Taste of Cincinnati is this weekend and is larger than ever: 85 food vendors, 20 beer locations

This weekend’s Taste of Cincinnati will see more food vendors than it ever has with more than 85 serving up their best dishes.

The three-day culinary juggernaut started in 1979 and today will feature more than 300 dishes and 20 beer locations. It’s also a music festival with 50 live entertainment acts on five large stages spread across the festival.

Now in its 45th year, organizers say it’s one of the largest and longest running culinary arts festivals in the country attracting more than 550,000 people.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

The festival stretches across four blocks of downtown Cincinnati on Fifth Street, between Main Street and east of Sentinel Street in downtown Cincinnati.

With so many food vendors it will be next to impossible to try everything, even if you attend all three days eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between.

Credit: Contributed

Fortunately, all of the vendors participated in the Best of Taste awards. Here’s a look at this year’s winners:

BEST RESTAURANT

Appetizer

Gold: Alley Baby—Wings
Silver: Kabobske—Avocado Hummus
Bronze: Chino’s Street Food—Chino’s Loaded Fries

Side Dish

Gold: Thai Express—Mango Salad

Entree

Gold: French Toast Heaven—Jerk Chicken & Grits
Silver (two-way tie): Chino’s Street Food—Marinated Chicken with Veggie Fried Rice and Pata Roja Taqueria—Birria Taco
Bronze: Kabobske—Mediterranean Chicken Kebab Rice Bowl

Dessert

Gold: The Cheesecakery Bakery—Oreo Cheesecake Cupcake
Silver: Pompilio’s Restaurant—Peanut Butter Fudge Cannoli with Milk Chocolate
Bronze: French Toast Heaven—Bacon Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Bar

FINDLAY KITCHEN

Appetizer and Side Dish