Fifth Annual Culinary Food Fest

Chicago Gourmet Festival

With some of the finest food in America coming out of the Windy City’s kitchens, and headline-grabbing chefs like Grant Achatz and the notoriously reclusive Michael Carlson of Schwa gaining guru status worldwide, it’s little wonder that Chicago’s Gourmet Festival has become one very hot ticket.

This weekend, star chefs from Rick Bayless to Tony Mantuano will gather together under one open-air ‘roof’ at the Chicago Gourmet Festival in Millennium Park, presented for the fifth year by Bon Appétit magazine. If previous years are anything to go by, it’s going to be one big hog-roast of a hootenanny.

More than 100 Chicago-based chefs and restaurateurs, vintners, sommeliers and speakers will set up stalls en plein air, where guests can partake in live cooking demos, gourmet tastings, seminars and book signings. We’re particularly excited with the chance to meet Stephanie Izard of the city’s acclaimed The Girl and The Goat, and Tony Priolo, the culinary wizard behind Piccolo Sogno.
 
There’s a simply unmissable Grand Cru wine tasting and pairing on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and the Hamburger Hop burger battle on Friday evening will kick things off atop the roof of the Harris Theatre. A spectacular angle on the evening city lights and a gourmet patty in hand – what’s not to love? Just remember to wear stretch pants, and come with an appetite.