Taste of Tacoma Tastes More Like Seattle
Not having been to Taste of Tacoma before, I have to admit that I had come expecting some of Tacoma’s finest restaurants to represent themselves at the allegedly local culinary event.
As a couple friends and I walked around the bustling Point Defiance event grounds on the annual festival’s opening day, we noticed an impressive variety of food: Vietnamese, Japanese, Russian, Hawaiian, organic and of course, the obligatory deep fried oddities, such as deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The festival food stands were good, albeit expensive—my friend got a tasty dish of yakisoba noodles and beef for $7 and I got a flavorful banh mi sandwich with sautéed tofu for $5. Yet upon asking both places where they were located, we realized that there was a staggering lack of local restaurants represented at Taste of Tacoma.
What we had actually tasted was Seattle, from the very same food stands that can be seen at music festivals like Folklife or Bumbershoot.
The festival’s title seems misleading when the food itself is not local; even some baked popcorn I bought near the back of the grounds, which I assumed to be local due to its cheap packaging, turned out to be from Eugene.
The major sponsors and organizers of the Taste of Tacoma aren’t much more local. This year, the Emerald Queen Casino (located in Fife) Taste of Tacoma was sponsored by BevMo, Xfinity, Crystal Springs, Metro Parks, BECU, and Texas on Tour, and organized by an Issaquah-based company that also plans the Bite of Seattle and Oktoberfest in Puyallup.
With locals displaying their work through clothing, art and music, Taste of Tacoma isn’t wholly unauthentic. In fact, Taste of Tacoma’s free admission, attractions and its significance as a major city-wide event lend to an exciting social experience with fellow Tacomans. It does, however, seem that an opportunity is being missed.
By including local restaurants at the festival instead of Seattle ones, Tacoma could potentially make a name for itself as a city with culinary authenticity throughout Washington at large. Perhaps these musings beg the question: is Taste of Tacoma significant without a taste of local food? Should it be reformed to better suit Tacoma’s real taste?
What about offering a genuine taste of Tacoma?
Filed under: Events, Eating Local
8 comments
C Christine July 11, 2012
No kidding! The Taste of Tacoma has been a joke for years, There has occasionally been a booth or two of Tacoma-based foods, usually Fife, but close enough. I refuse to go until the Taste lives up to its name and isn’t just the same crap served up at the Puyallup fair, Bite of Seattle, et al.
At least one of the beer gardens served locally brewed beers.
U uoaaa181 July 11, 2012
It’s true. I’ve been a couple of times but don’t bother anymore because all it is is the standard food cart food you get at every other “festival.” I always hope it will be a 4+ star culinary experience that introduces me to the restaurants in town but every year I’m let down. Until it actually becomes the Taste of TACOMA I know myself and many others I know will continue to avoid it or continue to be extrememly disappointed with it. It’s just a waste of money.
K Kathleen M Olson July 11, 2012
We live four blocks from Pt. Defiance and have experienced the traffic and trash on our street from this event for a decade. When it was originated, it did have local restaurants participating, and all of the booths had at least one offering for $2 or $3 as a “taste.” I spoke with one of the local restauranteurs when I noticed he no longer participated, and he said the entry cost charged by the promoter made it cost prohibitve for him even considering it as a marketing expense.
D Dave Lepore July 11, 2012
This should just be called the “Taste of the Food Court” at this point.
I don’t mind big company sponsors, but the lack of local restaurants is the reason I did not go.
C Christine July 11, 2012
Ha! Dave nailed it, we are changing the name next year.
F fredo July 11, 2012
We go every year and enjoy the embiance of the event.
Regarding the vendors, I would agree with the comments that there is little of Tacoma to be found. Also, the food is overpriced IMO.The best thing about the TOT is the people watching. You’ll see more exposed flesh and more raunchy tattoos and piercings than you ever thought possible.
Regarding the complaint about the traffic and trash, I think that kind of goes with the territory. If you buy a home in close proximity to a major park then you are going to have folks parking in front of your house once in awhile. My friend rents parking spaces on his yard in Ruston and makes about $2K per 3 day event. That offsets a lot of trash anguish.
L low bar July 11, 2012
exit133 tastes more like
J jillian July 12, 2012
Y’all are hittin the nail on the head! I am so proud of AmeRAWcan Bistro for representing Tacoma this year, but also disappointed in the dozens of other awesome local eateries we have that didn’t host a booth (though I have a strong hunch it’s a fiscally draining choice to come out for most of them).
It is a fun event, but they should either revamp it or change the name. I wonder if we could get them for false advertising with the current name…
Shoot, they’d only need to change one word to fix the name. Make it the Taste IN Tacoma, then it’d be true. (But I’d prefer more Tacoma businesses at the event over a name change.)