Flavors on display at Taste of Petaluma

Taste of Petaluma is best described as a culinary walking tour of downtown Petaluma. Celebrating its tenth year, the Aug. 20 event is beloved by locals and visitors alike as the one time each year to sample multiple restaurants in one afternoon, often meeting and speaking with the owners and chefs, without breaking the bank on 10 different dinner bills.

The event is the brainchild of Laura Sunday, who has been organizing food related fundraisers for Cinnabar Theater for two decades, including the Great Petaluma Chili Cookoff and the Lagunitas Crab Feed. Sunday found that too many “Taste Of” events were simply generic food expos held in tent cities at local fairgrounds and convention centers.

Pulling potential diners out of drab expo halls and putting them back into actual restaurants gives guests a more authentic and memorable experience. Sunday also wanted to highlight other local business owners, like the galleries, boutiques and shops that line our downtown streets. She incorporates those locations by having them host restaurants and caterers that do not have a downtown location.

Many restaurants have introduced themselves to Petaluma and its visitors through Taste of Petaluma, and this year’s freshman class is as impressive and diverse as ever. The Shuckery, Petaluma’s newest restaurant having just opening this week, offers fresh local seafood, including the Tomales Bay’s sweetest oysters. Out to Lunch Fine Catering, Supreme Sweets and Thai River are also new to Petaluma and are ready to serve TOP guests with plenty of tasty bites.

Hosted at various downtown locations, new food purveyors from outside the downtown are also well represented, including Brazil BBQ (at Velvet Ice), Bright Bear Bakery (at Flower Child), Sarah’s Eats and Sweets (at Ethical Clothing), Frog Pops (at Work Petaluma) and Charlie’s Fine Liquor (at Stink). Rounding out the list of new arrivals is Quinua Cocina Peruana (at Urban Elements Salon), which was voted this year’s Best New Restaurant by Petaluma diners.

Petaluma’s local libations are also in abundance at Taste of Petaluma. The Celebrity Cruises Wine Bar and Lounge has returned to the Petaluma Historic Library and Museum. Local favorites from Barber Cellars, Sonoma Coast Spirits, Adobe Vineyards and Sonoma Portworks will be paired with cheeses from Marin French and Laura Chenel’s. Jamison’s Roaring Donkey will tap into the likes of Petaluma Hills Brewing Company, 101 North and Lagunitas, along with snacks like Faron’s BBQ and F.A. Nino’s chile verde pork tacos.

The Big Easy will pour Stillwater Spirits, Best Damn Root Beer and Sonoma Cider, alongside a selection of non-alcoholic beverages from Morris Distributing.

Adding to the festivities, two dozen musicians and bands will play all around downtown throughout the event. National Holistic Institute will offer massages at Theater Square, Kearsten Leder Photography will be taking complimentary photos for a project titled “People of Petaluma in Pictures” and Petaluma Pet Company will have treats for your pooch.

Taste of Petaluma is a chance for Petaluma to show off a culinary reputation that has exploded over the past decade. New restaurants have a chance to introduce themselves to their target audience, while veteran restaurants get the opportunity to reintroduce themselves, as well as highlight new menu items. Also, guests can taste a multiple of restaurants without spending a fortune on full meals at each location, and ticket sales help keep many of Cinnabar Theater’s programs alive, especially the Young Rep program.

Admission entitles guests to 10 taste tickets, which can be used at any of the more than 30 locations. The full restaurant list and menu can be found at tasteofpetaluma.com, including an interactive map and menu in order to assist guests in planning their tasting route.

Taste of Petaluma is a great excuse to try those restaurants you have read about but still not tried, like Secret Kitchen, Twisted 2, Wishbone and Rosso, or to revisit local favorites, like Sugo, Speakeasy and Mi Pueblo. Taste of Petaluma runs the gamut of gastronomy, from savory to sweet. From Sax’s hearty biscuits and gravy, Everest’s apricot curry and chicken tandoori and Preferred Sonoma Caterers’ Korean beef tacos to the Sweet Zone’s fudge, Forget Me Not’s cakes, and frozen delights from Strauss Family Creamery, Three Twins, Frog Pops, Baskin Robins and Petaluma Creamery, Taste of Petaluma will satisfy every palette.

Whether looking to try Petaluma’s newest restaurants or revisit old favorites, Taste of Petaluma helps guests pack months’ worth of dining experiences into one delightfully pleasant and festive afternoon, all while helping Cinnabar Theater continue into its fourth decade of presenting Petaluma with world class live theater.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at tasteofpetaluma.com.