Chicago Gourmet flips from food to fashion

From Sept. 21-29, the Chicago Gourmet held a series of events to spotlight the rich culinary scene found in the Windy City. This popular food festival returned once again to celebrate chefs, but this time with a fashion theme. Finding its footing over the years has been a challenge for the evolving organization which at times has experienced growing pains over the years.

Locations for special ticketed events were sometimes held at a chef's home restaurant such as Goats and Totes with Stephanie Izard at Little Goat Diner and Somm Sessions at Adalina on State Street. A new venue SPF Chicago allowed patrons to play pickle ball while being surrounded by food stations.

Eataly presented an Italian Dinner held outdoors at the Chicago History Museum on Sept. 25 with elegant fanfare and a fashion showcase.

Gourmet standards included the annual Tacos & Tequila tasting and the Hamburger Hop packed party. Long wait times for guests at the Hop continued to be a problem and splitting it into two or a bigger venue could be a solution next year.

Another mainstay at The Harris Theater Rooftop at Millennium Park was the Grand Cru celebration with two sessions on Saturday. The color black was strangely suggested to be the attire for the afternoon escapade and a white party was held in the same space that evening. Any fashionista would know to flip those colors to match the time of day for the occasion.

For Sunday the Rise & Shine Gourmet was co-hosted by celebrity chefs and wound down the programming slated for the group.

Visit chicagogourmet.org for future plans from the organizers.