Tuesday, June 01, 1999

'Taste' still fresh after two decades

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Food keeps crowd happy

BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Beth Stein of Finneytown feeds Ron Dahlke of West Chester a sample of shrimp and pasta. (Steven Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        Whether spurred by a spirit of adventure or a desire for the tried and true, an estimated half-million people dived into Taste of Cincinnati this weekend and emerged triumphant.

        A festgoer sampling Izzy's potato pancakes for the 20th straight year got the same thrill as another delving into his first dish of escargot from La Petite France.

        Through three days of indulgent fun, Tristate residents gathered under the sun with a common goal: to eat it.

        “I have done nothing but eat. I want this, I want that. I've got to get my fix,” said 27-year-old Kelly Wiedenbein of Union Township.

        Although event organizers with the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce said they do not keep exact attendance totals, some restaurant owners said 1999 will go down as a banner year.

        “I think we might have a record year,” said John Geisen, owner and president of Izzy's, a Taste staple. His employees peeled about 4,000 pounds of potatoes, chopped 600 pounds of onions and mixed them with 500 pounds of flour for their trademark pancakes.

        Along with sandwiches, the treats were prepared at the restaurant at Eighth and Elm streets, then driven to the fest booth on a golf cart.

        Most of the 48 restaurants represented at Taste this year had their chefs on hand, slaving over hot grills, woks and charcoal pits to feed the masses.

        “This is like a marathon event. It takes endurance,” said Jimmy Bernstein, owner and president of Mike Fink and Sloppy Joe's restaurants — both of which won prizes this year.

        “It's a very nice break. Even though it's hard work, you get to be out here with the people,” said Mike Fink manager Tim Shaughnessy, who spent about 16 hours a day patting out Maryland crab cakes and flipping them on a grill.

        Restaurants served up 191 menu items, 19 of them geared toward feeding kids. But more than a few adults were seen sampling meatballs on a stick and deep-fried peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.

        And cold beer was a staple — about 410 kegs were drained on Saturday alone.

        Yet police say the Taste of Cincinnati was trouble-free.

        “You've got a situation here where the police are bored and the fire department is bored and people are having fun,” said Capt. Vincent De masi, District 1 commander. The chamber of commerce “works really well with us. They really go out of their way to make sure no people leave here intoxicated.”

        Some of the record-setting 2,200 volunteers this year checked IDs and handed out bracelets to those old enough to drink. But free soft drinks and water were served up for designated drivers, and people pulling the kegs were told not to serve anyone drunk and disorderly.

        “This is a real family event. It's really nice,” said Rachael Moore, 36, of Mount Airy, at the festival with James Stewart, 36, and their 13-year-old daughter, Tiffani.

        Children could choose among rock-climbing walls and mild carnival rides, listening to music and wearing custom-made balloon hats.

        Carolyn Graham and her husband, Todd, of Mount Lookout brought their 18-month old triplet sons and 5-year-old daughter to the event, which they attend every year. The babies were old enough to chomp down bread pudding and soft pretzels for the first time, but declined crab- and-artichoke-stuffed mushrooms.

        “We're very proud of Cincinnati. We always bring friends and family down and go to almost every event,” Mrs. Graham said.

        While most things went smoothly, chamber event coordinator Jill Pyles said hot weather and high attendance led to a cup shortage that had to be sorted out Sunday. A band scheduled late Monday suddenly pushed the closing time back from 8 to 9 p.m.

        And Mrs. Pyles, who is 7¹/₂ months pregnant, had to deal with it all.

        “I can't do everything the same way this year. I can't walk every where. So I've had to be creative,” she said. “It's about getting all the things you know set in advance, and being ready for those things coming around the corner that you can't predict.”

        Having been an advance planner for former Vice President Dan Quayle, Mrs. Pyles said she is used to the pressure. And she loves doing it.

        “There's no better feeling than just walking around and seeing it all rise up before your eyes,” she said. It's all worth it “when you see all the people coming out and enjoying it.”

       

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