Map with restaurants and shuttle route — (Taste Trenton website via Open Street Map)

The Chambersburg neighborhood of Trenton was renown for its historic Italian restaurants, and while the cuisine may have changed, the Trenton Council of Civic Associations (TCCA) would like locals to know that “the burg” is still a major food destination. They hope to showcase these new hot spots on Saturday May 16th from 11:00am-8pm with a restaurant crawl that will “rebrand the public image of the ‘burg.”

I asked TCCA president, Brian Viehland, some questions about the event:

1) What can a visitor expect upon arrival?

Free parking at the starting point’s lot (about 100 cars), then free overflow parking at the county lot on S Broad. . . the city will provide a shuttle. We’ll have a table set up for ticket sales and will-call pickup. Each participant will get their wristband and a book showing the restaurants’ special event menus and a map showing where they are. People will be free to do self-guided tours through the ‘burgh from 11–8. Each restaurant will sell you as many of the sample items as you care to partake of.

2) What is something that a participant might NOT expect on the crawl?

Authentic hand-made tortillas, a tongue taco at one location, oxtail at another, along with much more familiar fare. And for those over 21, an after-event pub crawl too (featuring 7 bars)! And it’s fireworks night at the Trenton Thunder game! * Weather permitting

3) Did you intentionally plan this the week before the Pork Roll Festivals? Seems to make May a great month for Trenton.

We picked the weekend because we hoped it would not be too hot, it wouldn’t be Mother’s Day weekend (restaurants are always booked then), and it didn’t conflict with any other major city events that we knew about.

4) Newark and Camden have supper clubs to support local restaurants, could the crawl be the beginning of something similar?

Our neighborhood civic association does monthly social events and in the winter months, those are (the) supper clubs that visit local restaurants. I’d love to see that happen on a more frequent and larger scale. We hope this event will introduce many of these venues to residents as well as visitors. Also, I’d like to see the success of this event spur the creation of a restaurant association that could help the small venues work together on future events, or share resources, or whatnot.

5) Are tickets still available?

Tickets can be purchased online at tastetrenton.com/tickets via Paypal or the day of the event. $10/adult, kids 12 and under free (with an adult), and all Police, Fire, and EMS in uniform are free.

6) Anything you’d like to add?

By visiting at least 8 of the locations, you get to vote for “Best of Taste Trenton.” The winner of that distinction will receive recognition, a plaque, and bragging rights for the year. Those voting will be put into a drawing for one of (4) $25 Gift Certificates good at any of the venues that are part of Taste Trenton.