Bands lined up for Taste of Newport

Visitors to this year’s Taste of Newport can chew to the beat of music by Smash Mouth, the Go-Go’s and Kenny Loggins as they sample cuisine from 35 local restaurants at the event.

The entertainment lineup for the 18th annual Taste of Newport was announced Monday by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. The event will be held Sept. 15 to Sept. 17 at Fashion Island.

Alternative rock band Smash Mouth, from San Jose, will play Friday; the Go-Go’s, celebrating the 25 anniversary of their first album, perform Saturday; and on Sunday, Kenny Loggins ? of “Footloose” fame ? will take the stage.

“We always look for bands that have a large number of recognizable hits and really try to create a party atmosphere at the event,” chamber Vice President Jeff Parker said.

“We’ve been trying to get the Go-Go’s for a few years, and schedules never seemed to work out,” he said. “On Saturday night, it’s just going to be the place to be in Newport Beach.”

Returning to the Taste of Newport will be Derek Bordeaux, an R & B singer, along with some live jazz music.

A new offering is about 100 VIP tickets that include valet parking, admission to the event and a special tent by the stage, and reserved concert seats.

An estimated 65,000 people came to the three-day event in 2005, and the 35 restaurant spaces are expected to fill up again.

Most of the restaurants are repeat visitors, but this year three local hotels that just finished major renovations are featuring their new restaurants, chamber special events director Karen Graves said. Sam and Harry’s Steakhouse at the Newport Beach Marriott, bambú at the Fairmont, and Pavilion at the Island Hotel will all offer their cuisine.

Visitors will still be able to find many of the foods they liked in previous years.

“We always do our favorites, and then we add a couple of twists every year,” Ho Sum Bistro owner Ed O’Neill said. This will be his 16th year at the Taste.

Past favorites from his restaurant have been the coconut shrimp, garlic-cilantro dumplings, minced chicken lettuce wraps, and the chocolate-covered fortune cookies for dessert, he said.