Taste of Chicago Provides a Taste of the World

This past Fourth of July weekend, I braved the crowds and ventured to the Taste of Chicago with my boyfriend. For those who do not know, Taste is a huge festival that takes place at Grant Park for 10 days and consists of over 70 restaurants from around the city. Visitors can sample from as many stands as they want and receive a variety of different kinds of cuisine.

In my past couple visits to the taste, I have stuck with the traditional foods--ravioli, chicken legs, corn on the cob, burgers, pizza, cheesecake--but this year I opted for cuisine that I had never really experienced before. My boyfriend is Polish, so he suggested I try Pierogies, semi-circular shaped dumplings with unleavened dough and various fillings. I went with the chicken pierogi, and also took a sample of cheese danish with raspberry sauce. To my delight, it was all delicious.

The beauty of Taste is that Chicagoans get the chance to discover restaurants around the city, but also taste international delicacies. And with such a dynamic city, it only makes sense that all these places can exist in one place. Of course the classic deep dish Chicago pizza will always be close to my heart, but now I may venture even further from my comfort zone and try those dishes I may never have before. It will only prepare me for my travels around the world.