I’ve lived in the Chicago area for 5 years, but have never attended the Taste of Chicago. Well, I decided to change that this year. It started today at 11 a.m., and I thought I’d run down and check it out before the (legendary) crowds started piling in.
There are dozens of booths from local restaurants at the Taste. No cash changes hands at the booths; you have to buy tickets (12 tickets for $8 this year.) These locations are spread throughout the Taste, so they’re pretty easy to find.
So I bought some tickets and started wandering. To see all of the booths and other areas it’s quite a hike, so bring comfortable shoes and dress appropriately. This lady had it all figured out; loose clothes, and a hat with an umbrella on top. Well played.
Thee are so many places to eat, it’s tough to choose. All of the Chicago eateries are here: Manny’s Deli, Lou Malnati’s, Harold’s Chicken, Harry Caray’s, even Billy Goat Tavern.
Each booth gives you the option of ordering a lunch item (which is about 8-10 tickets) or a “taste” (hence the name) of an item, for around 4 tickets.
So what did I get? I got a “taste” of the Mustard fried catfish from BJ’s market and a BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich from Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs. They were both exceptionally good.
I also got some great summer pictures of the surrounding area. Here are a couple, but feel free to check out the complete set of 36 pictures from the Taste of Chicago on Flickr.
Here’s the Sears Tower seen through a Ferris Wheel:
The Clarence Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park:
And finally, just an interesting angle of Grant Park and the Fountain that I don’t think I’ve seen before.
I had a great tiem at the Taste, and plan on going back next week during lunch to try some new food. I’ve heard that it gets crazy busy, so if you plan on attending and would like to miss the huge elbow-to-elbow crowds, arrive around 10:45 – 11 a.m. It worked for me!
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