Taste Of Clarence
10405 Main St., Clarence NY 14031
Web: Taste Of Clarence
Phone: 716.631.3888
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American Clarence Festivals

Thanks to what's quite possibly the weakest Internet presence of any of Western New York's Taste events - a very limited web page with no list of restaurants - we had virtually no idea what we'd actually be tasting at the Taste of Clarence this year. But we did expect a classic car cruise, based on the fact that there far were more photos of cars than restaurant booths floating around the web from prior Clarence events. Thus, we arrived expecting to find something similar to the Taste of Lancaster, but were quickly surprised: the Taste of Clarence actually draws quite a few very good local restaurants with plenty of interesting, though largely American choices. Food and drink items are served for cash rather than tickets, with a modest element of confusion in that tickets are being sold here, too, used only for contest purposes. From the list of 17 exhibiting restaurants, here's what was interesting for foodies:

The Old Red Mill Inn. Our very first stop at the Taste led to one of the very best items we sampled there, a rich, tangy BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich ($4), thick with red sauce and tender pork that looked to have been yanked straight out of a saucy container. Less impressive was a Prime Rib Sandwich ($4), the meat from which was pulled from a chafing dish full of water and tasted pretty bland.

Protocol Restaurant. The single best item we had at the Taste of Clarence belonged to Protocol, which was serving inexpensive cubes of Flourless Chocolate Cake that were generously slathered with Raspberry Chocolate Sauce ($2). While the cake would have been good enough in and of itself, the thick chocolate sauce with light raspberry flavor was good enough to clean off the plate. We weren't as impressed by Protocol's plain-flavored, blandly cooked BBQ Chicken Wings ($3), but we'd pay a visit just for the cake.

Hirsch's Restaurant. Our second visit to a Hirsch's booth - last was at the Taste of Williamsville last year - brought a similar experience with the supposed star attraction, a bacon and cheese-topped hamburger ($3) that was still being touted as a News award winner. Again, it wasn't anything special, with a plain little bun and toppings that tasted like they'd been put on 10 minutes earlier, but we really liked Hirsch's ribs ($3), which were being barbecued and dipped fresh on site. They were served hot with a really nice barbecue sauce, and one of us actually ate them all without sharing. A square of Key Lime Pie ($2) had a nice graham cracker crust but a weak lime filling.

Asa Ransom House. Offered with a choice of spinach-infused or sundried tomato wrap on the outside, Asa's Hickory Smoked Turkey Wrap ($3) was a cold, decent wrap that neither of us especially liked. On a positive note, a given bite was as likely to pull out a slice of pepper or other vegetables as some of the sliced turkey inside.

Phil's Char Pit. While the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($3) we tried from Phil's had an overly sweet sauce with limited depth - neither of us liked it much - the thick Italian Sausages ($5) served here looked great.

Other vendors at the Taste of Clarence included Sweet Melody's (gelato), Orazio's (Steak and Dandelion Sandwich, Pasta Con Vodka), Falletta's (Pasta, Stuffed Hot Banana Peppers, Shortcake, Cannolis, Chocolate Cupcakes), the Fire Side Inn (Lobster Bisque Soup, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Stuffed Hot Pepper, Bruschetta with Baguette), Clarence Country Donuts (pre-made, pre-packaged cookies and pastries, including pastry hearts), Gianni Mazia's, Berrafato's (the restauranteur behind Old Man River and Prima Pizza & Pasta), Clarence Wine and Spirits, Bill Gray's (serving Abbott's Custard, Sundaes), Ruzzine's Rock Bottom (Seafood Bisque, QT to Go, Banana Pepper, Beef on Weck), and Brennan's Bowery Bar.

As frequent Taste visitors, there were two things that surprised us here. First was the atmosphere in the covered area devoted to restaurant booths: it was an absolute zoo inside, with lines of hungry people clogging the way for others to walk around, and we saw everyone from young mothers to some of the many older patrons struggling to find their way to booths, read menus, and get their food out. We actually left hungry - something we never do - rather than fight our way through the crowds a fifth or sixth time. A different way of organizing restaurants and lines seems like a necessity.

Second was the variety of classic cars that were on display. These cars were an obvious draw for the event, spread out across roughly two acres of Clarence Town Park ground - far more than you'd see at a Pautler's cruise, and resembling a Hot Wheels car collection of years past. Despite the relative lack of online promotion, these cars and the promise of food had helped to attract way more people than we'd expected.

Assuming that the 2010 event is like this year's, and that its web presence is as limited, a few things are worth noting. First, though it's billed as being at the Clarence Town Park, the Taste of Clarence takes place at the Main Street Clarence Town Park rather than one of the others. Parking was free, and a grassy impromptu lot was packed with cars - though not full - by the time we arrived at 5:30. The event runs from 4:00pm to 9:00pm; this year included a musical performance by local Blues Brothers impersonators. If you love classic cars, bring a camera: we saw everything from Pontiacs to Porsches, Deloreans and Fords on display. Show up early, and be sure to bring your appetite and some cash.