Chicago's Food Prom

-By Scott

There were two lessons I learned at the Green City Market 10^th Annual Chef’s BBQ this past July 15^th in Lincoln Park.  First – and I’m sure most of you can agree – it’s hard to beat pudding-tender cheek meat freshly removed from a whole smoked pig after a few cocktails on a hot summer night.  For this, Socca, whose staff made me the offering, has won my eternal allegiance.  They’ve got whole pig game and I especially appreciate the gesture of doing something so straightforward and so well at an event featuring many of the city’s great chefs and restaurants.  As many of the Food Babies will attest, it’s tough to beat a whole pig on any day, food festival or not.

Whole Pig - Socca

 With pork rillettes from Zealous (pictured to the left), barbeque beef heart from Mado, and one of the best sausages East of Hot Doug’s, a distinctly porky link with Brunkow cheese mixed in and homemade sauerkraut on top from Old Town Social (pictured below), it was easy to just keep eating and eating and eating.  And you sort of had to if you wanted to squeeze in more than 80 restaurants in addition to sampling a cold beverage or two brought to you by the likes of Goose Island and Templeton Rye.

Brunkow Sausage - Old Town Social

Which brings me to the second lesson:  I’m clearly not a chew-gum-and-walk-at-the-same-time kind of blogger.  I’ve eaten food before.  Plenty of times.  It’s generally a pretty enjoyable process.  Especially when you’re eating food that tastes good.  I have also even been known, from time to time, to eat while standing up.  I know, I know, incredible but true.  I am a magician.  Apparently I have some practice to do when I combine eating with standing and taking pictures and making the occasional taste-related note.  It’s something I’m going to have to get used to, I suppose, unless I want to collect the first Food Babies pink slip.  But I have to say I was stressing out a bit at the Green City BBQ.  Part of the problem I think had to do with my biggest complaint about the event.  It was too expensive and too short.  $100 a ticket for two hours that felt more like 30 minutes – especially if you did things like breathe and chew your food.

The Scene at Green City BBQ

Rick Bayless - Doin' Work

The problem is you want to savor every bite at an event like this.  You want to think about what you’re eating, not suffer a panic attack as you weigh waiting in line for a Rick Bayless pork belly taco at the risk of missing last call at another of the chef’s table.  $100 isn’t cheap by any stretch.  And it was disappointing the powers that be at Green City Market felt the need to gouge their loyal followers by nearly doubling the price from last year.  However, the $100 price tag wouldn’t have been so bad if the event stretched three hours instead of two.  With so little time and so much to eat and drink, it was easy to feel rushed even if you weren’t trying to make mental food notes in your head.  And when you’ve paid that much for admission, the time flies by even faster.  If I had one wish of next year’s version of the Green City BBQ, it would to make it longer.  Even slightly longer would be fine by me.  I’ll take 15 minutes.  Just enough time to stuff down an extra course or two. 

In the end though, I have to say I’ll be back next year, and I would recommend the same to others.  Yes, it was too expensive.  Yes, it was too short.  But the food was great and it is definitely an event worth saving up your nickels to attend.  The Green City BBQ has been called "The Chicago Food Prom" by other reviewers which I think is a pretty accurate description. There is no other event in the city that allows you to meet so many of Chicago's best chefs and sample their cooking for a relatively affordable price. Despite the Green City BBQ's shortcomings,  it has been one of the highlights of my summer the last several years.  I suggest you join me there next July.

-Scott

For more information check out the Green City Market website or click here to download the full menu from this years BBQ.