A true taste of Bloomington's best food items

The "Taste of Bloomington," was a new experience to me, since I am not a Bloomington native. I had heard rumors and seen signs about "The Taste," but no one had ever explained to me what it was. \nOnce I had been filled in, I was very excited to be able to go and sample all of the town's specialities. However, the fact that I had to pay for each of these samples after paying the five-dollar entrance fee never occurred to me. I wasn't too worried about the cost though after learning that all of the proceeds were going to the Monroe County Community Kitchen and Hoosier Hills Food Bank.\nArriving late in the afternoon to beat some of the heat, my group decided that the best way to handle that much food would be to devise a plan of attack and establish a home base. The first stop was Bloomingfoods Market and Deli for the Mongolian barbecue tofu skewers, it was labeled as spicy, but how hot could tofu be? \nI was mistaken and this set my rule of the day: Pay attention to all ingredients and labels. Next was Tortilla Flat for a potato taco. This was one of the major benefits of the festival, being able to try foods I wouldn't normally order, in a only small portion. \nThere were stops for ice cream and smoothies at Da Vinci's Grill and IU Athletics Food Service. One of the most interesting foods I sampled was a veggie brat from The Royal Dog Grill & Pub. I did only try the vegetarian foods, but I was informed by the meat-eaters with me that the rest of the food was just as tasty. All of the food samples ranged in price from 50 cents to three dollars, even though I never spotted any of those for only 50 cents.\nAfter all of those samples, the best suggestion was to sit down and relax where the bands were playing. I was able to hear "The Floating Men" from Nashville and "Virginia Coalition" from Virginia. It was surprising and a little dissappointing that the bands weren't local, but I did enjoy them and the rest of the crowd seemed to as well. \nSitting on the steps was the best part of the experience. It really gave us a chance to observe all those in attendance and truly "people watch." What is great about Taste of Bloomington is that it attracts such a wide range of people. There were families eating on the grass, little kids playing in the fountain, seniors talking on the steps and teenagers and 20-somethings conversing with the bands. Everyone was having a good time regardless of their age or what type of person they were. \nThis really gave someone who isn't from Bloomington a good taste of it from all aspects, and I certainly hope that this Taste of Bloomington won't be my last.