More than 50 Somerville restaurants will take part in the Chamber of Commerceโs 27th annual Taste of Somerville next week, with proceeds from the food festival going to the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
The Taste of Somerville was established in 1990 by then-mayor Michael Capuano and his wife Barbara as part of HomeFirst Charitable, an initiative they created to support a range of local causes. Since then, the festival has raised about $1 million for Somerville nonprofits.
After a hiatus in 2024 due to a transition of staff, Taste of Somerville is back with more than 50 local food and beverage vendors offering attendees tastes and sips. (A Taste of Cambridge events follows June 24.)
โWe donโt want just the big restaurants, and we donโt want just the small ones,โ said Wendy Dalwin, executive director of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce. โWe always invite back previous attendees, but we also go out and do a lot of walking around neighborhoods and stopping by restaurants, because we always want to find whatโs new and next.โ
New attendees this year include Puritan & Co., When Pigs Fly, Cocolee, Tasty Mo:Mo and Lotus Xpress. The full list includes Five Horses Tavern, Foundry on Elm, Premiere on Broadway, Saloon, Shake Shack, Portico Brewing, The Smoke House BBQ, Tony Cโs, Veraโs, Juliet, American Flatbread, Los Amigos Taqueria, Remnant Brewing, The Burren, Elm Street Taproom, Mamalehโs Delicatessen, Cafe Saint Germain, Ball Square Fine Wines, The Independent, Mama Ginaโs Pizzeria, Life Alive, Forge Baking Co. & Ice Cream Bar, Outback Steakhouse, Shankyโs Whip, Wild Child Chocolate, The Neighborhood Restaurant, Gufo, Himalayan Kitchen, Ebi Sushi, Josephine, Mimiโs Chลซka Diner, Fuki Japanese Cuisine, Jamieโs Ice Cream and more.
Tickets are on sale for the event, which will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at The Block at Boynton Yards, near Union Square at Zero Windsor Place. Proceeds will benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition, which provides support, services and housing to more than 7,400 people and households annually, as part of the tradition started by the Capuanos.
โThey provide an invaluable service to our city,โ Dalwin said. โHelping the homeless to get on their feet, providing personal support services for people and families, meals, housing, etc.: itโs everything. Weโre a community, and you canโt leave anyone behind.โ
Most recently, in 2023, proceeds from the event were directed to the Somerville Education Foundation (now the Somerville Foundation), which aims to expand learning opportunities for all residents, and past recipients include the Walnut Street Center, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the Somerville Community Agency Network, a coalition of 11 nonprofits.
The location changes from year to year. Taste of Somerville 2023 was held at Baxter Park at Assembly Row, and this year will be the first time itโs held in Union Square.
โWe always like to hold it in different locations, because obviously Somerville is not just one place,โ Dalwin said.
The festival generally sees between 900 and 1,200 attendees, and this yearโs event will feature live music and entertainment with local artisansโ work on display.
โWhat really makes this event special is it encompasses community in so many forms,โ Dalwin said. โRestaurants get to come out, members of our community get to come out and sample food, and we get to give a portion of the proceeds to a community charity. Itโs a great day that brings the community together for a great cause.โ
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