The Taste of Peoria is today.
The Taste of Washington was two weeks ago. And the Taste of Morton was in May.
What about a Taste of East Peoria? Aren’t there restaurants worthy of a celebration here in town?
Some that come to mind are: Jonah’s Seafood House, Carl’s Bakery, Burger Barge, Wonderdog, Basta’s, Twisty Treat, Emerald Tea Room & Catering, The Galley, Fiesta Ranchera, Palanza’s, Davis Bros. Pizza and Jade Garden.
I think a day designated to sampling East Peoria’s culinary creations would be a great way to show community pride.
Rick Swan, executive director of the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce, agreed.
“We’re thinking about something like that,” Swan said.
The exact location for the event to take place is the problem, he added.
“What about Riverfront Park?” I asked.
“We would have parking issues,” he said. “Peoria can block off sections of Downtown. We have a little more difficulty.”
Plus, getting power and water to the food vendors near the river would pose a problem, he said. A lack of ground space is another issue at Riverfront Park.
“We’d almost have to have some sort of large hard surface,” he said.
I suggested the parking lot at EastSide Centre.
“Yes, we’ve thought about that,” he said. “We just need to sit down and put our heads together.”
Wednesday marks Peoria’s 29th annual event. The city of East Peoria needs to jump on board and show off what it has to offer.
The Taste of East Peoria — It has a good ring to it, don’t you think?
