Eat, drink and throw axes at the first Taste Northwest — free admission

The first edition of The Taste Northwest, the food and drink festival replacing Taste of Tacoma, is a-go for Fourth of July weekend.

Head to the Washington State Fairgrounds July 1-3 for classic and contemporary festival food, multiple beer gardens, tequila tastings, live music and a roller rink, plus other family-friendly entertainment.

WHAT TO EAT AT TASTE NORTHWEST

Fans of the food at previous iterations in Tacoma will notice many familiar faces, including Duris Elephant Ears, Earthquake’s Biggest Burgers, Piggly’s BBQ (famous for its massive turkey legs) and, of course, Fisher Scones.

The lineup over the years evolved to feature other cuisines, too. According to Fair spokesperson Stacy Van Horne, return vendors partaking in The Taste Northwest will serve the likes of sushi burritos, Hawaiian poke, barbecued oysters, lobster fries and Korean cheese dogs from Puffle Up.

There also will be fried alligator, piroshky, falafel, gyros and tacos, plus Indonesian and Thai fare.

Local food trucks will likewise add variety. Look for Uncle Mike’s Filipino Comfort Food and Alaska N Dumplings; Vego Eatz, whose vegan Crunch Wrap has made a splash at other area events, including Wednesdays at Tollefson Plaza and the last Friday of every month at Tacoma’s Black Night Market; Seoul Bowl and Lizzie Lou’s Comfort Food, which you can normally only enjoy inside the Harley Davidson store in Fife.

To drink, order up some lemonade, iced coffee, fruit smoothies and Glow Tea — bubble tea served in a plastic vessel that looks just like a light bulb.

Guests of age can cool off with an alcoholic beverage of their choice — beer, cider, seltzer and Washington state wine — at several bars and outdoor beer gardens. Near the mainstage, added Van Horne, sample a selection of tequilas and mezcals.

Arrive early for a complimentary cardboard food tray to tote your feast, or ensure one with a Taste Package ($60-$85 online only through June 30, which includes food and beverage credit and activity tickets).

CHEF BATTLES AT TASTE NW

Grab a good vantage point for the chef cook-offs, modeled after the popular Food Network show, “Chopped.”

Participating chefs will be tasked with conjuring a dish in just 20 minutes using three mystery ingredients and “a small pantry of basic cooking staples.” In a fun twist, the judges will be selected from the audience.

Each battle runs about an hour. On Friday, there will be four, the first at 2 p.m. and the last at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the first one starts at 12:30 p.m. and the last at 6:30 p.m.

The stoves heat up first with Seattle pastry chef Brittany Bardeleben and Seattle Public Schools executive chef Emme Collins on Friday.

On Saturday, hot matchups include Angel Navarro of South Tacoma’s Pastelos finos del Angel, a gluten-free bakery, battling Blake Lord-Wittig, who recently departed his post as executive chef of Harmon and Spice Lab. They kick things off on Saturday, while personal chefs Hudson Slater (formerly of Asado) and Seattle’s David Boyd wrap it up from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, Aberdeen chef John Swetz takes on Hilltop’s Chantel Jackson at 5 p.m. The event concludes with Jan Parker, one of six chefs featured in TNT Diner’s “Stirring Things Up” series, and Rufino Cordero, formerly of Pacific Grill.

Thierry Rautureau, known in Seattle as “The Chef in the Hat” for his ubiquitous fedora, will host the competitions. A James Beard award winner, he operated Rover’s in Madison Valley from 1988 to 2013; last year, he closed his last two Seattle restaurants, Loulay and Luc, The Seattle Times reported. This spring, he revealed LouLou Market and Bar at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Terminal B.

KIRO’s Rachel Belle will join the chefs on-stage for color commentary, according to the website description.

WHAT ELSE TO DO AT TASTE NW

Stroll through the Grand Avenue Marketplace, “a unique collection of shops that will feature local merchants and artists with a focus on food and Northwest art,” said Van Horne.

At the ShowPlex, try your hand at axe-throwing in a safe, controlled environment, and roll down the Super Slide.

The Fair took over the brand that was Taste of Tacoma from Festivals Inc., which also ran Bite of Seattle for almost 40 years and Oktoberfest Northwest before folding in 2020. The Puyallup organization operated the beer-laden fall event in 2021. Issaquah-based Festivals Inc. went into receivership in October 2020, as The News Tribune reported at the time.

Taste Northwest will also showcase live music over all three days, featuring old fan-favorite Readymade Family as well as Pearl Jam tribute band Washed in Black, Harmonious Funk, Radio 80 and rock group Herding Cats.

THE TASTE NORTHWEST 2022

▪ Washington State Fairgrounds, 110 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup, thefair.com/the-taste-nw

▪ Friday-Sunday July 1-3, noon-9 p.m.

▪ Free admission, but paid packages include food and drink credits plus activity tickets (online only through June 30)

▪ Parking available in Fair lots, $12-$20 (included with package purchase)

This story was originally published June 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM.