James Beard Foundation’s 2019-2020 Taste America Series Returns to Chicago

On Wednesday, April 1, Chicago will welcome the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America for a pop-up dinner as part of the larger national tour, which brings  food and conversation surrounding the nonprofit’s mission of cultivating a better food world for all. Spotlighting issues within the Foundation’s Good Food for Good platform, including food waste reduction, sustainability, inclusivity and chef advocacy, the seventh annual cross-country food series will highlight the organization’s mission-forward Impact programs and initiatives, while dishing out bites to the community of Chicago.

Taste America’s Chicago Pop-Up Dinner on Wednesday, April 1, at Tzuco will feature a stand-alone menu crafted by Taste America Visiting All-Star Chef Lorena Garcia (Chica; Miami, Las Vegas) and Host Chef Carlos Gaytán. Following a eception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres nodding to Chef Gaytán’s signature Mexican-French cuisine, guests will be offered a four-course dinner prepared by both chefs celebrating the diverse flavors, cuisines, and backgrounds that contribute to American cooking.

In addition, the Foundation has partnered with Food Recovery Network to ensure that Taste America events are Food Recovery Verified, meaning that all surplus food from the series will be recovered and donated to hunger-fighting nonprofits, who support food-insecure individuals, in each city. Through Food Recovery Verified, the Foundation can do its part to reduce food waste and hunger at the community level.  

This year marks the seventh time that the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America has visited Chicago. Expanding for the first time to span nearly a full year, Taste America 2019-2020 is also traveling to: Atlanta; Boston; Charleston, SC; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles; Louisville, KY; Miami; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Nashville; New Orleans; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.