2010 NRA show

Anyone attending?

Any tips for a newbie? Must see vendors or speakers this year?

Thanks.

Speakers? I just go for the food.

is this a joke? do they serve food with the guns?

abolt wrote:is this a joke? do they serve food with the guns?

LOL, The National Restaurant Association Show.

=R=

I usually stalk Sid Wainer and Son. For me, the best samples and most unique gourmet items @ the show. Fermented black garlic and mangosteens were my faves last yr. Always has great cheeses, pate's, condiments etc...

I'm going to be there Saturday and then again for some of the food truck stuff on Monday...and the Wine and Spirits hoopla, of course.

I'm going Monday. I'll be checking out the food truck stuff and wandering the floor eating the usual fried nibbles and gelato cups, I'm sure.

elakin wrote:I'm going Monday. I'll be checking out the food truck stuff and wandering the floor eating the usual fried nibbles and gelato cups, I'm sure.

You guys in the restaurant biz already know how much goes into putting food on plate, but for those of us who basically just consume (and talk about it), it's always remarkable to realize how many industries are behind the scenes, making it happen. The depth is on display at a trade show like NRA, I just dig it a lot.

Looks like I'll be there on Tuesday. Going to try to hit the Candy Show, as well and Tuesday is the one day the shows overlap and are both open for a full day.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Looks like I'll be there on Tuesday. Going to try to hit the Candy Show, as well and Tuesday is the one day the shows overlap and are both open for a full day.

I won't make it to NRA, but I'll be at the Sweets & Snacks Expo pretty much all day on Tuesday...or at least until I go into sugar coma.

I'll be there on Tuesday and might take part in the Foodie Flash Mob.

will be there Monday

I'll be there Saturday a.m. mostly for business and schmoozing in the food truck section, and again on Tuesday. Tuesday's for eating. If you're chatty and charming, Tuesday is the day to walk away with boxes of sea salts, spices, whole sausage, etc. because the vendors don't really want to pack all that up and lug it back to corporate HQ.

Grace
http://www.galewoodcookshack.com

happy_stomach wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Looks like I'll be there on Tuesday. Going to try to hit the Candy Show, as well and Tuesday is the one day the shows overlap and are both open for a full day.

I won't make it to NRA, but I'll be at the Sweets & Snacks Expo pretty much all day on Tuesday...or at least until I go into sugar coma.

Somehow the S&S Expo was off radar (thanks for mentioning), but I'll be there, probably Tuesday, too.

There. Working it.

It wasn’t hard meeting LTH-related folks at the NRA Show, Day One. Was there about five minutes before we ran into wild man Mark Reitman (chicagostylehotdog); note snazzy headgear.



Food Trucks are a predictably hot trend represented by vendors, seminars, and heavy media coverage:



Another hot trend: kimchee…and natto (or so we’re being told).



There are many hospitality-related innovations, like this player piano: the keys work up and down, like a regular old timey player piano, but with the added advantage of a person playing the same tune in a video.



I ate three hot dogs (Vienna, Nathan’s, Eisenberg) and for dessert had some chipstix.





This novelty food shows promise, but the seasoning on top was less than tasty and the chips were not crisp – still, kind of fun (as is everything on a stick).

I love trade shows.

I was a first timer Saturday. I was impressed. I had to stop sampling, there was only so much food & drink my body could take. Sorry no pictures.

I only saw about 60% (I guess). My legs and back were really hurting. If I get to go next year I have to do some walking to get in shape. There were not too many places to sit down.

I really liked the sampling from the ice cream and gelato booths. Oh, and the bartenders at the Tilted Kilt, were, ahem, what you would expect. If they had barstools I could have stayed there a long time.

Never saw the food trucks I assume they were on another floor. I only got to the second floor with the two exhibit halls (North & South, I think).

I have a ticket for Tuesday, but work keeps me from going. After reading swine’s posting about getting take away samples, I should have planned better.

D.

Food truck presentation was packed. I'm becoming very optimistic about this trend.

David Hammond wrote:Food truck presentation was packed. I'm becoming very optimistic about this trend.

I heard on the news last night that the City Council has actually scheduled a hearing on the food truck issue, so there's hope, although restaurant owners are lobbying hard on both sides of the issue.

I went for the first time yesterday and can't say it's a must for typical non-professional "foodie" types. I gather it's geared toward your middle-of-the-road, high volume places. Lots of equipment, plates/glasses, sanitation stuff. Floor mats. Soup in big bags. Ready made cakes. Mostly stuff that people around here abhor.

Wasted a couple hours here this morning. Part of the fun of going on Tuesday is that it's easy to move and the hard sell definitely isn't on, most of the sales teams are just down to a few people and those left are miserable and beat-up. Really wasn't anything out of the ordinary, felt there was actually a lack of small start-ups or anyone doing anything interesting. Hadn't been to the show in close to 5 years and the show is a small shell of what it used to be. I have a feeling next year will be the last year you will see the NRA show in Chicago.