by Diana Bulls
The Taste of the Town returns to Reedley on Thursday, September 21, and the block of G Street, between 11th and 10th, will be turned into an outdoor dining room. According to RDA spokesperson Denny Mason, guests will “dine under the stars”, feasting on the best that local restaurants, gourmet food shops, wineries and breweries have to offer.
Past Taste of the Town
For over two decades, the Reedley Downtown Association (RDA) has hosted this premier event to showcase local food and drink vendors. The menu features “delicious food, fabulous wines, and decadent desserts”, and your event ticket lets you sample everything! Tickets are $30/person and are available at reedleydowntown.com or various downtown locations like David’s. You can also reserve a table for 8 for $225. Proceeds from the event go to support other RDA sponsored activities.
One of the new vendors this year is Wicked Harvest Pistachio Bourbon. The brainchild of pistachio growers Jim and Gloria Zion, this is a bourbon that reflects its Central Valley origins. What differentiates Wicked Harvest Bourbon from others, according to Gloria, is that they start with a very good five year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon and then “finish” it in used wine barrels with whole pistachios.
The wine barrels and the pistachios come from the Central Valley and are shipped to Kentucky. The Zions pride themselves in having a product that honors farmers from California. It took two-and-a-half years and 38 iterations to produce the “top shelf product” that Wicked Harvest Bourbon is today. “It has a unique flavor profile ? like nothing else you have ever tasted”, says Gloria.
The Zions live part time in Fresno and part time in Morro Bay. Wicked Harvest Bourbon is distributed through their own company, Velvetree Foods, LLC, in the Central Valley and the Central Coastal areas of California. Jim, Gloria and their daughter will be pouring samples at Taste of the Town.
The RDA says they expect at least 30 vendors to be present, including long-time local restaurant favorites the Bear Club, Mainstreet Cafe, Uncle Harry’s Classic Meals, and the School House Restaurant & Tavern.
Just to whet your appetites, here is a sample of what’s on the menu. Chef Linsey of the Wakehouse Woodfire Grill will be serving up pulled pork sliders, Caribbean tacos and “Blues Burger” sliders. Sweet Destinations will be tempting you with mini fresh strawberry cupcakes with strawberry butter cream frosting, as well as their signature “Rocky Road Drops”, a classic marshmallow-chocolate candy. Rosa Brothers Milk Company (Hanford) and Lanna Coffee Company (Fresno) have teamed up with a Cold Brew Coffee Milk.
Samples
So mark your calendars now, and plan to spend an autumn evening in downtown Reedley, tasting “delicious food, fabulous wines, and decadent desserts from our area’s finest.”
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