Taste of Chico offers delicious samples from local restaurants, businesses

All fired up band.jpg — ALL FIRED UP!, a local rock cover band, performing last year at Taste of Chico in downtown Chico. Photo courtesy of Downtown Chico Business Association and Jon Yunker.

When you walk through downtown Chico during the 29th annual Taste of Chico, it will be like going to a Thursday Night Market injected with steroids: there will be nearly twice as much food, people and live music acts.

The Downtown Chico Business Association’s popular event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 and surround City Plaza from Broadway to Flume Street.

This local event showcases many of the restaurants and places to eat in Chico. Six to eight blocks are filled with booths and tables displaying delicious food waiting to be tasted. In past years, Kinder’s Meat & Deli, Sipho’s Restaurant and Cafe, Upper Crust Bakery & Eatery and Crush Dining Room & Lounge are just some of the businesses that have participated.

Taste of Chico also features live music. Tents with live bands can be found at four outer edges of the event. There is also an art gallery, family-friendly kid zone with a bounce house and a Coors Light Cold Zone, which was formerly known as the Cantina.

The Coors Light Cantina.jpg — A bird's eye view of the Cantina from last year's Taste of Chico. This year the event will feature a Coors Light Cold Zone. Photo courtesy of Downtown Chico Business Association and Jon Yunker.

Though the event is open to the public, people must buy a ticket, which serves as a punch card, if they would like to receive a limited number of tastings at the event.

Tickets cost $20 for students with a valid student ID and $35 for those wanting to sample food and alcohol. Tickets are available online and at Made in Chico, Formal Education, Diamond W Western Wear and different Tri Counties Bank locations.

Stumped about which booths to sample? Here are The Orion’s top five picks of places to check out at the event.

Gogi’s Cafe: Perfect for those who love curry and Indian food.

Pluto’s: If you are missing the taste of a good home cooked meal and don’t have time to cook, you’ll want to stop here.

Powell’s Sweet Shoppe: A good choice for those who like old fashioned candy and gelato.

Sipho’s Restaurant and Cafe: If you like Jamaican cuisine, Sipho’s jerk chicken is to die for.

Mom’s Restaurant: You cannot go wrong sampling food from this friendly family-styled restaurant that serves breakfast all day.

Christina Saschin can be reached at [email protected] or @Stina127 on Twitter.