Imbibe & Inspire: "The Roots of American Foodways"

This looks very promising. The list of prominent chefs is extremely impressive.

Imbibe & Inspire: "The Roots of American Foodways"
Sunday, September 29, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM (CDT)
Chicago, IL

The cost is a challenging $264.74 ($250, plus fee). For more information see http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3947372698

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Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront will welcome “Imbibe and Inspire: The Roots of American Foodways” on Sunday, September 29, 2013, a unique event bringing the next generation of groundbreaking chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and photographers to Chicago to share their take on American cuisine. The event is being organized and hosted by Imbibe and Inspire’s Founder Stephen Torres. All proceeds will benefit Share Our Strength, a national organization striving to end childhood hunger.

The event will take place in the hotel’s 39th floor Penthouse Ballroom, a one-of-a-kind venue with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of Chicago. It will serve as the backdrop for eight interactive presentations dissecting American gastronomy, from its roots to recent reinventions. The presentations will begin at 10:00 am; each one will tackle a unique topic and last approximately one hour.

In the evening, attendees will be invited back for a reception from 6:00 – 9:00 pm where they will be able to dine with presenting chefs and sample their cuisine first-hand. The cocktail hour will feature entertainment by singer-songwriter Holly Williams. An eight-course dinner with beverage pairings will follow, creating a memorable meal with lively conversations. Participating chefs and restaurateurs include:

Hugh Acheson (Empire State South Atlanta, GA) , Jason Franey & Mark Canlis (Canlis Restaurant Seattle, WA) Dave Beran (Next Restaurant Chicago, IL) , Kyle Connaughton (formerly of the Fat Duck Bray, UK) , Paul Liebrandt (The Elm New York, NY) , Alex Stupak (Empellon New York, NY) , John Shields (formerly of Townhouse Chilhowie, VA) , Matt Lightner (Atera New York, NY) , Will Guidara (Eleven Madison Park New York, NY) , Erik Anderson (Catbird Seat Nashville, TN) , Ed Lee (Magnolia 610 Louisville, KY) , Rosio Sanchez (Noma Copenhagen, Denmark) , Melanie Dunea of "My Last Supper" New York, NY, Francis Lam Editor-at-Large Clarkson Potter/Publishers

The Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront will be offering a rate of $229 for attendees of the conference from 9/28-9/30. Please call 312.346.7100 to book and mention the Imbibe & Inspire room block.

Does anyone know the schedule for this event. I can't find it anywhere. Even the Wyndham doesn't know (although they say that it is happening). Nothing is listed on the Imbibe & Inspire webpage.

Yeah, I wish they had more info about the event. It looks tantalizing from the list of people, but I'd have to know a bit more about it to justify spending that amount of money.

Based on Brandon Baltzley's photos of the event, I wish I had gone

http://instagram.com/p/e3UAfTm5dE/

The dinner was really splendid with several of the dishes truly memorable. (I will try to post photos when I have a chance).

The talks (some of them) could have used more focus, leaving more time for questions, but perhaps next year they will be more TED-like: fifteen minutes focusing on the most important thing/s. But many of the talks were engaging as well.

Hugh Acheson: "Don't Eat The Red Herring: The Quest to Define American Food"- 10 AM

Kyle Connaughton: "Tracing Americas Palate for Umami: The Fifth Tastes Emergence in American Cuisine Culture" -11 AM

Melanie Dunea: "Food Porn: Painting & Photos"- NOON (45 min)

Dave Beran & Francis Lam: "Telling Stories Through Meals and Menus" 1245PM (45 min)

Ed Lee: "The Anthro(a)pology of the "Other" American Cuisine" 145PM (45 min)

Christina Turley- "Old Vines Young Minds: Californias Wine Heritage" 230PM (45 min)

Alex Stupak: "Reverse Colonization" 330pm

Paul Liebrandt- "A History of English Food" - 415pm

Will Guidara: "Establishing Cultural Roots"- 5 PM

The event was well-populated by chefs and restaurant managers and industry people, less by the general "foodie" public.

GAF wrote:The event was well-populated by chefs and restaurant managers and industry people, less by the general "foodie" public.

Probably by design, too, because $265 is steep.

Regards,

Cheaper than a meal at Alinea or even Next, Everest, Tru, etc. (with wine pairings). This included tax, tip, and extensive wine pairings (and food throughout the day and a view of Chicago from the 39th floor of the Wyndham). Obviously it is structured at a price point for fine dining, but not outrageous. I assume that a lot of industry folks were comp'ed, but I felt that there was a good price/value balance. (There were times that I felt that I might be the only one paying, but who knows?)

Here are the photos as promised:


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Matthew Lightner, Atera, New York - Beets, Hibiscus, Aged Beef Fat and Aromatics by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - John Shields, formerly Town House, Chilhowie, VA - Matsutake, the end of summer's foliage by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Erik Anderson, Catbird Seat, Nashville - Chicken Liver, Cheerwine, Boiled Peanuts, Pickled Watermelon and Fried Chicken Crumble by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Greg Baxtrom, Formerly Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills - Pear, Potato, Black Walnut and Sage by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Hugh Acheson, 5&10, Athens, GA - Rabbit Terrine, Pickled Celery, Mustard Greens Kimchi, Shaved Matsutake, Celery Leaves, and Crisp Bread by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Kyle Connaughton, formerly Fat Duck, Bray, England - Smoked Salmon Ibushi-Gin, Charred Kyoto Eggplant, Sesame Miso, Ginko Nutes, and Shibazuke by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Jason Franey, Canlis, Seattle - Smoked Chicken Breast, Fermented Sweet Potato, Pumpernickel and Tokyo Turnip by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Preserved Berries and Carmelized Whey - Rosio Sanchez, Noma, Copenhagen by garyalanfine, on Flickr


Imbibe and Inspire - Chicago - September 2013 - Squash, Huckleberry and Pecans - Dave Beran, Next, Chicago by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The dishes that I found most compelling were John Shields' Matsutake, Erik Anderson's Chicken Liver and Cheerwine, Greg Baxstrom, Pear, Potato, Black Walnut and Sage, and Rosio Sanchez, Berries and Whey (I wish that my photo did justice to this truly splendid dish).

This is one of those situations where I feel silly for having been a skeptic. Looks like one of the rare of these sort of events that is worth paying for. I always envision shoddy 2nd-rate food you have to wait in line for.