While this year’s Taste of Los Gatos will feature Rush cover band R50 and Livewire headlining the main stage, with Chain of Fools, Identity Problem, Phill & Rob and Sam Marshall scattered throughout the one-day street party, make no mistake, the essence of the fest will be the nibbles and libations.
“It’s really telling the story of Los Gatos as a culinary destination,” Chamber CEO Jennifer Lin said about the event, taking place on Sept. 6. “I really do feel like we’re experiencing a culinary renaissance here.”
Lin was in a buoyant mood after the Los Gatos Planning Commission supported the food-and-furniture plan by RH, the upscale company based in Marin County’s Corte Madera.
“They recognize that Los Gatos is a destination,” she said of the business known as Restoration Hardware until 2012. “And if approved, it will only help us to elevate that reputation and drive even more regional traffic here.”
It’s been all-hands-on-deck at the Visitor’s Bureau as staff sifted through details about the eats and sips to be offered at Taste. At press time details were still emerging about the 27 restaurants and 20 local wineries that are participating. But here’s a sneak peek…
- Oren’s Hummus: mini falafels and pita wedges
- Telefèric Barcelona: duck confit empanadas with spicy aioli
- The Lexington House: nectarine crostini (garlic butter, burrata, crispy capocollo, nectarine, seasonal berries, balsamic)
- Michi Catering: sushi handrolls
- Coup de Thai: famous dragon balls
- The Pastaria & Market: tortellone a la vodka and peas
“We find people just love being in the middle of the street connecting with neighbors and making new friends,” Lin remarked. “And we do think that this festival is one of the best ways that we can share who we are.”
This year’s event will feature an interactive digital map to make wayfinding easier.
“People will actually go to the business locations. They will go to the restaurants to go to get their bites, and they will go to our stores who are hosting the wineries to do their wine tasting,” Lin said. “The restaurants will be marked with a red flag outside their entrance, and the wine tasting locations will be marked by a blue flag.”
Lin thanked the sponsors, particularly title sponsors El Camino Health, Good Samaritan and Netflix. The latter is partnering with Cinelux to hand out popcorn at the Los Gatos Theatre during the festival.
“Having their trust and financial support, it enables us to offer a lot of things to the community,” Lin said, noting Netflix increased their community involvement this year. “Timing was right.”
Taste of Los Gatos takes place noon–5pm on Sept. 6 in Old Town Los Gatos. Tasting tickets are $75-$95. losgatoschamber.com
Editor’s note: Corrections made on Sept. 3.
