's event will bring, hopefully with slightly smaller cakes.

That's it.

Here's what you learned today:

• When it comes to food festivals, the most entertaining moments are often the unplanned ones - like watching competitive eaters struggle with a massive slice of chocolate cake
• Vienna's food festival addressed past pricing concerns by offering affordable tasting options, making it easier to sample widely
• Even established chains like Famous Dave's and hidden gems like Empanadas De Mendoza can surprise you with quality offerings in a festival setting

If you're planning to attend next year's Taste of Vienna, come hungry but perhaps think twice before volunteering for any eating competitions!

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