On July 15, approximately 2,000 guests—many armed with trays—lined the fence outside Lincoln Park's Green City Market for the Chef's Barbecue, which raised $210,000 for the organization. "It was certainly intimidating when guests first arrived at the event," said the market's executive director, Lyle Allen, who added that last year's event drew closer to 1,800 guests. "But we got everyone in within 15 minutes, so we really have the procedures in place to accommodate such a large crowd.
Along with a higher guest count, this year's walk-around tasting had more restaurant participants than last year. With stations from approximately 90 local eateries and bars, Allen estimated that participation was up by 20 to 25 percent. "It speaks to the general movement that's going on in Chicago," he said. "People are becoming very interested in local food sources, and chefs are leading the way with that. There's no other city in the country that has such a connection between chefs and farmers, and more and more [Chicago-based] chefs are developing partnerships with farmers."
Such partnerships were evident in the evening's menu, which offered foods that local chefs prepared with ingredients from the market. Snacks included watermelon-tomato kebabs with grilled pork belly from Boka Restaurant Group, Chilam Balam's squash-blossom quesadillas with jack cheese and spicy Heirloom tomato salsa, and pig cheeks with grilled peaches and pickled peppers from Sugar Toad. ("I feel my pork-to-blood ratio rising," one guest commented.)
In the cocktail tent, local mixologists also made use of market goods, whipping up drinks with ingredients that ranged from strawberry-rhubarb syrup to sage leaves and local honey.
Other changes included a V.I.P. area replete with Tablescapes lounge furniture, waiter service from Limelight Catering, and tasting stations from high-end establishments like Naha and the Four Seasons Hotel. "We really wanted to raise the V.I.P. component up a notch this year," Allen said. "This is the first year we saw really significant sponsors sign on with Green City Market, so we wanted to create a very inviting experience for those guests." Backers included Wirtz Beverage Illinois, the Chicago Park District, Organic Valley, Hinkley Springs, and Intelligentsia.
