The highs lows of the 33rd Taste of Chicago

The 33rd Taste of Chicago opened under near cloudless skies and temperatures in the 80s perfect conditions that are predicted to last throughout the festival s five day run (which ends Sunday). If Taste is going to have a comeback year a successful season that demonstrates this event s viability this would seem to be the year.

And if people were to pick a time to support the event to keep it from the slag heap of unaffordable and thus abandoned city events (remember those July 3 fireworks shows ) well this would seem to be the year to do that too.

The boilerplate Admission to Taste of Chicago is free purchase strips of 12 tickets ($8) to exchange for food and drink items which are priced from 3 to 14 tickets. Cheapest strategy is to buy Taste portions small nibbles that cost 5 tickets or less every vendor is required to offer at least two Taste portion items.

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If you're planning to venture out to Grant Park this week here are my observed highs and lows the best and worst places to spend your money

Chicago classics

Bobak s Sausage Company (booth 1) Though few Taste participants these days could locate Maxwell Street on a map let alone explain its cultural significance Bobak s Maxwell Street Polish Sausage served on a sturdy bun with or without grilled onions is big meaty and juicy worthy of its name. Eight tickets for full size 5 tickets for Taste portion (half).

Eli s Cheesecake (booth 16). It wouldn t be Taste of Chicago without Eli s Cheesecake which has participated in all 33 Tastes. The Key Lime Skinny cheesecake 3 tickets gives you just the right amount of cool sweetness and so even given its tiny size is one of Taste s best bargains.

Lou Malnati s Pizzeria (booth 21) which drags 24 pizza ovens (well four ovens with six doors each) to its site manages every year to produce off site pizza (cheese or sausage 6 tickets) equal to the pizza sold in its brick and mortar restaurants. Why don t these guys have a food truck yet (Taste tip Malnati s will split your pizza slice in half on request. Easier to handle easier to share.)

Other great Tastes

Carbon (booth 11) sometimes overmatched by the Taste crowds its first couple of years has its act together this year staffed with a mini army of workers who dish out Carbon s terrific steak chicken and fish tacos (4 tickets). My favorite is the tilapia fried in a crushed tortilla crust and doused with tequila lime sauce (the counter person will ask if you want the sauce you do).

A big welcome back to Wishbone (booth 6) making new friends with its Lexington style (i.e. vinegar sauce) pulled pork sandwich (7 tickets) topped with chopped coleslaw (it s a Southern thing). The sandwich is big enough for two easy. Consider also the very refreshing watermelon lemonade salad (7 tickets) essentially watermelon cubes covered with ice cold lemonade in a tall cup.

Bombay Spice (booth 37) a Taste rookie puts out a very nice bhel puri (5 tickets) crunchy puffed rice topped with a cold mix of tomatoes diced potatoes onions and spice. A great dish for a hot day.

Inspiration Kitchen (booth 26) is worth visiting for its terrific ice cold salad of watermelon cucumber feta cheese and mint (8 tickets 4 tickets Taste portion) served in a lidded cup. Sadly Inspiration Kitchen is one of the two day pop up restaurants and its last Taste day is Thursday.

Not bad but...

The empanadas at Beat Kitchen (booth 36) are big and puffy and only 5 tickets each. Not bad but I d like them better with a little more filling.

Seriously spicy

You only think you have Teflon tonsils prove it by downing one or more of the hot pot meats offered at Lao Ma La (booth 12). Priced at 5 to 8 tickets each (varying with the protein the Taste portion is 4 tickets) these pepper flake coated meat skewers live up to their name (ma la means numbing spicy an effect that s pleasurable to some) and are plenty spicy. Lao Ma La should be getting a kickback from the water vendors.

Best justification for spending 14 tickets

The quarter rack of ribs at The Smoke Daddy (booth 39) may seem extravagant 14 tickets for three meaty bones but the price is very much in keeping with the cost of ribs these days and is the reason that barbecued ribs have virtually disappeared from Taste the last dozen or so years (even Robinson s No. 1 Ribs sticks to rib tips and pulled pork at Taste). And Smoke Daddy does ribs right. (If you re economizing the 5 ticket Taste portion of pulled pork will keep you happy.)

Worst justification for spending 14 tickets

Oak Street Beach Cafe (booth 22) whose home is Midway Airport and not Oak Street Beach requires 14 tickets for a scrawny lobster tail fragment that is dwarfed by the potatoes that accompany it. The lobster may be small but it s also overcooked and salty. Avoid.

Best stuff on a stick

Back to Eli s Cheesecake (booth 16) for the chocolate chip crunch dipper (6 tickets) a crunchy chocolate encased cheesecake wedge served on a stick is the way to go. Hearty Restaurant (booth 24) is serving a wonderful take on the corn dog using a delicious rabbit sausage instead of a run of the mill hot dog available in full (10 tickets) and Taste (5 tickets) portions this item is so good you should splurge on the full size version. But tragically Hearty is another of those two day pop up restaurants and its last day at Taste is Thursday. Reason enough to head to Grant Park today.

Find more info at tasteofchicago.us.

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