Thousands crowd Common taste-fest

From curry to crab cakes, barbecue to beer, tiramisu to tuna, Boston residents had their choice of cuisine at the 19th annual Taste of Boston on the Boston Common on Saturday.

The festival, which featured foods from more than 50 Boston area restaurants, drew a crowd of approximately 60,000, according to event organizers, and served dually as a charity fundraiser and massive advertisement for the eateries.

“I think it’s an excellent event, and I hope it generates business for the restaurants,” said Paula O’Brien of Randolf, who said she frequently eats out in Boston and wanted to sample the foods of different restaurants.

Ciaran Dunne, general manager of the Orleans Bar Lounge and Restaurant and Devlins Bar and Restaurant, agreed the exposure was important in order to showcase the “potential that Massachusetts has in the culinary industry.” He suggested the event be held every year and said next year, he would rent a stall twice as big.

Dunne’s restaurants ran out of food two hours before they had anticipated. Many restaurants, because the crowds were larger than expected, experienced similar shortages.

Maggiano’s Little Italy, which has participated in the Taste of Boston for three years, brought enough tiramisu to feed 2,000 people and ran out by 2 p.m. However, Maggiano’s manager Keith Zust felt the day was a success.

“It’s a great chance for us to touch thousands of people,” Zust said, noting the event was much larger than last year. He also stressed the importance of the greater Boston Food Bank, the organization that would collect a portion of the proceeds.

The Food Bank, which runs 850 feeding programs in eastern Massachusetts, is splitting the money with the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund, according to Food Bank spokeswoman Adrienne Frank.

Each booth required an average of two to three tickets per sample; tickets cost $1. For every $10 collected, five needy people would get nutritious meals, she said, adding the sheer volume of the crowds ensured meals for many people.

“It’s been amazing,” said Saverio Mancina, communications director for the event. According to Mancina, the crowds began at 11 a.m., when the booths opened. “The event has a great reputation in town. People look forward to it,” he said.

However, the long lines were frustrating to many who arrived later in the day.

“The lines are way too long,” complained Joseph Strange, who took a train into Boston from the South Shore in order to attend the event. “There’s a one-hour wait to get a little plate of food,” he said, suggesting more booths and more lines.

Eric Miller, of Brookline, decided which booths to sample based on the length of the lines. However, after sailing through several stalls, he decided to wait for a B.B. Wolf’s barbecued sandwich.

“I paid three bucks for that big sandwich,” Miller said, impressed by the quality of the sample he received. “It was a long wait, but it was worth it.”

Musical acts such as Gloria Gaynor also performed at the event and “celebrity” Boston chefs gave demonstrations on how to make some of the fancy dishes their restaurants are known for.

After Tony Ambrose, chef of Ambrosia on Huntington Avenue, showed a crowd how to prepare sushi from a 215-pound Atlantic blue fin tuna, he allowed the audience to sample the dish.

“I came to support the restaurants of Boston,” he said following his demonstration. “Watching the city grow from the arts to the culinary — it’s been extraordinary.”