Third Annual Taste of Evanston Aims To Raise Food Festival Standards With 30 Of City's Top Restaurants

EVANSTON, IL — For foodies tired of summer crowds and ready for loud music to pipe down a bit, the third annual Taste of Evanston food festival promises to offer a charming and relaxing alternative this weekend. Taking place Sunday, the relative newcomer in the world of North Shore summer festivals will feature 30 of Evanston's most celebrated restaurants, two breweries and two wine purveyors, who will serve their best-selling appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages at the festival.

It takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 9, on the great lawn of the historic Charles Gates Dawes House. Tours of the luxurious lakeside Dawes House mansion will be running throughout the evening as festival-goers dine and enjoy the entertainment, gypsy jazz musicians Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan and the popular and quirky close-up magician AJ Sacco.

Organizers have enhanced the family flavor of the event this year by adding kid-friendly distractions and games so parents can truly unwind and enjoy themselves.

“Because Evanston is a great restaurant town in a picturesque locale, we’ve been able to grow this festival in just three years into a substantial source of donations to address community needs,” said Brad Weiss, President of the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club, which hosts the event.

Themed Hungry for Work!, a portion of the proceeds will benefit work readiness programs offered by three Evanston non-profits:

● No Boundaries serves people with disabilities by providing workplace training.

● Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse teaches deconstruction skills to people who are low-income, homeless, or ex-offenders.

● The Evanston Work Ethic (WE) Program provides mentoring, training and financial assistance to ETHS students who aspire to a career in the skilled trades.

Evanston has become known as a foodie paradise where top chefs come to open quaint restaurants away from the hectic city culinary scene. “The customers are friends and family, which is who I love cooking for the most,” said chef Brian Huston of Boltwood and Publican.

“Foodies who attend the Taste of Evanston are going to be blown away by what the chefs in Evanston are doing,” restaurateur Hecky Powell said. Hecky’s Barbeque is one of several restaurants who participated in creating a series of cooking videos for the festival website.

"This will be a great opportunity to sample the very best dishes from over 30 amazing Evanston restaurants - the ultimate schmorgassboard," said Rotarian Bill Glader, who is coordinating the event.

The festival menu will include popular dishes from the kitchens of The Barn, Bluestone, Boltwood, Cupitol, Found Kitchen, Hearth, Hecky’s Barbecue, Hoosier Mama, Koi, Mount Everest, Patisserie Coralie, Peckish Pig, Taco Diablo, Temperance Beer Company, Tomate Fresh Kitchen and Ten Mile House. The list of all the participating restaurants and sponsors is available at www.tasteofevanston.org.

Vince Gerasole, the award-winning reporter and anchor for CBS2 Chicago, will serve as emcee. In addition to receiving 14 Emmy Awards, he is a three-time James Beard Award nominee for Excellence in Broadcast Food Reporting.

WHEN: Sunday, July 9, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
WHERE: Charles Gates Dawes House, Evanston, IL
(Free street parking)

Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.

$80 - General Admission
$25 - Student
$10 - Child under 12

» via Taste of Evanston