International flavor to the Taste of Lynn

LYNN – The food comes from within the Greater Lynn area, but the flavors at the annual Taste of Lynn will be from across the world.”We have such an international flavor from all these restaurants: Cambodian, Central American, Southern, etc.,” said Gina Maniscalco, director of institutional advancement at Family and Children’s Services of Greater Lynn. “We’ve got it all covered, which is really a good reflection of what Lynn is.”The 8th Annual Taste of Lynn will be held Thursday, June 18 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Lynn Museum on Washington Street. The event will include food from 14 restaurants within the Greater Lynn area, with old favorites Porthole Restaurant, Old Tyme Italian Cuisine and Brothers Deli joined by new attendees, including Cali Sandwich on Union Street, Ken’s Kickin’ Chicken on Maple Street and Cafe 39 on Chestnut Street.Tickets cost $25 and enable attendees to sample as much food as they like. In addition, there will be a raffle with prizes including Red Sox memorabilia, sports tickets and $500 worth of gift certificates to local restaurants.The event has grown each year, Maniscalco said, and is one of the organization’s most successful fundraisers. In fact, this year will mark the organization’s 130th anniversary – Family and Children’s Services opened a day nursery in 1885 and began a penny lunch program for immigrant children in 1913 (that evolved into a Lynn school lunch program in 1922), according to the organization’s website. Today, the organization operates a Family Resource Center at its North Common Street headquarters, offering support and lessons to parents on how to nurture their children, and providing counseling for families and activities for children and adolescents.”It’s quite remarkable how long this agency’s been in business and all it’s done in the years,” Maniscalco said. And tickets are available online at www.fcslynn.org so the organization can provide another service: great food to fill your belly.