The much-anticipated 22nd Barrielicious Festival starts today and runs until Sunday, July 21 and showcases some of the best local eateries in Barrie and throughout Simcoe County.
Barrielicous began 11 years ago as an idea to get people to visit local restaurants during slow times - once in the winter and once during the summer festival season.
Director Ryan Traversy told BarrieToday it was a great way to get business booming in town when it is needed the most.
“This is a ton of fun and, obviously, very delicious,” said Traversy. “It all came about as a way to help keep local establishments busy during times they normally are not. It used to be a chore to track down willing participants, now they come to us.”
Over 50 eateries will provide speciality dishes at discounted prices for the next two weeks.
Justine Fallis, owner of the Crazy Fox Bistro, said Barrielicious is a great time to check out places you’ve never been or try new things at old favourites.
“We offer a different variety of selection menus with three-course meals, which is a great opportunity for someone who may not have experienced the restaurant before or have and want to try different dishes,” said Fallis.
“We also offer a lot of local food, so we get a lot of it from local providers, and we’re also pairing dishes with our 'summer sippers', a collection of new drinks to try," she said.
Crazy Fox Bistro has been in the community for over 32 years and at their 135 Bayfield St. location for 18 years. Among their dishes available for the Barrielicious event are pan-seared Atlantic salmon, with jasmine rice and seasonal vegetables and hand-carved six-ounce certified Angus New York sirloin with salsa Verde mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.
For a complete list of Barrielicious participating restaurants, check out the website.
