Aug. 26--Aspen Food + Wine. South Beach Food + Wine. The annual festivals, which bring together the country's top chefs for a weekend of wining and dining with ticket holders, have become part of the fabric of America's food culture -- and now, our city joins the mix with the first Chicago Food + Wine Festival, in Lincoln Park on Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30. What to expect, by the numbers:
70 chefs participating, hosting everything from cooking demos to food and drink tastings to cookbook signings. Chicago chefs include Graham Elliot, Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard and Tony Mantuano; national names to look out for: Tim Love, Ludo Lefebvre, Jonathan Waxman and more.
1 workshop named "The Art of Burning Food" -- props to Love for the most intriguing title on the schedule and, possibly, ever. In total, the weekend includes 20 chef-led sessions, each 45 minutes, from Sake 101 to a steak class with Rick Tramonto.
5 pastry chefs featured at Last Call, the Saturday evening event at Block 37. For three hours, sip cocktails and eat sweets made by HotChocolate's Mindy Segal, Boka's Meg Galus, NoMi's Greg Mosko, Lula Cafe's Kelly Helgesen and Beatrix's Yasmin Gutierrez.
0 empty parking spaces near the main event, we're guessing, particularly Saturday when Green City Market (the farmers market in a nearby portion of Lincoln Park) is still happening. Use public transportation, or be prepared to pay a lot and/or walk a lot.
175 dollars for a day pass, which gets you into either Saturday or Sunday's main event in Lincoln Park (entrance near Stockton Drive and LaSalle Street). Evening events, such as Last Call, are extra ($75-$225); a two-day pass for both daytime and evening events costs $550. Purchase in advance at www.chicagofoodandwinefestival.com.
