Taste of Chicago 2005

[ronnie_suburban]

I'm going to preface this thread by saying that I don't want it to turn into a planning and meet-up thread. Let's use private channels for such discussion and keep this one firmly focused on the food and specific details of the Taste itself.

The 25th Annual Taste of Chicago begins on Friday, June 24. What this event may lack in quality, it certainly makes up for in quantity. By the time it concludes, over 3 million people will have passed through the Taste. Previous years' threads have bashed the event pretty harshly -- and deservedly so in some cases -- although, there are always a few stand-out booths, which can make attending worth it.

Please list your favorite booths from previous years and those you're most excited about visiting this year. I'd also like to know, from folks who attend this year, what their favorite booths are and which ones they feel should be avoided.

I plan to spend at least one day at the Taste and hope to report back with some details and some pictures. Please, feel free to do the same if you end up attending this year's installment.

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[YoChefGregg]

How many courses do you think Chef Achatz and his crew will be offering?

Will he be offering any deconstructed items like corn dogs?

He may have trouble keeping some of his foams from falling in 90+ deg. heat.

[ronnie_suburban]

How many courses do you think Chef Achatz and his crew will be offering?

Will he be offering any deconstructed items like corn dogs?

He may have trouble keeping some of his foams from falling in 90+ deg. heat.

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LOL!

I think the biggest potential flaw with Taste is that participating vendors will often serve anything at their booths in the spirit of churning revenue -- regardless of whether those items are actually served at their restaurants.

My m.o. is to study the maps and vendors lists provided at the site I linked upthread, isolate the best possibilities and then hit them in some sort of strategic order. Although, with temperatures expected in the mid 90's range, I won't be hitting Taste today.

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[ChristyMarie]

My m.o. is to study the maps and vendors lists provided at the site I linked upthread, isolate the best possibilities and then hit them in some sort of strategic order.  Although, with temperatures expected in the mid 90's range, I won't be hitting Taste today.

=R=

I often do the same thing but I must say that after looking over the list this year nothing is really standing out as a must have for me.

I'll be quite interested to hear some early reviews as we're not hitting it until next Friday.

[ronnie_suburban]

Looking at the list, there are a few places that seem worth hitting right off the bat. Again, with the usual caveats, places such as Ricobene's, Los Comales, Sabor Latino, Buona Beef, Maxines, Polka Sausage & Deli and The Noodle will be at the top of my list.

And for those who don't mind .pdf files, here is a link to an event map at Sun-Times which loads about 1000x faster (ok, I'm exaggerating) than the map at the city's site.

Vendor Map - Taste of Chicago 2005 (Don't forget to turn on your pop-up blocker)

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[Anko]

The last time I went to the taste was about 4 years ago, and despite being there for 3+ hours, I only remember one thing: the peach cobbler from BJ's market. It was so good I went back for seconds, though I got bumped on the way to the lawn and the cobbler ended up on the ground. If I wasn't surrounded by 300,000 people, I would have scavenged.

[Thrak]

I'll take a pass. Too hot, too crowded, major pain in the butt. I would like to see a band at Petrillo but they'll be lined up before the gates open and if you need to use the bathroom or get some food, you'll lose your seat. Ridiculous. I miss Chicagofest!

[ronnie_suburban]

I'll take a pass. Too hot, too crowded, major pain in the butt. I would like to see a band at Petrillo but they'll be lined up before the gates open and if you need to use the bathroom or get some food, you'll lose your seat. Ridiculous. I miss Chicagofest!

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LOL! The one thing I remember about Chicagofest was losing my retainer -- left it on my plate which got tossed out. I think that was 1978, if I'm not mistaken.

I know it'll be crowded and it'll probably be hot as hell but I'm determined to make the trek this year. Sad thing is, I'll be leaving my kid at home. Taste of Chicago is no place for the little ones. This is business.

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[smorris291]

We went to the Taste last night (foolishly thinking Sunday night by be less crowded than other times). Overall, I have to agree with Ronnie--I'm becoming more and more disappointed that restaurants are allowed to serve anything they want, regardless of whether they actually serve it on their menu. This leads to about 5 different places serving roast corn on the cob...

And even though I guess it's representative of Chicago restaurants, there is just too much repetition at the Taste. Five or six rib places, a bunch of pizza joints, too many places serving crab cake nuggets. Though it would never happen, I'd love to see the city limit the number of certain types of restaurants, and exert some influence over what was served.

I don't want to sound like it was a terrible experience overall. Anyone who's been before knows that the Taste has its plusses and minuses. Personally, I enjoy it for what it is, especailly if I can get some of my usual favorites: beer-battered fried artichoke hearts from Bella Luna, the rib sandwich from the Fireplace Inn and the jerk chicken/red beans and rice from Vee Vees. I just wish that they still served the cajun fried crawfish tails...

[jglazer75]

I don't want to sound like it was a terrible experience overall.  Anyone who's been before knows that the Taste has its plusses and minuses.  Personally, I enjoy it for what it is, especailly if I can get some of my usual favorites:  beer-battered fried artichoke hearts from Bella Luna, the rib sandwich from the Fireplace Inn and the jerk chicken/red beans and rice from Vee Vees.  I just wish that they still served the cajun fried crawfish tails...

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I think that's a good, often overlooked point. While the Taste certainly has it's corndog and roast corn-on-the-cob (in June!?!) purveyors, there's often enough of a "signal through the noise" so to speak with lots of interesting stuff. I remember a few years ago, Hey Sushi had a booth where they were serving some of their more "hardy" fares (e.g., cooked eel, etc.) which was quite good. And every year there are at least enough winners to go through $20 of samplers. Like has been suggested it is probably best to plan out ahead of time what looks interesting and ignore the other 300,000 tourons (and sub-tourons) spending $50 for corn-dogs from Buca Di Beppo.

[jesteinf]

I remember a few years ago, Hey Sushi had a booth where they were serving some of their more "hardy" fares (e.g., cooked eel, etc.) which was quite good.

They also had their Lomi Salmon (diced fresh salmon, mixed with tomatoes, onions, and some other stuff), which was probably the best thing I've had at Taste. This was back when I was a regular at Hey Sushi, so I was even able to get a couple of extra portions for free (a Taste of Chicago first?). Unfortunately they didn't bring it back.

I'll be going at lunch today. Has anyone found anything of note yet this year?

[jesteinf]

Well, just got back from a hot and steamy lunch at Taste. Here's what I had:

Crab Legs (Grazie): At 9 tickets a bit steep but I wanted to give them a shot. Terrible idea. There is no conceivable way to eat these while walking around. While the shells were soft, they weren't pre-cracked at all. When I cracked them, the meat just stayed inside instead of sliding out. The melted butter provided an extra degree of difficulty. Skip these.

Taste portion of goat was basmati rice, saffron and spices (Zam Zam Restaurant): Great item. The goat was tender and the whole dish had a great spice. The portion size was pretty large considering it was a taste portion (3 tickets).

Salmon stuffed with crabmeat, served with a shrimp in a mustard sauce (The Palm): This was over at the gourmet tent. If you're there today, not a bad choice. I was disappointed that the Saloon wasn't there today as I love the Wagyu beef sliders they normally serve.

Blue Raspberry Italian Ice (Mazzone's): Very refreshing, especially on a day like today. At 3 tickets for a taste portion, a nice way to finish things off.

2 bottles of water (Drink stand): Cold and wet. Included for the sake of completeness.

[ronnie_suburban]

This question is for anyone who's been to this year's Taste: how was beverage availability? I remember in the past that food stands didn't also sell drinks and that getting food and drink required 2 separate stops. Is this still the case? If so, how were the beverage lines?

We're going tomorrow and it's supposed to be even hotter than today (high 90's). Yes, we're going to bring some bottled water with us but I'd like to have an idea of what to expect.

Thanks,

=R=

[jesteinf]

This question is for anyone who's been to this year's Taste:  how was beverage availability?  I remember in the past that food stands didn't also sell drinks and that getting food and drink required 2 separate stops.  Is this still the case?  If so, how were the beverage lines?

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This was the case again this year. You could not buy beverages at food stands. There weren't any lines to buy drinks today, but I could see the lines getting very long on a more crowded day since there didn't seem to be that many beverage stands there.

[ronnie_suburban]

This question is for anyone who's been to this year's Taste:  how was beverage availability?  I remember in the past that food stands didn't also sell drinks and that getting food and drink required 2 separate stops.  Is this still the case?  If so, how were the beverage lines?

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This was the case again this year. You could not buy beverages at food stands. There weren't any lines to buy drinks today, but I could see the lines getting very long on a more crowded day since there didn't seem to be that many beverage stands there.

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Thank you for the scouting report. I appreciate it.

My co-workers are all dancing about today in anticipation of my demise in tomorrow's heat. One of them even joked that he was going to take the day off and accompany us with a camcorder just so he could record my meltdown on tape

My hope is to hit all the booths I mentioned upthread, plus at least a few more. I'll have my camera with me and I hope to post some images of the Taste sometime after Wednesday.

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[gmi3804]

Like has been suggested it is probably best to plan out ahead of time what looks interesting and ignore the other 300,000 tourons (and sub-tourons) spending $50 for corn-dogs from Buca Di Beppo.

Buca Di Beppo's corn dogs are $50?!? I know they're known for huge portions, but that had better be one BIG-ASS corn dog!

All kidding aside, I agree that it would be nice to have representative dishes from the participating restaurants - isn't that what it's all about? Unfortunately, there are probably a lot of folks out there who don't really care either way.

Ronnie, could you appoint me executor of your next Alinea reservation? I'm happy to fulfill your last wishes regarding your next-in-line.

::says a very small prayer for Ronnie's continued health ::

[ronnie_suburban]

Like has been suggested it is probably best to plan out ahead of time what looks interesting and ignore the other 300,000 tourons (and sub-tourons) spending $50 for corn-dogs from Buca Di Beppo.

Buca Di Beppo's corn dogs are $50?!? I know they're known for huge portions, but that had better be one BIG-ASS corn dog!

All kidding aside, I agree that it would be nice to have representative dishes from the participating restaurants - isn't that what it's all about? Unfortunately, there are probably a lot of folks out there who don't really care either way.

Ronnie, could you appoint me executor of your next Alinea reservation? I'm happy to fulfill your last wishes regarding your next-in-line.

::says a very small prayer for Ronnie's continued health ::

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LMAO!

Yes, George, if I haven't posted by sometime this evening, consider the reservation yours. And thanks for the calls of prayer regarding my health. They certainly couldn't hurt

We're off!

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[ronnie_suburban]

I am back (and yes, in one piece) from the Taste where we had a fantastic time today. Going during a weekday -- and arriving right as it opened at 11 am -- turned out to be a great idea. We never waited in line for anythying; not for tickets, food, beverages, bathrooms/port-o-potties, rides or souvenirs. We parked just west of the loop, right off the Kennedy for $9 (all-day rate) and took $6 cab rides to and from the Taste. In all, we spent about 4 hours at the event. The food was about what I expected with a few surprises in both directions.

I took a bunch of pictures of what we ate -- which I will post a bit later on -- but for now, I have to say that my favorite savory food was the oxtails with peas and rice from Maxine's Jamaican (booth #16) and my favorite sweet item was a tie between the watermelon ice (complete with actual seeds) from Franco's Ristorante (booth #34) and the battered and deep-fried twinkie from America's Dog (booth #64).

More in a bit . . .

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[ronnie_suburban]

The calm before the storm; approximately 10:45 am CT. Taste officially opens at 11:00 am.

Wild Boar Sausage from Grizzly's Lodge. Decent but, as you can see, the puffy whitebread bun and lack of condiments made me feel that they really mailed this in.

Breaded Steak Sandwich from Ricobene's. This was terrific; piping hot and crispy. The sauce, gardiniera and bread were also excellent.

Jerk Chicken cooking at Maxine's.

Maxine's Jerk Chicken makes its way to being served.

Oxtails with Rice & Peas from Maxine's. This was my favorite item of the day.

Pierogi's (potato, cheese and sauerkraut) from Polka Sausage & Deli.

Ribs from Robinson's #1 Ribs. Not very good and WAY too much below-average sauce. Frankly, this picture shows exactly what is wrong with most ribs in Chicago.

Fried Cheese Ravioli from Tutto Italiano. Not that my expectations were high but these were really lousy; cold and chewy. Foodservice dreck...blech.

Fried Chicken Wing & Battered/Fried Okra from Harold's Chicken. Absolutely delicious stuff. Piping hot and crispy.

Mustard-Fried Catfish from BJ's Market & Bakery (with some hot sauce and honey mustard sauce in the boat). Hot, crispy and pretty good but I had this in a "very full" moment, which happily, subsided a bit later on.

A grillman from Tuscany Restaurant multi-tasks.

By noon the crowd begins to fill in.

Jamaican Red Beans & Rice with Plantain from Jamaica Jerk. This was probably the worst thing I ate today. It was extremely dry and flavorless.

Sauteed Goat and Plantain from Vee-Vee's African Cuisine. Very delicious but even within this little serving boat, the goatmeat was inconsistent; some tender and some as chewy as rubber.

Seating tent. There were several of these situated throughout the Taste and they never seemed full, either.

Pineapple Sundae from Zephyr. Sorry for the poorly-focused shot. This was just ok, nothing special.

Mutton Biryani from Zam Zam Restaurant. A bit skimpy on the mutton but this was outstanding. The rice was wonderful.

Alcapurria (pork-filled banana dumpling) from Sabor Latino. This is the first time I've ever had this and it tasted great. However, the exterior was very hard and seemed like it had been sitting around a while.

In a cute marketing move, the Maalox guys were making the rounds.

Samosa from Arya Bhavan. This was pretty good. I've had better and I've had worse. I thought the filling was extraordinarily spicy for a samosa but I still enjoyed it. I wish they'd asked first before pouring the two chutneys all over it.

Pierogi's (potato and sauerkraut) from Kasia's Deli. These were not as good as the pierogi's from Polka, pictured above.

Cheesecake from JR Dessert Bakery. Again sorry for the poor focus. This was really bad. It was served way too warm and just laid there in my mouth. I'd heard great things about JR Dessert Bakery and I was looking forward to it. Maybe this wasn't the best venue for cheesecake.

A happy taste-goer enjoys a cup of Rainbow Ice Cream (which was nothing special) from Original Rainbow Cone.

Thin-crust Pepperoni & Sausage from Father & Son. The junior member of our party insisted on having this one.

Corn roasting at O'Brien's. Looked good but I was too full as I walked by their booth.

Italian Watermelon Ice from Franco's Ristorante. This was excellent and even had some watermelon seeds in it. Very refreshing in the 90+ degree F heat.

Finally, I found some shade.

Loukoumathes (fried honey donut holes) from Buckingham Cafe. Very well done and the honey really tasted of apple. These were piping hot and could not have been served any better.

Deep-Fried Twinkie from America's Dog. I had to try this and it was surprisingly delicious.

Inside the deep-fried Twinkie. Sorry (again), for the poor focus.

A look at Buckingham Fountain with part of the Chicago skyline in the background.

"Boss" Pork Sandwich from Sweet Baby Ray's. In spite of the over-application of SBR's sauce, this was very tasty.

Potato Chips from Harry Caray's. A bit more than we could handle and we actually had to ask them for salt because they didn't have enough on them as they were originally served.

Italian Beef Sandwich with sweet and hot peppers, from Buona Beef. I wouldn't classify this rendition as "upper tier" but it was damned good. The peppers and bread were excellent too.

Curried Goat from Maxine's. I decided to go back to burn my last few tickets but this wasn't as good as the oxtails. For one, it was way too salty. Oh well.

Hot link from Robinson's #1 Ribs. Better than their ribs but not by much. At least the sauce was applied more judiciously. I spent my final three tickets here on our way out.

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[ronnie_suburban]

With a few days of Taste still left, I wanted to add a bit more information.

Each booth has 1 "taste portion" item which costs 3 tickets ($1.50). For the most part we thought these offerings were great values. In almost all cases the taste portion was the item at each booth that we most wanted to try. There were only a few exceptions. Only once, and I cannot remember at which booth, did we feel that the taste portion didn't exceed the $1.50 price. At one booth (Kitty O'Shea's, IIRC), we purchased a small portion of Bailey's Ice Cream for 2 tickets.

Most items cost between 7 and 9 tickets. I didn't see any items which cost more than 9 tickets but we didn't buy any beer or cocktails.

We really had a great time. There are a few places from which we tried food that was so good, we will definitely hit their HQ locations. In the end, that's what Taste is all about, so I'll happily categorize this year's installment as a mild success.

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[Tess]

Thanks for the cool report, Ron. The oxtail does look fantastic, as do the loukoumathes. In fact, I would go over there tomorrow if I didn't have appointments all day.

Edited June 30, 2005 by Tess (log)