The Taste of the Heights is back after a two-year hiatus, with the gates opening at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Brought to central Illinois by the Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce, the event will feature 11 local eateries with no end of favorite dishes and drinks. The Taste was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Prospect Avenue, which will be closed to through-traffic between Glen and Marietta, was jam-packed for the 2019 version of the Taste in one of the most well- attended local events in memory.
Each food-and-drink booth will accept Taste Tokens only as a method of payment. Those can be purchased on site or in advance at multiple locations around Peoria Heights, among them Ipava State Bank, Exhibit A Gallery, State Farm – Jake Davenport, Hearth, W.E. Sullivan’s Irish Pub, Generations Candle, Heights Wealth Management, Pour Bros. Craft Taproom, Slow Hand BBQ, Springfield Clinic, Emack & Bolio’s, Michele’s Floral Events, and I Know You Like a Book. Tokens cost $1 each and can only be purchased with cash.
Music will be provided from the balcony of Ipava State Bank by Random Strangers from 5 to 7 p.m. and by Harvest Sons from 7 to 9 p.m.
The list of participating restaurants and their menus are as follows:
Publik House -- Mac & cheese, $4
Jim’s Bistro -- Beef stroganoff, $5
Hearth -- Lamb meatballs, $4; chicken gumbo, $5; crispy chicken leg, $3; flourless chocolate torte dessert, $3
Sullivan’s Irish Pub – Corn beef slider, $4; Irish mac & Jameson pork belly, $4
Edge – Old school burger, $4; Rigatoni Bolognese, $4
Slow Hand BBQ – Kona slider, $5; Austin slider, $5; triple onion dip and BBQ chips, $3; walking banana pudding dessert, $3
Joe’s Italian – Mozzarella caprese skewer, $2; red pepper/spinach ravioli, $5; tiramisu strawberry on espresso ice cream dessert, $4
Oliver’s – Bone in wings, $5; nacho supreme, $5; pizza slice, $3; Cinnadough dessert, $2
Yenni’s Palarte – Popsicle, $4; street corn, $5; agua fresca, $5; boozy ice
cream dessert, $5; nachos, $5
Alwan’s – Cheeseburger, $4; butterfly pork chop, $5; hot dog, $2
Popcorn Works – Popcorn, three assorted flavors, $3
The Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce thanks its Taste sponsors. They include the Village of Peoria Heights, OSF HealthCare, Gallery Homes Real Estate, Oliver’s in the Heights, Emack & Bolio, Hickory Point Bank, Leaves ‘n Beans, KDB Group and Academy of Screenprinting and Awards.
This promises to be a great evening. Hope to see you in Peoria Heights!