Chicago Wine and Food Festival

Wha' happened to it? Is it coming back? Anybody have any news? It's coming up on the regularly scheduled time (swiftly)...yet I've heard nothing about it.

Hope it's coming back. It was a bit unwieldy at times but good fun and interesting.

girlcook

Is this what you're talking about?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=15240

No, this F&W one is different (though fabulous). The Wine and Food Festival (so named, I believe, to differentiate it from the F&W Magazine bash) was put on by the Culinary Institute, Sam's (underwriter and carrier of most/all the wines showcased) and Tom Powers (last I knew of him he was with the Red Light/Opera group). The last two years of its existence it was held on a September/October Sunday afternoon over at the new Cul. Institue campus in River West.

I wonder if it got bumped by F&W Mag's event? They are very similar, though the W&F one seemed a bit more casual and a little more eclectic.

I did an internet search and found this.

According to their site, the event did not take place in 2006, and that 2007 is up in the air. It certainly sounds like a worthwhile event.

yep, this is the one! The last one I attended was 2005 and it was a lot of fun. they still have some bugs to work out (admittance was a bit tricky and wonky) but overall it was a very worthwhile event and reasonably well-attended.

A funny side note: the first one was set up with little thought to the effect alcohol would have on a pre-lunch stomach - the wine tables were set up in advance of the food and they poured liberally. Even the experienced winos got bombed. Here it is 11a (or thereabouts) and in 30 minutes you have tasted anywhere from 5-50 wines! All they had were a couple of bread/pate plates sort of tucked away in corners.....and it was also freezing (it was in a tent outside the CHIC building)....it was hysterical to see all these well-heeled people weaving about, shouting (we were toasted!) and falling on these poor little bread platters like rabid weasels.

They figured it out by the next year - some food stations were also set up in the wine tent and people behaved much more soberly.

For all that, though, it really was a fun, interesting, casual event. I miss it!