138 CHICAGO | SEPTEMBER 2019
SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATUREIT'S TIME FOR LIGHTS,
CAMERA, NAPKIN!
WORLD-RENOWNED CHEFS, SOMMELIERS AND
MIXOLOGISTS DESCEND ON MILLENNIUM PARK
FOR A MAIN EVENT YOU CAN’T MISSOne of America’s most sought-after epicurean events, Bon
Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet’s Main Event weekend returns
September 28–29 to iconic Millennium Park. In the spotlight this
year? A fun celebration of all things food, drink, and entertainment.Founded by the Illinois Restaurant Association and produced in
partnership with title sponsor Bon Appétit and presenting sponsor
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Chicago Gourmet’s Main
Event features an A-list cast of renowned chefs, sommeliers, and
mixologists. Beloved local talent such as Rick Bayless, Sarah
Grueneberg, Jeff Mauro, Stephanie Izard, Tony Mantuano, Joe
Flamm, Carrie Nahabedian, Jimmy Bannos, Jr., Fabio Viviani, and
Serafin Alvarado return in 2019. Leading national chefs, including
Andrew Zimmern, Masaharu Morimoto, Kwame Onwuachi, Jamie
Bissonnette, Jonathon Sawyer, Lorena Garcia, Michael Mina, and
Jose Garces also join the star-studded roster.“This lineup is unbeatable,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO
of the Illinois Restaurant Association. “It’s really the people who
make this event so special. There’s no other city in the world with
the caliber of chefs and spirit of hospitality like Chicago, and this
extends to both their restaurants and events like Chicago Gourmet.
We’re thrilled to bring back so many of our hometown favorites
while welcoming renowned talent from all over the country.”
The Main Event is a chance to learn new tips at cooking
demonstrations, explore new tastes and trends at interactive
wine and spirits seminars, connect with culinary stars at book
signings, and eat, eat and eat some more as more than 250
chefs share their specialties at 12 Tasting Pavilions on the Great
Lawn, including the popular BBQ Tasting Pavilion presented by
Chairman’s Reserve in the South Promenade.“It has been so fun to be part of Chicago Gourmet over the years as
it continues to grow and become one of the top food events in the
country!” said Chef Stephanie Izard of Girl & the Goat, Little Goat
Diner, Duck Duck Goat, and Cabra. “I'm excited to join my chef
friend Jamie Bissonnette as the final act on the cooking demo stage
to celebrate another amazing weekend at Millennium Park!”Chef Izard—a festival regular—hits the Bon Appétit Main Stage
along with visiting celebrity chef Jamie Bissonnette on Sunday,
September 29.Andrew Zimmern, known worldwide for his work with the Travel
Channel’s Bizarre Food franchise, appears for the first time in 2019. PHOTOGRAPHY: (STEPHANIE IZARD) NEIL BURGER; (WINE) PAUL HRDLICKA; (RICK BAYLESS/GUESTS) BEKING MEDIA“I’ve known about Chicago Gourmet for years and I’m very
much looking forward to participating,” he said. “Chicago is
one of the most interesting culinary cities in America. The chefs
are passionate about how they think about, create, and live
with food. I’m looking forward to seeing many of them, meeting
festival-goers, and sharing a memorable weekend.”Catch Zimmern on Saturday afternoon on the Bon Appétit
Main Stage.Can’t get enough stardust? Here’s an extra dose of who you’ll meet:Get ready for "Lights, Camera, Napkin" in Millennium Park
on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29.- Jimmy Bannos
- Jimmy Bannos, Jr.
- Rick Bayless
- Jamie Bissonnette
- Abe Conlon
- Thai Dang
- Diana Dávila
- Rohini Dey
- Carolina Diaz
- Joe Flamm
- Jose Garces
- Lorena Garcia
- Mindy Gohr
- Sarah Grueneberg
- Jason Hammel
- Stephanie Izard
- CJ Jacobson
- Bill Kim
- Tony Mantuano
- Jeff Mauro
- Matthias Merges
- Michael Mina
- Masaharu Morimoto
- Carrie Nahabedian
- Kwame Onwuachi
- Ryan Pfeiffer
- Jonathon Sawyer
- John Shields
- Karen Shields
- Alpana Singh
- Art Smith
- Katsuji Tanabe
- Fabio Viviani
- Jernard Wells
- Erling Wu Bower
- Andrew Zimmern
- Andrew Zimmerman