The village of East Syracuse celebrated its 10th annual Taste of East Syracuse last week by showcasing local eateries and providing a night of family-fun activities.
The event was held from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, outside of the municipal office on the intersection of W. Ellis Street and N. Center Street.
“We would do concerts in the park and, 10 years ago, we decided we should do a little more for the village,” said East Syracuse Parks and Recreation Director Tom Richardson on the creation of the event. “It’s a community effort where we try to get everyone in the community involved.”
Seven restaurants and community organizations were present to serve food for the event, including Twin Trees, Yum Yum’s, Tony’s Family Restaurant, the ESM Marching Band, Scott’s Scoops and Conella’s BBQ.
The big event for the night, according to Richardson, was the fourth annual cook-off between Mayor Robert Tackman and Jeff Fresina, a Wegman’s chef. Tackman has held the title for the past two years and, before him, former Mayor Dan Liedka held the title in the first annual cook-off.
A group of 18 local celebrity judges, including DeWitt Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko, County Comptroller Bob Antonacci, ESM school district Supervisor Donna DeSiato and notable village residents Gina Palladino and Joan Tolhurst, among many others, got the chance to taste the dishes each competitor cooked up.
Tackman served up a dish of honey glazed pork chops, grilled sweet potatoes and a carrot and raisin cole slaw with the help of his sous chef, his twin brother.
Fresnia made a grilled chicken and pineapple sandwich, with sides of sweet potatoes slices and a chipotle corn salad.
“It was a lot of fun and it’s great to see everyone come out. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses, it’s just a great way to get out in the community,” said Tackman after the announcement he had won with a landslide vote of 15 to 3.
In addition to the cook-off, many other community organizations were present to speak more about the work they do. The DeWitt Police Department was on hand to provide children’s IDs. Helping Hands Dog Rescue hosted a “Hoops for Hounds” challenge to raise money for the adoptable dogs.
The Noisy Boys were the entertainment for the night, providing covers of songs all ages could enjoy, and band member Chris Krupa lent both his musical and public speaking talents to be the emcee of the event.
Children could enjoy a “fun zone” with a dunk tank, bounce house, pony rides and other games and crafts.
“They [the community] all love it and it keeps getting bigger every year,” said Richardson. “It brings everybody together in the community. There something for everybody — good food, good music, games. It’s a great family event.”
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
