26th Taste of North Country: 31 restaurants, Sunday in Glens Falls

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

Sample foods from 31 restaurants at the Glens Falls Kiwanis Club’s 26th annual Taste of the North Country food festival — Sunday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine in Glens Falls City Park.

Three new downtown eateries are participating — Doc’s at the Park Theater, Downtown Social and SUNY Adirondack Culinary Arts program’s new, student-run Seasoned @ 14 Hudson.

Also new: Also, Sans Souci in Cleverdale, which reopened with Chef Michael Cirelli at the helm; Buck’s Tavern in Queensbury; and One Pour Mare mobile beverage company of Queensbury, offering high end flavored lemonades and coffees.

Fancy new bathrooms!

Also new this year: High-end “super fancy” rest room trailers that feature roomy, private stalls; flushable toilets; and running water.

“It’s a relatively new product in the area and we were able to work with Stone Industries” — which rents out the facilities — “to make it possible,” Mr. Ogden said. “It’s gonna be really nice.”

They’ll have two trailers, each with two women’s and one men’s room, plus a separate one compliant with the Disabilities Act. “It’s a game changer for every event in Glens Falls,” Mr. Ogden predicts. “You can’t go back.”

Last year — Taste’s 25th anniversary year — there were 42 restaurants. Why the decline to this year’s 31?

“Staffing is the main thing, they’re telling me,” says festival organizer Jerrod Ogden. He said that even some restaurants eager to participate couldn’t, because they didn’t have enough people, or they had other booked events. Also four restaurants that participated last year have since closed.

“I think it will still be a good showing,” Mr. Ogden says.

Culinary displays; wine comments

Culinary demonstrations will be provided by SUNY Adirondack chef Matthew Bolton and students at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. At noon, Chef Jonathan Studley of Downtown Social, new to this area, will demonstrate his technique to house-cure salmon.

New also, Paul Parker, formerly of Rare Earth Wine Bar here, now the sommelier at Salt and Char restaurant in Saratoga Springs, will offer wine pairing commentary after each food demo.

The Queensbury Hotel brings back its on-site Biergarten, during Taste, outdoors on the Park 26 patio, or indoors as necessary. They’ll serve local craft beers, with $1 from each pint donated to the Kiwanis.

Again this year, purveyor US Foods underwrites heating and cooling stations for restaurants, and provides “safety kits” of items like thermometers and gloves to each participating food purveyor.

“It’s the kind of thing the Department of Health is looking for,” Mr. Ogden says.

‘Taste’ details

Glens Falls Kiwanis Club’s 26th Taste of the North Country food festival takes place Sunday, Sept. 30, rain or shine, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Glens Falls, in and around City Park, on Maple and Bay Streets.

Admission: $5. Under 12 free, sponsored by Fidelis Cares.

Food sample coupons cost $1 each, or $20 for a K-Pack of 25. Samples typically cost between 2 and 6 coupons.

Participants: 31 restaurants — including six newcomers.

For a complete list of participating restaurants, menus, map, culinary demonstration schedule and entertainment line-up, see the official pull-out Taste of the North Country program, beginning on page 19 of this week’s Chronicle.

Info: Online at www.glensfallstaste.com

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