Each year near the end of September Bon Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet. Chicago Gourmet is a jam-packed, culinary all-star weekend bursting with celebrity chef demos, can’t-miss/DON”T want to miss tastings galore of delicious food, fabulous wine, and awesome spirits, and beer, and wine and cocktail seminars. More than 150 of the finest restaurants and chefs, hundreds of wineries, spirit makers and breweries from all over the globe, and you! People come to Chicago for this once a year weekend event of food festivities! I like to call it the taste of Chicago for true foodies because it is truly a foodie’s paradise! I must warn you to go hungry by bringing your appetite and be prepared to be wowed by the various tasting areas and seminars.
For those who want to take advantage of the full Chicago Gourmet experience, there are various other events centered around food and spirits that take place on this weekend, for instance….
Who doesn’t like a good burger?!?!? Friday is ‘Hamburger Hop’ where several chefs compete to win the title of the best burger with their tasty and creative burgers. It’s a competition among chefs, but its a win-win for all! Guest get in on the action as they get to enjoy tasty gourmet burgers, sip on beer, wine, and spirits, and more. After all the tasting, a panel of celebrity judges determines the city’s Best Burger winner and guests get to crown the People’s Choice winner. Following the Burger Hop Awards, guest head over to Late Night Gourmet, which is hosted by CS Magazine. This is the official after-party of Friday’s Hamburger Hop. The fun continues well past midnight, so don’t turn into a pumpkin or you will miss all the fun and festivities. This finale of Hamburger Hop is capped of with an evening of music from Chicago’s hottest DJs, delicious late-night bites, tasty libations, along with the revelry of Chicago Gourmet chefs, sommeliers, and other tastemakers. Friday night is non-stop and can’t miss event…talk about fun, fun, fun!!
Next up, the exclusive Grand Cru experience. This year it was, presented by the prestigious law firm, Eimer Stahl LLP – celebrating its 15th anniversary in gourmet style at one of Chicago’s most beloved events. The Grand Cru is the ultimate in culinary indulgences with tastings of elite wines from around the world. Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier and Director of Wine Education, expertly curates the afternoon’s wine selections for presenting sponsor Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois. I’ll drink to that! Salut!!
