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Taste of Buffalo offers diverse selection of local food

Mike Desmond
Food trucks like R&R BBQ were invited to the Taste for the first time.

Area gourmands are still recovering Monday from heavy eating and drinking this weekend in the heat of downtown Buffalo.

Two hot and steamy days gave thousands of food lovers a chance to try just about any kind of cuisine at the annual Taste of Buffalo along Delaware Avenue up to Niagara Square.

Event sponsors also had a few changes, including an area for food trucks, cooking competitions, and a play area for kids.  Taste of Buffalo Board Secretary Laura Jacobs says the food trucks were an innovation.

"This was the first year that the Taste invited the food trucks to come to the event," said Jacobs. "Whenever I walked by today there have been lots of people over there."

Tandoori's owner Rita Sabharwal says the Taste is an important marketing stop for his north towns restaurant.

"This is my 20th year and everybody knows who we are because for an ethic restaurant, this is great exposure," Sabharwal said.

No matter how hot the day was, Sabharwal says that doesn't stop people from wanting to eat hot and spicy food.

Wineries like Dominic Varallo's Spring Lake in Lockport can only sell glasses of wine at the Taste, but customers often end up visiting the winery. Varallo says it's important for the Niagara Wine Trail.

"We're privileged to be here," Varallo said. "It's really good representation for the Niagara County region."

You can see a list of this year's award winners here.

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.
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