Metrolink: Civic Center stop

Taste of St. Louis is a yearly event that takes place downtown, only a few miles away from Wash U. Many types of food are represented, from BBQ to Brazilian to Chinese, and everywhere in between. Each vendor usually has a selection of reasonably-priced food items. They’re smaller portions than you’d get in the restaurants themselves, but the point is to allow you to sample a lot of different flavors in one place. You’ll find sweet and savory, salty and sour. If you don’t end up liking something, not to worry — you haven’t wasted the time and money on a full meal! If you fall in love with a dish, you know it’s worth the effort to make a trip to the restaurant. Plus, there’s great music and entertainment going on the whole time, so you can either go for an hour or two to get some grub, or make a day of it. Dates: End of September or beginning of October.

— Shari B., M1