Chicago Gourmet’s New Normal

Odds are few people remember the first Chicago Gourmet, which launched in 2008. Spread out over the Millennium Park lawn, the two-day event mostly became known for not having enough food and for attendees wearing high heels getting stuck in the muddy grass.

But after 2020 and COVID, the festival has added a variety of food- and wine-focused events spread out over a few days in different venues. This year included a pickleball tournament featuring well-known chefs like Sandwich King Jeff Mauro and The Duck Inn’s Kevin Hickey. An outdoor fashion show at the Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park accompanied a sit-down Italian dinner as part of this year’s fashion theme. Then there are the signature Chicago Gourmet events. Friday, September 27th’s sold-out Hamburger Hop featured 14 chefs.

While aspects of the festival have grown, the main event in Millenium Park has shrunk, with Chicago Gourmet’s presence restricted to one day at the Harris Theater Rooftop. Saturday, September 28’s Grand Cru consisted of two sessions that featured some 20 chefs and their signature Chicago Gourmet dishes alongside several wine and spirits purveyors.

Serafin Alvarado, master sommelier and director of wine education at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, a liquor distributor and one of the event’s sponsors, is a Chicago Gourmet veteran. “I’ve been part of this since year one when Mayor [Richard M.] Daley made Chicago Gourmet his initiative,” he says during the afternoon session.

For him, the fest’s more relaxed atmosphere reflects overall changes in the wine industry: “The young consumer in particular doesn’t like the stuffiness and pretentiousness associated with wine,” Serafin says. “In order to attract the younger crowd, we need to be more creative and make it more welcoming without dumbing it down or losing the complexity of what wine means beyond an alcoholic beverage.”

In some aspects, the event is a love fest for organizers and sponsors. Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno in River West is another Chicago Gourmet veteran, having participated since the beginning. For him, it’s about hanging out with his peers as well as the charity aspect. “The Illinois Restaurant Association really supports our industry, and that’s why you’ll see all the great chefs in the city here helping out,” the chef says.

One Off Hospitality Group’s Paul Kahan, the Grand Cru host, echoes Priolo’s thoughts about the association: “Especially during the difficult times of the pandemic, these guys were our lifeline,” Kahan says.

Restaurants and chefs relish the spotlight to interact with potential customers. Coda di Volpe chef Jacob Saben has been part of some 10 Chicago Gourmets. His dish, a cacio di pepe riff on chips and dip, was garnished with steelhead roe from the Pacific Northwest, and spoke to Saben’s roots with “a little bit of Seattle meets Chicago vibe.”

Dominique Leach of Lexington Betty Smokehouse in Pullman created a Korean-inspired smoked beef brisket bulgogi. She enjoys combining smoked meat with foods from different regions. Thai Dang, the chef of Vietnamese restaurant HaiSous in Pilsen, was a fan: “My favorite, honestly, is Dominique’s.”

First-timer chef Chesaree Rollins of CheSa’s Bistro & Bar in Avondale brought two dishes that reflect the gluten-free food at her Northwest Side restaurant: a cajun lamb slider and New Orleans barbecue vegan meatballs. Rollins, who suffers from celiac disease called the event “an awesome opportunity.”

Eric Rolden of Marina’s Bistro & Rum Bar in Uptown says his participation in the Grand Cru marked the first time for a Puerto Rican restaurant. He created a croquette filled with potatoes, ground beef, green pepper, and cilantro. “I want to show that our culture and food is beyond what people think it is.”