Chicago Gourmet
Chicago Bites #120

A celebration of food and wine? Or a celebration of WINE and food?

Bridget and I spent the weekend covering Chicago Gourmet on behalf of MenuPages. The event was a whirlwind tour that gave us access to chefs, food and wine from Chicago and beyond. But was Chicago Gourmet worth it? And what should happen to make this a true showcase for Chicago cuisine? We have some thoughts on the experience and what needs to improve.

(16.9 M)

00:00 - 01:45 Intro
01:46 - 03:52 Opening night
03:53 - 05:40 Chicago Gourmet vs. the Taste of Chicago
05:41 - 07:33 Cooking demonstrations
07:34 - 09:05 East meets West
09:06 - 11:02 Seminars
11:03 - 12:43 Fangirl meets Gale Gand, price of access
12:44 - 14:40 Delivery on the goods, culinary students
14:41 - 15:54 Managing expectations, suggestions
15:55 - 17:31 International focus vs. local cheerleading
17:32 - 18:25 Wrap-up and sign-off

Dunkin' Donuts, one of the sponsors, served coffee drinks at the event. Were they gourmet? Uh, no.

Chicago Gourmet
Millennium Park
Chicago, IL

Bridget's Rating: 5
Tammy's Rating: 5

Price per person: $150/day; $400/weekend

Our online coverage of Chicago Gourmet for MenuPages:
A Taste Of The Kickoff
Searching for Food at Chicago Gourmet
How To Scare An Octopus At Chicago Gourmet
Tips From "Tasting the Masters' Way"
Taste of Sonoma County
The Secret is in the Sauce: A Chat with Chef Jackie Shen
Chefs at Play

Check out our Chicago Gourmet photos on Flickr.

The fun of the event was meeting local food celebrities like Gale Gand.