Taste of Melrose Park Sept 4th-6th, 2009

28th Annual Taste of Melrose Park

1000 N. 25th Ave Melrose Park, IL (Melrose Park Civic Center)

Sept. 4th, 5th & 6th 2009

Friday 5pm-midnight

Saturday noon-midnight

Sunday noon-10pm

Free Admission

A popular festival that keeps the prices of food capped at $3. From what I know most vendors kept things at $2 from the meetings I have attended. Beverages, adult and otherwise, are $4 or less. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there. I have posted a link to the vendors and entertainment page so you can get a look at what they have to offer, but you know you are going for the Sfingi (and another stand that will remain unnamed... cough, cough ). Will the monkey return for David again, the world may never know.

http://www.melrosepark.org/docs/09legal_food1.pdf

Below is a list of the entertainment acts and their showtimes:

http://www.melrosepark.org/docs/09Ent.Lineup.pdf

Last year's installment was a lot of fun. We're very likely to return this year.

=R=

Hands down, my favorite area fest: 'jes folks making their traditional favorites...one can only pray the monkey will return.

There is hope.

I will make some phone calls and see if I can get the scoop on the monkey. I mean its a monkey! Anyway, a few less stands than last year, but the ones you remember are all there. I am also excited to see neckbones on the list of stands.


**Mods if you wish to merge this with the other thread, I apologize for starting a separate one.

sicilianos wrote:Mods if you wish to merge this with the other thread, I apologize for starting a separate one.

I simply added the year designation to the subject line -- every year is slightly different, so there's a rationale for a separate thread.

Sadly, the monkey or his handler have not made a booking yet for the Taste. If anything changes and I hear about it I will let you know.

It’s no secret. I’m a huge fan of Taste of Melrose Park.

The Wife and I are planning to head over there Saturday night, probably before the sun sets. If you want to meet up and share a panzerotti or something, give me a call on my cell: 708-902-3969.

David Hammond wrote:It’s no secret. I’m a huge fan of Taste of Melrose Park.

The Wife and I are planning to head over there Saturday night, probably before the sun sets. If you want to meet up and share a panzerotti or something, give me a call on my cell: 708-902-3969.

I saw your story in the Trib while in a dr. waiting room with my mom and I went "hey, i know this guy" even though I have never met you. It was actually funnier than it sounds. Nice story, one of our favorite eating fests as well.

David Hammond wrote:Hands down, my favorite area fest: 'jes folks making their traditional favorites...one can only pray the monkey will return.

Didn't see the monkey, but as always I saw quite a few characters and the whole squad on the grounds, but its the same as it ever was...best food fest in Chicagoland.

You cant beat the free admission, the highest priced food item is $3, while everything else is $2 and the most expensive thing is the $4 Peroni's and 'Sconsin beer. I'm glad I made it back after a four year absence.

Most Popular Stops on opening night were aka the Peoples favorite


Teriyaki steak on a stick


The always strong fried bologna


there is no doubt Mexican cuisine plays a major role in Melrose Park these days...these tamales reminded me of the ones that made me love them.


My favorite non meat dish out there


best part was they were going so fast that they were always hot out the oven




my new favorite non meat dish


The current non meat dish undisputed champ...zucchini stuffed with cream cheese


calamari


Baked stuffed clam


The most beautiful servers...


...and great pasta


fried peperoni bread...great kids serving it up


Scatchell's (yes there is a relation) stuffed pepper sandwich


neckbones






best three bucks I spent this year


Whats a food fest without funnel cake?


The best of the best...worth the trip alone...God Bless you.


it sure as hell isnt hell and its too good to be purgatory...


When hot out the fryer these are heavenly...

I think Ill be back this wkd to see what I missed.

I've been sort of down on Chicago street festivals, whether it's Koreanfest or Finnfest you somehow wind up seeing the same pork skewer vendors and insurance company booths at them, but I had a great time earlier this summer at Pierogifest and so that inspired me to finally take David Hammond's advice and go to Taste of Melrose Park.



Meet famous Italian celebrities at Taste of Melrose Park.



We hooked up with Hammond and his wife Carolyn Berg, surprised that no other LTHers had taken him up on his posted offer, and he led us to several of the best choices— there were some hearty, enormous arancini (rice balls), and I really liked Melrose Park Peppers, apparently an old local specialty but hard to find now, basically Italian sausage and sauteed green pepper in a bun with marinara sauce.



Others, even if I wasn't 100% wild about them, where else are you going to go to a street fest and find artichoke casserole in a styrofoam cup? Try to get that on the north shore. I certainly liked it better than the bread bowl with pasti e fagioli, which threatened to take up way too much valuable stomach space for its fairly ordinary Italian restaurant flavor.



Hammond had more of an adventurous palate than myself, he tried both the clams:



and a stand offering, curiously, soul food-style neckbones, which were pretty rank, he couldn't get anybody else to try a bite.



We tried other stuff— one kid nursed a pizza slice for about a half hour until a fried Twinkie came his way— but the two things we were really out to try were the famous sfingi, eggy donuts made by an order of nuns, which had at least an hour's worth of line waiting for the sisters to get each batch out of the fryer:



And the famous fried bologna sandwiches, showcased in Hammond's article linked above. He and I stopped by their stand as the others waited for sfingi and he was embraced as a celebrity for having driven traffic to their booth from as far as Glenview. They also said they wanted to meet his wife (read the article, you'll see why) and so we relayed that news as we took bologna sandwiches back to our line-bound compatriots. I was really surprised how good the bologna sandwich was— the combination of fried, slightly blackened and crispy bologna, mustard and sweet caramelized onion, and white bread was great, like a minimalist Chicago hot dog flattened out.

Once we had our sfingi— likewise wonderful, the egginess making them like something between a donut and French toast—



—we made our way back to the bologna booth and Carolyn was embraced as a long lost sister. In gratitude to Hammond for the article, they invited all of us into the back of their booth for a slice of homemade cheesecake.



As much fun as the fest itself is, as true as it is to the warmly outgoing Italian-American spirit, it quickly became clear that the real fun, the real neighborliness, the real spirit of the fest is in what goes on in the back alleys of the booth rows, where the different stands— mostly amateurs— trade food and recipes and goodnatured jokes back and forth. And that cheesecake! It might not have been the best one I ever had in my life, maybe only in the last 20 years, light and creamy and made with love. I couldn't have been prouder of my younger son when she asked him how he liked it and his eyes rolled back in his head and he just said, "Soooo gooooood." Right answer, Liam, if you want to be invited back next year. Seriously, I don't know how you swing an invitation into the vendors' social lives, but Hammond did so on our behalf, and it was one of the highlights of my summer.

Glad you had a good time, Mike. We did too, and I admit that the social aspect is a big part of the allure of this event, for me. Not that I know a lot of people there, but I like standing in line (!), talking to fellow goombahs, soaking up the Italo-American vibe.

The arancini, which I had the first time I visited the ToMP some years ago, opened my eyes to how good these little oranges can be.

The neckbones were horrific -- I took two bites and dumped them. Bad smell, bad taste, terrible. At $2, I didn’t feel so bad. The clams were actually pretty good, surprisingly, and at a buck a pop, a deal.

The offerings here are hit and miss, no doubt...unlike, say, the food at tonight's Jazz Festival, which was Star of Siam Pad Thai, Billy Goat Cheesburger, miss, miss, both by a very long shot. I used the rest of my tickets for beer.

I usually get the sfingi in the afternoon, when there are shorter lines, and this was the first time I got them right out of the fryer, so incredibly ethereally crumbly and rich with egg…and I’m not even that crazy about pastry, but by comparison, Oak Park Farmer’s Market donuts have the texture of Minnie balls.

I need to make fried bologna sandwiches a bigger part of my life -- they are stupidly satisfying, so simple.

It feels a little odd, sometimes, when I write glowingly about a place and then go to the place – and I usually avoid doing so, but there was no way I’d miss this event. I was pleased with the comment that my article had sparked some traffic at Siciliano’s booth. Corinne over at Louie Ariola’s Artichoke Casserole had the article posted on the stand and she told me that people came up to her with the article and had her autograph it. As it happened, we had purchased both a bologna sandwich and a cup of artichoke casserole before I revealed my secret identity, and I was hesitant to stop by Joe Rosa’s and Captain D’s because, well, it just felt awkward.

It was, of course, very kind of Sicilianos to take us "into the back," and the feeling there was so fine and friendly and family that I still have it with me. Watching Susan (the nice lady in the picture who made the cheesecake) talk to Liam, I actually got a catch in my throat, because she looked at your young son just like my Italian aunts used to look at me, with bemused interest but also slight suspicion and genuine warmth.

Another year in the books, and the Taste was again a fun adventure for the Siciliano family. As Mike posted above, the true fun in the Taste is the good times shared with family and friends. Some people, such as the bracciole stand, directly behind ours, own a business, but that is more the exception than the rule. They are great people, and we made new friends. The good natured barbs between stands is a great part of it, and we gave as good as we got. Melrose Parkers and those in general at the Taste have some of the most colorful personalities you will find anywhere.

David, Mike and their tribes were fantastic and we truly enjoyed visiting with you. My Mom doesn't make that cheesecake for just anyone, and is a tribute to how much David's article meant to her, as well as the support LTH'ers have shown to us. I informed David that I heard people tell me they came here based upon the article he wrote, and we are grateful. It is a tribute to the work that David is doing, and inspiring those to come from as far as Northbrook and Lockport to Melrose Park is special. People actually brought David's article in hand to the stand. We do the Taste for the fun of it, and have no desire to become traveling carneys, but the business never hurts. Corinne Principe stopped by our booth and we discussed how we were famous now, and had a good laugh. We also discussed how proud her mother and brother would have been, as is the same with my Mom.

I don't want to leave anyone out, and I am sure I have, but I did get to talk to Ronnie, and he was great as well. He was also kind enough to snap a photo of our group, so thanks for that.

I have my favorites at the Taste as well as all of you do, and of course Sfingi is right at the top. Rumors were that the line was 2 hours long at one point (averaged 9000 orders per day), and they are fantastic. They were by far the busiest stand at the Taste, and the sisters may have to revisit any vows of poverty. It goes to a good cause, and the food is delicious, a real win-win.

I look forward to a relaxing holiday and resting up for my real job, but I look forward to seeing all of you again next year.

Small aside, when I have been to Bob Chinn's I am always fascinated by the totals of food they go through on a daily and weekly basis. So if anyone wonders, we used up in 3 days over 165lbs of Bologna, 110lbs of onions, 3+ lbs of butter, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 loaves of bread.

Highly worth attending. For this Local Family, it seemed to be either really good or really crap, but the really good was so much worth it, and the really bad hardly costly, that the final equation is far on the plus side.

Oddly enough, my wife and I loved the neckbones, which were tender, fatty and porcine in a Mado-ish kinda way. Neckbones are hardly a "soulfood" only kinda thing, being also a speciality of our Melrose Park fav, Danny's.

Has anyone else mentioned something we liked even better than the neckbones? The ceviche. Melrose Park, is of course, now more Mexican than Italian, and has a hell of a lot more Mexican restaurants than Italian restaurants. Fittingly my favorite taste of Melrose was the ceviche Acupultano from Mar & Terra.

Loved a lot the cannoli's, the tortolini n spinach sauce, the melrose peppers (of course, how local), the sfingi, the arancini, the cheesey-zucchini balls, the bruschetti with home grown tomatoes (hint: keep 'em out of the fridge next year), and the italian sausage sandwich.

I'll not mention what I did not love, so as not to hurt anyone's feelings (for the record, we did not try the bolongna), but I'll say that ceviche aside, seafood was not so hot as the festival wound down on a Sunday night.

Thanks all for making this widely known.

Vital,

Glad you enjoyed the Taste. My wife, Guadalupe, liked the ceviche as much as you did. Fried bologna is not to everyone's taste, and I wouldn't want anyone on this board to think that whether good or bad that opinions should be held back. I like contributing to the forums when I can, and admittedly my knowledge of the foods that some here discuss (Taste or otherwise) is either something I might not try, or something that I just haven't experienced.

I do know after doing this for a few years, I have a lot of respect for those who work in and run a restaurant (not that I am comparing). From the critics to the amount of preparation and work that it takes day to day, I don't think that it would be my cup of tea for a career. Hats off to those who do.

sicilianos wrote:. . . but I did get to talk to Ronnie, and he was great as well. He was also kind enough to snap a photo of our group, so thanks for that.

I did indeed (and the pleasure was all mine) . . .


The Siciliano Family (notice David Hammond's Tribune article about Taste of Melrose Park on the sign)

Fried bologna was a childhood favorite of mine, the first item I ever cooked for myself and it's also my favorite item at Taste of Melrose Park. It instantly brings me back and reminds me of moments that I'd completely forgotten about. I cannot express how happy it makes me to eat these delicious sandwiches . . .


Working the griddle



Bologna, on the move



Mayo and bbq sauce are also available but we chose mustard on our sandwiches and Don Nielson happily obliges.



Fried Bologna Sandwich with mustard and grilled onions

As my son gets older, he's not always as interested in joining us at some of these events but the mere mention of Taste of Melrose Park had him downright excited the other day. And sometime between last year and this year, he's become a fan of grilled onions. When I ordered his sandwich without them, he spoke up and asked for them. I guess the little guy's growing up.

We ate A LOT of other items at ToMP yesterday, too. Here are some of our favorite bites (in somewhat alphabetical/chronological order) . . .


Arancini from D & D's



Louie Ariola’s Artichoke Casserole



Fried Calamari from Cucina Bella



Petruzzi's Meatball Sandwich
Not very exciting-looking but a fantastic meatball.



Iannelli Panzerotti was actually rolling them out on location, which impressed me.



Panzerotti - the finished product



Scatchell's Stuffed Melrose Peppers



Italian Sausage from Scardino's



Carne Asada Taco from Los Comales



Zucchini-Cheese Puff from Nikki's



Crunchy Peanut Butter treats from Kay's Hand-Dipped Chocolates



Cervone's Cannoli



Mare's Eclaires



Sisters of St. Charles' Sfingi



Truer words . . . until next year!

=R=

It all looks good but I NEED the p-nutbutter dipped chocolate. Know of any way to get it before a yrs time?

Great pix as always.

Jazzfood (et al) -- Michael Giglio is the Prez of Kay's Candies, in Rosemont. Free delivery to Chicago and NW suburbs.

847-759-0166 Phone
847-613-8342 Cell
mike@kayscandies.com or mike1467@comcast.net
www.kayscandies.com

My chocolate p-nutbutter sweet tooth thanks you. My others do as well.

I went to the Taste of Melrose Park Saturday afternoon and had a great time! Thanks to all who posted photos which I used as a mini-guide in determining what to sample. Everything was spot on from the arancini to the spfingi. I didn't get to try everything on my list because I was so full. There's always next year. I actually took the spfingi home and it still tasted good two hours later. As it said in the Tribune article, there really was a down home feel. I even spotted Al Piemonte enjoying some tasty treats.

I also had a great time and can't wait to go back next year. I had the frozen champagne salad (false advertising but pretty tasty), sfingi (could have eaten more than 4), pork neck bones (I thought these were a pain in the ass to eat but quite tasty), baked clam (great), and the Mar y Tierra ceviche (fantastic). I tried for the artichoke casserole but there was a 40-minute (or was it an hour?) wait and now I'm kicking myself for not getting a braciole and bologna sandwich. Something to aspire to next year.