Taste of Edmonton serves up winners, rain or shine

Taste of Edmonton continues at Churchill Square until July 26, whether there be rain, shine, wind, or thunder. "This is Year 42 for the Taste of Edmonton. We're an outdoor event," executive director Donovan Vienneau told CityNews Edmonton. "There's nothing that has caught us off guard." The free-to-attend event features 49 food booths and three food trucks, plus a kids' zone, a market, and drinks for all ages, as well as live music by acts such as festival headliner 54-40.

Regular event-goers may want to see what the new dishes and vendors are at Taste, and the festival has marked them on the menu. The Flipside bao from Flipside BBQ, which just won in the savoury category of the New Foods Competition by KDays, is among new items at the event. Love Kitchen Catering has cheesy noodle creations, Pebre & Co. has Chilean empanadas, and Chennai Super Kitchen has Indian food. Postmedia reporters have further recommendations for Southeast Asian fare, messy foods, and desserts.

Off-site, Edmonton Meals on Wheels has launched a celebrity chef series in conjunction with Taste of Edmonton. It will give people who face barriers to dining out due to physical limitations, dietary restrictions, or financial constraints the chance to try fare from the fest. The July dishes added to the EMOW menu are spanikopita from Koutouki Taverna and chow and lo mein from Blue Willow Restaurant. At Churchill, Willow also offers pineapple chicken and a deep-fried banana, while Koutouki will serve chicken souvlaki with tzatziki and Greek salad.