Luminato's Pan American Festival

Luminato is just wrapping up today but I want to tell you about the little known part of the festival.  Last week at David Pecaut Square a few local vendors set up show for the Pan American Food Festival.  I attended late in the day on Sunday June 21st and although it was great for me to be able to get food from each vendor with no lineup I felt sad for the vendors that spent the day there and didn't have the crowd of people I am sure they hoped for.  There was so much going on in the city multiple road closures and runs and festivals around the city.  I think the Pan American Food event just got lost in the over abundance of things happening around town.  It's a shame because David Pecaut Square was set up beautifully with colored seating areas and the stage moved closer to Metro Hall and artificial grass added to what is normally a concrete area.  I truly with David Pecaut square was set up like that all summer so that people could enjoy it on their lunch hour or after work.   I think it would be great to have a permanent space like that.

Some of vendors you might know like President's choice who dished up one of my favourite things that I sampled with their charred corn salad and sliced beef.

Some of the vendors like Augie's Ice Pops don't have a retail location but set up shop at local festivals and farmer's markets.  I had their coconut pineapple pop.  A fitting cap to my Pan American samplings.

I also had some fabulous Yucca Poutine from Mata Petisco Bar.  I have had their breakfast poutine at their restaurant and it was similar to the Yucca poutine minus the egg.  It had pulled pork on top of the fried Yucca cubes and their own bbq sauce to put on top.  It was very filling for $5.  Most of the vendors items were $5 unless noted otherwise.

I also tried a tiacoyo from Santo Pecado which was a taco like product with blue corn tortilla and I had it with cactus and beef.  It was tasty but a bit messy. I never heard of this dish or tried it before.

It was a beautiful day in the square and very quiet.  When I attended there wasn't any music happening until just before I left the square so that was probably why there wasn't very many people but it's too bad people didn't go and sample some of the Pan American food on hand and get a taste of something different.

The event is curated by local food writer Mary Luz Mejia who has put this event together for the second year in a row.

I hope that if this comes back next year more people attend it and taste some of the great food.