WORCESTER—The food’s hot (some of it spicy, even), and so will be the air. But hey, that’s what air conditioning and personal fans are for.
The annual Taste of Shrewsbury Street dining celebration along Worcester’s renowned “restaurant row” is set for Tuesday night, coinciding with the onset of a severe heat wave in the area.
Starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the event features food offerings from 30 restaurants along the 1.5-mile stretch. And this year year, attendees can vote for their favorite dishes, with winning restaurants receiving cash prizes.
“The Taste of Shrewsbury Street is like a big summer kick-off party! Up and down Shrewsbury Street, people are happy and sampling delicious snacks from each restaurant.” remarked Caitlyn Carolan, president of Worcester Restaurant Group, in a press release. “It is an event that we look forward to and are happy to participate in each year!”
Seven of the businesses are booking live musicians, and attendees will also come across entertainment such as multiple DJ sets and karaoke.
“The Taste of Shrewsbury Street is a wonderful event to bring the community together and celebrate all that this area of Worcester has to offer. Vintage Grille is excited to participate again and to welcome back Stone County to entertain with their country and rock music.” announced Chris Stone, owner of Vintage Grille & Gourmet Pizza, in a statement. “Last year our famous mac ‘n’ cheese and pulled pork was a hit and we are working on our specialty to offer this year. We look forward to seeing you on June 18th!”
“We’re excited to have Hit the Bus back to perform,” announced Paul Barber, owner of Flying Rhino Café, in the announcement. “Plus, the next day is a holiday, so we’ll be partying extra late!”
Additional performances at Tase of Shrewsbury Street 2024 include Chris Shelby at Wonder Bar, Hannah Purvis at La Scala Ristorante and Worcester Music Award Winner Brandon Sunshine at Nuovo.
Before event day, the Taste of Shrewsbury Street is offering a $25 limited-time ticket deal online, which grants attendees access to the event with an event wristband, required to participate in the tasting.
Attendees can pick up wristbands from either Wormtown Brewery, Flying Rhino Cafe or Vintage Grille. On June 18th, wristbands are available for $30 from Wormtown Brewery, Flying Rhino Café or Vintage Grille & Gourmet Pizza during their regular business hours and throughout the event.
Participating Shrewsbury Street restaurants include:
· 111 Chop House
· Aelux Lounge
· Basil n’ Spice Thai Cuisine
· Boulevard Diner
· Café Reyes
· Dad’s Keto Kitchen
· Flying Rhino Café
· Funky Murphy’s
· La Scala Ristorante
· Leo’s Ristorante
· McDonalds
· Miranda Bread
· Meraki Café and Dessert Bar
· Mexicali Cantina Grill
· Meze Estiatorio
· Nuovo
· Pepe’s Dolce Bar
· Pepe’s Italian Restaurant
· Piccolo’s
· Ralph’s Tavern
· Redemption Rock Brewing Company
· Root & Press
· Subway
· The Pint
· The Shisha Room
· The Woo Bar & Grill
· Valentinos
· Via Italian Table
· Victory Bar & Cigar
· Vintage Grille & Gourmet Pizza
· Volturno
· Wonder Bar
· Wormtown Brewing
“Taste of Shrewsbury Street is one of the most unique food festivals in the region.” said Monique Joseph, president of Discover Central MA, in a statement. “For those who’ve never visited Worcester’s Restaurant Row, this event is a perfect opportunity to try something from each participating restaurant. We’re proud to support a thriving hospitality culture, and we expect the event to draw people from outside the region and state.”
For the first time, attendees will vote for which restaurant offered the most delicious food. The restaurant that wins first-place will receive a cash prize of $500 while the runner up restaurant wins a $300 cash prize. The online polls open at TasteofShrewsburyStreet.com/Vote when the event starts.
Winners will be announced on June 19 on social media.
“We’ve been doing this event for over two decades,” noted long-time SSMA President John Piccolo, owner of Piccolo’s Restaurant, in a statement.“We’re hitting record levels of sponsorship this year, proving Shrewsbury Street is stronger than ever.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the beautification of Shrewsbury Street as well as local children’s charities. Visit https://www.tasteofshrewsburystreet.com/2024 for event tickets and follow @tasteofshrewsburystreet on Instagram and Facebook.
Send news releases to Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
