It was a beautiful day in the north state on Sunday, September 10, 2006, the perfect setting for the Taste of Chico. I have been to many previous Taste’s of Chico and taken several different roles in experiencing what the event has to offer. In past years I have worked for restaurants that were serving food during the event. My jobs have ranged from cooking the food, to serving the food, and also serving drinks as a bartender inside the restaurant while the festivities carry on outside. I have also attended the event as a patron several times. Tasting all the wonderful foods that Chico has to offer, but more importantly, tasting the beer and wine that Chico has to offer.
It’s safe to say that I’ve attended enough Taste’s of Chico, and in different respects, to gauge what constitutes a “well executed Taste of Chico”. This year’s event was even larger than ever, with a record number of tickets sold. People packed the streets starting at noon and the ordeal was scheduled to last until four in the afternoon. Right off the bat the lines were getting ominously long due to limited food serving stations at individual booths. As the day went on the heat became an unavoidable factor and the water bottle both became increasingly popular.
The food was fantastic. Every year these restaurants produce high quality treats that will entice you to find and dine in their restaurants. This year was no exception. All the food vendors were extremely attentive and eager to please. I sampled several delicious snacks from various vendors and loved them all.
The people were for the most part, in good spirits. It was great to see all these people I knew and people I didn’t know. Most of my time was spent talking to various people whom I hadn’t seen for a while. It really is as much of a social event as it is a tasting. I enjoyed it very much so this year and look forward to the next. A few down sides to this year’s event were the long lines and absence of fun in the “cantina”. I would have liked to see a little more readiness for the increased attendance, but all in all it constituted a “good Taste of Chico”.