Taste Of Chicago Guide 2013: The Inside Scoop On Food Truck Picks, Music, Getting Around And More

The 2013 Guide To Taste Of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States, North America
Chicago, Illinois, United States, North America

The revamped Taste of Chicago is set to kick off its 33rd year complete with fun., food trucks and a few new tricks city officials hope will boost the fest's bottom line for change.

One of the most promising aspects of the re-tooled annual summer event is the food truck brigade. This year brings a rotating lineup of seven trucks daily (only six on July 14).

Check out our guide to this year's mobile food offerings and get the scoop on more 2013 Taste of Chicago details below the slideshow.

Must-Try Food Truck Bites At Taste Of Chicago

Entrances: Michigan/Jackson, Michigan/Congress Parkway, Columbus/Monroe, Columbus/Balbo, Lakeshore Drive/Jackson.

Cost: Admission to the Taste is free, as is lawn seating for the musical performances throughout the day.

Strips of 12 tickets (for both food and drink) run $8 (ugh, plus a $2 fee). Smaller "taste"-sized portions of signature restaurant items will be available for fewer tickets (approximately 1-5).

Last call for ticket sales each day: 8:30 p.m.

Food: Taste options for 2013 will be a mix of traditional restaurant booths, food trucks, pop-up restaurants that change the menu each day, and the fancy-schmancy Chef Du Jour meals for those who want to pony up $40 to eat celebrity chef-prepared dishes in air-conditioned comfort.

If you're trying to eating healthy...you're probably in the wrong place. Still, RedEye notes certain restaurants will have green-apple icons on items that meet Humana Healthier Choices guidelines.

Music: Two main stages -- the Bud Light stage at the south end of the park and the Petrillo Music shell are they key places to catch the fest's artists.

All shows are free, except concert seating for Neon Trees at the Petrillo Music Shell (the only show not yet sold out), which is $25. Food trucks will be selling bites an hour before the first performance of each day.

Getting around:
  • CTA: Adams and Wabash is the closest "L" stop for the Green, Purple, Pink, Orange and Brown Line trains. Red and Blue Line riders can exit at their respective Jackson stops.

  • Metra: Stops at Van Buren and Randolph Street (Millennium Station). No bikes are allowed on the Metra during the Taste.
  • Bike: The Lakefront Trail runs on the eastern border of the Taste with an entry point near Jackson. The closest Divvy bike stations are at Michigan/Monroe, Lakefront/Monroe, Michigan/Congress Parkway and State between Jackson and Van Buren. Be warned that stations are likely to fill up quickly.
  • Stuff you can't bring: All the normal stuff you usually can't bring to a festival, including pets (except service animals), tents, fireworks, your own booze, weapons, drugs, flagpoles, etc. Folding chairs are only prohibited from the Petrillo Music Shell area.

    City officials have also promised a beefed-up police presence this year:

    The Taste of Chicago runs July 10-14 in Chicago's Grant Park (Jackson Blvd. and Columbus Dr.). Hours July 10-12: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., July 13 & 14: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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    Taste of Chicago 2012

    Taste of Chicago 2012

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