'Taste' on through Sunday

By Phyllis Lehrer
Staff Writer

Published on June 20, 2008

With organizers selling the sizzle along with the steak, the 17th annual Taste of Amherst opened Thursday on the Town Common and runs through Sunday.

"Bigger, better and tastier than ever before," said Patty Brandts, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.

Two new features -- a restaurant booth and a business booth -- join the food, music and games on the common. The event will be held rain or shine.

The new restaurant booth features menus from the participating vendors.

"We wondered how could we encourage people to visit restaurants after the Taste. At the booth, we will hand out full restaurant menus, since the Taste menu is different. The menus could help people decide where to go out to eat," Brandts said.

Also new is a business booth, with 26 signed on to promote their work, including Monkey Business, Styles by Deborah and the Fine Arts Center. "We wanted to capitalize on the Taste and capitalize on all these people who come," Brandts said.

Local businesses will provide brochures and information, she said.

Brandts said she expects a bigger crowd that the usual 20,000 to 30,000 because the Taste isn't on Father's Day weekend as it has been in the past. "I'm very excited about this year's Taste since we are one of the last towns to host one," she said.

The community booth features various social service agencies, with information about their work, including the Amherst Family Center, the Amherst Survival Center, Hampshire Health Connect and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

A kids carnival, with climbing wall, pony rides, hay rides, face painting, carnival-type games and the Dreamcatcher, a human-powered gyroscope, will also be at the Taste.

Restaurants participating are Amherst Brewing Company, Amherst Chinese Food, Andiamo, Atkins Farms Country Market, Baku's African Restaurant, Bart's Homemade, the Blue Heron Restaurant and Catering, Bueno Y Sano, Butterfly Restaurant, Chandler's Restaurant, The Hangar Pub and Grill, House of Teriyaki, Loose Goose Cafe, The Lord Jeffery Inn, Mapleline Farm, Panda East, Paradise of India, The Pub, Sibie's Pizza, Souperbowl Inc. and the Thai Corner Restaurant.

No tokens are used at the Taste; diners pay cash for food.