How to go
What: Taste of Cincinnati
Where: Downtown Cincinnati, taking five blocks of Fifth Street between Vine and Sentinel streets
When: May 28-30; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Cost: Free
More info: www.tasteofcincinnati.com
It took 38 years, but Skyline Chili will be represented at the Taste of Cincinnati for the first time.
“It’s good to have them,” chuckled Rich Walburg, director of communications for the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Skyline is one of 13 new eateries that will be offering their dishes at the Taste, joining a total of 50. They include Buona Terra (gelato), Cazadores (Mexican), Crave (American/sushi), Cuban Pete Sandwiches, Delicio (coal-fired pizza) and Forno Osteria and Bar (Italian).
Keeping up with popular trends, Walburg said the Taste will also be increasing their local craft beer options and the number of food trucks.
“There will be 18 more local craft beers,” he said. “Including five from MadTree, which will have their own beer garden. We’ve also expanded (the West Sixth) Food Truck Alley to cover both North and South Broadway. We added a stage there to balance it out and because we had the space, so now we have six total stages of live entertainment.”
The Taste offers familiar annual attractions such as the Veggie Races and the Taste Experience, but Walburg said there would be an additional component to the Taste Experience this year, called the Caterer’s Corner. While the Taste Experience will operate as normal on Saturday and Sunday, with local boutique restaurants serving their menu options under a huge tent with patrons seated at cocktail tables. On Monday, these same vendors will transform into caterers.
“If you have a wedding or a big event coming up, you can see how they do as caterers, try them out,” Walburg said.
One thing that the Taste of Cincinnati is not offering this year is the downloadable app that, in previous Tastes, helped people navigate the festival.
“We’ve made the website more responsive (and mobile-friendly),” Walburg said. “So the app isn’t necessary.”
Due to space considerations, the number of restaurants at the Taste remains essentially stable from year to year, with far more applicants than the Taste could ever accept. Walburg said the Taste measures its growth by its diversity in food options and number of attendees.
“We wish we could have everyone,” he said. “Last year, we had 550,000 people. This year, we hope to have 550,001.”
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