CINCINNATI — The judges have spoken and the tastiest menu options available at this year's Taste of Cincinnati have been crowned.
Best of Taste judges met on May 3 at Findlay Kitchen to sample dishes from entrants and those participating in Taste of Findlay Market; food truck participants were sampled the next day.
Best of Taste 2023 winners:
Best sides:
- Gold: Kabobske — Walking gyro
- Silver: Pompilio's Restaurant — Caprese salad
- Bronze: Just Q'in BBQ — Brisket Mac
Best appetizer:
- Gold: Ché — Short Rib Empanada
- Silver: Kabobske — Buffalo Hummus with Pita chips
- Bronze: Pompilio's Restaurant — Grippo's-flavored Risotto Balls
Best entree:
- Gold: Alfio's Buon Cibo — Braised Short Rib Creamy Truffle Gnocchi
- Silver: Chino's Street Food — Vietnamese Street Tacos
- Bronze: Just Q'in BBQ — Pastrami
Best dessert:
- Gold: Sweets & Meats BBQ — Bourbon Bread Pudding
- Silver: Pompilio's Restaurant — Kentucky Honey Bourbon and Chocolate Cannoli
- Bronze: The Cheesecakery — Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake cupcake
Pompilio's Restaurant pulled the most wins overall, scoring one recognition for each category this year. It's the second time in a row Alfio's Buon Cibo has taken home the award for best entree, though last year's dish was a different menu item. Both Kabobske and Just Q'in BBQ took home two awards each.
Food Truck Best of Taste 2023 winners:
Best side:
- Gold: MamaBear’s Mac — New England Lobster Mac & Cheese
- Silver: Dine-In Hawaiian — Crab Bake Dip
- Bronze: Adena’s Beefstroll — Ma’s Meatballs
Best appetizer:
- Gold: MamaBear’s Mac — Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese
- Silver: Dine-In Hawaiian — Fried Musubi
- Bronze: Wicked Hickory — Smoked Chicken Nachos
Best entree:
- Gold: Wicked Hickory — Smoked Lamb Taco
- Silver: Quite Frankly LLC — Pumba
- Bronze: Twisted Greek — Greek Wrap Supreme
Best dessert:
- Gold: Maw Maw’s Creole Kitchen — Caramel Beignet
- Silver: SugarSnap! — Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae
- Bronze: House Cafe & Catering — Espresso Dark Chocolate Brownie with Cookie Butter Cheesecake, Salted Caramel and Pistachio
Both MamaBear's Mac, Dine-In Hawaiian and Wicked Hickory all took home two different awards in different categories. MamaBear's Mac won two gold awards, while Dine-In Hawaiian won two silvers.
Best of Taste of Findlay Market 2023 winners:
Best side:
- Winner: Southern Grace Eats — Baked Mac & Cheese
Best appetizer:
- Winner: Southern Grace Eats — Grippo Wings with Ranch Dipping Sauce
Best entree:
- Winner: Dats Ole School Cookin — Spicy Catfish Nuggets
Best dessert:
- Winner: BanaSun Smoothie Bar — Acai Bowl
Taste of Cincinnati will be held, as usual, over Memorial Day weekend, taking over Fifth Street from May 27 through May 29.
The event will boast a grand total of 77 different food vendors this year — the largest selection since the event began in 1979, organizers announced on Tuesday.
The long list of food options that will appear at this year's Taste of Cincinnati include 59 different restaurants and 23 different food trucks; in all, organizers said there will be more than 300 menu items for Cincinnati foodies to choose from.
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