I'm sure it's a total cliche to say that this is the real Taste of Chicago, but it is what you wish that event could be— the best chefs in town knocking out inventive picnic food and drinks. Of course, even at a few hundred folks this event had its share of things served lukewarm and so on, so multiply it to Taste size and you can only imagine how impossible it would get. At the size it was, things managed to move well, only a couple of booths had significant lines (Rick Bayless's is so popular no one goes there), and I tried lots of wonderful stuff (and happily, the chefs I knew all acquitted themselves well). It was also fun that GWiv's booth became sort of like the LTH reception room, with assorted LTHers not involved in actually serving just naturally lounging around there.

Here are some highlights from early on, I stopped taking pictures after the sunlight disappeared:


Philip Foss of Lockwood cooked this brisket sous vide for 40 hours or something. It also spent some time on a grill, because I definitely got a burnt end, which was yummy.


Naha's elk, really nicely put together though you did lose the game meatishness a little in the salad. The salad was terrific, though.


Prairie Grass's crostini with grilled portabellos and goat cheese, worth giving up precious pork stomach space for.


That's Stephanie Izard back there smiling her 1000-watt smile (even out of focus, good for 300 watts) behind her excellent goat and goat cheese combo, the first public taste of her impending, someday The Drunken Goat restaurant.


Crofton on Wells' rabbit dog with apple cider ice. One of my top 3.


Three Floyds guys cranking out what was billed as "pork fat hot dogs."


Paul Kahan dishing up the most daring dish of the night-- the blood sausage corn dog-- which was a surprising and total success, another of my top 3 (and same for nearly everyone I talked to).


Bill Kim making something like bulgogi on sope-like pieces of masa; the Asian flavors were good (and hot) but the masa was so hard it hurt my tooth.


Guys from Tru putting truffle foam on a sausage-cracker combo.


Mado made a Memphis pulled pork sandwich... except they used tongue (and, incidentally, baked their own white bread).


Nathan Sears of Vie serving...


...barbecue turkey with pickled greens and stuff on it. This was the other of my top 3, probably my favorite in fact, certainly the one that dazzled the most despite unexciting-sounding meat. Basically it was like soul food, and really likable.

A few other things I really liked but no pics: Cary Taylor of Chaise Lounge's smoked blueberry pannacotta, no I didn't taste the smoke either but it was just what I needed after Bill Kim's spicy dish; a blueberry-ginger Maker's Mark cocktail which I think was from the folks at Sola; Lula/Nightwood's white gazpacho with sweetish beets and bits of bacon in it; and, though I didn't taste it till well after I was stuffed, Fig's grilled trout (one of the very few fish items).

My only complaint with tonight's event other than the rain - too many choices and I didn't care to limit my choices. So I ate until I couldn't eat one more bite and unfortunately, that caused me to miss some items such as the tongue from Mado, the goat from Drunken Goat, and probably a couple of others.

There was a lot of excellent food tonight and I wasn't the least bit surprised to see some of it being served by LTH'ers.

Some revelations for me included:

1. The pork sausage with truffle-buttermilk foam from Tru. For me, this was the hands-down best dish of the night.

2. The chilled yellow tomato gazpacho with La Quercia speck and Aquavit - I'll boldly say I've never tasted better gazpacho.

3. The Chi Town hot dog sliders served by the Ritz . . . I'll echo RAB's comments here. Clever, wonderful tasting, and the least messy Chicago dog I have ever eaten.

4. The blood sausage corn dog from Blackbird/Avec/Publican - brilliant!

5. Butter pecan ice cream with bacon brittle from Hot Chocolate - I've heard of bacon brittle, but never tasted it before. This was really a great combination, although I've never had anything from Mindy Segal which I didn't like quite a bit.

6. Mushroom and goat cheese crostini from Prairie Grass - I agree with Mike G . . . easily my favorite of the vegetarian items tonight (since the gazpacho had speck).

7. Tacos al pastor from Rick Bayless, lamb merguez sausage from Sepia and rabbit sausage from Crofton on Wells, lamb burger from Four Seasons and mini soda float from MK . . . all very, very good.

I could go on an on as the food choices were wonderful and diverse. Can tasting menus get much better than this? I'm already looking forward to next year's event.

When I saw ronnie_suburban and MikeG with cameras, I immediately decided there was no point in my bothering to attempt to document at that quality, so I just ate. And talked. A lot. So, although I don't have a picture of it (and no one else has posted one yet), one of my favorite bites of the night was the goat chorizo with cumin yogurt from Carnevale: just busting with flavor, lush, peppery and slightly sour.

I must admit to a certain frustration; in two hours, there's no way one can eat as much as one would like and reviewing the comments, I'm constantly wondering (and feeling a pang of regret about) how I missed some of the stuff others tried and liked.

I must admit to a certain frustration; in two hours, there's no way one can eat as much as one would like...

Yeah. I was so concerned that the lines would start to grow, that for the first 30 minutes I ate basically everything I could get my hands on, as quickly as possible. Less than an hour into the event, I felt physically incapable of consuming more. At that point I started planning what I was going to say to Gary when I got to his table and he offered me a pulled pork sandwich. I had come up with some excellent words, but when I got there, all that came out when he asked was "No." I thought Gary and the LTH posse behind him were going to kick my ass. They were right, I had failed the GCM BBQ pace-yourself test. Certain that I was done, I starting walking over to say hi to Rob from Mado, and passed the Nomi stand, advertising what they claimed was a pork belly "Apicius" made from a 2000 year old recipe. The tender cabbage wrapping looked soothing, so I took a bite against my better judgment, and spent the next 4 minutes looking frantically for a way to spit it out without making a scene. Then I got to Mado, and as Rob saw me coming and started dishing out some tongue, I waved my hands and cried "No food! No food!" It was as if I had stabbed a dagger through his heart, as he said something about his life worth being judged by how I liked it when he gave me tongue. Maybe I was hearing things by then, but I felt like I'd better taste it despite the consequences. The one tiny bite I had was fantastic, and I kept it down. The rest went in the trash, and I headed for home.

Aside from Rob's tongue, my favorites of the evening centered around dessert, which is rather surprisingly for me. I loved:
- Atwood Cafe's grilled nectarine shortcake. The honey whipped goat cheese was perfectly balanced and luscious, and the lavender/lemon curd was fantastic.
- The Ritz Carlton's soda floats. They made and tapped their own kegs of raspberry soda, and topped cups of that with a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream a person can make. Fun, nostalgic, and absolutely delicious.
- Tru's little apricot candies. Wow.

On the savory side, besides Mado's tongue I most liked:
- Gary's pulled pork (no, I didn't actually have it. But I don't want him to kick my ass so I'm saying it was awesome)
- The beer-brined chicken from The Signature Room. Just a fantastic, tender piece of chickenny chicken with a little piece of crispy skin on top. Perfect execution - not an easy thing for a piece of chicken on the bone at an event like this.
- The housemade pickles from the Goddess and the Grocer. I don't usually associate this place with food worth seeking out, but this changed my opinion. If they start selling these pickles in the store, I'm a regular customer.
- Sorghum cured pork belly from Big Jones. The pork itself got completely lost in this, but I loved the hominy cake and sweet, earthy sorghum glaze.

As others have noted, this is a fantastic event, and kudos go out to the organizers and participating chefs/ helpers for the incredible preparedness and smooth operation.

leek wrote:One suggestion - the coolers were not labelled, so we didn't drink from them, and I could have used a non-alcoholic drink. I just wanted water...

Those coolers had water in them.

I was initially reluctant to drink, so I passed on a smoothie I couldn't remember where it was when I wanted it. Carnivale had a blueberry non-alcoholic beverage. I was so thrilled, I drank three portions. Goose Island didn't bring root beer, which had been a reliable option in past years according to event veterans. Otherwise it was water in the coolers that was thankfully cold. Reading beverage lists in the program didn't reveal any non-alcoholic beverages, beyond coffee and iced tea.

I buzzed around like a busy bee hoping the rain might not shutter the event early. I was so efficient, I was full at 6:35. I sort of turtled from that point. From reading some descriptions, I missed some stuff. However, if I had found them, I'm not sure I had enthusiam left to try them. Next time, I will buddy up with someone to sample half-portions of everything and go the full round.

It was a fine evening.

Regards,

LTH,

Wow, what a rush, participating is a whole different experience than going to Green City BBQ as a guest. Well organized, though we got crushed at first being near the entrance, everyone seemed to be having a grand time which even summer rain the first half hour could not dampen.

I did not get a chance to walk around and taste, but of what I did try my favorite was Blackbirds blood sausage corn dog. Also loved Mado's BBQ tongue, Fig Catering's trout, Vie's smoked turkey and Smoque/Ina/TrueCusine's smoked beef ribs. I heard Carnivale's grilled goat chorizo was terrific, but did not get a chance to try.

Really enjoyed seeing all the LTHers who stopped by and loved the chance to talk BBQ. I got a huge kick out of people coming up, who I had never met, and talking about their experience working though the 5-Lessons of Low & Slow.

Far as Team Low & Slow participation, all I can say is it's good to have friends as this was a true combined effort. I may be the not so pretty face of Low Slow BBQ, but Colleen Rush is the glue that holds it together. Linear, good natured, well organized, Colleen is the brains behind the BBQ. Thanks beyond words go to Alan Lake (Jazzfood), Seth Zurer, Mike Sula, Clair Kellam, Steve Z and Ellen Wiviott. Thanks as well to Molly and Justin of Fig Catering for generously allowing us to use their kitchen.

Kudos to the Green City Market organizers, looking forward to next year's BBQ.

Enjoy,
Gary

The folks who run this show did a great job. No mass of people squeezing to get in, but only a well organized line. Then, no lines more than a minute or two to get any food, except for Rick Bayless. Plenty of people this year offering beverages, alcholohic and non-alcholic. All of this made for a very well balanced event.

As for dishes, Mado and Vie not only had great meat, but both had extraordinary house made bread. Vie's was a buckwheat, honey, something that was nutty and perfect with the turkey. Mado's was an attempt to make a Parker House roll bread. My comment was that it tasted like it was already buttered.

High marks to Perrenial's pork belly sandwich with some kind of jam and arugula.

Similar high marks to North Pond's meat (can't remember what kind) with apricot. There was quite a bit of meat and fruit, most very well done.

I thought the blood sausage corn dog from Chef Kahah was interesting, creative, but not particularly flavorful. I thought the same about Tru's truffle dishes, although their apricot gel dessert was outstanding.

It's funny reading everyone's posts and hearing what others liked and comparing those to what I liked most. It really just shows you how much great food was served last night (as well as the varying tastes of everyone here) and the efforts which went into getting everything ready. I felt bad for the chefs and staff shortly before the gate opened as the winds kicked up, the rain started, and hours and hours of hard work were put at risk. Some chefs were having difficulty with their charcoal starters and resorted to the dreaded lighter fluid. There were nervous looks everywhere and some tensions were high. And why is it that during our current dry spell, there has to be rain precisely in this 2-hour window?!?

But in the end, the evening really shined. And I'm impressed not only with the number of restaurants/caterers/chefs which participated last night, but also with the growth of the Green City Market each and every year. I really hope this leads to a permanent, year-round location for the market with increased days and hours of operation . . . and with spices, baking ingredients and supplies, etc. Last night (and the fact that this event sold out so early) shows that Chicago would support such an expanded market.

Cathy2 wrote:

leek wrote:One suggestion - the coolers were not labelled, so we didn't drink from them, and I could have used a non-alcoholic drink. I just wanted water...

Those coolers had water in them.

Weird. We saw people getting stuff out of them that looked vaguely like iced tea, and another set had stains under them that looked like grape juice (maybe someone had spilled wine?).

Anyway, the beer was good - loved 2 Brother's Weiss (Ebel?).

Another good way to go might have been to share dishes. Even made small, the dishes all seemed big as "tastes" go for me. I felt bad tossing out 1/2 of some things - they were good but I wanted to try more. The friend I went with, Kim, and I realized this after a few stands, but most things were hard to share (excuse me while I bite half of your lamburger). I did get a taste of things here and there. We were with two other friends, Tom and Liz, so we were able to share notes "you have to go get this icecream thing with grilled peaches!!!"

The trout was very refreshing! I also really liked some sort of crostini from (I think) West Town Tavern.

So much food, so little time and stomach space. As a first-timer to this event, I tried very hard to follow the "pace yourself" advice. Mr. X was stuck at work so I had to navigate the first 30 minutes solo. The ability to share plates with him is critical to my ability to eat more, so it was challenging in the beginning.

Highlights from the cocktail side of things:
* R & R Smash (Templeton Rye, pitted cherries, rosemary leaves, lemon balm leaves, lemon juice and simple syrup)
* The Sola drink made with housemade ginger ale, Maker's Mark and blueberries

Highlights from the food:
* Slow roasted goat and market vegetable slaw from Stephanie Izard/Drunken Goat
* Goat summer sausage crouton with apricot butter from Bruce Sherman/North Pond
* Braised lamb sandwich and arugula pesto from Campagnoloa/Union Pizzeria
* GWiv's pulled pork sandwich
* Lamb merguez sausage from Sepia
* Grilled zucchini and pesto crostini from Spiaggia

Special mention goes out to the folks from the Ritz for their enthusiastic marketing of the tasty "Chi-town sliders." We were also among the last few to enjoy the chilled yellow tomato gazpacho from A Mano and I'm glad we were.

On the dessert side, the goat cheese mousse with preserved cherries, honey and crispy basil from Tru narrowly edged out the grilled nectarine shortcake from Atwood Cafe and the panna cotta from Chaise Lounge for my favorite.

Despite the bit of rain, it was a great evening. It is always a pleasure to see fellow LTHers. As I look at the program from the night, it seems we barely made a dent in the offerings. Next year, I'll have a better strategy!

leek wrote:Another good way to go might have been to share dishes. Even made small, the dishes all seemed big as "tastes" go for me.

The Wife and I shared a lot of dishes, some generous examples of which -- like Patrick Sheerin's chicken and Justin Hall's trout -- really demanded double-teaming and with just a few additional flourishes could have been presented as entree portions at some restaurants.

Hi,

I saw a few people walking around with cafeteria trays collecting food for themselves. I see the benefit of gathering food, then eating at a less frenzied pace. It might make it easier for sharing, too, especially if you bring a knife.

I thought it was clever the NOMI offering pork belly cooked in Honey and ?? to Apicius recipe. Given that Apicius wrote those recipes down in 4-5th century, maybe it really is a 2000 year old recipe. I like believing it might be.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:I thought it was clever the NOMI offering pork belly cooked in Honey and ?? to Apicius recipe. Given that Apicius wrote those recipes down in 4-5th century, maybe it really is a 2000 year old recipe. I like believing it might be.

Regards,

I enjoyed the belly rolled in a green leaf; very simple and satisfying, with the bitterness of the leaf balanced the fatty flavor of belly.

This is my fourth or fifth GCMBBQ (I've only missed one year). This year, I wasn't as enamored of the food offerings as prior years; maybe I'm getting spoiled. It seems like the chefs were attempting to balance the logistics inherent in serving large crowds and, in too many cases, there were food offerings that were meant to be served hot that were served cold or outdoor temp. (Cold French dip sandwich, anyone?) Anyway, for that reason, I hope the organizers keep the numbers of the attendees where they are; if it gets too big, the food will inevitably suffer. Having said that, it is still the best food event of the year, and remains something that is not to be missed.

Apart from the few misses I experienced, I managed to sample several good items:

Vie's aggressively flavored Bourbon Red Turkey
Big Jones' Pork Belly with Hominy
Atwood Cafe's cake with nectarine-lemon curd-goat cheese cream
Sepia's cornmeal pound cake with liquery stewed cherries
Sola's Blueberry Maker's Mark Cocktail

And really, I think my favorite was:
West Town Tavern's Apricot/Eggplant Caponata with Goat Cheese -- it was an example of what *should* be served at room temperature and the flavors were perfectly balanced. I also found it to be refreshing after all the heavier offerings.

And even though Tru's offering is getting numerous accolades, the combination of white truffle foam and pickled vegetables is not something I'd care to experience again . . . sorry.

I didn't pace myself well and was eating more with my eyes when the line finally died down at The Publican, so I didn't try the blood sausage corndog that everyone raved about. I also didn't have the stamina to wait in the long lines at Frontera's and Hot Chocolate's stands, so I missed their food as well.

Phenomenal time last night at what is arguably the city's best food event of the year. Here are a few assorted images . . .


Chef Mark Mendez of Carnivale



Louisa Chu and chef Philip Foss of Lockwood



Shelley Young of The Chopping Block



Chef Paul Kahan (Blackbird, Avec, Publican) and his team prep the blood sausage corn dogs



Chef Bruce Sherman of North Pond



Under the Wirtz tent, with Michael Killmer from Templeton Rye



Chef Kevin Hickey of The Four Seasons hosts a few visitng chefs in his lounge, before the event



At the Low & Slow station, LTH frontman Gary Wiviott holds court



At Low & Slow, author Colleen Rush (crrush) and Chef Alan Lake (Jazzfood)



Several LTHers -- including Mike G, REB & RAB and Cathy2 -- wait patiently for the gates to open



Chef/owner Rob Levitt of Mado (left) and chef/owner Shawn McClain of Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House



GCM co-founder and Naha chef/owner Carrie Nahabedian being interviewed



Dan Sviland of Prairie Grass Cafe serves up a delectable muddled peach cocktail, featuring vodka from North Shore Distillers



Sarah Stegner GCM co-founder and chef/owner of Prairie Grass Cafe, Carrie Nahabedian and chef/owner George Bumbaris, also of PGC



John Bubala, chef, restaurateur and professor at Kendall College



Grilled Mushroom and Goat Cheese crostini from Prairie Grass Cafe



Tart Cherry Soup with Lemon Pound Cake and Verbena Ice Cream from Sofitel



Pork Belly Sandwich from Perennial



Top Chef Stephanie Izard braves the rain



Chef Izard's drunken goat dish over polenta



Rick Bayless, chef/owner of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, improvises a rain cap



Greg Hall, brewmaster at Goose Island and Mindy Segal, chef/owner of Hot Chocolate



Strawberry Shortcake from Fox & Obel



Bread with Tomato (can't remember which restaurant )



Vie's Smoked Turkey with Pickles on House-Baked Bread



Pork Sausage with Truffled Buttermilk Foam and Pickled Broccoli & Cauliflower from Tru



Fig Catering's Grilled Trout



Ina Pinkney of Ina's and Barry Sorkin of Smoque BBQ



Beef Back Ribs from Smoque BBQ



Beef Slider topped with Pulled Pork from Park Grill



Chicago-style Hot Dog Slider from Ritz-Carlton



Chef Rick Gresh of Primehouse discusses naturally-raised beef



35-day-aged Ribeye from Primehouse



4-day simmered brisket from Lockwood



Goat Chorizo with Yogurt-Cumin dressing from Carnivale

=R=

Ronnie, that picture of Skeletor Bayless with the towel on his head is one of the best things I've encountered in life. Magical.

Santander wrote:Ronnie, that picture of Skeletor Bayless with the towel on his head is one of the best things I've encountered in life. Magical.

It was wonderful to see him (and everyone else, for that matter) having such a great time -- even during the brief period of the evening when it was raining.

=R=

I'm pretty sure the unidentified pork belly sandwich in Ronnie's picture is the Perennial sandwich I complimented in a prior post.

Jonah

Another outstanding Green City Market BBQ. We were fortunate to arrive just as the rain ended.

My favorites were probably the rabbit sausage from Crofton on Wells and the crostini from Spiaggia. I also enjoyed Stephanie's braised goat, the gazpacho from Adobo Grill, and the lamb bratwurst from something called Limelight. Oh, and the blueberry drink thing from Sola was also outstanding.

Disappointments were dried out sausage from The Bristol (even if it was tasty, the texture was just too far off) and something from Urban Belly that tasted like spicy and hard.

Jonah wrote:I'm pretty sure the unidentified pork belly sandwich in Ronnie's picture is the Perennial sandwich I complimented in a prior post.

Thanks, Jonah. It was quite tasty but I was too busy chatting at that point to write it down.

=R=

My thanks to everyone who came out last night to support Green City Market. What an incredible evening. Everyone involved helped to ensure this event really is one of our city's - if not the nation's - best culinary experiences. So great to see such enthusiasm and browse through the positive feedback. Look forward to seeing all of you at next year's event. And we're already starting to plan for it now!

Cheers,

Lyle Allen
Executive Director
Green City Market

Every time I looked up from my station I saw another LTHer chatting with Molly and grabbing a bite to eat. Everyone at team FIG had a wonderful time thanks to all the LTH support. Although just for a second I thought the rain may get heavy enough to turn the BBQ into Chicagos very own Woodstock. I just pictured Gary and Steve eating the brown acids and running through the mud. Ohh well, it was a blast anyway.

Really wish I had known about this in advance. So bummed I missed it entirely. It looks like it was a lot of fun.

figjustin,

You really did a fine job getting those trout skins crispy. I like fish cooked over coal, which I need to do at home a bit more. Thank you for reminding me how good it is.

Regards,

I am sorry I was too full to try the Fig's trout. I did have the version put out by the Coco Pazzo Cafe and was not terribly impressed. Next year....

Cathy2 wrote:figjustin,

You really did a fine job getting those trout skins crispy. I like fish cooked over coal, which I need to do at home a bit more. Thank you for reminding me how good it is.

Regards,

Yes, that skin was amazing and to have nailed it like that, in those difficult, wet conditions, was really an accomplishment.

=R=

figjustin wrote:I just pictured Gary and Steve eating the brown acids and running through the mud.

NO. I'm not doing that again.

Seriously, let me add my kudos for the great effort and food put forth by all the chefs in attendance. As I was talking to people, the question was always "what was your favorite?". I had a real hard time answering that one because there were so may great bites last night. I felt so fickle because my "favorite bite" kept changing from moment to moment, depending on what I ate last. There was some great stuff there (and some not so great, too), but the whole was even better than the sum of the parts.

jesteinf wrote:Noted shill for neighborhood Asian restaurants since 2009.

You dog, you. Very funny.

Published a few yrs back, tonite is a nite to commemorate memories of market BBQ's past, albeit one man short.

Food For Thought
by Alan Lake

After a lifetime of excessive eating and living within gluttony's dark recesses, the wall has been hit. Known as the go-to guy for all things edible, the sense of shame I feel for eating enough for a small village pains me. I volunteer at a youth center and ate enough to feed them all.

Many are close to starving and I’ve been a pig from hell.

In my home growing up we had a just try policy. I had to try whatever my food focused parents put in front of me. If I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to eat it, but I had to try. Unlike my older brother, I liked most everything and my tastebuds developed at an early age as a result.

Lobster stir fried with fermented black beans, ginger and scallions? Big yes. By age five I could break that bad boy down joint by joint, extracting meat the lobster didn’t even know it had. Russian peasant beef tartare made with raw hamburger, capers, onions and dijon mustard served with rough torn black bread? Bring it on! Pickled herring, dim sum, what we called “Jewsghetti’- a particularly garlicy, meaty meat meatsauce at our favorite restaurant, Fanny’s.

Any and all vied for our devoted attention and was an epicurean alter we worshiped at.

My mother was not a good cook prompting us to want to control what we put in our mouths. A crapshoot at best, lets just say we ate out a lot. She did make good reservations though, plus we traveled a lot allowing this gourmand in training the opportunity to sample all sorts of food from all sorts of cultures.

With deal in place, a monster was created. By adolescence, our family shtick included my father teasing me for ordering off the right side of the menu (where the prices reside) and willfully engaging in the most expensive, lavish meals just to taunt him and our “just try” policy. He pretended to bitch but in fact was proud and supported our routine until I left home at 17.

I’ve been saddled with it since.

My exposure and as a result, hypersensitivity to food and culture segued into my knowing where to get the finest of whatever it was that you may be looking for. A snob? Perhaps. In the words of Oscar Wilde “I have the simplest tastes. I’m always satisfied with the best.” Smart guy that Oscar. Considered an eating authority since a teenager, I get calls or emails at all hours from all over the world about restaurants or recipes.

“Liebchen, vas es los? Remember das scampi mit de chilies ve did in Zurich? Ah Spatlese vut be goot mit dat, ya?”

Yeah, it would.

No one that knew me as a kid would find it a stretch that I’ve made a career out of food, working the world over as a chef and now, writing about it. Japan, Mumbai, Dublin, France, Toronto, LA, Chicago, Phoenix... I could name a dozen more.

But what does one do when the life you’ve made for yourself based on the above holds less interest? When as a result of over consumption my piggish palate was caught in an avalanche of food and frankly, I haven’t been as hungry since. Or as proactive in my life long affair with culinary debauchery.

I can’t believe I’m saying this but its lost some of it’s appeal. Up until now, it’s been as Verdi said “a search for joys untasted”.

Where and how did I hit, no, smash through this wall? That would be the Green City Market BBQ, an annual fundraiser held in Lincoln Park, and my favorite food event of the year. It was a few months ago and I’m still haunted by it.

Gifted with VIP tickets by a generous friend that allowed one hour of early access and primo seating in the shade of a huge tree, I arrive at 4 30 with small tray strapped to my bicycle- a necessary implement that allows maximum foodage while getting your chow on. A great supporter of the market and a veteran of many of these food frenzies, my friend had suggested I bring my own tray to facilitate our standard gluttony. For the record, he also passed around small battery powered handheld fans with schpitzer attachments that blew a cool mist of water at you. Way to go Ronnie.

I ate and drank for a solid 90 minutes and could have stopped there, no problem. Instead I took a break at our 10-top table under the tree for about an hour, and then ate it out for one more. In so doing I managed to consume what I’d estimate to be 20,000 calories and maybe 15,000 mg of sodium, give or take a decimal point. Even for a lifelong trencherman, this is a daunting task. Bozo Miller would be proud.

I felt like shit because I’d ignored common sense and my inner voice. The one that if you’re smart you listen to, and the one that was literally screaming “You’ve had enough. Stop eating for Christ’s sake!”.

“Did you say something? No? Sorry, I thought I heard something, nevermind.”

I half staggered/waddled back to my bike and rode it home in a daze, laying down on the couch in a food coma with stomach distended like a malnourished refugee. This irony wasn’t lost on me. Even my fiancé was alarmed.

Putting my grotesque folly behind me, I vowed to listen to that oft ignored voice and in turn not eat again until I felt hunger. My last bite that evening was as dusk was settling in over the park a little after 8 on Thursday. It was lovely and calm and a bit fuzzy- Renoir could have painted it. I was anything but, all bloated and stumbling in near catatonia (not to be confused with far catatonia). Besides water, the next thing I consumed was shortly after 8pm Saturday, a full 48 hours after the felony perpetrated upon my belly.

I’ve loved spicy and rich food forever. Pastrami, stinky creamy cheeses, foie gras, schmaltz, lobster tomalley, chili oil, the list goes into perpetuity. But now, and I can’t believe I’m saying this and feel like a traitor to the cause-not so much. Nibbling instead of gorging and a bit coy around my fresser friends- my ravenous eating days if not behind me, are at least temporarily at bay. I’m fine with a bowl of cereal or a hard boiled egg instead of going to that new Northern Thai place 3 times in a week and ordering 8 items for 3 people. Just doesn’t hold the same appeal. A midnight Polish from Jim’s Original? Not for now, thanks.

You read this and say, what could he have eaten? What could cause a behavioral change in his DNA at the subatomic level?

Well I’ll tell you. There’s a pamphlet given to you upon arrival with a map and all the menu items to document the scene of the crime and I have it right here. My oldest friend had dropped by during my misery and seeing what a pathetic state I was in, took great relish in perusing the list item by item- he reading the menu aloud and me describing in detail the nuances in every dish.

51 in all.

Some were eaten in entirety, some just a bite. Some I had seconds and one I even had thirds on.* Truth is, and this is pretty funny, I thought I was pacing myself by not eating any of the bread.

Behold my excess:

1. lamb bacon, stone fruit salsa, rooftop mint
2. beer can/pickle brine chicken, summer beet salad, corn relish
3. elotes ice cream
4. grilled sweetbreads slider, peach compote, balsamic reduction
5. zucchini bread, chèvre, pickled blueberries, honey, cayenne pepper
6. grilled pizza w/roasted lamb, yogurt, pickled vegs
7. mortadella w/watermelon radish
8. fried green tomatoes, smoked trout, new potato salad, lovage
9. blueberry trifle w/grilled sweet basil pound cake
10. crispy lake trout, tomatoes, sauce gribiche
11. spare ribs, duck fat potato chips, berry margarita
12. pecan smoked beef ribs, grilled peach salad, pecan bbq sauce
13. beef brisket salpicon toastadita
14. carnitas on chicharrones, slaw, hot sauce, caramelized onions *
15. pork rilettes, baby arugula, cherry mustard, pickles
16. berry/mascarpone whoopie pie
17. goats milk cheesecake push-up
18. grilled quail, peach, garlic, chili lime sauce
19. smoked ham hocks, cider baked beans
20. crispy seared pork belly 3 chili salsa roja, homemade queso fresco
21. sloppy goat
22. confit chicken thighs w/romesco and heirloom salad
23. grilled pork belly w/grilled stone fruits
24. lamb al asador w/chimichuri
25. smoked prime rib sliders
26. whitefish ceviche
27. gazpacho popsicle with herb coulis
28. maple glazed ham, raclette, egg, ramp kimchi, sesame seed bun
29. summer berries, mint/rose ice cream, lavender, pecans, creme fraiche
30. lamb mc rib
31. crispy pig ears w/peanuts and crackerjacks
32. sage brown butter pound cake, heirloom tomato-peach salad, arugula, spiced pecans
33. grilled sweet corn, calamansi aioli, cotija cheese, cilantro
34. pickled beef tongue, summer potato salad, mushroom conserva, aioli
35. mushroom crostini, goat cheese, bacon
36. grilled lamb breast w/peaches
37. roasted lamb, tart cherries, mint, tropea onions
38. jerk pork sausage, picalili
39. grilled lamb crepinette w/summer squash, succotash, mint, cherry bbq sauce
40. spiced grilled pork belly, summer veg kimchi, egg sauce
41. blackened salmon blt w/arugula-bacon-tomato jam, charred onion, herb aioli
42. goat barbacoa slider, pickled vegs
43. harissa marinated beef heart kabobs
44. beef tongue sliders, pickled jalapeño, grilled corn, fermented pepper paste, tempura crumbs
45. roasted lamb, chimichurri, radishes, paneer and mint on paratha
46. oxtail terrine, pickled vegs, grilled ciabatta
47. grilled beef heart, veg som tum, bagna cauda vinaigrette, toasted pecans
48. blood sausage, grilled veg chimichurri
49. slow cooked goat, apricot-mustard bbq sauce, pickled ramps, shaved radishes, grilled naan
50. zinfandel braised short rib, black vinegar sauce
51. grilled pork, smoked cherry xo sauce, pickles

Besides a cherry phosphate with vanilla ice cream, I won’t even get into what I drank. Caught up in the magic of the moment, it was way more alcohol than I ever do. Excessive would be underestimating it. There wasn’t a micron of real estate left in my gut. It reminds me of something Chris Burden would have done as a conceptual performance art piece. He once had a friend shoot him in the arm with a rifle in the name of art.

Not certain who was in more pain.









.