New London — Teagan Atwater, a senior at Connecticut College attending his first downtown Food Stroll Wednesday, said the event opened his eyes to the vast array of shops and restaurants that the city has to offer.

"I knew all the pizza places, but I didn't know the other restaurants," he said. "I knew some of the bars, but I didn't know the cluster up on State Street."

Taryn Kitchen, a fellow senior at Conn, said it's too bad the spring stroll is normally held on finals week because it keeps a lot of students away.

"This is just making us more aware of those places we would normally drive by," she said.

And that's the intention of New London Main Street's semiannual food stroll — to get people who might ordinarily be sitting at home or dropping by the same old hangouts to come downtown to sample the wide variety of cuisine and shops available in the city. About 800 people bought tickets to Wednesday's stroll, which was held in perfect weather, though it was not a sellout.

Kathleen Cicchese of Chester, accompanied by Montville friends Stevie Nelson and Katie Jennings, said she had discovered some new places during the fall food stroll such as La Luna and 2 Wives Restaurant that she intended to check out in addition to usual haunts such as the Bulkeley House and Hot Rod Cafe.

"It's fun down here," said Nelson, a first-timer at the food stroll.

Longtime food stroll supporters such as Sara Munro, owner of Studio 33 frame shop, said it's always amazing how many people come downtown and discover something they didn't know existed — including her more than 30-year-old establishment.

And, though food is the centerpiece of the event, places such as Refresh Organic Day Spa next to Tony D's Restaurant was open to take advantage of flocks of people downtown.

"It definitely brings in a lot of foot traffic, and I have definitely gained a couple of clients as a result," said owner Sara Florek. "It helps get the word out."

"I love it," said Robert Bernardo, owner of the new Right Path Organic Cafe on State Street, which was serving what he dubbed "Calm Chowder," a corn chowder made with almond milk. "The feedback has been phenomenal."

"You get a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't stop into an art gallery," said Clint Sowik, owner of the Marquee Gallery on State Street.

Established downtown business people such as Susan Devlin and Barry Neistat at Muddy Waters Cafe and Jack Chaplin at Daddy Jack's restaurant said they benefited from some of the early strolls and are now open largely out of support for the city.

"The stroll is more beneficial to the new people on the block," Neistat said.

One of those people is Kelly Hulse at Parade Pizza on Bank Street, who said she had received a lot of compliments on her meatballs. She had already handed out several hundred of the thousand menus she had printed for the occasion.

Other new faces included Jonathan Turgeon and Ryan Benoit, new owners of the Seehund German Pub & Restaurant on Bank Street, whose reuben meatballs won second prize in the food judging.

"It's good to be able to get our name out there," Benoit said.

Next door, the brand new Heavy Hitters Beverage and Sports Hub was a hive of activity as representatives handed out samples of Hosmer Mountain Soda.

"Everyone who's been here, it's been the first time that they've been here," said Shannon Brenek, a partner in the business.

l.howard@theday.com

First Place: 2 Wives Restaurant, pulled pork pizza with pickled cole slaw

Second Place: Seehund German Pub & Restaurant, reuben meatballs

Third Place: Montauk House (at Liberty Bank), homemade grinder

Fan Favorite: Thames Club, jambalaya

Best Dessert: Berry's Ice Cream & Candy Bar, German chocolate ice cream brownie