Taste of Cincinnati

Every year in Cincinnati, there's a huge food festival downtown called Taste of Cincinnati. (It's not original, but hey, cut them some slack.) I should probably be ashamed to admit that I've never gone, but there are a few things to take into account. Number one, I didn't live here last year when it was going on. Number two, it draws a huge crowd. I mean, huge. If there's anything I hate in this world, it's fighting through a large crowd. So, there you have it. But, they moved further downtown this year, which meant John and I both had convenient, close parking at our offices, and I didn't have anything better to do, so we went down on Monday.

The festival encompasses more than just food. I was surprised to see such a selection of beverages. It's partially sponsored by Bud Light, and if there's anything people like in southwest Ohio, it's a good Bud Light, so I really expected that to be it. I was wrong: Woodchuck, Blue Moon, Christian Moerlein, Great Lakes and Spaten, just to name a few. They also had frozen margaritas and frozen daiquiris, and some wine offerings that I won't even mention. (Michelle made this point first here - so it's worth following her lead.)

Overall, I was disappointed with the selection of food. A lot of barbecue places (and being from Kansas City, I am a barbecue snob) that had mediocre offerings, a lot of German places, and a few other types of cuisine thrown in for good measure. There are some fantastic restaurants here in Cincinnati, and I really wish some of them had set up a booth.

I was also disappointed with the presentation of food. Here's the basic setup: you have a restaurant. That restaurant chooses three or four of their best dishes, which should be an adequate selection to give you an idea of the restaurant's menu. They mass produce these on site at a street booth and sell the offerings for anywhere from $1.50-5. People, I'm a realist. I know the presentation isn't going to be outstanding and I'm not expecting them to break out their best china. But what I didn't enjoy are super flimsy little paper cartons and sporks that you can barely cut into your food with. There are definitely not very many tables down there for all the people, so you're going to end up eating your food as you walk. Wasabi Ginger Glazed Salmon and orzo pasta, served in a little paper bin with a spork? There has to be another option.

As I mentioned, Michelle's review is here, and it's worth a read because she makes excellent points and tried different food than I did. You can see all of the food offerings here, if you're curious. Below are the things I tasted.

But first, a quick note about how to handle Taste - go with a spouse, partner or friend. Two people means tasting twice as much food! The portions are bigger than you'd think. John and I spent about $25. Drinks are expensive - $4 for a 16 oz. beer and $6 for a 22 oz. beer at most places, about $3.50 for sodas. Cincinnati Water Works had a booth all the way at the end with free cups of water, and frankly, I wish they would have had about four more along the way. It was hot! It's the beginning of summer. Plus, it's always nice to have a little something to wash the food down. Staying hydrated is key, and you're more than welcome to bring in your own drinks. There's no cost of admission and no real admission gate - you just sort of walk down the street and you're there.

What we tried:

Ravioli Marinara (Buca di Beppo) - I know, it's a chain restaurant. But in my defense, it was on the way out, and I really wanted ravioli. There were a few big chains there, but they didn't overpower the little guys in any way, and I actually think the individually-owned restaurants got more business. Anyway. I liked the ravioli, but I like all of Buca's food. Unfortunately, they put a little too much sauce on it, which I immediately proceeded to get on my shirt. At least it was the last stop.

Smoked chicken and sausage gumbo (Burbank's Real Barbecue) - I loved this. It was really hot, which was strange to eat outside in 80+ degree heat, but it was delicious. Spicy without overwhelming its own flavors, and the chicken was really tender. They also offered a smoked turkey & berry salad that Michelle has a photo of over at her blog. I saw someone else getting it and immediately wished I had gotten one.

Teriyaki Sirloin (Melting Pot) - Okay, it's another chain. Whatever. The teriyaki sirloin was good, but overcooked. Go to Melting Pot, have fun, and thank me later. The food is regularly delicious, but their offerings here left a little to be desired. I understand appealing to the masses and whatnot, but couldn't we have at least settled for medium well?

Crab Cakes (Behle Street Cafe) - These were delicious, albeit a little greasy. John and I both loved them. They had a really spectacular sauce with them that wasn't overly spicy, just a little extra moisture to them. I would have liked them with a little more meat in them, but I'm sure they're a little different if you're at their restaurant.

Pretzel with Beer Cheese (Courtyard Cafe on Main) - The pretzel was nice, although too salty for my taste. Take that with a grain of salt (HA!), though, because I think all pretzels are too salty. The beer cheese was nice, but I wish it had been a bit more... beer-y? Does that work? The cheese had a great consistency and was nice and smooth, but could have used a little more flavor.

Chocolate raspberry crepe (La Petite France) - a perfect example of how presentation could have gone a long way. It looked pretty terrible. It was basically crepe soup. That being said, it was pretty delicious. The sauce was a little runny and I would have preferred a richer flavor, but the berries were nice, the crepe was warm and a nice consistency, and I'm sure it's absolutely delicious and beautiful at the restaurant.

Wasabi ginger glazed salmon (Mike Fink) - Among the barbecue sandwiches and greasy food, you have salmon with orzo? I was a little leery, but we really liked it. For salmon you get in a little paper tray at a festival, it was outstanding. I didn't really get any wasabi glaze out of it and would have liked something a little more intense, but the fish was actually decent quality (I feared they would wheel out their bottom-of-the-barrel specimens for a $3 tub) and we both liked it. I'm not even a salmon person.

Pepperoni Topper slice (LaRosa's) - one of the few hometown Cincinnati chains represented. No Skyline, no Gold Star, none of that. John needed his pizza fix. He claims festival pizza is always more delicious than regular pizza.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Sundae (Indigo Casual Gourmet Cafe) - They get the presentation award, hands down. It was served in a little plastic martini glass. The sundae itself wasn't anything spectacular. The cheesecake wasn't particularly rich or creamy, and it was topped with some chocolate shavings and whipped cream. It was enjoyable enough, though, and stood out in my memory as one of the more interesting dishes.

There's our experience! Here's looking forward to Taste 2008!