From barbecue and toasted ravioli to high-end gourmet, if there’s one thing St. Louisans love, it’s great food. And for the past decade, Budweiser Taste of St. Louis has celebrated our area’s culinary acumen in an annual street fair that showcases the high, the low and everything in-between.
Historically held downtown, Taste of St. Louis is moving to the Chesterfield Village Amphitheater, off Highway 40 between Clarkson and Wild Horse Creek roads, for this year’s food event Sept. 19 to 21. The move was a calculated one, says Taste of St. Louis co-director and co-owner K. Sonderegger. “Our mission statement is offering the best food, arts, music and culture that the region has to offer,” she says. “We had a wonderful run for nine years downtown, but we really wanted it to be even more food-centric, and the amphitheater is an awesome way to showcase nationally acclaimed culinary talent alongside our local talent. Logistically, it’s a wonderful space to showcase everything we have to offer.”
Chesterfield’s outdoor amphitheater allows the event to expand by offering Bud Light Amphitheater Shows, a ticketed series that features celebrities, music concerts, beer samplings and more. This year, Food Network stars Tyler Florence and Duff Goldman each will make appearances on the amphitheater’s stage—marking the first time national celebrities have participated in the festival.
Chef Chris Lee, who recently launched Chef’s Table STL and has won the event’s Stella Artois Chef Battle Royale culinary competition the past two years, says the move is a way to bridge city and county. “When you go to Chicago or Nashville, there’s no longer that hard line between the city and the county,” he says. “I’m excited to see what comes of the move. At the end of the day, we all live in St. Louis.”
The majority of the festival’s events remain free to attendees, including Kid City, which offers family-centric activities, the Art & Wine Walk, sponsored by Sachs Properties, and The Marketplace, a space for local businesses to showcase their wares and services.
Sauce Magazine’s Restaurant Row remains a popular attraction, with its more than 35 restaurants, including Drunken Fish, Kakao Chocolate, Annie Gunn’s, EdgeWild and Balaban’s. “St. Louis has really gotten on the culinary scene the last few years,” Sonderegger says. “Every year we have excellent chefs nominated for James Beard awards. Taste of St. Louis helps expose that and makes everybody proud of what our region has to offer.”
Pictured from top: Chris Lee prepares a dish for the Stella Artois Chef Battle Royale (Photo: Peter Newcomb); Food Network star Tyler Florence will headline the Budlight Amphitheater Show Sept. 19; A dish prepared for the Stella Artois Chef Battle Royale (Photo: Peter Newcomb)
Photos: Budweiser Taste of St. Louis
