This year I was given the privilege of a Media Pass to attend Chicago Gourmet presented by Bon Appetit.  This incredible festival has been taking place in Chicago’s iconic Millenium Park for ten years!  If you aren’t familiar, it is a food fest like no other. Famous Chef’s, upscale food samples, cocktails, and the wine, oh my gosh, the wine. Besides the food and booze, there is live entertainment, photo booths, giveaways and plenty of comfortable places to  sit, relax and enjoy the scene. Chef Demos from Celebrity Chefs like Chicago favorites, Stephanie Izard and Rick Bayless  . Who are just two of the fantastic culinary talent showcased at the main event.

This year’s festival included ten year anniversary events that were a week long!  Tickets are pricey, but worth it. The main event tickets cost $175.00 per person, per day and the pre-parties and access to The Grand Cru come at an additional cost.  If you weren’t lucky enough to be able to attend, have no fear, I compiled a list of my Top 5 Foods and Top 5 Drinks from Sunday’s events.

I indulged in so many good things that putting this list together was a difficult task.  I decided to narrow it down to my five favorite eats and 6 favorite drinks.  I am contemplating doing a separate blog post for just the wine and bubbly I had. Follow along below for my Tipsy Tour of Chicago Gourmet!

Tipsy’s Top 5 Foods From

Chicago Gourmet

The Duck Hot Dog From The Duck Inn

The Duck Inn is located in Chicago’s Bridgeport Neighborhood.  It was rated by Zagat as one of the top ten hot dogs in Chicago that you need to try.  After the Duck Dog I sampled Sunday I would have to agree.  This dog was a combo of Duck and Beef with Kimchi and a House-made Cheese Whiz.  The bun was perfectly soft and flavorful. Each bite was better than the next. It was truly the perfect combo of salty and spice. I could have literally stood here all day and eaten these.

The Wells Street Popcorn Cheese & Caramel Inspired Doughnut From Stans Donuts

Stan’s Donuts is a Chicago favorite, brought to Chicago from Los Angeles by Rich Labriola, owner of Labriola Baking Company.  Stan’s is now 7 shops strong and hopefully counting. This was the most unique doughnut I think I could safely say, I ever had. This Doughnut was not your standard coffee dipping doughnut.  The dough was warm and fragrant, smelling of warm butter and vanilla, the outside was topped with a caramel popcorn crunch. Inside was a cheddar cheese filling. You bit into this delicious doughnut and were treated to a cheesy center that wasn’t too savory and not too sweet.  Pure perfection in every bite.

The Boneless Buffalo Chicken Cone from Four Corners Taverns Group

Four Corners Tavern Group owns and operates 14 establishments in Chicago. Their dedication to providing a great atmosphere, superior service and creative culinary delights is unsurpassed. They certainly outdid themselves with this cone of deliciousness.  The chicken had the perfect amount of heat and the bleu cheese was the perfect balance of cool. The ranch dressing drizzle that was offered was the proverbial icing on the cake.

The Ube Cookie from Warm Belly Bakery

What is Ube you ask? I didn’t know either.  Luckily I was introduced to the famous Alex Jewell of Instagram @bestfoodalex and Food Blog AlexJewell.com!  This man was on a MISSION to find this cookie and luckily he let me tag along!  The look on his face when he found it was ALMOST as good as the cookie itself!

Here is what I learned about Ube.  Ube is a purple root plant that is similar to a sweet potato or yam. It is a popular pudding flavor in the Phillipines.  Warm Belly Bakery decided to incorporate it into a cookie and boy am I glad they did.  The flavor of the cookie was the softest, most moist, sugar cookie-esque cookie you have ever tasted. The buttercream icing was incredible.  She’s really pretty to look at too! Thank you Alex!

The Thai Lettuce Wraps From Chouns Thai Restaurant

The presentation was just so pretty to begin with, the taste just added to the already feast of the eyes.  The dish was the perfect balance of spicy, sweet and crunch.  I truly loved this dish so much I would even consider driving all the way to Wheaton just to eat it again.  Rumor has it, they are starting Thai Cooking Classes too! Check out their website for more details! Chouns

 

The Journey Continues……

Tipsy’s Top 5 Chicago Gourmet Drinks

Are Here ⇒Tipsy’s Top Five Drinks