CHICAGO (FNS) -- Summers here are notoriously hot, and the weather during this month's Taste of Chicago, held June 25 to July 5 on the grounds of Grant Park, was no exception. Dominick's Finer Foods, Northlake, Ill., helped to offset the soaring temperatures with a wide spectrum of produce that brought a decidedly fresh-food flair to the annual lakeside event.
of Chicago, delighted diet-conscious fairgoers with fresh cherries, grapes, slices of seedless watermelon, sliced apples with caramel dip, whole peaches and whole nectarines. Roasted sweet corn on the cob was also featured for more traditional fair fare.
One item that attracted a lot of attention was the Pulot, a combination plum and apricot, which was sliced and offered in a "taste" portion to the curious.
In addition to the food booth, the retailer sponsored a tent where consumers were entertained by noted Chicago-area chefs, cookbook authors and celebrities as they prepared dishes onstage in a demonstration kitchen. This area, dubbed the Dominick's Cooking Corner, offered consumers an area to escape the sun, sit and learn the secrets of cooking from the experts. Almost all the ingredients used in the demonstrations were available at Dominick's units.
Kicking off the 12-day event at the Dominick's Cooking Corner, cast members from the musical "The King and I" cooked up a traditional Korean beef dish. Jessica Kim, mother of a cast member, led the cooking team with Timothy Ford Murphy, star of the play, now running in Chicago. Aprons were given away by the retailer to lucky audience members. A daily drawing awarded one microwave and a set of cookware to other lucky consumers who stopped by the Cooking Corner and registered.
Besides Dominick's, a variety of booths offered food and beverages from Chicago's most popular restaurants.
