Taste of Melrose Park 2011 Sep 2nd 4th

The Village of Melrose Park will be hosting the 30th annual Taste of Melrose Park on September 2nd-4th. A great selection of food with prices capped at $3, with 70+ food vendors. Overall, a great event.

Sept. 2nd, 2010: 5p.m. - 11:00 p.m
Sept. 3rd, 2010: Noon – 11:00p.m.
Sept. 4th, 2010: Noon – 10:00p.m - Fireworks: 10:15p.m.

(above based upon last year's schedule)


Come for the sfingi, stay and taste everything else.

Food vendors:

http://melrosepark.org/village/vendorslist.pdf

Entertainment:

http://www.melrosepark.org/2011Ent.Schedule.pdf


Disclaimer: While not directly connected with the Village of Melrose Park, my family does have a stand at the Taste.

Hi,

Wouldn't miss this for the world.

Which stand is your family's?

Regards,

Cant wait, this is the best food fair in Chicagoland.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Wouldn't miss this for the world.

Which stand is your family's?

Regards,

We are the Siciliano's Old Fashioned Fried Bologna booth.

Don

Octarine wrote:Cant wait, this is the best food fair in Chicagoland.

I think it is one of the best as well. For the price and selection of items it is hard to beat, especially for a Village of its size.

I do have to note that I have been informed the craft area will not be represented this year, which i know some people enjoy.

For those contemplating attending, this will wet your appetite:

I'll be there with bells on. Maybe a fez.

I almost feel as though my continued applause for this event is getting repetitive, but I can't help it: this is by far, for me, the most fun food event of the summer. Longer love letter to appear soon in Chicago Sun-Times.

We will definitely be there again as well. The rides are also fun for the kids and reasonably priced.

I may be blind, but I don't see an exact location. Naturally, I can't remember how I got there last time. Anyone know the site this year?

Pie Lady wrote:I may be blind, but I don't see an exact location. Naturally, I can't remember how I got there last time. Anyone know the site this year?

I found the address in Hammond's Sun Times article:

1000 N 25th
Melrose Park

Pie Lady wrote:I may be blind, but I don't see an exact location. Naturally, I can't remember how I got there last time. Anyone know the site this year?

"May" be blind. Hey, whoa, just bustin' yer balls over here.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food ... taste.html

David Hammond wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I may be blind, but I don't see an exact location. Naturally, I can't remember how I got there last time. Anyone know the site this year?

"May" be blind. Hey, whoa, just bustin' yer balls over here.

May I return the ball busting by noting that your previous post said "longer love letter to appear soon"... maybe somebody shoulda posted a link before, hmm?

When is everybody going? I'll be there Friday as soon as I pick up my bread from Italian Superior Bakery.

Pie Lady wrote:

David Hammond wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I may be blind, but I don't see an exact location. Naturally, I can't remember how I got there last time. Anyone know the site this year?

"May" be blind. Hey, whoa, just bustin' yer balls over here.

May I return the ball busting by noting that your previous post said "longer love letter to appear soon"... maybe somebody shoulda posted a link before, hmm?

When is everybody going? I'll be there Friday as soon as I pick up my bread from Italian Superior Bakery.

What the, hey the, the post just went up! Okay? Now, run and go get your shine box.

(I'll probably be there Friday and maybe Saturday or Sunday)

I only shine on Thursdays!

Good article. Can't wait to get those sfingi, and the arancini that I missed last year (I don't think I ever tried an arancini). Has anybody been able to eat at all 70 stands in one day?

Pie Lady wrote:I only shine on Thursdays!

Good article. Can't wait to get those sfingi, and the arancini that I missed last year (I don't think I ever tried an arancini). Has anybody been able to eat at all 70 stands in one day?

Actually, last year, Gebert and me ran into this jamoke who claimed he ate at all the places. He got it all on video, but I never seen it.

David "Reverting to type" Hammond

If anyone is going tonight, give me a ring on my cell when you get there and maybe we can meet up: 708-902-3969.

It's hot, but tomorrow is fifty-fifty rain, so I'm headed there early tonight (last year, it was kinda coldish, so this ain't too bad).

I'm not going to make it tonight but just to get people in the mood here are a few pics from last year I never got around to posting.

Hopefully the pane e panelle will be back. It's so rare that an interesting new item appears at the Taste of Melrose Park (not that there's anything wrong with the ToMP classics).





One problem with this dish is the bread is abysmal. That goes for almost every stand. It's taken me nearly 20 years of attendance to realize the wisdom of ordering nearly every dish without bread. I actually enjoyed the stuffed Melrose peppers more without the bun.



Every year I always stop at the arancini stand, one of my ToMP favorites.





Of course no visit would be complete without a fried bologna sandwich.



Last year the bologna was served "taco style" on a single piece of bread instead of sandwiched between two slices. A good idea: less is more.

I enjoy the simple cannoli, free of unnecessary chocolate or candied fruit.



This year I'll see if I can order a cannolo without the bright green-dyed peanuts, which I think actually detract.

And yes, the best part of ToMP is the divine sfingi.





Now if we could only bring back the wine 'n' peaches . . .

Bro, what a concept: order without bread. Why fill up on empty white stuff, indeed.

Bad news: the fried chickpea sheets are, to the best of current intel, not going to be there this year.

Good news: the same vendor has got something new (or maybe really old, antico) to offer.

I'm still at home, building up Irish courage to show my face at this Italian festa. Did I go to far in the S-T piece? Will Dom "Big Head" DiFazio kick my ass because I, too, busted his balls? Will Dio and Dora do a tag-team effort on me. Will The Wife be able to capture pix of that? I see myself talking through a busted jaw, "Did you get that? Did you get that?!"

David Hammond wrote:Bro, what a concept: order without bread. Why fill up on empty white stuff, indeed.

I'm not kidding—it was one of those "slap your forehead" moments for me. I've been going to ToMP since the early '90s and until last year it never occurred to me to order some items without bread. It was actually the pane e panelle that brought on this revelation.

David Hammond wrote:Bad news: the fried chickpea sheets are, to the best of current intel, not going to be there this year.

Good news: the same vendor has got something new (or maybe really old, antico) to offer.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what that team will be introducing this year. While I loved the idea of serving pane e panelle, I thought the execution (particularly that bread) left something to be desired.

Will the monkey be back this year?

Rene G wrote:

David Hammond wrote:Bro, what a concept: order without bread. Why fill up on empty white stuff, indeed.

I'm not kidding—it was one of those "slap your forehead" moments for me. I've been going to ToMP since the early '90s and until last year it never occurred to me to order some items without bread. It was actually the pane e panelle that brought on this revelation.

David Hammond wrote:Bad news: the fried chickpea sheets are, to the best of current intel, not going to be there this year.

Good news: the same vendor has got something new (or maybe really old, antico) to offer.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what that team will be introducing this year. While I loved the idea of serving pane e panelle, I thought the execution (particularly that bread) left something to be desired.

Will the monkey be back this year?

Big disappointments: the pane panella guy is doing nutella crepes (Gebert told me; I couldn't bear to see it)...and there was no monkey; I miss that monkey.

Pleasurable moments: Capt D tells me, "Hey, thanks for the Big Head name. The guys at the fire station had it like all over the walls." And the meatball sandwich.

There were some suspicious characters there tonight, but they seemed friendly enough:



Capt. D, some cute girl, and the guy who last year said he ate everything (or so I thought; when I talked to him tonight he said he didn't actually eat everything and he wasn't even going to try this year):



Don and Linda of Siciliano's; Don is a new dad: Congrats!





Fifille and Octarine were looking good:



Proto-panzerotti:



The Wife and panzerotti:

trying to make heads or tails out of the official event schedule, but can't do it. Anyone know a better source for the music schedule times Saturday and Sunday? Most importantly, when is radio disney?

Kennyz,

Radio Disney looks like 4:30p-6p on Saturday at the Peroni Garden section of the Taste Grounds. The form on the Village website is the best I have to date.

Don

Well, I seemed to have missed all of youse. I was there at 8:45 or so til just before 10. I thought I'd beat the heat. I had the arancini, sfingi, and lupini, in that order, and I wish I hadn't filled up so quickly because that panzerotti looks fantastic. It also would have rounded out my quest to eat only things that end in I. Oh well, something to look forward to for next year.

After missing last year's ToMP due to being post-op, it was great to return this year. Our group of 4 arrived just before 1 pm on Saturday, ate and chatted steadily for about 2 hours and got back into our car just as the skies opened. I find this event particularly comforting, in that it's personal and personable. I love the size of it, the way everyone's made to feel welcome and even the golf cart shuttle service, which takes ToMP-goers to and from their cars. The carts are driven by friendly volunteers, who seem to enjoy being themselves as much as the attendees.

We sampled a lot of items, finished a few and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Here's a run-down of just about everything we sampled (* denotes personal favorite) . . .


Ceviche



Pasta Fagioli



Arancini*



Arancini*



Lasagna Fritta



Tamal*



Meatball Sandwich



Stuffed Melrose Pepper*



Bracciole Sandwich



Pork Taco*



Chicken Wings



Italian Stuffed Mushrooms



Pepper & Egg Sandwich*



Pork Chop Sandwich



Old Fashioned Fried Bologna**
Belle of the Ball, IMO.



Artichoke Casserole



BBQ Turkey



Zucchini & Cheese Puffs



Italian Sausage



Panzerotti



Panzerotti



Funnel Cake



Sfingi



Eclair



Cannoli*



Cheesecake Bar



Brandon and Sammy
These friendly gentlemen, who manned the cheesecake bar stall, just embodied the entire event for us. They were friendly, chatty and clearly enjoying themselves. I spoke with them briefly and felt like I'd known them a long time. That's the best part of ToMP, IMO...that and the fried bologna, of course.

=R=

Excellent pix, ronnie. If I were a vendor of any of the items you snapped, I'd copy the pic and have it turned into a framed portrait for my kitchen wall.

Ronnie,

You are too kind. I am glad you are back on your wheels and happy you stopped by our stand. David is right, the pics are awesome, and I happy you enjoyed your sandwich. Today's inclement weather made today a rough one for many of the vendors, but you and a handful of diehards stuck it out with us. Gentleman and a scholar, my friend.

sicilianos wrote:. . . happy you enjoyed your sandwich.

For the record, I had 2.
(and that was the only item I had 2 of)

=R=

Cabbagehead and I are planning to go this afternoon with friends from Oak Park. Ron's pics, as always, make everything look enticing. Be ready with your secret LTH handshake if you see us.