Taste of Somerville Food and Drink Fest Draws Sell-Out Crowd

The 16th annual Taste of Somerville food and drink festival kicked off on Wednesday, June 11 (originally scheduled for June 4 but postponed due to rain), with more than 40 food and drink vendors and a sold-out crowd. Check out a selection of the food offered, ranging from Highland Kitchen’s rabbit gumbo to Kirkland Tap and Trotter’s homemade hot dogs.

Pictured: Chef Keith Pooler and the crew from Bergamot roasted a pig during the festival. The restaurant offered two varieties of slow roasted pork tostadas, one with a red salsa and one with green.

James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Maws’s gastropub, The Kirkland Tap and Trotter, served homemade hot dogs in fresh pretzel buns with relish and mustard.

Mariachi band Mariachi Estampa de America played songs throughout the event in various locations.

Dan Rassi, right, of soon-to-open Somerville brewery, Aeronaut, offered samplings of two of their local brews: Sessionable American Pale Ale and Aeronaut Imperial Stout.

Pizzeria Posto brought their mobile pizza oven to the event and offered several pies, including a delectable Calabrese with pepperoni, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan.

A view of Posto’s mobile pizza oven and the restaurant’s staff.

Highland Kitchen dished out a delicious sampling of andouille, duck, and rabbit gumbo, stocked with okra.

The folks at Five Horses Tavern served up tacos, which they sell individually, in pairs, or in trios at their Davis Square restaurant.

Hungry and thirsty festival-goers stood in long lines to sample food and drinks.

Bronwyn staff members gave out samples of their house-made pretzels (dubbed Giant Haus Bretzel on their menu) with a spicy horseradish mustard and a mayo-based dipping sauce.

Taza Chocolate offered four types of chocolate, including a limited rum raisin bar and a trio of their Chocolate Mexicano Discs (super dark, cinnamon, and guajillo chili).

From left: Chef Patrick Gilmartin and managers Sean Farrell and Thea Engst of the soon-to-open River Bar & Kitchen at Assembly Row served a chorizo dumpling.

Jules Catering served a trio of goat cheese truffles covered in either pistachios, pecans, or sesame seeds, topped with a balsamic sauce. Samplers were then urged to chase the truffle with a chilled beet soup shooter.

Lyndell’s Bakery gave out a variety of cookies and slices of cake that went like hot cakes at the end of the event.