Amazing Graze

Today, Del Taco. This weekend, the world.

The Taste of Orange County, returning to the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, touts itself as Orange County’s premier food and music festival. But its culinary reach extends well beyond county borders. Featuring more than 30 local restaurants, the Taste offers a gastronomic world tour with sample-sized servings of everything from souvlakia to uni.

Most of the restaurants from last year’s Taste are back this year, said event spokeswoman Ruie Mullins, including such upscale dining spots as Chanteclair, Royal Thai and the Ritz-Carlton and family-oriented eateries including the Cheesecake Factory and Rubio’s Baja Grill. Among the new entries are Renaissance Cafe, Trabuco Oaks Steak House and the Bluewater Grill.

Deidrich Coffee, Hansen’s Natural and other beverages will be available to help wash it all down, along with some stiffer stuff from Captain Morgan and Budweiser as well as wines from Robert Mondavi and others.

After paying $3 to $8 for festival admission, visitors use scrip (sold at the event) to buy food and drink samples for $1 to $5 each.

On the oh-so-slim chance you overdo, stop by the booth offering Pepcid AC.

While stuffing your belly, you can fill your ears with a diverse lineup of music, comedy and family entertainment. Headlining on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night are, respectively, rocker Joe Walsh, Herb Alpert and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. You can also sample the work of up-and-coming local artists including 11-year-old Ashley Ballard, a Mission Viejo sixth-grader who sang at last year’s Taste as well as at President Clinton’s 1996 inaugural festivities.

“It’s just a fun, relaxed way to spend a little money, listen to some really great music and try out food you might otherwise not have in a million years,” said Mullins, who handles marketing for event producers JW Event Group Inc., an Irvine firm that ran the now-defunct L.A. a la Carte festival.

The Taste of Orange County, which started in 1989 on a small site adjacent to Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, operated for years in Irvine Spectrum before being edged out by area development and parking problems.

It moved to the Marine base in 1996, a shift that cost some attendance but provided lots more elbow room and literally acres of free parking, Mullins said. She estimates that this year as many as 75,000 people will attend. Stretching nearly one-third of a mile, the Taste’s main “street” is lined with restaurant booths on either side. Tucked at wide intervals along the street are the entertainment stages.

Mullins says that Taste historically has been an adult-oriented event but that her firm is trying to attract more families by offering a larger, more varied array of children’s entertainment and activities. Consequently, the Family Village will include a stage area featuring Freeway Philharmonic’s eclectic “Funtastic Fables” music and storytelling program, pop singer Jim Rule and storytelling by local authors.

Face-painting, a moon bounce, art activities, electronic games and other activities are free with admission. Should the old folks tire out, they can hit the couch in the adjacent furniture display and still keep an eye on the kids.

In addition to this year’s headliners, the music lineup will feature such rock bands as Missiles of October and the Derek Bordeaux Group, country acts including Jann Browne, Chris Gaffney & the Cold Hard Facts and the Kelly Rae Band, reggae group Sapadilla and Jazz Attack. On Saturday night, you can work off that extra serving of eggplant parmigiana at a Groove Radio 103.1 dance party.

The Improv comedy clubs host a changing lineup of stand-up comics all three days, including Jeff Jena and Don McMillan (a.k.a. “The Budweiser Guy”). A woman joins the ranks for the first time this year, Mary Ellen Hooper.

Curtis Aikens of the Food Network cable channel will be at the Chef’s Pavilion in one of many cooking demonstrations by noted chefs.

Although many visitors like to sample various foods, entertainment and activities, plenty of folks come to the Taste for the tried and true, Mullins said.

“We have people, for example, who will just come for the jazz,” she said. “They get their favorite food from their favorite restaurant, get their glass of chardonnay and just park it for the whole day.”

BE THERE

Taste of Orange County runs from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station on Trabuco Road east of Sand Canyon Avenue. $8, adults; $3, children 3-12 and free for children under 3. (714) 753-1551.