Taste of the Taste: 30 reasons to check out Chicago's big summer bash

When a group of restaurant owners dreamed up the first Taste of Chicago in 1980, they envisioned a one-day event with a budget of only $150,000.

Thirty years later, the Taste has evolved into a 10-day festival - a major attraction that draws city dwellers, suburbanites and tourists to Grant Park for a wide selection of food booths, music and family activities.

This year for the first time, there will be no suburban restaurants - a disappointment for those who know Chicago's culinary contributions don't stop at the city limits. Still, you'll find old fest favorites and 10 new vendors bringing a variety of ethnic specialties drawn from various culinary points across the globe.

So in honor of the Taste's anniversary, we serve up 30 great reasons to head down to Grant Park between now and July 4.

1. It's free - except for food.

2. Fusion food like mashed potatoes stuffed chocolate cupcakes. Yes, you read that right. Polo Cafe & Catering created this carb-tastic treat just for the Taste.

3. Pizza, pizza, pizza. Select a slice from half a dozen pie makers. Chicken bacon ranch and sausage jalapeño pizzas from Doreen's Pizzeria are sure to give the stuffed spinach pie from Bacino's Pizza a run for its money.

4. Southside sausages. Bite into an all-natural Maxwell Street Polish sausage from the Boback Sausage Co. This new vendor snagged Booth 1. Get a brat (kraut optional) at Polka Sausage and Deli.

5. Rad, retro Friday. Salt-n-Pepa and Bell Biv Devoe take the stage tonight, June 25, in a total flashback to the sounds of the '80s. It all begins at 5:30 at the Petrillo Music Shell.

6. Even more of the '80s. Wednesday, June 30, features the Taste's Salute to the '80s. Jump into the trivia contests, compete for best '80s hair or listen to bands like Libido Funk Circus.

7. Get your goat. Iyanze serves it sauteed on a bed of coconut rice while Vee Vee's African Cuisine pairs it with fried plantains.

8. Sweets home Chicago. Zagat Survey opens the Taste with its Sweet Treat Challenge, a competition between culinary students to create a Chicago-inspired confection. 11 a.m. today, June 25, at the Dominick's Cooking Corner.

9. Stargazing - and not the night sky type. Band from TV plays 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Petrillo Music Shell. Never heard of them? Well, the group is made up of some pretty big TV stars: Hugh Laurie ("House"), Jesse Spencer ("House"), James Denton ("Desperate Housewives"), Greg Grunberg ("Heroes"), Adrian Pasdar ("Heroes"), Bob Guiney ("The Bachelor") and Scott Grimes ("ER").

10. Food on a stick. Eli's Cheesecake's Frozen Chocolate Chip Crunch Dipper, Oak Street Beach Cafe's grilled shrimp skewer and The Noodle's beef on a stick make plastic forks obsolete.

11. Celebrity chefs. Mario Batali heats up the Dominick's Cooking Corner with a demo at 1 p.m. today, June 25. The Food Network phenom will stick around for another hour to sign copies of his new books. Fellow Food Network star Giada De Laurentis takes the stage at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 1.

13. Varenyky. Be sure take a bite of these Ukrainian dumplings filled with either potato and cheese or eggplant, snow pear and potato from Shokolad Pastry and Cafe. For the record, it's var-eny-ky.

14. Emily Osment. Miley Cyrus' "Hannah Montana" BFF performs Sunday, June 27, at the Petrillo Music Shell in a 3 p.m. concert sure to thrill the preteen girls in your life.

15. Fabulous fried food. Beignets from Lagnaippe Creole Cajun Joynt, casava fries from Las Tablas Colombian Steakhouse, fish and chips from Abbey Pub and fried okra from Harold's Chicken No. 71.

16. Health food - to balance out the fried stuff. The gazpacho from Grill on the Alley and the barbecued turkey ribs (sauce on the side) from BJ's Market and Bakery are among Humana's Healthier Choices. Get the rest at humana.com/tasteofchicago.

17. Free Broadway in Chicago concert at 6 p.m. Monday, June 28. Normally, you'd have to pay big bucks to hear live music from "Billy Elliot," "Rock of Ages," "Wicked" and other stage hits.

18. Family Village activities. Kids can decorate their very own Michael Jackson glitter glove. Honest.

19. Leg men. As in the barbecued turkey kind. You'll find one of the longest lines at Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen where crowds hanker for the famed legs.

20. Cheesy delights. Cheese empanadas, cheese fries, cheese pizza, even a blue cheese steak burger from Tutto Italiano. And the list goes on ...

21. Los Lobos. Catch them at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 29.

22. Organic sock gardening. Intriguing, no? Learn how from 3:30 to 7 p.m. today, Sunday and Monday at the Family Village.

23. Popcornsicles from Garrett Popcorn. Where else can you get frozen caramel popcorn on a stick?

24. Your just desserts - all day long. No one will judge you if you order C'est Si Bon's sweet potato cheesecake or mini churros from Churro Factory before noon. Just save room for a cherry dumpling from O'Briens and a Taste must-eat, an Original Rainbow Cone.

25. July 4 fireworks at Navy Pier.

26. Breakfast for dinner. Make a meal of French toast sticks from Hashbrowns and top it off with Franco's Ristorante's waffle cone filled with gelato.

27. Because "time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' ... into the future." Sing along to "Fly Like an Eagle" and other hits when the Steve Miller Band takes the stage at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 3.

28. Veg out. Japanese veggie burger from Summer Noodle & Rice and roasted veggie taco from Carbon give those who shun meat something to bite into.

29. Helping a worthy cause. A portion of the proceeds benefits Mayor Richard Daley's Sharing It program, which provides food and money to those in need.

30. The Cooking for Your Pets seminar. Fluffy and Fido could eat the store-bought stuff, but why should they when you're stuffing your face with Chicago's finest fare? Find out how to cook for your canine at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 4.

<p class="factboxheadblack">Taste of Chicago</p>

<p class="News"><b>Location:</b> Grant Park, Chicago. Main entrance to the Taste is at Michigan Avenue and Congress Drive.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Friday, June 25, through Friday, July 2. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 3, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 4.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> Free admission. A strip of 12 food tickets costs $8; no items cost more than 12 tickets and each vendor offers smaller "Taste" portions for two to four tickets each.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Parking:</b> Pay lot at Millennium Garages or take public transportation.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Information: </b>(312) 744-3316 or <a href="http://tasteofchicago.us" target="new">tasteofchicago.us</a></p>