Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The nation's biggest two day food festival takes over Niagara Square in downtown Buffalo this weekend. Several newcomers will be part of the Taste of Buffalo.
A newcomer is Mexico City out of Hamburg. "It's been a really busy week, but all the staff has been preparing for two months to get everything ready, and we're excited, ready to go," says Darkham Lee. He's bringing burria tacos, empanadas, and Mexican street corn "We have the Mexican style with Mexican cheese and Mexican spices. And then we have the Hot Cheetos," notes Lee. He's also bringing tamales in mole sauce.
Another newcomer is Dimples and Pancakes, a food truck headed by Lyon Lascu. "My grandparents are Dutch and always made these mini pancakes for me as a kid in Holland," says Lascu. "They're a very famous street food they've made them since the 1600s and they're called puffer just so they're traditionally topped with butter and powdered sugar. That's how we do them." He says he'll have the traditional pancakes available as well as one with cinnamon sugar and Nutella and strawberry.
Lascu will be at the corner of Mohawk and Delaware.
Joe Mendolera of Genevieve's Cheesecakes will be back for a third year. "As a dessert bakery, it's tough because we have to prepare everything ahead of time," says Medolera. "We can't cook or bake anything on site, and there's obviously 1000s of people, so we have to make around 4000 portions of our cheesecake to serve out over Saturday and Sunday. Not only make them, but we also have to pre slice them all and get them all packaged and ready to go as well, and then transport them."
Mendolera says refrigeration is a challenge, especially when it's hot outside. "Every time we think we have plenty of refrigeration in space, we amp it up and have more. So then it's, you know, it's very it's very interesting. The walk in coolers are just stacked to the ceiling," explains Mendolera.
Taste Chairman Matthew Reis says planning starts right from the very end of the festival every year. "We kind of take a very short break right afterwards, and then kind of get things started starting September, and then head strong right into now, lots of planning, lots of emails, lots of coordination," says Reis.
Reis says he always tries to bring something new, and this year is no exception. "This year, we're featuring the Hot Ones show from the network. First we feast and Buffalo's own Camera Guy Bill will be actually on site, handing out some Last Dab. So if you can get your spice on what we're calling the actually the Heat and Greet," says Reis.
Streets downtown close 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 All Niagara Square and Niagara Square arteries
o Delaware between Chippewa and W. Eagle
o W. Mohawk between Delaware and Elmwood
o Mohawk between Delaware and Franklin
o W. Huron between Delaware and Elmwood
o Huron between Delaware and Franklin
o Cary between Delaware and Elmwood
● 5 p.m. – Delaware Avenue from Chippewa through to Niagara Square will be closed to outbound traffic.
Closed streets will reopen late Sunday night.