Chicago Gourmet 2010

Millenium Park was one of the first sights I visited when we moved here. I couldn't wait to see the iconic cloud statue that locals refer to as "the bean." We've only been here a month, but we've been back twice to see this amazing structure that reflects the sky and the Chicago skyline so uniquely.

Yesterday I was back at the Bean for a third time, but this time, instead of being surrounded by camera-wielding tourists, the crowd was laden down with wine glasses and appetizer plates, attendees of the 2010 Bon Appetit Chicago Gourmet event. My husband and I joyfully left the children with a babysitter and joined the throngs in a tasting frenzy.

I was surprised to find that the event was dominated by wine and spirits exhibitors. Tent after tent filled with friendly individuals ready to pour libations like this blue-eyed Irishman and his sweet Coole Swan dairy liqueur. I love wine and fun drinks as much as the next person, but there's only so much you can taste on a Sunday afternoon before returning home to deal with the kids' dinner and bathtime.

We tore ourselves away from the free-flowing liquor and went on a hunt for food. And there was plenty of food to be found, as long as we armed ourselves with a little patience for the long lines. Chefs from Chicago's top restaurants were sampling tastes of signature dishes and even rotating them throughout the day. There was so much I wanted to try, so many restaurants I'd heard about, but hadn't had a chance to visit yet, but the crowds were so dense that anything other than going with the flow would have been an exercise in frustration. The line for Rick Bayless' Frontera must have been over 100 people deep.

Pumpkin S'Mores Cakes

I had some delicious bites drifting along and tasting what came my way. The dessert pavilion featured exciting novelties like this pumpkin s'mores cake. The seafood pavilion offered fresh little bites like smoked black cod salad and tuna sashimi with granny smith slivers. Fulton's on the River served up some red wine braised short ribs on top of a corn puree that I will be dreaming about until I sit down to dinner there. I was glad to find them at the back of the St Michelle tent, along with a smooth Cabernet Merlot blend to go with it.

Cooking demonstrations and talks took place both days at the Bon Appetit Main Stage, a stunning setting under the futuristic trestle of the Jay Pritzker pavilion. I heard Chefs Takashi Yagihashi and Jackie Shen speak about Asian indulgence and demonstrate the enriching of a 5-spice braised pork with some other simple tastes (pickled veggies, Hellmann's mayonaise, and lime juice) to give the dish an umami dimension.

More Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

My favorite part of the day was definitely my chance encounter with the More Cupcakes team and their gleaming trays of mini cupcakes. The dark chocolate and salty caramel cupcakes were a delight. They left me wanting... more. But I'll have to wait til next year to experience Chicago Gourmet again. Until then, I have my work cut out for me, trying even a small fraction of the Chicago dining scene.