Jan. 21--Imagine going to O'Hare and going nowhere. Your worst nightmare, right? But not necessarily on Feb. 2 when the general public is being invited to the first-ever Ticket to Taste O'Hare inside International Terminal 5 to mark Airport Restaurant Week. 100 tickets will be available to dine at such spots as Tocco, Urban Olive and Wow Bao.
Details of how event ticket-holders will get past security haven't been disclosed. But registration specifics will be released later this week, said Karen Pride, the department's director of media relations.
"Airport Restaurant Week" is a spin on Chicago Restaurant Week. Most of the activity, which begins Jan. 22 and ends Feb. 4, is aimed at passengers at O'Hare and Midway airports and will take place in the terminals past airport security. It will feature discounted menu items from nearly every one of the 150-plus food and beverage locations at O'Hare and Midway; cooking and bartender demonstrations will also take place.
The demonstrations will begin at O'Hare at noon on Jan. 25 with an appearance by Bill Kurtis, the veteran broadcast journalist and owner of Tallgrass Meat Co,. on building the best hot dog at America's Dog. Other demos are expected from Tortas Frontera, Wolfgang Puck Express and Tocco. At Midway, expect live cooking demos from Harry Caray's Seventh Inning Stretch, Lalo's Mexican Restaurant and a how-to on making a virgin bloody Mary at Reilly's Daughter.
For a complete schedule of events at the two airports, check out the department's website.
wdaley@tribpub.com
