From left, Lansing residents Sonya Lang, Joy Lang, and Alvin Holloway, laugh after running into each other at the Taste of Downtown on July 20, 2013, on S. Washington Square in downtown Lansing. Holloway, a co-worker of Sonya Lang, was an old acquaintance and surprised his two friends. Danyelle Morrow/The State News
As Lansing resident Sonya Lang indulged in the sweet and savory treats of local eateries and listened to upbeat melodious live bands, she couldn’t help but compare Saturday night’s Taste of Downtown excitement to a lively street in Memphis, Tenn.
“I turned to my sisters and said, ‘This reminds me of Beale Street,’ but it’s exciting because it’s in Lansing,” Lang said.
“You get to enjoy the people, the taste of the food, enjoy entertainment and just being out and in Lansing … I love it.”
Cathleen Edgerly, communications and marketing manager of Downtown Lansing Inc., said the idea for the “feel-good summer event” came after brainstorming ideas to further the revitalization of downtown Lansing.
“We came up with this idea to really feature our downtown businesses because there are over 40 restaurants. So why not have a food-tasting event, coupled with wine tasting and live music?”
Edgerly said. “It reintroduces people to downtown if they haven’t been here for a while, or, if they’re new, it really gives them a chance to get the flavor of what downtown Lansing has to offer.”
Edgerly said the goal of the event was to ensure that it offered something for everyone.
“It was a really different mix this year, which was great,” Edgerly said. “We had things from sliders to ribs to fancier chilled soups, Jimmy Johns sandwiches … sushi, Mediterranean cuisine from Aladdin’s. Juice Nation is always a hit with their frozen custard and smoothies, and Edmund’s is great with finishing out the night … with apple pie sundaes.”
Roaming into the food lineup this year were two new Lansing restaurants: P Squared Wine Bar and Bistro and Wandering Waffles.
Uniquely satisfying taste buds, Wandering Waffles owner Samantha Wilbur offered an unconventional take on waffles with her burrito shooters, which combined a black bean mix, green peppers, pico de gallo, queso fresco, hot sauce and a waffle chip.
“This is all the guts of our burrito-style waffle that you can get at the store,” Wilbur said. “We sold a ridiculous amount of them after International Waffle Week.”
The music for the night included upbeat Caribbean steel drums, brassy blues and classic rock covers.
Jim Pontack, vocalist of variety cover band Squids, and his band of Lansing firefighters aimed to make patrons dance the night away.
“Our main objective was to get people out on the dance floor and have a good time,” Pontack said. “It was wonderful here in Lansing; it was beautiful weather — how could you ask
for more?”
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