Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Are you ready to satisfy your taste palate?
Saturday and Sunday will mark the 40th Taste of Buffalo in downtown Buffalo. The event will feature healthy options as well as diet-busting treats from 37 restaurants and food trucks.
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Nick Mussolini is with one of ten new restaurants, Avenue 29, which specializes in plant-based foods. He tells WBEN his fan base has found him at various outdoor festivals, including Hamburg's Burgerfest. "In 2016, I went and I kind of just upped my game a bit. My burger meatless burger, won the best burger overall over every other actual burger that was there," says Mussolini.
Mussolini says the challenge is in the logistics. "We're having to basically take our food that we normally serve in large size and miniaturize things," explains Mussolini. "Our burger is normally on a regular burger bun. And we've actually come up with a way to use a cookie cutter to make tiny slider buns out of it. So we didn't have to compromise on our flavor and taste and actually our original product."
Kathy Sautter, with presenting sponsor Tops, says the supermarket is focusing on local products. "We have Hanzlian's sausage with peppers and onions and then we also have Sahlen's hot dogs under the tent as well," says Sautter. Tops will also offer strawberry shortcake and pulled pork sliders.
Sautter suggests saving room for dessert, or better yet, eat dessert first. "There's ice cream and the birthday cake that Tops is going to provide and cupcakes," adds Sautter. She also notes each restaurant will have a healthy option as well.
Tops locations will sell pre-sale Taste food ticket vouchers at the registers. Vouchers are available in $10 and $60 increments and are redeemable for food tickets at the festival ticket tents. Each $60 voucher comes with four free, non-alcoholic beverages. At the taste, you can buy tickets at $6 for 10 tickets.
Taste of Buffalo Chairperson Beth Mamot says she's excited about the event's 40th birthday. "We're going to kick off with a birthday party at one o'clock at the Tops Stage, which is on Delaware at Niagara square. We're going to have a dance party and we're going to invite people to come up and dance and wear their 80s outfits and we're going to give away prizes and just have so much fun," says Mamot.
Mamot says the event is all-encompassing. "We want to showcase our city, we want to showcase our restaurants and we want to bring people together," says Mamo. "We love just getting everyone together. We went from Main Street now to Delaware it's it's phenomenal the transition that we've made over the years."
There are street closures in effect starting Friday:
12 p.m. – Delaware Avenue starting at Chippewa Street and continuing to and around Niagara Square will be closed to inbound traffic.
Portions of other streets adjacent to the Taste footprint will also be closed, including:
o Court between Franklin and Niagara Square;
o Perkins between Elmwood and Niagara Square;
o Niagara between Elmwood and Niagara Square;
o West Genesee between Franklin and Niagara Square;
o West Mohawk between Elmwood and Franklin;
o West Huron between Elmwood and Franklin;
o Cary between Elmwood and Delaware
5 p.m. – Delaware Avenue from Chippewa through to Niagara Square will be closed to outbound traffic.
These streets will remain closed until late night on Sunday, July 9 .