It’s the time of year you guys. Taste of Buffalo 2014 is taking over Downtown Buffalo this weekend, bringing hundreds of thousands of WNY residents and tourists into the city to sample food from over 60 different vendors. We will be judging the festival for the fourth straight year and I will be judging the Grill Master Competition between Tom Przybylak and Scotty Harris at the Culinary Stage on Saturday at 5pm (So come by!).

As was the case in previous years, the menu items are priced between $1 – $4 and each vendor is required to offer a healthy choice. The entire menu has been released and if you are planning on visiting the festival, I suggest making a game plan. Print out the menu and try to figure out how much cash you’ll need, what places you really want to try first and plan the most efficient way to get to each tent. It can get pretty crowded and hot, so we have found it’s best to get there early or later in the evening when it cools down a bit and the crowds thin out. We suggest trying places that are normally difficult to visit (due to price, geography, etc), seeking out locally owned restaurants and branching out and trying some new cuisines. Avoid pizza and whatever the hell Applebees is selling. You can eat that food whenever you want, use the Taste of Buffalo as an opportunity to discover something new.

If you are a Taste of Buffalo regular, here’s some new vendors to get excited for:

For the third straight year, food trucks will also take part in the fun. This year you’ll be able to grab some food from Lloyd Taco Trucks, Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs and R&R BBQ Truck. Our friends at Spooky Business will be DJing the event, which should be awesome. You’ll find free samples of Nutella along the route and there will be 10 William Mattar Shade Zone tents located throughout the festival with large bistro tables where you can enjoy some shade and your food.

There’s plenty of fun new stuff to get excited for at this year’s festival so download the menu, plan your attack and have fun. Also, make sure you come see me judge at the Culinary Stage (next to New Era) at 5pm.