Wed. October 1, 2025
By Jerry Nunn
The annual culinary food festival, Chicago Gourmet, returned in the fall to celebrate the cooking scene offered across Illinois. Powered by Invesco QQQ! and produced by the Illinois Restaurant Association, ticket holders were treated to incredible delectables from a diverse culinary scene.
The festivities included a series of events and dinners from September 25 to 28, with several additional foodie affairs sprinkled around town.
In 2025, this included a sports theme cleverly titled Step Up to the Plate, which was highlighted with a Utopian Tailgate presented by Country Financial on September 14. South Walton, Florida, sponsored Chefs Get Pickled at SPF Chicago on September 20, which served up bite-sized food and pickle balls across the net.
Tacos & Tequila kicked off some of the major gatherings on the Harris Theater Rooftop at Millennium Park on Sept. 25 for three hours. On Friday, the following day, sommeliers saved the day for the Somm Sessions were presented by Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits at Adalina Prime from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. One of the nicest guys in the food biz, Soo Ahn, was on hand to present skilled pairings that afternoon.
The popular Hamburger Hop on Friday, September 26, was hosted by Top Chefs Joe Flamm and Sarah Grueneberg on the rooftop space. Sliced hamburgers were made fresh on multiple grills outside of the massive tent where ravenous attendees devoured samples. Chef Bob Gallagher from Gibsons Restaurant Group took home the Judges' Award and Blue Moon Brewing Company supplied beverages.
Late night bites at TAO Chicago were had following the Hop at 9 p.m. at the Asian Late Night Market. The action stations were accompanied by spectacular trapeze acts.
The Chicago Gourmet staple Grand Cru was split into two sessions on Saturday, September 27, at the Harris Theater Rooftop. Session one ran from 2-5 p.m. and session two began at 7 p.m. and ended at 10 p.m. The tasting booth surrounded the wines and spirits from around the world.
The Rise & Shine Gourmet served brunch on Sunday, September 28 was hosted by a trio of celebrity chefs, Art Smith, Lorena Garcia and Jernard Wells.
It was another day of perfect weather for outdoor dining in the sometimes challenging conditions of the Windy City.
The Chicago Gourmet team has ironed out its annual programming to a tee and it paid off with packed crowds. What will the theme be in 2026? Find out by tuning into chicagogourmet.org.
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