CHICAGO — The Taste of Chicago bounced back from last year's poor attendance with almost 300,000 more fest-goers at this year's event, officials announced Tuesday morning.
In 2015, 1.4 million people sampled the 200 different menu items from 60 different vendors at the 35th annual festival in Grant Park. In 2014, when the city was hit with inclement weather for one day of the festival, about 1.1 million people visited the Taste. In 2013, 1.5 million people attended and in 2012, some 1.3 million people attended the festival, officials said.
“As our culinary reputation has grown on the national stage, the Taste of Chicago continues to reflect the vibrant and diverse restaurant community of Chicago with new, exciting culinary experiences along with long-time favorites,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “It was exciting to see 19 new restaurant vendors representing many of the city’s neighborhoods.”
Taste officials also doled out some numbers for totals of food sold from different vendors:
Beat Kitchen Empanadas: 17,500 empanadas
Beavers Coffee + Donuts Mini Donuts: 31,155 mini donuts
Billy Goat Tavern Cheeseborgers: 15,000 Cheeseborgers
BJ’s Market and Bakery Mustard-Fried Catfish: 18,000 servings
Carbon Live Fire Tacos: 71,000 tacos
Chicago Lunchbox Korean Beef Taco: 6,750 tacos
(Food Truck) Vietnamese Pork Taco: 10,250 tacos
Churro Factory Churros: 15,000 churros
Churritos: 12,000 churritos
Funnel Cake: 11,500 funnel cakes
Ice Cream: 7,600 portions
Connie’s Pizza Deep Dish Cheese Slice: 16,802 slices
Deep Dish Sausage Slice: 16,462 slices
Eli’s Cheesecake Co. Cheesecake: 36,837 slices of cheesecake
Emerald Isle Italian Beef Sandwich: 11,400 sandwiches
Lemon Italian Ice: 8,000 portions
Farmer’s Fridge Watermelon Gazpacho: 11,830 servings
Avocado Toast: 12,270 servings
Franco’s Ristorante Lemon Italian Ice: 12,730 servings
Watermelon Italian Ice: 9,210 servings
Garifuna Flava: Jerk Chicken: 4,000 lbs.
A Taste of Belize Fried Ripe Plantains: 3,000 lbs.
Pinchos: 35,150 servings
Gold Coast Dogs Chicago Style Hot Dogs: 11,600 hot dogs
Chicago Style Fries: 7,700 servings
Lawrence’s Fish & Shrimp Popcorn Shrimp: 16,500 shrimp
Coconut Shrimp: 6,200 shrimp
Lou Malnati’s Pizza Slices: 35,500 slices
Oak Street Beach Cafe Bourbon Chicken Sliders: 8,220 sliders
“Slipper” Tail Lobster: 2,700 portions
O’Briens Restaurant Celtic Corn on the Cob: 19,000 ears
Star of Siam Grilled Chicken Satay: 3,600 servings
Pad Thai Noodles: 2,700 servings
The Fudge Pot Fudge: 2,300 servings
Chocolate Frozen Bananas: 10,200 bananas
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