Taste of Ellicottville Serves Up Flavor, Fun, and a Win for Hope Rises
Taste of Ellicottville Serves Up Flavor, Fun, and a Win for Hope Rises
From hot dog contests to award-winning dishes, the Taste of Ellicottville 2025 was a weekend of delicious food and community coming together for a cause.
What better way to spend a summer weekend than cheering on the Buffalo Bills in their preseason opener, sampling incredible food, and helping fight pediatric cancer? That’s exactly what thousands of visitors did at this year’s Taste of Ellicottville, held August 9-10th in the heart of the village.
The streets of Ellicottville once again came alive with music, crowds, and the irresistible aromas of everything from chicken tacos to grandma’s baklava. But the real flavor of the weekend came from the purpose behind it: this year’s festival revolved around Hope Rises and its Shine Gold for the Kids campaign.
Hope Rises, a Western New York-based nonprofit, is dedicated to sharing uplifting stories, advocating for important causes, and supporting families in need. Their Shine Gold initiative provides direct aid, resources, and special experiences for children battling cancer while raising awareness throughout the community. Thanks to a variety of fundraising efforts during the Taste - from hot dog competitions to merch sales - monies raised will be put to good use to help further their mission.
“This was about more than just good food,” said Barb Pump, Executive Director of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce. “It was about rallying together as a community to make a real difference for kids and families going through the toughest fight of their lives.”
Two new contests had crowds cheering - and laughing. Saturday’s Hot Dog Topping Contest, sponsored by Sahlen’s, gave contestants free rein to craft their ultimate dog. Local resident John Rapp took top honors with a fully loaded creation featuring beans, salsa, and a medley of other bold toppings - a flavor-packed masterpiece that will soon make its debut on Balloons Restaurant’s menu. Keep an eye out for it! On Sunday, the spotlight shifted to the Hot Dog Eating Contest, sponsored by Zweigle’s. In an unexpected twist, the champion turned out to be a passerby who happened to be driving through the village during the Taste. The last-minute registrant polished off an impressive 10 hot dogs to claim the title.
All registration fees from both contests went straight to Hope Rises, and Branding Buffalo was also on-site selling Taste-themed apparel, donating a portion of proceeds to Shine Gold.
Adding to the excitement were the special guest Taste Judges and MCs, including Nicholas Picholas and Sue O’Neil of Kiss 98.5, Kelsey Anderson from WIVB, Chef Darian Bryan, and Brett Alan of WYRK.
THE BEST OF TASTE
While close to 20 local restaurants brought their A-game, several stood out in this year’s Taste awards:
Best of Ellicottville: Tenderloin Skewers - Silver Fox Steakhouse
Healthy Choice: Golden Hummus and Pickled Local Veggies - West Rose
Kids Choice: Cheese Pizza - Monroe St. Brick & Brew
Sweetest Treat: Fried Ice Cream with Honey - Hidalgo Grill Mexican Restaurant
Bee’s Knees (best use of honey): Local organic hot dog topped with hot honey and slaw, aka the Queen Dog - Ratchet Hatchet
When asked about the Bee’s Knees category, Pump explained, “Our participating restaurants wanted to tie the ‘Shine Gold for the Kids’ theme into their dishes. They voted to make honey the secret ingredient - a a fun way to inspire creativity in the kitchen and help the cause
These winners joined a menu that also featured Ellicottville Bake Shop’s scratch-made cheddar biscuits, Katy’s Cafe’s Cajun hot honey salmon, and Villaggio’s porchetta sliders - proving that Taste Weekend is still the ultimate place to eat your way through the village. But beyond the plates, the weekend offered plenty of connection and community spirit. Guests chatted with the amazing ladies from the Ellicottville Playground project, learned about the Alzheimer’s Association’s upcoming walk, and enjoyed live music in many of the bars and restaurants. Hope Rises also welcomed visitors to a special booth where young cancer survivors courageously shared their stories, inspiring many with their resilience. Attendees could also try their luck at the group’s lively Plinko game, with prizes up for grabs and proceeds helping to fuel the Shine Gold mission. At the end of the day, I think it’s safe to say that this year’s Taste certainly delivered a full menu of reasons to celebrate.
