Cermak Road restaurants gear up for Berwyn's Taste of Main Street

BERWYN – It's not often you can enjoy menu samplings from 10 restaurants in one night. But on July 28, Berwyn residents can taste a little bit of everything from several restaurants along Cermak Road as part of Berwyn's Taste of Main Street.

This is the fifth annual Taste of Main Street event, and it has continued to grow every year. It works by purchasing a pass for $15, which is available online or the night of the event. The pass allows guests to stop by each of the participating restaurants and sample the special dish that each is offering. The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m.

For the 21 and older crowd, several bars along Cermak will be offering drink specials. The after-party at Wagner’s Lounge will feature live music from Caliente Old School beginning at 9 p.m.

Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero is presenting the event. He said it’s important to recognize Cermak Road as a gateway to the community that has numerous restaurants for locals and visitors to frequent.

“This event supports the local restaurants and allows patrons to sample and experience a variety of foods within a multitude of venues,” Lovero said. “This brings together residents, visitors and the business community to be able to savor a sampling of Berwyn’s cuisine.”

Gerardo Zavala, business outreach coordinator for the Berwyn Development Corporation, said the event has been very popular, and many people look forward to it each year. The first year saw only about 100 people, but it grew to about 350 last year, he said. He’s expecting even more this year.

“There’s a synergy on the road when people are walking from restaurant to restaurant. It looks vibrant,” he said.

New this year is a trolley guests can take, which is included in the pass. Guests only have to stop at the restaurants they’d like to sample. The event is a way for the restaurants to gain new customers, who might not have known about them before.

“It gets people to Cermak to check out the businesses,” Zavala said. “This adds to their exposure, so any additional marketing is a benefit to the restaurants. This event is different than others because we don’t have food booths. It’s all about walking, and it’s very neighborly.”

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Know more

To learn more or buy passes, visit berwyn.net.

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Participating restaurants

• Anthony's Pizza Place – thin crust sausage and pepperoni pizza squares
• Big Hurt Brewhouse – assortment of smoked wings and lollipop meatballs
• La Lupita Restaurant – pozole blanco
• La Michoacana Premium – scoop of ice cream (choose from more than 60 flavors)
• La Quinta de los Reyes – guisado de puerco en salsa verde
• Masa Uno, Inc. Tortilleria – freshly made corn chips with guacamole and pico de gallo, chicken taquitos
• Old Fashioned Candies – sampler bags of freshly made chocolates
• Pulqueria Chicago – patatas bravas and tacos alambre
• Vesecky's Bakery – assorted pastries and kolacky
• Waldo Cooney's Pizza – thin crust sausage and pepperoni pizza squares