By Carole Kuhrt Brewer,
February 4, 2012 at 11:19 am
Chicago, Saturday, February 4, 2012. A sellout crowd of 1500 enjoyed gourmet treats from some of the best chefs in Chicago at the 1st annualFirst Bites Bash held in Chicago's Union Station's magnificent Great Hall last Thursday evening.
The event featured over 50 of the more than 200 restaurants that will be participating in Chicago Restaurant Week 2012 (February 17 through February 26, 2012). The special evening was both a benefit for the Greater Chicago Food Depository and a kick off for Chicago's 5th Annual Restaurant Week. The Gallery below showcases some of the celestial offerings at this impressive food fest.
Ready...The First Bites Bash kicks off in the Great Hall at Chicago's Union Station.Set...The guests sign-in.Go. The servers are ready.Time to grab a drink and get serious about eating. I decided to go for the red, white and blue--starting with a Belvedere vodka infused blue lemonade (followed by a glass of red wine, then water). An unlimited supply of soft drinks, water, wine, beer and spirits were available throughout the evening.With over 50 of Chicago's top chefs and restaurants represented it was hard to pick a favorite but chef Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia) and his "hot" new Bar Toma's hand-rolled and stuffed mozzarella was a gastronomic treat.
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Best Comfort Food.
Wildfire's Braised Short Ribs provided the perfect comfort food. Chicago has five Wildfire locations in the city and suburbs.Best Red Meat Dish.
N9NE Steakhouse's Steak Tartare made a cool contrast to my first selection and went down easy--especially with a glass of red wine on the side.Foie Gras Back on Chicago Menus.
LM Restaurant, the French Gastro Bistro in Lincoln Square was one of two restaurants serving Foie Gras Mousse – the other was Sprout.Chef David Burke (David Burke's Primehouse) who is known to push the envelope of culinary creativity and often redefine American cuisine, paired Beef Jerky with Hamachi for an interesting combo.Park Grill Chicago wowed the crowd with a perfectly cooked Seared Duck Breast with Sweet Potato Dumplings.
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Best savory finger food.
The hot River North Mercadito Restaurant with Chef Patricio Sandoval at the helm served Mahi-Mahi Tacos seasoned with just enough spice to make it interesting.Japonais and Mirai Sushi Spicy created an attractive and yummy Octopus Roll, Skirt Steak Robat.The Girl and the Goat's Stephanie Izard was host for the event. Her creation is pictured below.The Most Eco Friendly.
Stephanie went for a down-home presentation serving her Goat Chili in a paper cup. Many guests picked the Goat Chili as their favorite.The Best of the Sweets. Eleven restaurants offered sweet treats with Black Dog Gelato's Mini Whiskey Bacon Bar taking the cake both for its creativity and taste.
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Best Presentation.
The Berghoff's Dark Chocolate Terrine wins the crown for most attractive with its sugar-sculpture topping gracing each and every terrine.With a gentle hint of thyme Henri's Panna Cotta served as a rich, creamy grand finale.
Former Playboy Playmate Candace Jordan takes you to Chicago's swankest society galas and private parties -- sharing behind-the-scenes intrigue and celebrity dish. Required reading for the city's see-and-be-seen set.
