Polly Campbell

pcampbell@enquirer.com

The organizers of Taste of Cincinnati are keeping things fresh at the food festival that kicks off Cincinnati's summer. The lineup of vendors this year will include seven restaurants new to the festival, as well as six new food trucks. The Taste Experience will be back, where smaller and fine-dining restaurants offer tastes in three-hour shifts. In all, 265 different menu items will be available for the 500,000 or so attendees expected.

A team of undercover volunteers have been visiting restaurants to determine The Best of Taste. That list will be announced on April 25.

Taste of Cincinnati is held Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30 on Fifth Street Downtown.

New restaurants are:

Buona Terra, the gelato restaurant in Mount Lookout.

Cazadores, a Mexican restaurant in Blue Ash.

Crave, the American/sushi restaurant at The Banks.

Cuban Pete Sandwiches, the Cuban sandwich place that started as a food truck and now has a restaurant on Court Street.

Delicio, the coal-fired pizza restaurant in Montgomery.

Forno Osteria and Bar, Cristian Pietoso's pizza restaurant in Hyde Park.

Skyline Chili, which needs no introduction.

They will join returnees Alfio's Buon Cibo, Andy's Mediterranean Grille, Bella Luna, Budina Noodle and Rice, Busken Bakery, Chicago Gyros, Eddie's Southern Style BBQ, Eli's BBQ, Habanero Latin American, Izzy's, J Gumbo's, Keystone Bar and Grill, LaRosa's, Le's Pho and Sandwiches, Market Street Grill, McCormick and Schmick's, Mecklenburg Gardens, Moerlein Lager House, Oasis Grill, Palomino, Pompilios Restaurant, Ramundo Family Sausage Co., Silver Ladle, Thai Taste, The Melting Pot, Tom + Chee, Washington Platform and Wertheim's.

There will also be new participants in the West Sixth Food Truck Alley, some of which are brand-new trucks.

Adena's Beefstroll, featuring Chicago-style Italian beef.

Alabama Fish Bar, the OTR classic.

Best Thing Smokin barbecue.

Just Jerks, with Jamaican jerk dishes from Ena's Jerkmania.

Roll with It Cafe, with fried green tomatoes and other fare.

Urban Vistro, from Vitor Abreu, upscale food from former owner of Vitor's.

Coming back: Bistro de Mohr, Catch-a-Fire Pizza, C'est Cheese, Empanadas Aqui, Marty's Waffles, Red Sesame, streetpops, SugarSnap! and Texas Joe.