Chicago Gourmet 2024 Launches Ticket Sales and With Chef Pickleball Tournament

Fancy downtown food fest Chicago Gourmet, the annual fete that gathers together some of the city’s best-known chefs and restaurants, has launched ticket sales for the 2024 event that will run from Saturday, September 21 to Sunday, September 29 at the Harris Theater rooftop in Millennium Park.

The Grand Cru, arguably the main attraction, will return with two sessions on September 28 to the Harris Rooftop with wine and bites from Chicago chefs. But 2024 won’t be the year for those hoping for a pre-pandemic return when the festival occupied most of Millennium Park. This year, organizers at the Illinois Restaurant Association are weaving together sartorial and culinary art forms with the theme “Fashion, Plated,” and encouraging attendees to come dressed to impress in specific colors and styles for each event. “Fashion and food both tell stories, sharing history, traditions, and cultures of people,” association President Sam Toia writes in a press release.

Chicago native and Food Network personality chef Jeff Mauro is set to host Chefs Get Pickled, a new kickoff event set for Saturday, September 21, that will include an inaugural Chicago Gourmet Chef Pickleball Tournament featuring bites, drinks, and the chance to watch chef competitors such as Tigist Reda (Demera), Art Smith (Reunion), Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader (Loaf Lounge), and Kevin Hickey (The Duck Inn). On Wednesday, September 25, fellow food media star Mario Rizzotti will host a House of Gourmet Italian Dinner, another first-time event, inside the Chicago History Museum. Organizers promise an “extravagant” multi-course meal from chefs Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), Fabio Viviani (Siena Tavern, Bar Siena), Diego Puddu (Eataly), José Sosa (who recently departed Ummo in River North for Greggory Hearth & Tavern in suburban South Barrington), and Casey Doody (Boka Restaurant Group).

Despite being bumped from its usual slot at the onset of Chicago Gourmet, Tacos & Tequila will return on Thursday, September 26 on the Harris Theater Rooftop. Attendees are encouraged to don bright colors for the event, hosted by celebrity chef Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo) and Marcos Carbajal (Carnitas Uruapan), where they’ll find tacos, agave spirits, cocktails, and more from chefs including Diana Dávila (Mi Tocaya Antojería), Carlos Gaytan (Tzuco), and Danny and Jhoana Espinoza (Santa Masa Tamaleria).

On Friday, Top Chef alums Joe Flamm (Rose Mary) and Adrienne Cheatham will host the popular Hamburger Hop competition on the Harris Theater Rooftop with a “streetwear” dress code, which leaves plenty of room for stylistic interpretation. The Grand Cru, the fest’s luxurious and pricey ($255 per person) VIP-style party featuring exclusive winemakers and prominent chefs, will return with two sessions on Saturday, September 28. Hosted by chef Paul Kahan (The Publican, Avec), the sessions are inspired by the “elegant simplicity of a fashion sketchbook,” thus afternoon attendees are urged to dress for a “blackout party,” and evening visitors can expect a “white party” theme.

Smaller events will also dot the festival, including a Somm Session on Friday, September 27 at splashy Italian restaurant Adalina. Organizers expect to see crowds at a Rise & Shine Gourmet Brunch on Sunday with friends Art Smith, Lorena Garcia, and Jernard Wells, and a Late Night Gourmet after-party on Saturday, with small bites and cocktails at Tao Chicago.

Chicago Gourmet tickets are on sale via Eventbrite and all the details are available online.