Newcomers line up for a Taste

A handful of restaurants are scheduled to make their first

appearances at the Taste of Newport food festival this year.

2005 will mark the 17th year the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce

has hosted the three-day gastronomical event. The festival serves to

draw attention to Newport’s restaurants, and revenues are donated to

nonprofits.

This year, Newport Beach’s Siena Cucina Italiana, Rudy’s Pub &

Grill and Ozumo are set to make their debuts at the festival, said

Karin Graves, the chamber of commerce’s special events director. The

event lineup also includes Costa Mesa first-timers Maggiano’s Little

Italy and Patina Catering, as well as Irvine’s Agora Churrascaria, a

Brazilian-style steakhouse.

Festival organizers give Newport restaurants priority but welcome

eateries from nearby cities when openings are available, Graves said.

Representatives of restaurants planning to make their Taste of

Newport debut gave a simple reason for becoming part of the festival

-- attention.

The chamber is expecting about 70,000 people to attend the event.

Maggiano’s general manager, Raul Moreno, said the $1,000 fee to be a

part of the event was a small price to pay considering the large

number of diners who might sample Maggiano’s cuisine.

“We need to let people know we’re in Costa Mesa, especially

Newport Beach. They’re our neighbors,” Moreno said.

Maggiano’s has been in business in Costa Mesa for about eight

years, Moreno said. Patina Catering, part of the Los Angeles-based

Patina Group, is newer to the area, having come to Costa Mesa in

2004. Like Moreno, Ruth Davies, Patina senior sales manager, wanted

to take part in Taste of Newport to reach out to potential customers.

“The Taste of Newport is something we wanted to be involved in for

some time because we think it’s great exposure for us,” Davies said.

Siena Cucina Italiana is the Balboa Inn’s restaurant. The inn’s

food and beverage director, Brian Keeth, said he came to Balboa from

Texas two months ago and quickly decided he wanted to have Siena

included in the event. He said Siena has been in business for about a

year.

“[We want to] get our name out there,” he said. “Nobody knows

Siena yet.”

Since 1998, Taste of Newport has raised more than $140,000 for

charities, according to the chamber of commerce. The beneficiaries of

this year’s festival are set to be chosen after the event.

Previously, Taste of Newport has raised funds for groups including

the Orange Coast College Foundation, the Balboa Performing Arts

Theater Foundation and Assistance League of Newport-Mesa.

This year’s entertainment lineup is set to be headlined by Macy

Gray, the B-52’s and Hootie and the Blowfish.

Taste of Newport will begin Friday and continue through Sunday.

Menus, entertainment lineups, schedules and admission prices can be

found ato7 www.tasteof newport.comf7.