Sept. 23--"Breakfast at Ina's," the documentary about Ina Pinkney and her iconic West Loop restaurant, gets its world premiere next month at the Chicago International Film Festival. Screening dates have been announced, and tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 25.
The world premiere showing will take place Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m. at AMC River East 21, 322 E Illinois St. There will be an after-party at Local Root restaurant, 601 N. McClurg Court, where some of Pinkney's dishes (and cocktails) will be served. The package price for premiere and party is $50 per person.
Other screening times are noon Oct. 22 and 4 p.m. Oct. 23, also at AMC River East 21.
Produced by Daisy May Films, "Breakfast at Ina's" traces the final month of Ina's restaurant before it closed for good in 2013. The documentary uses that timeline as a framework to explore Pinkney's life and the challenges she has faced. You can read my interview with Pinkney and Mercedes Kane, film director, here.
Pinkney, of course, is now a Chicago Tribune columnist, introducing readers to breakfast spots around Chicago in her column, "Breakfast With Ina."
Chef Isaac Weliver, co-owner of Local Root, says the foods at the after-party will be "all of Ina's classics in miniature hors d'oeuvre form." So look for her frittata, heavenly hots, scrapple, fried chicken, salmon cakes and brownies. Pinkney, herself, will bring the coffee cake, Weliver says. Ina's bloody mary is part of the price, and there will be a cash bar featuring beer and wine, he says.
wdaley@tribune.com
