The 2nd annual Taste of La Porte was well underway on Saturday afternoon, as wonderful food smells filled the air. The cozy little event was held in the parking lot of the La Porte Chamber of Commerce in downtown La Porte. The weather was perfect, as people munched and sampled all the wonderful foods being offered.
The Taste of La Porte was put together by the La Porte Downtown Coordinator, Tiffany Bley. According to Bley “My favorite part of the Taste of La Porte is the music and the food.” She went on to say, “We start out early in the year planning all of this, setting the date, contacting the restaurants, and working on promoting and getting the word out about the event. It’s a fun time; it’s a great community event. We have wonderful foods to try from some great local restaurants. It gives you a chance to taste a restaurant that you haven’t tried yet, and it may lead you to find a new favorite place to eat.”
The Taste of La Porte did indeed feature some wonderful foods. Spire Farm to Fork was out, featuring their famous Spire BLT and grass-fed beef meatloaf. B & J’s American café was on hand with their homemade pies and breads, and their tasty chicken and noodles. Albano’s pizza was serving up hot sandwiches, and of course their flavorful pizzas. Cookery TT featured their sushi plates and yummy turkey pitas. A newcomer to the event, Maple City Roasters, was serving freshly roasted and brewed coffees. They featured an iced blueberry coffee that was perfect for the summer evening.
Tonya Vogel, Owner of Seven, said, “This is the second year we have done the Taste of La Porte. It’s a lot of fun, we have already served quite a few people. We’re featuring some of our popular items from our menu. We have our Chicago prime sandwich with homemade chips and dip, and homemade crab rolls with plum sauce.”
The Taste of La Porte is really something the entire family can come out and enjoy. There’s live music playing, a beer garden, face painting, and even a dunk tank. The dunk tank was a new feature this year, and the proceeds benefit the Stepping Stone Shelter for Women.
Carrie Campbell, from Hatfield Pest Control of La Porte, said, “This dunk tank benefits the Stepping Stone Shelter for Women. We are a non-profit organization that assists women who have been victims of domestic violence in La Porte County. We are not only trying to raise funds for our shelter and transition house, but we are also trying to raise awareness.”
The dunk tank featured some local celebrities such as La Porte’s own Mayor Blair Milo, Mike Schultz the county assessor, and Scott Upp from La Porte High School. According to Campbell, “I think the most popular dunk tank ‘victim’ will either be Mayor Milo or Mike Schultz.”
All in all, the event was a success. There was plenty of good food and tasty treats to eat, music to dance to, and some fun activities for the kids to enjoy. For more information about the Taste of La Porte, contact the Downtown Coordinator Tiffany Bley at (219) 362-3178 or check out the Downtown La Porte Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DowntownLaPorte
To view more photos from the event, click here!