The mouthwatering menu at Connoisseurs’ Marketplace will have something for everyone, from crab cakes to calamari, bratwust to baklava. International favorites, as well as plenty of hearty American classics, will be offered by a dozen food purveyors during Menlo Park’s popular gourmet extravaganza, July 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Santa Cruz Avenue.
New this year, festivalgoers can choose from a stellar selection of fine wines chosen by Beltramo’s, a longtime Menlo Park wine merchant that specializes in small estate wine from around the world. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Belltramo’s, a family-owned business that has been a big part of Menlo Park for more than 50 years,” said festival co-chair Rick Ciardella. “Festivalgoers will have an opportunity to taste and discover award-winning wines from around the globe including super-premium varietals, something new this year. Beltramo’s expertise and support will take our festival wine tasting to a whole new level and be a perfect complement to our food offerings.”
Ready for a bite? Delicious Cajun-style seafood is the star at New Orleans Catering, which offers blackened shrimp with rice, the spicy Cajun stew called crawfish étoufée, and the Creole specialties chicken-sausage jambalaya and seafood gumbo.
Main Street Food Concessions will have handmade pupusas, a national dish of El Salvador consisting of a corn masa flour pocket stuffed with cheese and green onions. They come with a traditional tangy cole slaw and mild pico de gallo salsa. The Main Street booth will also have crisp-fried catfish and Caesar salad with chicken grilled to order.
“B” Food International will put together two other versions of stuffed pocket meals. Their Middle Eastern falafel sandwiches are made with a blend of garbanzo beans and parsley formed into balls and deep-fried, then tucked into pita bread and drizzled with a cooling sesame seed tahini sauce. The Greek gyro sandwich is a pita stuffed with spit-roasted minced lamb, cooked onions and a cucumber-yogurt sauce. “B” Food’s smaller bites will include dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with rice) and baklava (the honey-sweetened dessert made with layers of phyllo dough and walnuts).
For some folks, if there’s a street fair in town they just have to chow down on a hot dog. There’ll be no shortage of them at this festival, with both the Menlo Park Host Lions and the Kiwanis Club grilling all-beef ballpark dogs alongside the traditional Polish version made with smoked pork. If you prefer your hot dog cooked up crispy in cornmeal batter, check out the piping hot corndogs at Aroma Catering, where you will also find sandwiches filled with either tender tri-tip or juicy portobello mushrooms. Aroma has seafood items as well, including succulent fried calamari with cilantro-lime sauce, irresistible barbecued oysters and delicate crab cakes.
Asian flavors will be the theme at California Barbecue, with its soy sauce–garlic chicken and pork kabobs and teriyaki chicken rice bowl. The Asian selections will continue at Sonoma Teriyaki, featuring teriyaki chicken on a stick, a ginger chicken bowl, fried rice and the Chinese-American invention chow mein — a stir-fry of chicken, vegetables, bean sprouts and water chestnuts over crisp noodles.
Everybody’s favorite on-the-go snack is kettle korn, cooked up in a giant kettle to sweet-salty perfection by Suitcase Ron. If that doesn’t make you thirsty, the warm July weather will. Barrett’s will come to the rescue with fresh-squeezed lemonade, while Dell’s of California will cool you off even more with soft frozen lemonade. For a sweet finale, there’s Kurlander Soft Serve’s vanilla or chocolate frozen yogurt with flavor burst toppings of mocha java, creamsicle or mint.
The Margarita King –– The World’s Best Margarita –– offers festivalgoers another refreshing beverage alternative. Margaritas will come in many variations: there’s the “King Cocktail” (basic margarita), the “Miami Vice” (margarita with a splash of pineapple juice), and the “Girlfriend” (margarita with a splash of pomegranate juice). Beer lovers will be delighted with the assortment of tasty brews –– Sam Adams Summer Ale, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Peroni, and Miller Lite.
Sip your favorite beverage in a beautiful wine or beer glass adorned with the stylish festival logo. Spacious seating areas with umbrella tables and chairs will be located throughout the festival route.
