Eastie resident will be putting aside those post holiday and carb conscience diets Thursday night because in this neighborhood the annual Taste of Eastie is a local culinary tradition that brings the neighborhood and old friends together through food.
The event’s success has long been attributed to its perfect blend of community, camaraderie and cuisine–and this year will be no exception.
Every year the event’s organizer, East Boston Main Street’s (EBMS) captures the experience of bringing friends and family together to enjoy great food, each other’s company and celebrate the community–because in Eastie, dinner is as much about spending time with friends and family as it is about the food.
Twenty-five restaurants will make up this year’s food spectacular at the Logan Airport Hilton at 6 p.m.—a few that are new to the Eastie restaurant scene and a few that are old favorites that have recently extended their menus.
Last year, over 400 Eastie residents and residents from neighboring communities reached into their pockets and gave something back to Eastie by supporting this longstanding fundraiser to support EBMS. The event raised nearly $20,000 to fund EBMS’s community improvement projects.
Restaurants from Eastie and some from surrounding communities will also pitch in to help EBMS pull of another successful Taste of Eastie and at the same time showcase their cooking talents–all of which will be sampled by some Eastie’s well-known elected officials–many of whom consider themselves self-professed food aficionados.
“More than a culinary showcase, a Taste of Eastie is a community gathering that celebrates East Boston’s diversity, pageantry and love of friends and family,” said City Councilor Sal LaMattina. “The event is successful not only because it highlights East Boston’s exemplary cuisine, but because it brings people together; young and old, students and professionals, businesses and civic groups. The community really rallies around this event.”