Back in Chicago after my 6 week sabbatical and I’m already hitting the foodie scene. Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Chicago Taste of the Nation event held at Navy Pier. So awesome! As stated on their website, Share our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is the nations’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to raising funds needed to end childhood hunger. With this one goal in mind, each spring and summer, the nation’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time and talent to making this special event happen all over the country and 100% of ticket sales supports Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger.
I was lucky enough to get one of the pairs of VIP tickets through the company I work for since we were a sponsor. Not too shabby when it’s $125 a ticket; feelin’ pretty fortunate. It was set in the large elegant ballroom and lakeside terrace at the end of Chicago’s Navy Pier and featured Michelin-starred and James Beard award-winners from the city of Chicago, popular mixologists in the cocktail scene and local fine wine and craft beer companies. A couple of the more well-known celeb chefs there included Rick Bayless from Frontera Grill and Stephanie Izard (winner of Season 4’s Top Chef and the only woman in eight seasons to have won), along with several other “Top Chef’s” from well-known high-rated Chicago restaurants. Stephanie’s restaurant, The Girl and The Goat, is excellent if you ever have a chance to go. It is on Restaurant Row on Randolph St.
My friend and I arrived a little late because I had to work until 7 but there was still food and cocktails to be sampled. We ran around to all the tables, making sure to check out as much as we could before they stopped serving. Each chef/mixologist and their assistants cooked and mixed behind their designated table and set out small plates or glasses of whatever their evening speciality was, while those in attendance strolled from table to table tasting all the extravagant samples either savory or sweet. So good! The theme this year seemed to be centered around seafood and corn, but mostly corn. Hell yeah, let’s use some of that corn that America produces each year at an average of 9000 pounds per acre on 13 million acres of land. Of course, we have to find ways to use it all so you find corn all over the place in the form of corn starch, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, ethanol, corn oil, corn meal....I could keep going but tonight, it was just corn, in it’s real true form. It was used to create special treats that were beautifully displayed. I love food art! I took so many pictures but I’ll spare you and only show you two of my favorite items of the night: Mercadito’s Taco Estilo Baja (Crispy Beer Battered Mahi Mahi on a small corn tortilla with Mexican Style Cole Slaw and Chipotle Aioli) and one of the restaurant’s (sorry didn’t get the name) Sweet Corn Pie with Candied Tomatoes. Both were amazing!
The night was filled with hundreds of people walking (or in our case, speed walking) around the ballroom sampling, jotting down there names at the silent auction and networking in the foodie scene. The grand finale was sitting out on the lakeside terrace of Navy Pier watching the fireworks that they set off every Wednesday evening. It was beautiful! A perfect warm evening by the calm water.
But it didn’t end there! During the fireworks, we ran into a guy from Groupon (another one of the sponsors) and were invited to the after party at a new bar called The Bedford in Wicker Park. It’s somewhat hidden entrance is at 1612 W Division St. and you walk through a big wooden door down into the former basement of the Home Bank and Trust Company. Remnants of the original 1920s bank, decorate the space making it look super cool. Part of the bar lounge area is in the old vault where you walk past the one-ton vault door into a room surrounded by safety deposit boxes. Quite a unique space.
***Big vault door and entrance to part of the lounge
We had a couple cocktails (on Groupon's dime) and visited with all sorts of foodies and chef’s. We did run into the Chef/Owner of Mercadito and after telling him how we liked his food the best and I have been wanting to go to his restaurant for a long time but haven’t been able to get in because you have to make reservations a couple days in advance, he gave me his number and told me he could “probably” make it happen. Cha-Ching! (NO, it wasn’t a creepy gesture!) Very nice guy. I’m not sure why but I guess I decided I needed to take a picture with him too. Don’t know if I will play the “I know the chef” card but I will definitely be hitting up Mercadito soon.
***Me and Mercadito Man
All-in-all, although I wasn’t feeling the greatest when I woke up this morning, it was a great night in the Chicago foodie scene. What’s next?
***If you are interested in the event you can get more info on their website at: www.strength.org. If you ever get the chance. I definitely recommend attending some day.
Thanks...
to Share Our Strength's for putting on an amazing event
to my workplace for sponsoring for a great cause
to Groupon for the after party
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