I know, I know. Everyone has (and will) be posting all about Cincinnati's favorite culinary fest. But it was fun! And there's more to my experience than just the food (though I could write JUST about the food)
I went at the very beginning and the very end of this three day food party, and the two experiences were practically polar opposites in every way. Except for that I ate yummy food both times.
Going twice meant I tried a ton of different food. My lineup: sweet potato fries from Behle St. Cafe, chicken cajun pasta from Indigo Cafe, coconut shrimp from Vitor's, sushi from Mixx Ultralounge, cheesecake from Washington Platform (round two:) crab rangoon from Bangkok Bistro, fries and Mt. Carmel beer cheese from Mac's Pizza Pub, lamb kebab and rice from Cafe Istanbul, and baklava from Mythos.
Wow, I sound like a total fat kid. BF helped me eat a lot of it, so give me a break!
Instead of going into a long descriptor of each dish, I give you the Best and the Worst of my Taste of Cincinnati:
Best: Tie between Coconut Shrimp and Crab Rangoon!!
Coconut Shrimp with Peach Reduction ( I think... ) - totally delish, as long as you like the coconut texture ( which I do! )
Crab Rangoon - Good mixture of crab and cream cheese, interestingly shaped in a thin wonton wrapper that wasn't too bready. The sauce definitely made the dish - not that red sugary crap you get at China Buffet.
Worst: Cincinnati Roll from Mixx UltraLounge
And when I say worst, I mean "most ill-suited for a hot street fair." I went against my better judgement and got the roll. This roll was deep fried tempura style, so there wasn't much danger of spoiled seafood, but it was just not the right thing for 90 degree heat. I will have to go and get sushi from the actual restaurant in order to truly pass judgement on it. But next time... no sushi at Taste.
The first day was hot, muggy and crowded. I hawked fliers and programs for nearly four hours, and totally feel sympathy for anyone who does that for a living. The second day was cooler and way more chilled out. The crowd had thinned out, and it was easier to navigate. The best part of the evening was sitting on Fountain Square watching people from completely different backgrounds and life stages boogey down to Leroy and the E-Funk band. That was so, SO awesome. It gave me a renewed sense of hope for this city. It could happen here...
