Dozens of celebrity chefs, acres of food and wine, a gorgeous Chicago weekend by the lake, manageable lines… the fifth annual Chicago Gourmet had all of this, and more. And our man Huge Galdones was there to capture it for us. From Izard to Poli to Bayless to Besh, check it all out in his star-studded slide show below.
Chicago Gourmet, under construction.
Andrew Knowlton (Bon Appetit), Rick Bayless, Adam Rapoport (editor, Bon Appetit), Sam Toia (president of the Illinois Restaurant Association).
Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), Dirk Flanigan (The Gage), Tony Hu (Lao Sze Chuan).
Ricks Tramonto (R’evolution, New Orleans) and Bayless.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Art Smith gives some love to Takashi Yagihashi.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Hizzoner Mayor Emanuel.
Hamburger Hop winners: Yoshi Katsumura (Yoshi’s Cafe), who won with a wagyu burger topped with fried gree tomato, Asian pear jam and brie, and Matt Troost (Three Aces), Popular Choice winner for prime chuck and sirloin topped with bacon jam, three-year-old cheddar, bone marrow salt, red onion and mesclun greens.
Mixologists Debbi Peek (Southern Wine and Spirits), Charles Joly (The Aviary) and Danny Shapiro (Scofflaw).
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
John Besh (August, etc. in New Orleans).
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
John Folse (Lafitte’s Landing, New Orleans) and Rick Tramonto talking turtle and gator.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Offering from R’evolution (Folse and Tramonto).
Jimmy Bannos Sr. (The Purple Pig) and Ryan Poli (Tavernita).
Photo: Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Homaro Cantu (Moto) makes WXRT’s Lin Brehmer inhale sulfur hexafluoride.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Tony Hu explains the finer points of Chinese food.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Chris Pandel (Balena) talks gnocchi.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
“A panel discussion on food and the media? I need a drink!”
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Martial Noguier (Bistronomic) hits it hard.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
Adam Seger pours Laurent-Perrier.
No, honestly, I can’t eat another shrimp po’boy with bacon-quince jam, a mort-subise gremolata and panko-crusted 10-year-cheddar, says Mayor Emanuel.
Photo: Photographer: Huge Galdones/Copyright: Galdones Photography LLC. All rights reserved.
The Sheerin Brothers.
The Landan Twins, with former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Academy Award nominee Glenn Close.
Ryan Poli, devastated by the disappearance of Pintxo.
Jared Van Camp (Nellcôte) says you will eat this.
Stephanie Izard, Adam Rapoport and Sarah Grueneberg.
Photo: Galdones Photography/2012 Galdones Photography LLC
Bryan Collante, Hetty Arts, and Joe Heppe of Untitled.
Sandwiches from Quartino.
Andrew Brochu hanging out in the Supreme Lobster VIP area before the oyster shucking contest.
Judges Lisa Shames, Adam Seger and Audarshia Townsend, who gave the $2000 oyster-shucking prize to Luis Pedroza of Benny’s Chophouse.
Chicago Gourmet 2012.
