It was a cloudy, but beatiful weekend, and a great chance to enjoy outstanding wine and local food at Chicago Gourmet 2009.  My wife and I headed down on the Green Line, and then walked over to beautiful Millenium Park, where all the festivities were being held.  There were tents set up everywhere- in case of rain, each one filled with samples from Southern Wine & Spirits brands or local food and beverage options.  It was time to dive in, eat, drink, and enjoy!

We darted for the food tents first, to see what was cooking.  We were greeted by a huge pig on a grill, being cooked and sliced by the chefs from Jose Garces‘ Mercat a la Planxa.  This was extremely delicious, and started us off with a popular theme now being used by many chefs- pork.  Just recently looked down upon, the “other white meat” is reaching new heights in culinary acclaim.  I have always been a fan, and use pork as a key flavor component in many of my own home dishes.  This can also be served in a group setting at Mercat with advanced reservations.  We also started off with some great pork belly served up by the Four Seasons, smoked sturgeon from Blackbird, and heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella from Keefer’s.  Countless other restaurants were onhand, giving out great samples like The Gage, Sunda, Spring, Arun’s, Japonais, Hugo’s, Mexique, Piccolo Sogno, L20, Carnivale, and C-House.  This was an awesome display of the Chicago culinary scene- one of the best in the world.

Next we headed for the Terlato tent, which was definitely the most awesome wine display.  Many prestigious brands were being poured like Two Hands, Sokol Blosser, Il Poggione, Bollinger (James Bonds’ fav Champagne), M. Chapoutier, Chimney Rock, Rust en Vrede, and Terlato Family Vineyards.  Credenzas and couches were set up for ambience and comfort, and it may have been the most relaxed, yet festive tastings I’ve been to.  We had the fortune of running into Anthony Terlato, who could not have been more inviting.  We were looking forward to his cooking demo with Fabio Vivani.

We made it to a few demos, which were held in the Jay Pritzker Pavillion.  The first we witnessed was with a great trio of chefs: Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate, Bill Kim of Urban Belly, and Stephanie Izard of highly anticipated The Drunken Goat.  They would be cooking with pork and peaches, with recipes that may be included on their own menus.  Chef Kim went with a pork belly sandwich, which may be featured at his new restaurant, Belly Shack, while chef Izard went for pork belly over seared tofu, for a healthy, yet savory offering.

Next, it was time for Anthony Terlato, offering his Santa Margherita Prosecco to the audience, and Fabio Vivani, of Top Chef and Cafe Firenze, cooking up some simple seared tuna.  This was not only a very good sparkling wine, but also an excellent pairing.

There were also many other great demos, including the artistry of seafood & salt, seasonal cuisine, asian delights, and farm to table. 

I was amazed by all the fine food, wine, and spirits onhand.  It was filled with delight after delight for the senses!  If you have never been to this 2nd annual event, make sure to be looking for Chicago Gourmet 2010.  It will be worth it!

Entrance to Chicago Gourmet

Many of those who immerse themselves in the local food and drink world, and even the everyday local food and wine fanatic heard rumblings from last year’s Chicago Gourmet inaugural debut. While I didn’t have the opportunity to attend the festival last year, the opening party, which I did attend, spoke volumes for what actually transpired throughout the weekend – not enough food, poor event flow…the list goes on. Based on this word of mouth reaction, my hopes for this year’s event were not necessarily at the Grand Cru level…. but boy was I happily surprised.

Since I cannot personally compare this years festival against last years event, I paired the experience from my own at the largest food and wine festival in the world – South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Here’s my run down for why the Chicago Gourmet nets quite well against the top dog of food festivals.

Chef Dirk Flanigan

Locally Grown

Not only did a majority of our local Chefs tout their ingredients as locally grown, we actually got to meet them face-to-face as they dished their well-executed and inventive noshes. Several of our acclaimed chefs, including Dirk Flanigan and Tony Priolo, tried their hand at playing the role of food TV personalities with cooking demonstration on the Jay Pritzker Stage. I was especially happy to see the chefs use local products from farms such as Gunthrop Farms in Indiana, and the camaraderie between Dirk and Tony had the audience in stitches.

Comparison: While I do love butter, I don’t need to pay extra to see Paula Deen slap some down on a skillet. I loved that our chefs were so accessible and proved the culinary community and our local food source are growing strong.

Result: Win for Chicago Gourmet.

Suckling Pig

Seconds, please

Smoked salmon with Earl Grey and ginger noodles (Laurent, Gras L2O), Suckling pig over white cannelini beans (Jose Garces, Mercat a la Planxa), roasted autumn squash tabbouleh with roasted apples, grilled shrimp and cinder-citrus vinaigrette (Shawn McClain, Spring)….is your mouth watering yet? The list of fantastic, fresh dishes are too many to count from the two-day event and each one was thoughtful and appropriate for dishing festival style to thousands of foodies. While there was an absence of food sponsors and any major grocery sponsor, like you see at South Beach, there was plenty of food to go around at Chicago Gourmet.

Comparison: Fewer highly intoxicated winos are always better for everyone at a festival and there were definitely more satiated folks at Chicago Gourmet. However, there were still quite a few chefs who ran out of food early in their shift and on Saturday there were some lines too deep even for this food fan.

Result: Draw – Chicago Gourmet had great food, some better than South Beach, but still needs to work through small kinks.

Chicago Gourmet

Room to Roam
I think this photo says it all – open spaces, room to sit and short lines. Set in Millennium Park with perfect September weather only added to the feel of an easy, breezy event flow. It was rare to see bottlenecks of foot-traffic and everyone seemed to show their Midwest best even when they vied for Rick Bayless’ attention.

Comparison: Fewer people and good traffic patterns always allow for a better event.

Result: Win for Chicago Gourmet.

To fact check a bit of the good vibes I was feeling about the event, I surveyed a few attendees, vendors and food critics that attended the event last year and hands down all were very pleased with the turn-around.

So next year, if you are big food and wine fan, make sure to splurge on at least a day pass to enjoy all the culinary wine and food scene Chicago has to offer via the Chicago Gourmet Festival.

How did you feel our city’s signature food event stacked up this year? Or against others you have attended?

Please enjoy some additional photos from the event here.

- Carrie Becker

Click here to read more posts from Carrie.

Local Brewpub, Goose Island, represented with their notable microbrews including Pere Jacques, Matilda and Sofie

Chef Jose Garces served up suckling pig, perhaps the best dish of the weekend

Minimalist in presentation but full of flavor was L20's tasting of smoked salmon with earl grey and ginger noodle

Chef Tony Priolo kept his cool while demostrating homemade pasta

Three Floyds showed wine fans that their Robert the Bruce and Alpha King can perfectly pair with many dishes

The Good:

Okay, I lied. Not just good. Great. Amazing. Mind-boggling. The best. I know most people are going to jump on me because seriously, how did I not know about this place? But forgive me, I only moved here in January and I have not had the pleasure of bouncing around to all of the haute restaurants in Chicago.

The dish you see above is Cochinillo al Asado, or roasted suckling pig. It is a typical dish in Castilla, one of the largest regions in Spain. The pig is smoky, sweet and juicy. It pairs perfectly with the rosemary white beans better than any wine and the flash-fried spring onions (fried most likely in butter and fat) retain their crispiness, adding another texture to the dish.

By far the most complex and delicious thing at Chicago Gourmet.

Stephanie Izard of the Drunken Goat and winner of Top Chef certainly did not disappoint. Her chilled shredded chicken with pumpkin vinaigrette and olive tapenade was fresh and perfect for the changing season. She topped off her dish with these, what tasted like, roasted pumpkin seeds.

My third pick is not a dish, even though there were some other mentionable things I will get to at the end. What really made me stop and thank goodness that people care about making good food is this:

Hazelnut gelato from Labriola. Like Nutella but without the chocolate and better. Much, much better. A complex gelato that does not melt instantly when it hits your tongue. Instead, it stays solid just long enough for you to roll it along your tongue and taste how buttery and assertive it is. Who ever thought gelato could be this good?

Next up, my review of the best wines!

Dev xx

If public tasting events are your thing, but shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and hot sweaty line ups are not, then a visit to the Chicago Gourmet food and wine festival is a must! Our visit to the second annual Chicago Gourmet was deeelicious and well worth the ticket price to get in ($150 per day or $250 for the weekend)! (even better if you scored a deal with the GroupOn that was emailed out last month). We spotted many celebrity chef’s as well as well known people in the world of the food elite!

Busy but not crowded…

Unlike the Taste which features many of Chicago’s famous chain restaurants, the food featured here at Chicago Gourmet is created by renowned chefs from some of Chicago’s best known high end establishments. In addition, this event caters to all type’s of foodie with their live cooking demostrations, wine tastings as well as wine pairings.

The park was divided into sections, depending what you were looking for. These Gourmet Pavilions were easily spotted and categorized in the following ways: Asian, French, Seafood, Latin, Gastropub, Mediterranean, Stockyard and Regional American. In addition, there were plenty of wine tents and cheese and dessert stations.

Alternately, if the purpose of your visit is to get educated on culinary techniques, then the Gourmet Pavilion Culinary stage would have attracted your attention with cooking demonstrations every 30 mins. Presenters included Rick Bayless, Mindy Segal, Fabio Vivani and Bill Kim just to name a few!

Unfortunately for Michelle and I, we were only able to go to the first day of the event but I guarantee you we will be back next year as it was dangerously fun with unlimited helpings of amazing food and the selection of wine and cocktails could have you crawling out of the festival grounds if you’re not careful.

There are definitely a few things you must check out. My first recommendation being the Robert Mondavi food and wine pairing. Robert Mondavi has not always been my favorite brand but have always thought their wines were ’safe’. Safe for gifting and safe to drink (meaning I’ve never had a terrible bottle). Chef Natasha Vitti-Solares of the Capital Grill did a great job of showing us how to make simple and elegant dishes. But what made this tasting so special is how they paired their wines with foods that I love to eat, Scallops and steak! This pavillion demonstrated how to make a great meal with budget-friendly wine with affordable food. So next time you make scallops at home, give a riesling a try and pair the steak with a Meritage.

I also personally loved the wine tents featuring Napa Valley wines. One of my favorites of the day was from Joel Gott, the 815 Cabernet Sauvignon or the Nickel and Nickel Shiraz out of Oakville Ca for a full bodied wine with a rich finish. (btw, it was voted one of the best wines at under $20, http://www.selectwinesllc.com/20jogocasa.html”

Brian Wright from Rosebud’s restaurants served a very impressive braised pork belly that was to die for!

Japonais (the restaurant where my husband and I had our first date!) replicated one of their signature dishes, beef grilled on hot rocks which I had thought to try before but now I know I will get it next time!

Tavern on Rush, Chef John Gatsos created this culinary delight of teriyaki beef with a sweet asian slaw. Despite this place being a tourist trap, I think the food is actually reallly great!

Chef Mark Maroni of the Mid-America Club created a wild boar belly with olive jam and pears which was incredible. The combination of the olives with sweet fruit and tender belly was mouth-watering. (I don’t know how I managed to forget to take a pic of his food!) But here is Chef Maroni himself:

Sola presented a dish worthy of a standing ovation. The tuni poke bursted with flavors, I went back to three helpings!

Disappointments: I actually “hated” the pudding that Graham Elliot (of Graham Eliot Bowls) created. I can’t even tell you what it was but it was topped with salty popcorn and tasted like liver paste. I love liver and I love popcorn but this was not a very good way to showcase the restaurants offerings. Another disappointing dish was the ceviche from Carnivale. Despite the giant succulent shrimp being served, the octopus was chewy and bland

I would say that 9 of 10 things I ate were highly impressive with braised or grilled meats, ceviches of all kinds and wonderful cheeses. This isn’t the fried pickle or basket mozzerella sticks you’d expect at the Taste of Chicago.

With 108 food vendors and countless tents serving wine, cocktails and beer – anyone, foodie or not, will find something they like!

Check out some of our finds!

Who is ready to brave the mud and the rain and join me at the Chicago Gourmet Festival!? I have the honour of helping out Green City Market at our tent and assisting with the Silent Auction.

Since I am helping out on both days, I plan to keep you all updated via Twitter (updates via Twitter pop up on the left hand side of this screen!) and with blog entries that will feature pictures and video!

Get excited, gourmands!
Dev xx

It was a beautiful Friday evening, and I had a plan- take the Green Line train to east Randolph Street, meet my wife just after work, and enjoy the Windy City Wine Festival.  Everything worked out as scheduled, and we headed to Daley Bicentennial Plaza, which has an amazing view of the city to go along with excellent greenery and flowers.  There was a short line at will call, where we picked up our wristbands and drink tickets, and headed into the fest!

We moved past the stage, where the demonstrations were being held, and decided to circle the park and booths before sampling.  While walking with our sample glasses, my wife received many dirty looks- she is pregnant.  Her only intention was to smell, taste, and spit the wine, but I fear there are too many judgmental individuals in our society.  Feeling uncomfortable, she turned in her souvenier glass for a bottle of water.  It’s funny how those same people would say nothing if they saw a pregnant woman smoking or consuming unhealthy or “fast” foods, which could be harmful to a developing baby, while moderate consumption of wine during pregnancy has proven, through reseach, to be helpful in development.  Everything in moderation is the key to life, and unfortunately, a good portion of America has yet to learn this.

So we headed into the tastings, and I decided to go with Illinois wineries.  First was Cooper’s Hawk winery and restaurant, located in Orland Park, IL.  I tried their house white blend of mostly Alsatian varietals, and it was a bit off-dry, fruity, and pleasant. 

Next was Illinois Cellars, which makes estate wines in Carrollton.  I tried their white Chardonnel, Apple Wine, and red Norton.  The wines are of decent quality, and when you consider the pricetag ($6.99/bottle), are quite a value for locally grown examples- definitely worth a try! 

We then saw Greg Fischer, of BevArt and Wild Blossom Meadery, from the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago.  Greg owns local bee farms here in both Illinois and Indiana, from which he gets the honey to make mead.  I’ve tasted much of his product before and it’s fantastic, especially when heated or added to beer.  There was quite a line, so I said hi and proceeded onto my favorite Illinois winery, Lynfred.

Lynfred Winery is located in Roselle, IL., and makes wines from local and California grown varietals.  They have a miriad of styles, from sweet fruit wines like cranberry, peach, and rhubarb, to Viognier and award winning Cabernet Sauvignon.  Make sure to visit them and say hi to Christina and the crew (pictured above)!

As for the rest of the wines, I thought the selections were mostly pedestrian.  Many of the labels are nothing different from what I have seen widely available in your local Jewel-Osco or Dominick’s.  That is not to say the wine was bad, but just that it was nothing special.

As far as the food goes, many very good restaurants were represented.  Markethouse, Zocalo, and Billy Goat Tavern were among the Chicago reps, with many other goodies from the ‘burbs as well.  It was a huge pleasure to meet Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh (pictured to the right) of Hearty Boys catering, and soon to open (November ‘09), Hearty restaurant.  They are an awesome duo, and Chicago is very fortunate to have them growing in the city.  They even put on a great and informative cooking demo for all to see and learn.

The night was made even better after we left, as we were able to experience part of the performance from the Lyric Opera House in the Pritzker Pavillion.  Even though the venue was packed, we had a great time, and both Millenium Park and Chicago are awesome in the summertime.  

If you unfortunately missed this event, you can still catch the Naperville Wine Festival this coming weekend, or Chicago Gourmet September 26 & 27.  Make sure you enjoy everything Chicagoland has to offer, and tell me about it!

Chicago Gourmet is on the way- a food and wine festival taking place on September 26 & 27 in Millenium Park.  This is just its second annual occurrence, and it will be a celebration of our city’s culinary culture and history, highlighted by Chicago’s best chefs and restaurants.  Also, hundreds of wines, local sommeliers, and wine experts will be onhand for tastings and seminars.

Many Chicago personalities like Mayor Daley will be in attendance, along with Chicago’s favorite chefs: Rick Bayless (winner of Top Chef Masters) of Frontera Grill, Jose Garces of Mercat a la Planxa, John Coletta of Quartino, Dirk Flanigan of The Gage, Marcus Samuelsson of C-House, Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno, Stephanie Izard (Top Chef winner) of The Drunken Goat, and lots of other local greats.

Awesome food is not the only think on the menu, as wines from Robert Mondavi, Mionetto (one of my favorite sparkling wine producers), and Gaja Wines presented by Gaia Gaja, will be there for tasting, along with famed importer and producer, Anthony Terlato of Terlato Wines International, and his amazing portfolio featured at the Festival’s largest tent.

Tickets can be purchased beforehand for $150 for a single day, or $250 for the two day weekend.  There are also upgrades for those who don’t mind spending extra, such as Grand Cru tastings for $175 featuring some of the finest wines in the world presented by Master Sommeliers.  Here is a little hint to avoid the ticket price, which may be worth your while: Chicago Dine Around.  Starting now through September 27, if you dine at five different restaurants using their special prix-fixe menu, and attach each receipt to the Chicago Gourmet Dine Around Passport (available at all participating restaurants), you will be eligible for a free one day pass to the Festival.

Make sure to plan ahead and get in on Chicago’s greatest food and wine event!

Just after a press conference for Chicago Gourmet 2009, I had the pleasure of meeting the Vice President of one of the world’s greatest wineries, Gaia Gaja.  The Gaja Winery is located in the small town of Barbaresco in northwest Italy, and has been making wine since 1859.  When Gaia joined the winery team in 2005, that ensured Gaja would be family run and owned for five generations.  We met at Spiaggia Cafe for lunch, where they preset a table for us with three Gaja wines.  With so much heritage, history, and great wines, I am sure we would have much to talk about.

After selecting our lunch choices, we began to talk about her travels.  Gaia travels often, representing Gaja wines around the globe, even in far away markets such as Japan (her next stop), and India.  She loves visiting exotic places, learning new languages, and meeting different people.  I found out Chicago is one of her favorite cities- she really likes our welcoming metropolis, wine knowledge, and burgeoning restaurant business.  Her favorite restaurant stop was at Piccolo Sogno, where she enjoyed very authentic food from Chef Tony Priolo.

Gaja Winery has been a global presence ever since Gaia’s father, Angelo, brought his family’s Barbaresco to the forefront beginning in 1961.  His innovative techniques and marketing not only created opportunity for his wines, but also for the rest of Italy.  He has been described as “the force behind Italy’s wine revolution.”  Aggressive business sense, as well as appreciation for the future, has led to family acquisitions of new vineyards in Barolo, Montalcino, and Bolgheri.  Since Gaja Winery only makes wine from family held vineyards, they are always seeking and, because of their reputation, sought out by prospective sellers of land with excellent grape growing potential.  This, along with Gaja Distribuzione, which offers some of the world’s best wines to Italian shoppers, keeps Gaja on the cutting edge of wine technology and marketing.

As our lunch arrived, we sampled the wines, the first of which was the 2005 Gaja Barbaresco.  I thought the vintage would need more aging, but it was very elegant and pleasant.  Gaia instructed me that their Barbaresco is made extremely lively in youth, with bright fruit and hints of Nebbiolo’s characteristic tar and licorice.  As the wine ages, it can become a bit muted, only later to flower into a mature, powerful, and classic wine.  All Gaja wines are only vinified in acceptable growing seasons, or vintages, ensuring high quality, reliability, and aging potential.

The next two wines were both from separate single vineyard sites in Montalcino, where Gaja makes Brunello out of the local Sangiovese varietal.  Once they are aged four years in house, both the Rennina and Sugarille sites make excellent wines.  The Rennina is more subtle and silky than the much larger Sugarille, with ripe cherry, tobacco, and leather scents and flavors.  The Sugarille is a powerful wine, carrying deep dark fruit, cocoa, and spice, along with an extra long finish.  They went well with our cuisine- Margherita pizza and gnocchi with wild boar ragu.  The ripe acidity and slight sweetness of tomatoes are the perfect complement to Sangiovese based wines.

The Gaja Winery does make many other great wines- 16 to be exact, along with 12 different grappas.  One is even named after Gaia and her great grandmother, Clotilde Rey- the Gaia & Rey Chardonnay out of the Langhe DOC in Piedmonte.  The vineyard was planted in 1979, Gaia’s birthyear, and has become known as Italy’s greatest white wine.  They also produce a wine named after Gaia’s younger sister, Rossana- the Rossj-Bass, which is a Chardonnay with a touch of Sauvignon Blanc.  Three single vineyard Barbaresco wines are also made, along with one Barolo, and three Piedmonte blends.  And, for the more frugal shopper, the three Bolgheri wines are made starting at $40.  The Promis, Magari, and Camarcanda are all blends, using mainly Bordeaux varietals, and come from terroir ideal for creating strong wines with ageing potential.

For this lunch, I would like to thank Phil Rozen of Terlato Wines International, Barbara Edelman of Barbara Edelman Communications, and Gaia Gaja.  Her family not only makes great wines, but with her charm and knowledge, she makes an excellent lunch companion.

Theresa Carter, The Local Tourist, NBC5 Street Team

Oh, I am envious of all of you. This is going to be one of the best weekends of the year in Chicago, and I’m going to be out of town. My 20-year high school reunion (yes, in case you’re wondering, I did graduate when I was 9 – ha!) is in Carmel, Indiana, so I’m trekking south on I-65. I haven’t seen most of my classmates since graduation, so this will be an exciting event.

For those of you who aren’t traveling down memory lane, there are so many really cool events I almost don’t envy your struggle to choose!

The first ever Chicago Gourmet sets up on the Great Lawn at Millennium Park, and celebrates Chicago’s world-class cuisine. There will be gourmet samplings and premium wine tastings and celebrity cooking demonstrations in the gorgeous Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Also in Millennium Park is the WIRED NextFest. For my fellow geeks, this will be like giving kids free reign at Great America with no lines and unlimited tries at the whack-a-mole – “oh, look at that! wait – let’s go over there! wow, I want one of those!”

Down the street, the Art Institute is opening “360 Degrees: Art Beyond Borders“. This year long celebration brings together several of Chicago’s leading institutions to explore art and culture around the world. Check out the exhibit on Saturday, and everything else this amazing museum offers, for free. Then you can cross the street to Symphony Center for Macy’s Day of Music. Also free, the home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is hosting concerts starting at 2 in the afternoon and running all day, on four different stages!

Banned books are the bane of any democratic society. As a member of the Fourth Estate, I especially abhor the idea that someone can tell me what to read or what to write. That’s why I’m particularly disappointed that I will miss Saturday’s Banned Books Week Read-Out. Several authors, including Judy Bloom, a favorite from my youth, will be reading passages from books that some high-minded authoritarian figure thought should be removed from our lexicon. Forgive my soapbox, but I’ve been on it since Wednesday when I heard that the city’s asking bars around the baseball stadiums to stop serving alcohol after the 7th inning during the playoffs.

While I’ve gotten you all riled up, also consider checking out Sacred Spaces Fundraiser and Art Show. This event will raise money for a church in New Orleans that survived Hurricane Katrina but was destroyed by the city. Since the event’s in Downers Grove it’s a bit of a hike, but you can make a donation online.

Well, I can’t leave you like that, so we’ll end on a much happier note, talking about the Blues. The first ever Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival will be at the Congress Theater on November 22. 16 bands for only $31, and right now they’re looking for that last band – the Last Banjo Standing. If you or your friends are in a Bluegrass or Blues band, submit two songs for a chance to be on the same stage as the Avett Brothers and The David Grisman Quintet. Submissions end October 1, so be sure to enter right away! For those of you who are fans, I’ll be offering ticket giveaways.

Have a great weekend!

Theresa

Next weekend, I’ll be attending Chicago Gourmet,  the only urban gourmet food and wine showcase with tastings, demonstrations and hands-on workshops in the U.S. open to the public . Hopefully, I’ll snag some interviews with chefs and sommeliers and of course, I’ll be documenting this fabulous event for my readers!

This inaugural annual event welcomes some of the world’s most esteemed culinary experts, fine-dining chefs and sommeliers. The two-day festival features celebrity chefs, international and world-renowned American chefs.  For wine aficionados and lovers, Frederick Dame, the first American Master Sommelier with three other Masters will offer tastings and seminars.

Chicago Bean, Millenium Park.

Here’s the great news: for No Olives readers, a special online promotion of 10% off is available with the promotional code: CG2008TEN. Tickets are available at www.chicagogourmet.org. If you’re interested in the latest in gourmet cooking and dining, this is the event to be at! Hope to see you there!

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Hungry Z, NBC5 Street Team

New details are in! Beginning on Friday evening, September 26th, Chicago Gourmet will offer three days of activities featuring the cream of the crop in food and wine through a full slate of events in Millennium Park.

Tickets will be $150 per person and these lucky folks will be granted full access to the Great Lawn and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion to enjoy cooking demonstrations and premium wine tastings.

• Cooking demonstrations will offer  the chance to sit on-stage, up-close-and-personal, as celebrity chefs demonstrate their personal passion for great food.
• More than 150 premium wineries from around the world will welcome attendees and discuss and share wine in the Grand Tasting Tents on the Great Lawn.

Beyond the general admission activities, Chicago Gourmet will also offer additional events including an Opening Night Gala, a Grand Cru tasting, a Family Pavilion, a World of Flavors tent produced by the Culinary Institute of America, and a series of individual seminars about today’s hottest gourmet food and wine topics. Tickets for each of these exclusive events will be limited and sold separately from the General Admission passes.

There are currently 25 chefs participating including Rick Bayless and Gail Gand. To view the full list of chefs and events, visit http://www.chicagogourmet.org/