Assessing 2011 Taste of Chicago: “Taste is always good for me, and sometimes it’s great for me,” says Dave Samber, chef/owner of Polo Cafe in Bridgeport. “This year, it was just good.”
That pretty much sums up this year’s Taste of Chicago. Good, maybe decent, but not great.
This was not unexpected. Budget concerns cut deeply into the entertainment budget this year. And Taste concluded on July 3, meaning no big crowds on July 4.
The weather didn’t help. On June 28, storm warnings kept people away; two days later a severe evening storm forced vendors to pack up and flee.
And Taste closed a half-hour earlier each day, compared with closings in previous years.
“I think business was off across the board,” Samber said.
“Of course, everybody would like to do more business,” says Marc Malnati, head of Lou Malnati’s Pizza. “But overall, it was a nice day in the park. I liked it.”
There were other pluses. Beefed-up security, visible everywhere, resulted in 50 percent fewer arrests this year, according to the Chicago Police Department.
Another advantage to closing Taste with light in the sky: “This was probably the best cleanup ever,” Samber said. “And I did not miss that extra half-hour of work.”
