Update: Due to forecasts of inclement weather tomorrow, the Taste of Somerville is postponed until June 20

Following last year’s move to our new home in the beautiful and scenic Nathan Tufts Park, the Taste of Somerville, now in its 20th year, has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Last year’s event served over 1,500 guests a comprehensive array of food, drink, and entertainment from 75+ restaurants, bars, beverage providers, and local artisans. 

“It’s no secret that Somerville has become one of the driving forces in the culinary scene of greater Boston in recent years, almost to the point where it can be hard to keep up with all of the new offerings,” Luke O’Neil, of the Taste of Somerville committee and the Somerville Chamber of Commerce Dining and Nightlife group, says. “What we try to do here is make that a little more manageable, so you can taste a little bit of all of it all in one place on one day. Although maybe don’t eat 75 different dishes, that might not be a good idea.” 

COMMUNITY

The Taste presents a chance for residents to explore the city’s wealth of offerings, and for local businesses to connect and meet their fans and customers. 

“We love to connect with our Somerville community through The Taste,” Joshua Lewin, owner and chef of Juliet, who anchored the Taste’s VIP section last year says. “Somerville has a pretty hyper-local feel to it, and we connect daily with our Union Square neighbors, which we appreciate so much. But this event provides a great opportunity to get out into the fresh air and introduce ourselves and our work to the rest of our city.”

“Davis Square is home to our first restaurant so, we feel a strong connection to the community and other Somerville businesses,” Beth Schunke, Director of Operations for the Five Horses Tavern group, longtime participants at the Taste, adds. “Being outside in a beautiful park and grilling for our guests is a great way to spend the day too.”

ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to the dozens of restaurants on hand this year, the Taste will present a variety of other aspects of the Somerville cultural and entertainment community, including art installations, children’s entertainment, and a slate of live acoustic performances from local musicians curated by the Boston Music Awards. 

CHARITY

As ever, all of the proceeds from the event will support an exceptional local non-profit organization. This year’s beneficiary, the Walnut Street Center, is a human services agency, that provides self-advocacy and community involvement support to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens.  

“The Walnut Street Center has always been rooted in the community providing the best in crucial human services for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” says Carolyne Guffey, Chief Executive Officer of the Walnut Street Center, Inc. “We are thrilled to be named for the second year as the charitable recipient of the Taste of Somerville, one of the most exciting and delicious food festivals that brings families together. The proceeds from ticket sales will continue to fund critical support services to adults with intellectual disabilities and their families.”

For more information visit  www.tasteofsomerville.org, on Twitter: @tasteofsomervil, or Instagram: @tasteofsomerville. 

WHAT: 2018 Taste of Somerville

WHEN: ​June 20, 5-8 p.m.

WHERE: Nathan Tufts Park

RESTAURANTS: 

The list of participating restaurants for 2018 is still taking shape, but last year featured the following: 

AERONAUT BREWERY

ANNA’S TAQUERIA

BALL SQUARE FINE WINES

BANTAM CIDER

BAYSTATE WINE & SPIRITS

BFRESH

BON ME

BOSTON BEER COMPANY

BOSTON BURGER

BRASS UNION

BRONWYN

CANTINA LA MEXICANA

CASA B

CASTLE ISLAND

COMPLIMENTS

CUISINE EN LOCALE

DADDY JONES BAR

DAVE’S FRESH PASTA

DIVA BISTRO

DOWNTOWN WINE & SPIRITS

EARLS KITCHEN

ESPRESSO PLUS

FARMER WILLIE’S

FIVE HORSES TAVERN

FLATBREAD

FOUNDRY ON ELM

FUJI AT ASSEMBLY

GLOBAL WINES

GOOSE ISLAND

GRACIE’S ICE CREAM

HIGHLAND KITCHEN

HOLIDAY INN

J.P. LICKS

JOSHUA TREE

JULIET

JUST ADD COOKING

KIRKLAND TAP & TROTTER

KUNG FOO TEA

LA POSADA

LAS CAROLINAS

LYNDELL’S

MACHU PICCHU

MANOA POKE SHOP

MEJU

MEM TEA IMPORTS

MOUNT VERNON

MR. CREPE

MS WALKER

NATIVE WATERS

NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT & BAKERY

NOLA SALSA

NOOR MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

OAT SHOP

OATH PIZZA

OLDE MAGOUN’S SALOON

ON THE HILL TAVERN

ORLEANS

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

PAPAGAYO

PAPI’S STUFFED SOPAPILLAS

PAUL’S BAKERY

PEPE BOCCA

PJ RYANS

REDBONES

RHYTHM ‘N WRAPS

RIVER BAR

ROXY’S GOURMET GRILLED CHEESE

RUDY’S CAFE

SALOON

SATE GRILL

SAV MOR LIQUORS

SOMERVILLE FRESH BREW

SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CULINARY PROGRAM

SOUTHERN KIN COOKHOUSE

SPARKLING ICE

STARBUCKS

TASTING COUNTER

TENOCH

THE BURREN

THE INDEPENDENT

TONY C’S

TOWER BEVERAGES

TWO ROADS BREWING

UNITED LIQUORS

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

YOSHI SUSHI