Taste of Chicago

Posted by Tammy at 8:00 am

Jul 012009

Scenes from this year's Taste of Chicago.

You have until July 5 to enjoy the Taste of Chicago. We have a few tips and tricks to make the most of your experience:

Stop by the Toyota tent and spin the wheel first. You have a chance of winning free food tickets and other prizes.
Buy your own drinks and handi-wipes before heading over to the Taste. Napkins are scarce & the beverage tents are overpriced.
If you need to renew your driver’s license, the Secretary of State’s office has a booth. It takes 10 minutes!
Forget the concerts and food demos! The real entertainment is watching out-of-towners try to eat turkey legs and corn-on-the-cob at the same time.
Unless it’s overcast like today, you should wear a hat. There is virtually no shade at the Taste..
The Original Rainbow Cone is still the best dessert at the Taste!

Chicago Gourmet
Chicago Bites Podcast #120

Posted by Tammy at 3:00 pm

Sep 292008

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)

Show Notes:
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