Anyone who wants to find out what’s available for dining in the Marshall area should go to Taste of Marshall.

I ventured out to the Red Baron Arena on Monday to see what the 2023 event had to offer. There were 22 vendors, more than I could sample.

In my younger days I could really pack away food from buffets. I could eat a lot and not get fat. Now I eat more modestly but can’t seem to take off the 10 or 15 pounds I could afford to lose.

So at Taste of Marshall I started with one of my favorite restaurants. They served up pork chops with potato on the side and a chocolate dessert.

I was almost tempted to change my game plan. It was a meal all by itself. I thought about maybe just eating it, going back for seconds and forgetting about everything else.

Then I reminded myself why I came. I attended because of the rare opportunity for all you can eat samples from a wide range of places. I stayed with the plan to try for variety.

I filled out my plate with a chicken taco and a cup of frozen vanilla custard. After clearing the plate, I obtained some soup and a sandwich square. My next stop after that was for cold cuts on toothpicks.

Lastly I stood in line at another of Marshall’s best restaurants to try two of their entrees. One of them was a shrimp and sausage jambalaya. The other was a potato main dish.

After that point I was full. I ordered a glass of Coke with plenty of ice and enjoyed it while talking to a friend. That’s an added benefit of Taste of Marshall. It’s fellowship as well as food.

The 2023 Taste of Marshall had a crowd of more than 400 people. The event proves something every year. It shows beyond a doubt that Marshall has excellent food and beverage establishments.

Every once in a while I hear a comment about how there’s something missing in our choice of restaurants. I’ve heard people say we need a Panera. Another one I’ve heard about more than once is a Chipotle. Those and other popular places would be nice to have, but I don’t consider them an absolute need.

Marshall has a full selection of fast food, home style cooking, sit down meals, anything a person could want. It’s just a matter of looking around.

It would be possible to eat out every day for a month and never eat in the same place twice. I should try that sometime. I should at least map out a schedule to prove that the idea is true.

Marshall has always had good choices for eating places. Currently there’s a growing up in Marshall post on the Internet about Club 59 that’s generated plenty of interest. Club 59 was located outside of town near Highway 59, across the road from where the Aldi grocery store is now.

People have commented with memories of its lobster, its frog legs and plenty of other menu selections. Together with the Chalet, we had very good supper clubs.

Restaurants were a big part of East College Drive expansion in the 1960s and 1970s. We had places like Kentucky Fried Chicken, Ed’s Pizza and Earth II. A major goal was to serve the college students. The establishments ended up being enjoyed by both college students and residents of Marshall and the surrounding area.

There were also downtown cafes, such as the former Mike’s Cafe next to the theater, where Anytime Fitness is located now. It’s great to see pictures of the old menu boards at cafes and to notice the incredibly low prices.

Someone who walked around with $20 bills was rich in those days. Now you can put down a twenty for a meal and not get very much change back.

Considering the role of inflation, there’s still a good value in eating out. Most people can still afford to treat themselves on a regular basis. It’s an enjoyable way to spend an evening,

Taste of Marshall is the place to go for new ideas, to sample places that someone maybe has never thought about.

It’s a good overview of what Marshall offers, a reminder that we have many choices. It’s an important part of the quality of life we enjoy in our corner of Greater Minnesota.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent