By Emily Green Lake,Frank Sabatini Jr. • Special to Times of San Diego

Copyright timesofsandiego

Organizers of the 14th annual Taste of North Park have added 200 additional tickets to the event because of how rapidly it sold out last year. Even so, a sellout is expected soon.

Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., on Oct. 4, nearly 50 restaurants and breweries will dole out tasting samples within a neighborhood that has practically tripled its culinary might over the last decade.

“You are getting a bigger variety of food and drink compared to past years. The diversity of our community has grown,” said Chad Matkowski, executive director of North Park Main Street, which runs Taste of North Park. He added that a total of 1,500 punch-card tickets were made available this year, making it the biggest North Park taste event in its 14-year history.

The “food only” tickets for all ages are already sold out.

But two options for those 21 years and older are still up for grabs.

They are the “food & sip” ticket for $65, which includes the full tasting experience of food and beverages, including beer, wine and hard cider. The other is the “shareable” plan for $85, which provides twosomes with a complete food ticket plus two cups for beverage tastings.

Matkowski noted the practicality of the latter: “It’s a good way to split the large amount of samples from 50 participants. Very rarely have we seen any one person taste from all locations.”

A variety of sample sizes

Sample tastings from restaurants vary in size.

They range from simple bites of assorted foods to items such as mini burgers and full tacos, all of which add up to full stomachs as attendees go along.

In a business-building approach, the 13 breweries and wineries taking part will pour their products offsite at various nearby retail shops.

It is a way of driving consumer traffic into some of North Park’s non-culinary businesses, such as Joon gift shop, where staff from Bivouac Ciderworks will pour a few of its hard ciders.

Over at Union Cowork, which offers rented workspaces, The Original 40 Brewing Company will dole out pilsner tastings.

Brad Keiller of Nomad Donuts will pour tropical-flavored mimosas at Revival Vintage Eyewear.

He is foregoing handing out mini donuts and bagels at his shop because of the overwhelming turnout Nomad experienced in past years.

“We’ve taken part in Taste of North Park on and off around eight times,” he said. “It generates a lot of traffic. We had a hard time handling the volume on top of a regular business day. It goes to show that the event is very successful.”

The food offerings from restaurants will run the gamut from savory to sweet, and vegetarian to non-vegetarian. The folks at the popular breakfast spot, Flap Your Jacks, say they will present “a surprise new menu item” for the event.

Longtime participant Encontro, known for its grilled meats and fresh veggie dishes, will take the pescatarian route this year with samples of salmon and shrimp, while places such as Shank and Bone and Working Class—regular participants as well—will each serve items that appeal to both meat-eaters and vegetarians.

Newcomers to the event include Mabel’s Gone Fishing, Little Sisters Pizza and One Door North.

“We’ve been open since February, and we want people to know we are also in North Park now,” said Emily Green Lake of Little Sisters, which will offer taste-goers a sizable garlic knot with house-made marinara sauce.

The pizzeria is an offshoot of her Hillcrest eatery, Sisters Pizza. “I’ve volunteered before at Taste of North Park, and I know how busy it gets. So we’re prepared to serve over 1,000 people,” she added.

Navigating around the event

The event’s “tasting district” encompasses University Avenue from Florida to 32nd streets, and much of 30th Street running north and south of University.

Navigating the area will be easier than usual this year because of a partnership with Walkabout.app.

The phone application will feature a map of the district as well as participating businesses marked by pin-shaped symbols.

By clicking on them, users can see the restaurants’ addresses, how to get to them and what they are serving. The app also will offer information about after-tasting events and art demos that day.

Free transportation within the area also will be available.

Attendees can either request city bus passes at any of the check-in points or they can use rideshare service through the ViaSanDiego app.

Matkowski noted that city buses run along 30th Street and University about every 10 minutes during the day, and added that the passes are in limited supply.

Many attendees, such as Mary Christie of North Park, prefer embarking on the self-guided culinary tour on foot.

“I’ve gone to Taste of North Park twice and didn’t mind at all putting in a couple of walking miles. It helped burn off everything I ate and made me feel less guilty when I got home,” Christie quipped.

Check-in locations starting at 10:30 a.m. the day of the event will be at Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, 3404 30th St.; Louisiana Purchase, 2305 University Ave.; The Original 40 Brewing Company, 3117 University Ave.; Thai Time, 4102 30th St., and Walkabout Union Cowork, 3919 30th St.

Parking is available in the North Park Garage, 3829 29th St.

Tickets can be purchased online at tasteofnorthpark.com.