Saturday, May 27, 2000
Bring appetite, umbrella
Taste begins downtown
By Howard Wilkinson
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Filet mignon in the rain beats bologna sandwiches in the sunshine.
Rain showers and maybe even thunderstorms may dampen at least part of the 21st annual Taste of Cincinnati, which begins at noon today on Central Parkway, downtown, and runs through Monday. But it probably won't affect many appetites.
Not when there are 41 restaurants offering 175 menu items to the half-million people expected to attend. Taste is sponsored by the Downtown Council and the Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Association.
And not when the menu item voted “Best Damn Dish” is a $3.75 filet mignon sandwich offered by Prime 'N Wine.
The weather forecast calls for periods of rain — possibly thunderstorms — with showers ending Sunday morning. The rest of the Memorial Day weekend, the National Weather Service says, looks to be dry, with temperatures in the low 70s.
But Taste of Cincinnati organizers have dealt with rainy food fests before, and say it should have minimal impact on the turnout.
“It would have to be either a torrent or a tornado to keep people away,” said Raymond “Buz” Buse, public relations director for the Downtown Council. “Taste of Cincinnati has the most loyal group of customers of all the events downtown. Rain or shine, people come to eat.”
And while they are putting away barbecue and bratwurst, Taste customers can go to one of three music stages set up on Central Parkway from Elm to Sycamore streets for an eclectic mix of rock, country, gospel, zydeco and bluegrass.
Central Parkway, between Elm and Main streets, closed at 6 p.m. Friday, as did Race, Vine and Walnut streets between Court and 12th streets.
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