Trailing only behind Ted Drewes and the St. Louis Cardinals, the Taste of St. Louis leads the pack of Metromix’s 101 things to do in St. Louis in 2011. As 300,000 patrons will attest, the title was given for good reason, and keeps local foodies coming back year after year.
Held Sept. 23 through 25 this year, the three-day festival combines all that makes the city of St. Louis great. Restaurants, business and artists from across the city come together at Soldier’s Memorial Park to cater to an ever-increasing demand from St. Louisans and tourists alike, forming one of the biggest annual festivals in the city of St. Louis.
Mack Bradley, Public Relations Representative for the event, says, “The Taste is in its 7th year, and it has quickly become one of the region’s best events, and the signature culinary event in St. Louis.”
Forty-five restaurants, including SLU favorites The Drunken Fish, Pappy’s, and The Cup will set-up on Sauce Magazine’s Restaurant Row for the event.
Ranging from Indian cuisine to down-home American, the delicious conglomeration will not include the traditional restaurants of which the city often focuses.
Instead, an emphasis on up-and coming restaurants will be prevalent, with trendy Central West End staples taking the place of restaurants steeped in St. Louis tradition.
The majority of food options will be available for $3-$7.
SLU graduate student Jonathan Roper is looking forward to the festival. His family’s company, Roper’s Ribs, will hold a booth on Restaurant Row for the first time in the business’s 19-year history.
“We love the opportunity to try many different restaurants all in one place, and love the crowd diversity,” Roper said.
A selection of chain restaurants will also take part in the event, with Bravo! and the Hard Rock Café topping the list in the midst of mostly locally-known venues. Roper commends the festival for its attempt to broaden the horizons of the people of St. Louis, saying, “The Taste gives people a reason to explore the opportunities of food that otherwise they would not have been exposed to.”
The Lumiére Place and River City Casino stage will offer an exciting competition this year, as they host the 2011 Chef Battle Royale, pitting talented chefs against each other in a Food Network-inspired contest. The competition will consist of seven 45-minute rounds of cooking, leading to one ultimate champion.
The stage will also be home to the 2nd annual Pizza Games, where pizzerias across St. Louis will compete to determine who truly has the best pizza in St. Louis.
Despite the name of the event, food is not the only attraction of the weekend. A plethora of musicians will take the Peabody Opera House Outdoor Main Stage, including national acts Civil Twilight and Fitz and the Tantrums.
As the Peabody reopens its doors after extensive renovation, patrons of the Taste of St. Louis will not only enjoy the music on its sponsored stage, but also get a chance to look inside the restored facility prior to its Opening Night Gala on Oct. 1.
“The Peabody will be touring people through this magnificent facility starting on Friday evening,” Bradley said.
The Art and Wine Walk will display both local and national artists, amidst a variety of wines that can be tasted with the purchase of a ticket.
Soldiers’ Memorial can be reached from the Civic Center Metrolink station, and is only a five-minute drive from SLU.
