This weekend, Ballpark Village will be transformed into a celebration of culinary delights when the Taste of St. Louis descends on downtown. The event, running Friday through Sunday, will give attendees the chance to sample food and drinks from more than 40 local restaurants on Restaurant Row—roughly double the number of previous events.
According to Restaurant Row director Michele Coen, this year’s Taste of St. Louis is a particularly exciting one for St. Louis food enthusiasts for a variety of reasons. Not only is it much larger than previous events, but it’s also the first time in Taste of St. Louis’ history that food trucks have been invited to participate. Coen and her team focused on attracting vendors that are lesser-known to the St. Louis dining public, a win-win for both restaurants and festival-goers.
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“This is our third year being back at Ballpark Village, and it’s really allowed us to reach newer people and smaller places,” says Coen. “Of course, we have our regular restaurants and the bigger names for recognition, but it’s been fun to give the smaller places an opportunity, too.”
Coen is also excited about the large number of women-owned businesses that will be participating—in her estimation, roughly half of the vendors. Coen is also proud that the event will offer a diverse range of cuisines. “We have everything from Caribbean to Mexican to Asian; there’s Thai, arepas, a St. Charles barbecue restaurant called Bruh Nem BBQ, Colombian, Jamaican,” says Coen. “I think we have just about every region covered.”
Among some of this year’s vendors:
- Amaizing Arepa Bar
- Cafe De La’Sha
- Fries Over Guys
- FUFU n’ Sauce
- Kingston 10 Restaurant & Bar
- Juan Taco
- Moon’s Treats
- Patty’s Patio Tacos
- Taco Drip STL
- Thai Crispy Crepe
Coen believes that the exposure some of the lesser-known dining concepts will receive could help propel them to bigger things. She has seen the event’s ability to serve as a launching pad for aspiring food entrepreneurs, especially because of Taste of St. Louis’ sponsorship program for underserved restaurateurs. Every year, the team chooses a small business owned by someone from an underserved community and offers significantly discounted entry fees. Last year’s sponsorship recipient, T’s Kitchen, went on to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant following the event, and Coen believes this year’s sponsored business, Hoppee Ice Cream, could find similar success.
Coen recognizes that the event can be a bit overwhelming for even the most seasoned attendees, which could be the case with this year’s larger festival. She recommends that guests who want a large selection of dishes head to the “Spice Wars” section, where restaurants will offer smaller portions, allowing attendees to try six or seven dishes, rather than fill up on two or three. (For a complete list of this year’s food vendors, their offerings, and their Spice Wars items, click here.)
Coen also advises guests to avoid the busier times of the event—for instance, Saturday from 2–7 p.m. “It’s lighter earlier in the day,” says Coen. “If you want to come by before that, it’s a good time to attend with kids. And don’t be worried about parking. Yes, we are taking up two of Ballpark Village’s lots, but we have plenty of other garages and lots. You should not have trouble finding a spot.”
