| The Taste of Chicago has grown every year. With a lot of emphasis on the food. Being a Chicagoan I am not excited about the prospect of paying 4 to six times the normal cost of a menu item. There are a very few unusual items to taste that you would not normally find. Taste would have a greater meaning to me if the foods were exotic rather than local. Some people came get excited about eating a turkey leg in public but I miss the thrill on that one. From the visitors prospective Taste of Chicago is a colorful and happy event. There is so much to taste and see. It is a family event that many look forward to and plan their vacations around. |
From the vendors prespective the Taste of Chicago
can be a daunting venue. I came across this one
tent where the grill man was loosing control of his
grill. His co workers were trapped with him under
the smoke filled tent. The crowd loved the smell of
the smoke and gathered around the tent buying up
the ribs, steak, hamburgers and sausage links. The
smoke seemed to be more of a sensual effect to
promote the desire to eat grilled meat. No one out
side the tent had any Idea that the grill man had lost
complete control of his grill. From this point I
focused on the behind the scenes activity at the
Taste of Chicago.
can be a daunting venue. I came across this one
tent where the grill man was loosing control of his
grill. His co workers were trapped with him under
the smoke filled tent. The crowd loved the smell of
the smoke and gathered around the tent buying up
the ribs, steak, hamburgers and sausage links. The
smoke seemed to be more of a sensual effect to
promote the desire to eat grilled meat. No one out
side the tent had any Idea that the grill man had lost
complete control of his grill. From this point I
focused on the behind the scenes activity at the
Taste of Chicago.
| After leaving the grill tent I visited other vendors who worked like bees preparing and serving food to the visitors. The appeared to be well organized and efficient in selling their products. The Vendors were mostly young people, teenagers and college age men and women. You would think that they worked together all the time. Maybe some of them did. I am sure that workers from the restaurants were supervising the food preparation to insure it tasted like it was meant to taste. |
| It is hard not to get excited about all the food. There are so many varieties. The downer was the ticket price. Since the first Taste ticket prices have about doubled and the portions have remained the same. I don't like the tickets, Its a way to disguise the outrageous prices being charged for finger food. Of course the atmosphere adds to the enjoyment of the food....If you like to walk around in public eating...something that many people have a problem doing. I for one like to be alone when I eat. Maybe its a left over genetic instinct but I cannot enjoy my food while walking around in a crowd of.............eating, talking, coughing, sneezing, laughing, shouting, people |
| These grill men had the right idea. They placed their grills outside the tent so the smoke could escape into the air. If I had any tickets at this point, these guys would have gotten them all. The only way to eat grilled meat is right off the grill. My code word for that is " fresh kill" The meat is at its absolute best the second it leaves the grill. Once it sits for a few minutes, it looses the heat of the flame and smoke. It is fast on its way to becoming classified as a left over. |
| I saw these imitation ribs on a grill and wondered what they were trying to get for these......after all they had the real thing right next to them........Maybe its a sign of things to come at the Taste. Processed foods may become a big player in future events. |
These people don't cook anything. I don't know
why they were there...
packaged food is creeping into the scene along
with the processed foods.....Not to mention
the banks ATM machines.
why they were there...
packaged food is creeping into the scene along
with the processed foods.....Not to mention
the banks ATM machines.
| These Vendors appeared tired and busy. I would have interviewed some of them but there were too many knives laying around for me to take a chance on aggravating someone with a unimportant question. I could tell by the rough looks that No one had taken a break in a while. |
When I saw the ATM Machines at the taste It really rang home that this event is about money, revenues, taxes
for the city of Chicago.
If you are not careful you can spend hundreds of dollars at the taste for about $40.00 worth of food. It can be
like gambling, where as you can't get enough, You got to taste just one more food item and then another and
another until you have put a sizeable dent in your pocket.
for the city of Chicago.
If you are not careful you can spend hundreds of dollars at the taste for about $40.00 worth of food. It can be
like gambling, where as you can't get enough, You got to taste just one more food item and then another and
another until you have put a sizeable dent in your pocket.
| The Taste has added Live entertainment and rides to the things you can do. Not many but it may also be a sign of things to come at the Taste. I predict that the Taste will move to the lake front in the future and the event will include water attractions and other beach related events. |
| AND OF COURSE ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END |
| As a Chicagoan I feel that they are going to do a whole lot more to the taste to make it worth visiting in future. Amidst all the food and people I found the Taste to be a quite boring event. |
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| THE GARLOWS OF SOUTH PARK By whO |