After getting the obligatory bitching out of the way last week, it was time to suck it up and actually wade into the crowds at Taste of Chicago. The world’s largest food festival opened its flood gates on Friday, and the gorgeous weather over the weekend guaranteed that it stayed packed the whole time. Luckily, there was more than enough food to go around.
We’ll be covering different aspects of the festival all week, as we hope to understand this quintessential Chicago event. But this first post is just about getting our bearings: we had to sample the colorful creations from Original Rainbow Cone, the fried delights from Harold’s Chicken # 71, and one of Manny’s giant turkey legs. You can see it all by checking out our slideshow below.
Crowds flooded Grant Park for the opening weekend of the festival.
Did we mention that it was packed?
Ketchup is allowed in Chicago for Caray’s “Holy Cow Potato Chips.”
Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen may be known for its corned beef and pastrami, but during Taste of Chicago it’s the turkey leg that gets the most attention.
The colorful dessert from the South Side stand was a big hit during the hot afternoon.
Chicago’s most famous fried chicken chain sold tasting portions of some of its fried specialities.
The South Side joint sold taste portions of the fried dough.
The crowds swarmed Gold Coast Dogs’s stand, which was selling Vienna Beef dogs fully loaded, with absolutely no ketchup.
