Local food, music as Taste of Des Plaines returns

Following a four-year hiatus when it was known as the Des Plaines Summer Fling, Taste of Des Plaines returns this Friday and Saturday, June 12-13, with new management and an emphasis on local food and tribute bands.

"We're looking to give the community a fest that embraces the best in town," said Ralph Conception, president of Ravenswood Special Events. "Our philosophy as an event company is to try to make all of the events we work on as local as possible because those are the most successful, and the most sustainable." The festival, sponsored by the city, is a free event. Carnival food and games have been eliminated in favor of local restaurants, chef-driven cuisine, family activities and tribute bands.

Conception estimated in January the festival would cost between $80,000 and $100,000 to run, with expenses recouped from food and beverage sales, vendor sales and sponsorships. The city will chip in up to $20,000 if the festival fails to break even, which is considered likely this year as Summer Fling was a perennial money-loser. City officials hope the event will become profitable down the road with the new management.

The festival in the past was run by volunteers from the city's special events commission, but with fewer volunteers today, it was necessary to bring in an outside firm, officials said.

Food vendors include:

• American Wildburger - Freddy Esparza developed the concept for a burger restaurant featuring meats free of preservatives, antibiotics, and hormones, while also offering vegetarian options as well as gluten free side dishes and desserts, organic teas and sodas, and fruit smoothies.

• Sun Rise Grill - Head chef and owner Jose Medina, who has worked alongside many of Chicago's top chefs, has a menu featuring breakfast omelets, gourmet sandwiches and salads, dinners of lamb shank, beet and goat cheese salad, chicken Vesuvio, wild mushroom flatbread, and desserts of homemade flan and creme brulee.

• T-Bob's Smoked Bar-B-Q - The family owned and run barbecue joint uses all local ingredients and everything is cooked fresh. T-Bob's offers all of the barbecue classics and all the common side dishes.

• Charcoal Delights - For more than 20 years, Charcoal Delights has been using charcoal to turn out burgers, hot dogs and Polish sausage. It also features broasted chicken, steaks, gyros, and homemade beef, sausage and soups.

• Taco Burrito King - TBK started out in 1992 in a converted hot dog stand on the corner of Belmont and Harlem. All of their food is homemade from scratch with mom's recipes.

• Rosati's Pizza - Ferdinand Rosati opened an Italian restaurant on Taylor Street in 1906. In 1927, his son opened a restaurant, and in the 1960s, his grandsons opened the first Rosati's Pizza in Mount Prospect. The family owned company offers Chicago-style, thin-crust, double-dough pizzas, calzones, pastas and other items.