Taste of Wheaton

Let me start off by saying that I had a great time with my boyfriend and our great friend. The vibe was very friendly & relaxed.
The music bands were fun and the crowd truly enjoyed it.
I thought that it was very cool to have fun rides for the kids and then have the Wine tasting next door.
They had cool games (FREE) and you even left with prizes from different restaurants.
The wine was practically a dollar or two and the samples were just under $ 5.
One thing that I did not find appealing was that the Starbucks stand had fraps and coffees already prepared.
I am a huge coffee lover and wow was I craving some Starbucks!. It’s too bad that they didn’t have any skim milk on the side (just in case) because I’m lactose-​intolerant. They should think about that for next years event. They def lost my money because when it’s coffee, I tend to spend my last dime! Oh wells!
Next year I’ll be back with more cash for pupusas and I’ll even bring my own skim milk! … Sometimes you just have to do it! *sigh*
Overall, it was great! The food, the wine, the beer, the music, the free gifts AND the prices! It was all just a blast!

Good food good people. Tons of activities for children. Great variety of foods & a wine tasting tent to boot. What more can you ask for.

Taste of Wheaton is fantastic! Very reasonable priced, with most food samples coming in at $ 1 or $ 2. And the food is great — try the grilled pork at Saigonese, the orange chicken at Hollywood East, the Thai iced tea at Thai Taste by Kob, and finish it off with ice cream at Yummy in my Tummy.
For the younglings, there are several rides and bouncy castle to keep them entertained. For the oldsters, there’s $ 1 wine tastings (yum!) and good bands to listen to. It is always fun!

Live music, crafts, rides, and fantastic food are just a few reasons to put Taste of Wheaton on your calendar for next year. We had a delicious crab cake sandwich for $ 5.00. Then, it was a short hop over to Moby Dick to enjoy some fresh sushi and sashimi, only $ 2.00 for 3 pieces. Turn to your right and grab chicken skewers and Thai iced tea at Nava Thai. We took a short walk over to Thai Taste for the best pumpkin empanadas made by man or woman. Then, we camped out on the lawn to hear some great live bands. I loved listening to 8 Ohms funk and soul music. We munched on crunchy, fresh lumpias at Lumpia Panst Fillipino restaurant. So many restaurants and only one afternoon to try them all. A full and tired Unilocaler made her way back to the car. A great way to spend your day.

Best «Taste of» around. There’s not entrance fee and no $ 8 and up for a taste. You can go to this Taste with $ 10 in singles and make out like bandit. Most of the food is one dollar for a taste. Whether its chicken on a stick, spring rolls, canoli’s (Marchone’s Italian Deli), frappuccino (Starbucks) or a glass of wine (from Safeway– easy to get a bottle), it’s yours for a buck. If you want crab cakes well that will cost you $ 2 – 3 bet seriously it’s not beatable.
This year all the wine tastings had pairings either with wine, fruit, veggie, charcuterie and yes — wine and pairing one buck for a sample. I have to say many of the wines in the tent were generous pours, not a half a glass but definitely a quarter of glass.
The music outside is on the grassy area is pretty comfortable too. This year they had Secret Society for the last hour and there were very good. Very versatile group with pop songs, hip hop songs, old school, you name it and by the end… they drew quite the crowd to come and dance. Of course they had games, a few rides and some cook shows as part of it too.
The Taste of Wheaton is a great way to spend the afternoon. Its laid back and won’t break the bank. I’m hoping next year they can get even more food vendors to come out!

Everything that Taste of Silver Spring got wrong, Wheaton got right. Music and dance stages at opposite ends so they didn’t drown each other out, mini-​rides and crafts for the kiddies, and wine tasting in the middle for grown ups. A $ 1 ticket got you either two fingers of one of a dozen wines or bite of food that complimented each — salami, artisan cheese, olives, chocolate, mini cupcake. On the west side, a line of restaurant booths offering true tastes, $ 1 or $ 2 for portable nibbles. Chicken from Ming tree, two pieces of maki from Moby Dick, dim sum from Hollywood East, grilled pork on a skewer from Saigonese, mini canoli from Marchone’s and a dozen more I was too full to try.
And where was Unilocal,you ask? Right smack in the middle, sponsoring cooking demonstrations, the results of which were given to the admiring and drooling audience, presided over by our estimable Community Manager Mike B. Chef Roberto Rosario of the Ana G. Mendez University Culinary School cooked up Puerto Rican Mamposteao RIce, a cousin of paella with ham and beans. The grand finale when the last scheduled cook bailed at the last minute was (drum roll) Mike B. himself, cooking matzo ball soup. Now, I know from knadles, as my late mother and grandmother were practitioners of that tradition, and Mike’s were spot on. Then Mike did some trivia for Unilocal swag, and let slip that the first target in the Hidden Gems game will be in Wheaton.
Lovely weather, tasty tastes, looking forward to next year.

Since every other «Taste of» event is reviewed, I thought I’d add Wheaton’s to the mix. I’ve been going every May/​June for about the past eight years. This year was the 18^th. No rain like the last couple of years, but it was pretty muggy. That didn’t stop families from coming out. Lots of adorable pooches too! There were no long lines for food. Yay! More Moby Dick’s sushi for me!
This annual food festival offered samples from local restaurants (not as many as last year), live musical performances, and kid’s activities. The Food and Wine Tasting tent highlighted select wines from Elk Run Vineyards, Mt. Airy; Old Westminster Winery, Westminster; and Linganore Wine Cellars, Mt. Airy. Also under the tent were artisans including Three Little Pigs Charcuterie & Salumi, Shepherds Manor Creamery and Caked-​Up.
Back on the street, tastings ranged from $ 1 to $ 5. Cash, not tickets, so you could sample as little as you want, or a lot. All of the proceeds benefited the Mid-​County United Ministries food pantry in Wheaton. Attendees who brought canned food donations were eligible for a variety of giveaway items. I spun the wheel and won a $ 5 gift card to Hollywood East Café!
Add this festival to your calendar for next year.