I'm heading over shortly. I'm really looking forward to the fest this year. Hopefully, I'll run into some other LTHers there for food sharing.

After the food, what I enjoyed most about this festival is the community spirit of the people on both sides of the counter. That community spirit includes, of course, relentless busting of balls.

Pepper and Egg Guy: I don't like those clouds.
Maintenance Guy: It's not going to rain.
Pepper and Egg Guy: So, who are you? Harry Volkman?

OR, as MikeG and I are interviewing Dom DiFazio of Captain D's Lupinis, Guy in Hat (pictured below) pulls up in a golf cart, sounding for all the world like Frank Pantangeli:

Guy in Hat (smile-sneering at Dom): You think you can fit that head in a picture?
Dio Vacaro and others at D&D's Arancini start laughing.
Dom (abashed, looking down): People say I gotta big head.



I'm not saying this humor rises to the level of, say, a Shecky Green or a Buddy Hackett, but I laughed at these characters amusing one another.

David Hammond wrote:Pepper and Egg Guy: I don't like those clouds.
Maintenance Guy: It's not going to rain.
Pepper and Egg Guy: So, who are you? Harry Volkman?

This is why I don't need to go to the Taste every year; I just wait for the next family birthday, wedding, or funeral.

The picture of Mike with the sisters is priceless; I look forward to the expanded coverage and footage and am ever-glad for the community interest in humble Melrose.

Hi,

I was there last night for a few hours. Everything was reasonbly priced at $2 to $3. When I asked to cut portions into three, it was not a problem. The only item I was not willing to share was the artichoke casserole. I bought three.

The line for the nun's fried donut holes (Italian name drifted from my mind) was the longest and most patient group. How do you expedite a nun? You don't, you simply wait your turn.

Never did see the Sinatra singer, though I did catch some Motown.

I will be there next year on Friday evening.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:The line for the nun's fried donut holes (Italian name drifted from my mind) was the longest and most patient group. How do you expedite a nun? You don't, you simply wait your turn.

I was talking to one of the nun's "handlers" about their work at the Taste, and she told me that when they have civilians working the sfingi counter, they have a few people waiting in line; when the nuns, in their habits, are serving, the line quickly grows very long. No doubt about it: nuns sell (plus, they have a very good product).

We went today around 4:45 and got parking just 3 blocks away across from Joseph Academy. When we arrived, there were plenty of people but it didn't feel crowded and there were never more than two or three people in line at any given place, if any line at all. We enjoyed everything we ate, and by the time we were ready for sfingi, the place was much more crowded and the sfingi line was quite long. Totally worth standing in line for. In addition to the sfingi we had:

meatball sandwich - only thing I had seconds of
pork chop sandwich - good but could have used a little something
bologna sandwich
artichoke casserole
Kay's chocolates - brought home, haven't eaten yet. Thought $7 for the sampler box was a good price
pepperoni bread
pretzel - nothing special, but something we don't allow ourselves very often
eclair - expected a small one, it was huge, and good
fried zucchini - eh. small portion
iced tea - fresh and strong

I didn't realize you only had to buy tickets for alcohol and sodas. I like that you didn't have to buy food tickets.

Add the Slicker Sam's tiramisu to the list. It was frozen hard when I bought it yesterday, so I brought it home. Tonight, it was probably the best tiramisu I've ever had... not that I've had it in like ten years, but you know.

Went Saturday and as usual the LTH reco's were great, and so were the people. The boys (2 & 4), my wife and I had a great time running around the football field for awhile before going back for round two. We got some of the home made pasta e fagioli served piled high in a bread bowl, and no less than 10 people asked us where we got it or what it was within 5 minutes. Ironically it was probably my least favorite thing I had that day.

Before this year's ToMP fades into memory, wanted to add that this event included a rather large celebration of Hispanic culture (on the west side of the festival grounds). This was a big year because we're headed into the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence and 100th anniversary of the Revolution. Singing songs on the Sunday stage this year was Guadalupe Pindera, who was described as the "Mexican Barbra Streisand" (on the way home, my Palestinian cabbie gave me a blank look when I gave him that description of the chanteuse I'd just seen -- I guess they don't listen to much Babs in his hometown of Ramallah).

Mike G wrote:Add the Slicker Sam's tiramisu to the list. It was frozen hard when I bought it yesterday, so I brought it home. Tonight, it was probably the best tiramisu I've ever had... not that I've had it in like ten years, but you know.

I thought Slicker Sams closed!?
What did I miss?

zoid wrote:

Mike G wrote:Add the Slicker Sam's tiramisu to the list. It was frozen hard when I bought it yesterday, so I brought it home. Tonight, it was probably the best tiramisu I've ever had... not that I've had it in like ten years, but you know.

I thought Slicker Sams closed!?
What did I miss?

The restaurant has been closed for years...but it lives again every year, and only once a year, at the Taste of Melrose Park!

Hi,

I don't like Tiramisu and pretty much avoid it. I love this story of a ghost restaurant reappearing once a year for a festival. I will try it next year.

I already plan to be to be at Taste of Melrose Park for the first night next year. Saturday and Sunday will be mushroom club and Serb Fest. I will rest on Labor Day.

Regards,

I wanted to thank everyone who attended for their kind words and coming to the Taste of MP. Despite nasty weather on Friday, the event was again successful and showed that a Taste run not by businesses (for the most part), but rather families and friends can make for a great event. I know I don't have the culinary chops of the majority of you here, but I like to think everyone enjoys a simple sandwich every now and then.

As always, a special thank you to David for letting people know about this event, and also thanks to Mike. I am looking forward to seeing any video you have from the Taste. Ronnie, you know we missed you, hope the new hardware is holding up well.

I look forward to next year's event and getting to meet more of the LTH community.

David Hammond wrote:

Quoted in this week's Dish:

“The bologna was pale pink, the size of a bread-and-butter plate, a perfect circle of compacted piggy byproducts. Chester tossed in the meat without even pausing to remove the plastic casing. While the bologna was frying, he slathered mayonnaise on one slice of bread and mustard on the other. He shook hot sauce across the yellow mustard in perfect red polka dots. . . . The air in the kitchen was now scented with browning bologna, which was curling up around the edges to form a little bowl with butter puddled in the center. I could feel myself getting dizzy from the sensory overload. I said, ‘I’ll give you four hundred dollars if you fix me one of those.’”
—Sue Grafton (1940–), in L Is for Lawless

In 1978, I gave my girlfriend (now The Wife) $100 to make me a tuna salad sandwich. I thought I was being extravagant; now, I feel like a piker.

That must have been one hell of a tuna fish sandwich!

Maybe it was how she made it.