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Taste of Chicago 2008: Potato chips are healthy eating (?)
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Lofty goals for the once-a-year feeding frenzy
I think it's fair to say that although consuming a handful of fried potatoes is not as unhealthy for you as, say, eating an entire chocolate cake, the health benefits of either are still seriously lacking. Yet this year at the Taste of Chicago, items such as potato chips and french fries are being touted as "health food." Hmmm.
In an effort to implement a "healthy choice" initiative at this year's Taste, Mayor Daley's office asked that every booth provide at least one good-for-you item on its menu. The idea was to get the festival in-line with Chicago's current ranking as one of America's Greenest Cities not only by recycling used cooking oil into bio-diesel fuel and encouraging shared/public transportation, but also by supporting healthy eating habits.
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mmm...grease. / photo by Chris Seelus
However, with countless pizza vendors, italian beef vendors and long-time participants such as "cheezeborger" creators Billy Goat Inn, amending such menus to fit within the guidelines is lending a whole new meaning to the term "health food." Megan McDonald, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, said during the Taste press preview, "if you fry a vegetable, it’s still a vegetable," which explains how booths can still meet the initiative requirement, even if everything on their menu has been doused in lard. Perhaps the term "nutritional" instead of the purely subjective "healthy" would have set a better, more consistent standard?
On the other hand, there are plenty of restaurants that did add some delicious-looking, healthy items to their menus while still staying true to their type of cuisine:
| Restaurant/Vendor | Healthy Dish(es) |
| Lou Malnati's Pizzaria (#32) | Bruschetta and Chopped Salad |
| Vermillion (Latin American-#10) | Chipotle Madras Curry Turkey Burger |
| Father & Son Pizzeria (#37) | Spinach and Basil Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust |
| A Natural Harvest (#60) | Organic BBQ Tofu Skewers |
| Tiparos Thai Cuisine (#55) | Grilled Chicken Satay |
| Polo Cafe & Catering (#36) | Skewered Shark Veracruz |
And although I commend these establishments for making a serious effort to feed their patrons quality, "healthy" dishes, part of me thinks it's silly to impose such rules on what amounts to a giant festival centered around eating a bunch of food anyway.
More Tuesday: Vegetarian (and Vegan!) options at the Taste and a Dessert Preview
- Visit the Taste of Chicago site
- Note: Admission is free, but all food/beverages are purchased with tickets. No items cost more than 10 tickets, and "taste" portions are between 1-4 tickets.
- Cost: $8 for 12 tickets, save $2 per strip (up to four strips) if you buy your tickets in advance at Dominick's
- Where: Grant Park in Downtown Chicago
- When: June 27th-July 6th; Festival opens daily at 11am and closes at 9pm
- Use the Taste's interactive map to find your favorite booths
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