Attention travelers and food lovers — we are now approaching Chicago Gourmet! The culinary event of the year announces this year’s lineup of travel-inspired culinary embarkations, roster of featured chefs, and launch of ticket sales today, July 26.
Following a sellout 2022 event, Chicago Gourmet, will set its sights on adventure September 21-24, 2023. Founding sponsor Illinois Restaurant Association, together with presenting sponsor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, will celebrate all things food + travel this year, dubbing the theme for the 2023 weekend culinary festival to be “All Roads Lead to Gourmet.”
“Travel is a chef’s greatest ingredient. It reminds us of where we’ve been and where we can go,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association. “It turns us all into the greatest of storytellers.”
An itinerary for a culinary adventure awaits on the Harris Theater rooftop at Millennium Park & beyond!
FIRST STOP: MEXICO!
TACOS & TEQUILA, Thursday, September 21, 2023, 7:00-10:00PM, Harris Theater Rooftop, 205 E. Randolph St.
Tacos & Tequila will be the taco-inspired kickoff to the weekend. Hosted by Chef Rick Bayless (Bar Sotano) and presented by US FOODS and The Spice House, Tacos & Tequila will feature gourmet tacos and agave spirits presented by the city’s chefs (below) preparing authentic Mexican cuisine. Partygoers will savor premium tequilas and mezcals to the rhythms of DJ, mariachi and mojiganga performances.
Marcos Ascencio, Taqueria Chingón
Marco Colin, La Luna
Rodolfo Cuadros, Don Bucio's Taqueria
Diana Dávila, Mi Tocaya Antojeria
Drew Dzejka, Alys Beach
Veronica Fabre, Tacosur Birreria Tijuanense
Dean Fearing, Fearing’s Restaurant
Maria G. Landa, Rubi’s on 18th
Yani Sanchez, Takito Street Lincoln Park
Ryan Wombacher, La Victoria
Jonathan Zaragoza, Birrieria Zaragoza
$110 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
SECOND STOP: ITALY!
SOMM SESSIONS, Friday, September 22, 2023, 12:00-2:00PM, Adalina, 912 N State St
At this lunch event, you get to be the critic! Presented by Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, guests will enjoy a menu of upscale Italian dishes presented by Chef Soo Ahn (Adalina) alongside wine and live music. A few Chicago Master Sommeliers will go head-to-head course-by-course in a wine, song, and dish-pairing competition. Raise a glass because Somm Sessions will benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
$250 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
THIRD STOP: ROUTE 66
HAMBURGER HOP, Friday, September 22, 2023, 6:00-9:00PM, Harris Theater Rooftop, 205 E. Randolph St.
Get your burger fix on Route 66! Chicago Gourmet will be celebrating the Great American road trip this year with burgers at every stop. The Hamburger Hop, hosted by Chef Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat and more), is serving up burgers, cold beer, wine & spirits, and music under the stars. Presented byDoorDash, SYSCO and Blue Moon, Hamburger Hop will feature top chefs (below) showing up and throwing down, as a celebrity panel of judges chooses ‘Top Burger’ and guests crown the People’s Choice!
Audarshia Townsend, Content Director for Informa Markets’ Food & Beverage Insider
Leann Trotter, NBC 5 Chicago
Phil Vettel, Acclaimed Food Critic
Jason Vincent, GIANT
$130 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
FOURTH STOP: ASIA!
LATE NIGHT GOURMET, Friday, September 22, 2023, 9:00PM-Midnight, TAO Chicago, 632 N. Dearborn St.
After the burgers, the beats keep thumpin’. As the official Hamburger Hop after-party, Late Night Gourmet will feature Asian-inspired late-night bites, specialty cocktails, music, dancing and more. Presented by TAO Chicago and hosted by Chefs Jernard Wells (Celebrity chef, cookbook author, and TV personality) and Amanda Barnes(TAO Chicago), Late Night Gourmet will keep the night going under the watchful eye of a 20-foot-tall statue of Quan Yin and over-the-top moments of pure imagination.
$70 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
A Friday night ticket package of Hamburger Hop + Late Night Gourmet is $180 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
FIFTH STOP: THE GRAND TOUR!
GRAND CRU, Saturday, September 23, 2023, 2:00-5:00PM (session 1) and 7:00-10:00PM (session 2), Harris Theater Rooftop, 205 E. Randolph St.
Presented by UnitedHealthcare and Lexus, the Grand Cru is a global celebration of exclusive wines, craft spirits, and cuisine presented during two sessions. Savor culinary delights from chefs while sipping on spirits and wines curated by leading master sommeliers like Serafin Alvarado and master mixologists like Daniel de Oliveira, both of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
Session 1: 2:00-5:00PM
Nikhil Abuvala, Roux30a and Nanbu Noodle Bar
Soo Ahn, Adalina
Rodolfo Cuadros, Bloom Plant Based Kitchen
Thai Dang, HaiSous
Joe Flamm, Rose Mary
Beverly Kim, Parachute
Julia King, Ocean Prime Chicago
Devin Kreller, Wood
Dominique Leach, Lexington Betty Smokehouse
Patty Neumson, Herb Thai
Kwame Onwuachi, Tatiana NYC
Joe Rizza, Fioretta
Max Robbins, The Oakville Grill & Cellar
Pat Sang and Gary Zickel, Oki Sushi
Jonathon Sawyer, Kindling
Malvin Cydric Tan, Cebu
Paul Virant, Gaijin
Session 2: 7:00-10:00PM
Nikhil Abuvala, Roux30a and Nanbu Noodle Bar
Gustavo Barahona, Hinoki Sushiko
Ryan Brosseau, Dear Margaret
Maya-Camille Broussard, Justice of the Pies
Aaron Cuschieri, The Dearborn
Justin Gomes, The Langham
Andrew Lownes, Gibsons Italia
Lamar Moore, Bronzeville Winery
Martial Noguier, Bistronomic
Kwame Onwuachi, Tatiana NYC
Sangtae Park, TenGoku Aburiya
Anna and David Posey, Elske
Tony Priolo, Piccolo Sogno
Darnell Reed, Luella's Southern Kitchen
Mona Sang, Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining
Pat Sang and Gary Zickel, Oki Sushi
José Sosa, UMMO
Sarah Stegner, Prairie Grass Cafe
Fabio Viviani, Siena Tavern, Bar Siena
Maciek Zurawski, Grillin with Dad
$255 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
SIXTH STOP: THE SOUTH! AND SOUTH AMERICA!
NEW IN 2023! RISE & SHINE GOURMET BRUNCH, Sunday, September 24, 2023, 11:00AM-1:30PM, Chef Art Smith's Reunion, Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave.
Inspired by the journeys we share, chef friends Art Smith (Chef Art Smith’s Reunion) and Lorena Garcia (Chica) will reunite for Rise & Shine Gourmet. A multi-course, family-style brunch, Rise & Shine Gourmet will feature a menu of Southern and Latin fare paired with cocktails, chill music, and chef interactions. Smith and Venezuelan-born Garcia will highlight stories of their friendship, weaving inspiration for each of the brunch’s dishes between the courses.
$79 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
LAST STOP: GERMANY!
PROST! IN THE PARK, Sunday, September 24, 2023, 1:00-4:00PM, Harris Theater Rooftop, 205 E. Randolph St.
Chef Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio) will host this gourmet Oktoberfest-style beer and spirits festival. Prost! will feature an afternoon of chef takes on classic German delights, craft brews from new and established brewers, cool cocktails, music, and more.
Nikhil Abuvala, Roux 30a and Nanbu Noodle Bar
Joey Beato, Community Tavern
Michelle Bernstein, Michelle Bernstein Catering
D'Andre Carter, Soul & Smoke
Richie Farina, Adorn Bar & Restaurant
Paul Fehribach, Big Jones
Sarah Grueneberg, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio
Kurt Guzowski and Thomas Rice, Four Star Artisan
Brian Jupiter, Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods
All-newChicago Gourmet Passport ticket & travel packages are available! Out-of-towners and visitors alike can secure a seat to a weekend full of festival perks. These new Chicago Gourmet Passports are designed to provide a culinary getaway for two. Each Passport includes a hotel stay, an event ticket package for two, a complimentary event, as well as other perks including early entrance to the events and a bag of festival merchandise.
Tickets to Chicago Gourmet are live now, July 26, 2023, at chicagogourmet.org!
Attention travelers and food lovers — we are now approaching Chicago Gourmet! The culinary event of the year announces this year’s lineup of travel-inspired culinary embarkations, roster of featured chefs, and launch of ticket sales today, July 26.
Following a sellout 2022 event, Chicago Gourmet, will set its sights on adventure September 21-24, 2023. Founding sponsor Illinois Restaurant Association, together with presenting sponsor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, will celebrate all things food + travel this year, dubbing the theme for the 2023 weekend culinary festival to be “All Roads Lead to Gourmet.”
“Travel is a chef’s greatest ingredient. It reminds us of where we’ve been and where we can go,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association. “It turns us all into the greatest of storytellers.”
An itinerary for a culinary adventure awaits on the Harris Theater rooftop at Millennium Park & beyond!
FIRST STOP: MEXICO!
Tacos & Tequila will be the taco-inspired kickoff to the weekend. Hosted by Chef Rick Bayless (Bar Sotano) and presented by US FOODS and The Spice House, Tacos & Tequila will feature gourmet tacos and agave spirits presented by the city’s chefs (below) preparing authentic Mexican cuisine. Partygoers will savor premium tequilas and mezcals to the rhythms of DJ, mariachi and mojiganga performances.
$110 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
SECOND STOP: ITALY!
At this lunch event, you get to be the critic! Presented by Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, guests will enjoy a menu of upscale Italian dishes presented by Chef Soo Ahn (Adalina) alongside wine and live music. A few Chicago Master Sommeliers will go head-to-head course-by-course in a wine, song, and dish-pairing competition. Raise a glass because Somm Sessions will benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
$250 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
THIRD STOP: ROUTE 66
Get your burger fix on Route 66! Chicago Gourmet will be celebrating the Great American road trip this year with burgers at every stop. The Hamburger Hop, hosted by Chef Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat and more), is serving up burgers, cold beer, wine & spirits, and music under the stars. Presented by DoorDash, SYSCO and Blue Moon, Hamburger Hop will feature top chefs (below) showing up and throwing down, as a celebrity panel of judges chooses ‘Top Burger’ and guests crown the People’s Choice!
The panel of judges includes:
$130 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
FOURTH STOP: ASIA!
After the burgers, the beats keep thumpin’. As the official Hamburger Hop after-party, Late Night Gourmet will feature Asian-inspired late-night bites, specialty cocktails, music, dancing and more. Presented by TAO Chicago and hosted by Chefs Jernard Wells (Celebrity chef, cookbook author, and TV personality) and Amanda Barnes (TAO Chicago), Late Night Gourmet will keep the night going under the watchful eye of a 20-foot-tall statue of Quan Yin and over-the-top moments of pure imagination.
$70 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
A Friday night ticket package of Hamburger Hop + Late Night Gourmet is $180 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
FIFTH STOP: THE GRAND TOUR!
Presented by UnitedHealthcare and Lexus, the Grand Cru is a global celebration of exclusive wines, craft spirits, and cuisine presented during two sessions. Savor culinary delights from chefs while sipping on spirits and wines curated by leading master sommeliers like Serafin Alvarado and master mixologists like Daniel de Oliveira, both of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
Session 1: 2:00-5:00PM
Session 2: 7:00-10:00PM
$255 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
SIXTH STOP: THE SOUTH! AND SOUTH AMERICA!
Inspired by the journeys we share, chef friends Art Smith (Chef Art Smith’s Reunion) and Lorena Garcia (Chica) will reunite for Rise & Shine Gourmet. A multi-course, family-style brunch, Rise & Shine Gourmet will feature a menu of Southern and Latin fare paired with cocktails, chill music, and chef interactions. Smith and Venezuelan-born Garcia will highlight stories of their friendship, weaving inspiration for each of the brunch’s dishes between the courses.
$79 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
LAST STOP: GERMANY!
Chef Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio) will host this gourmet Oktoberfest-style beer and spirits festival. Prost! will feature an afternoon of chef takes on classic German delights, craft brews from new and established brewers, cool cocktails, music, and more.
$99 per person, exclusive of taxes and fees, 21+.
All-new Chicago Gourmet Passport ticket & travel packages are available! Out-of-towners and visitors alike can secure a seat to a weekend full of festival perks. These new Chicago Gourmet Passports are designed to provide a culinary getaway for two. Each Passport includes a hotel stay, an event ticket package for two, a complimentary event, as well as other perks including early entrance to the events and a bag of festival merchandise.
Tickets to Chicago Gourmet are live now, July 26, 2023, at chicagogourmet.org!
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