Chicago Gourmet delivered another delectable Grand Cru

The annual culinary festival, Chicago Gourmet, returned to the Windy City once again with four main days from September 24-27. The programming was packed with activities, starting with Tacos & Tequila on opening night.

To kick off the festivities, a Global Stage Dinner was held at Millennium Park and an Asian Night Market was organized at the Zhou B Art Center. The festival was launched in 2008 and originally used the Millennium Park lawns, but shifted to the adjacent Harris Theater Rooftop instead. This allowed for covering patrons during inclement weather and pared down the massive festival to easily digestible sections.

Friday, September 25, featured midday Somm Sessions and the favorite Hamburger Hop at night. Saturday brought two Grand Cru tastings and new Live Chef Cooking Demos at Pritzker Pavilion. Sunday closed with the Rise & Shine Gourmet brunch that left ticket holders hungry for more in the future.

There were over 150 chefs, sommeliers and tastemakers involved over the course of four days. Proceeds from the Gourmet benefited the Illinois Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund.

This year's theme was Let Your Tastebuds Dance and throughout the series of events, talented dancers popped up for live choreographed performances.

The festival's crown jewel, Grand Cru, continues to captivate the crowds with samples and light bites. The afternoon session was hosted by the Girl & the Goat's Stephanie Izard and Koko Head Cafe's Lee Anne Wong, while the evening session was hosted by Monteverde's Sarah Grueneberg and Southern Smoke Foundation's Chris Shepherd.

Celebrity chefs were in every corner of the room, representing their individual businesses and putting their best foot forward. There were outdoor spaces to stretch out in and relax after braving the lines of ravenous attendees. Deliz Italian Steakhouse's seared potato gnocchi and Oki Sushi's shrimp samples stood out from the pack.

Chicago Gourmet will celebrate a milestone in 2027 to mark its upcoming 20th anniversary. Slice and dice your way over to chicagogourmet.org for future updates and ticket information for next year's food festival.