Alton Marketplace will serve up local flavor at the Taste of Downtown, which will be held on Thursday, November 17th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Temple Banquet Center and Spirits Lounge (300 State Street). Tickets are on sale now at Bossanova Restaurant & Lounge (112 W. 3rd Street), or the Alton Visitors’ Bureau (200 Piasa St.). Only 300 tickets will be sold, get yours in advance! Make a night of it by grabbing a bite at the Taste and doing a little shopping with the merchants who will be staying open late for the Third Thursdays Late Night Gallery & Shopping Experience. Free trolley transportation will be available between all participating locations from 5:00-9:00 p.m.

For only $10.00, guests can sample a variety of local flavor from eighteen of their favorite dining establishments under one roof at the Temple. The third floor banquet facility will feature appetizers and entrees, plus a beer and wine tasting. On the second floor in the "Red Room" of Spirits Lounge, a wide variety of gourmet desserts paired with coffee samplings will be available. Entertainment will be provided by the Alton Youth Symphony chamber group.

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Highlights of the menu include: peppered pork loin from Spirits Lounge, Chez Marilyn’s cavatelli pasta, pulled pork and grilled chicken from Southern Girls BBQ, red beans and rice and bread pudding from Ragin Cajun Piano Bar, brisket from Amarillo Tex's Steakhouse & Saloon, soup and salad from Olga’s Kitchen, Princivalli's homemade meatballs, carved pork from Rib City, BBQ St. Louis style ribs and squash ravioli from Argosy Casino Captain’s Table Buffet, and dollar sandwiches from the Schoolhouse Grill at Senior Services Plus. In addition, specialty dishes will be served by Bossanova, Tony’s Restaurant, State Street Market, Mac's Time Out Lounge, and Holiday Inn's Franco's Restaurant. Pony Espresso will offer gourmet coffees in the dessert room, which will feature pecan, pumpkin, and georgie porgie pies from Duke Bakery, plus a gourmet flavored popcorn buffet from Heavenly Popcorn Palace.

Before or after the Taste, get a jump on your holiday shopping by taking advantage of the special discounts offered at downtown Alton's galleries and retail shops. Many merchants are offering a variety of sales, in-store refreshments and other surprises. Alton Marketplace is offering an incentive to cross many people off your list during the event. Every $20 you spend at Third Thursdays shops on November 17th enters your name into a drawing for a chance to win an overnight stay at the Tiffany Inn, located in the heart of Antique Row at 412 E. Broadway. A full list of participating shops can be found on the “Events” page of www.AltonMarketplace.com

Alton Marketplace would like to thank Chairperson Nancy Elson and the following sponsors who have made this event possible: Dave Mungenast Alton Toyota Scion, Alton Bell Community Credit Union, The Imaging Center of Alton, Liberty Bank, The Firehouse, Scheffel & Company, Scott Credit Union, Roberts Motors, Conoco Phillips, CNB Bank & Trust, Bank of Edwardsville, Shell Community Federal Credit Union, Temple Banquet Center, Argosy Casino, Alton Memorial Hospital, Riverbender.com, The Telegraph, WBGZ Radio, and Today's AdVantage.

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