Taste of Lewiston at Culinary Arts Festival

by Joshua Maloni
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, June 17, 2006

For one day, almost 50 restaurateurs will line Center Street in Lewiston tempting passers-by with an assortment of pizza, ribs, pastries and deep fried fare in a carnival-like setting.

Guilty pleasure?

Please.

There is perhaps no food less guilty than that acquired at the Lewiston Culinary Arts Festival (Sunday, June 25, noon to 8 p.m.). After all, it’s cheap; it supports local merchants; and it’s prepared by gourmet chefs.

For between 50 cents and $5 per sample, tasters can sample an assortment of treats from vendors including Apple Granny, The Brickyard, Brio, Carmelo’s, Casa Antica, Clark’s, The Clarkson House, Destino’s, Filippo's, JJ's Cabin, Kaz Bar, Main Street Gas and Grill, The Silo Restaurant, The Steelhead, Tin Pan Alley, The Village Bake Shoppe and Water Street Landing.

“Lewiston is famous for its eateries,” said Irene Rykaszewski, executive director of the Lewiston Council on the Arts, the organization responsible for the event. “It has a strong reputation.”

The Culinary Arts Festival also features a beer garden, wine tasting and cooking demonstrations and discussions.

Of course, should you feel at all bogged down by all of the deliciousness nestled in your stomach, the Culinary Arts Festival also offers a wide assortment of live entertainment – opportunities to sing and dance away the calories. Performances will be courtesy of the Tlacopan Mexican Dancers, Buffalo Belly Dance, New York Klezmer Orchestra and Toast and Jam featuring Dale Campbell – to name a few.

“The entertainment, I almost want to say it’s spectacular,” said Eva Nicklas, LCA artistic director. “This sort of entertainment …”

“Is unique,” Rykaszewski said.

“It doesn’t happen in Lewiston unless we do it,” Nicklas said.

Also unique is the boom in business restaurants experience in the weeks following the festival. Since local merchants benefit – not to mention the LCA, which sponsors free concerts throughout the summer – Nicklas and Rykaszewski hope to see a healthy-size crowd

“It’s not just another food fair,” Rykaszewski said.

For more information, visit www.artcouncil.org.