MEDIA UPDATE
FOR: BON APPÉTIT PRESENTS CHICAGO GOURMET 2015 Chicagogourmet.org Facebook.com/ChicagoGourmet @Chicago_Gourmet #Chicago_Gourmet Chicago Gourmet Vimeo Channel
CONTACT: IMR Janet Isabelli | Blythe Beaubien [email protected] | [email protected] (312) 878-1222 ______
2015 GRAND CRU, PRESENTED BY EIMER STAHL LLP, TO FEATURE BEST NEW RESTAURANTS COLLECTIVE BY BON APPÉTIT MAGAZINE
Bon Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet has announced that the 2015 Grand Cru will showcase chefs from restaurants nationwide that have been included in title sponsor Bon Appétit magazine’s annual Best New Restaurants issue. The Best New Restaurants Collective by Bon Appétit at this year’s Grand Cru will include both previous and 2015 honorees.
The exclusive Grand Cru experience, presented by prestigious law firm Eimer Stahl LLP – celebrating its 15th anniversary at one of Chicago’s most beloved events – provides the ultimate in culinary indulgence with tastings of elite wines from around the world. Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier and Director of Wine Education, expertly curates the afternoon’s wine selections for presenting sponsor Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois.
Guests holding a golden ticket to the Grand Cru will enjoy food offerings from chefs at many of the country’s most lauded restaurants. They have all received distinction from Bon Appétit’s editorial team in the magazine’s annual, highly anticipated September issue. Many have also received coveted recognition by the James Beard Foundation as semi-finalists, finalists and winners of the organization’s annual Awards.
“We are thrilled to showcase restaurants featured in this special issue over the years – many of them from Chicago, one of America’s most exciting food cities,” said Adam Rapoport, editor-in- chief of Bon Appétit magazine. “It’s a thrilling way to bring the magazine to life at the Grand Cru while celebrating the best of the best in the culinary industry!”
To date, the culinary lineup includes:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Jimmy Bannos Jr., The Purple Pig (Chicago) Matthias Merges, Yusho (Chicago) Chris Pandel, Balena (Chicago) Erling Wu-Bower, Nico Osteria (Chicago)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Abe Conlon, Fat Rice (Chicago) Edward Kim, Mott Street & Ruxbin (Chicago) Patrick Sheerin, Trenchermen (Chicago) Ari Taymor, Alma (Los Angeles)
Additional chef participants will be named after Bon Appétit releases its 2015 list of inductees.
In addition to a tremendous array of award-winning cuisine and premier wines, guests of the Grand Cru also have the rare opportunity to interact with Alvarado and a total of six Master Sommeliers from around the country will join for this special occasion. They will also receive a special keepsake glass, courtesy of sponsor Steelite.
The Grand Cru takes place Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Harris Theatre Rooftop. It is a separately ticketed event at $199 per person (excluding tax) and requires a general admission ticket to Chicago Gourmet. Attendance is limited to 400 people each day. Saturday tickets are already sold out, and Sunday tickets are available now at www.chicagogourmet.org.
###
ABOUT EIMER STAHL LLP: Eimer Stahl LLP is a litigation boutique founded in 2000. Headquartered in Chicago, Eimer Stahl attorneys handle high profile antitrust and energy matters, complex commercial and products liability litigation, and consumer fraud and class actions for Fortune 500 companies in state and federal courts across the country. Eimer Stahl is proud to sponsor Chicago Gourmet’s Grand Cru in celebration of fifteen successful years and in gratitude to the City of Chicago and the firm’s loyal clients. www.eimerstahl.com
ABOUT BON APPÉTIT: Bon Appétit is where food and culture meet. The award-winning No. 1 food lifestyle brand covers food through the lens of cooking, fashion, travel, design, and home. Under editor in chief Adam Rapoport, the brand has been nominated for 18 National Magazine Awards, including wins in 2014 for General Excellence and Photography; 12 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards; and more than 50 Society of Publication Designers (SPD) nominations including design, photography, and Magazine of the Year. Under Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Pamela Drucker Mann, the magazine was named the Advertising Age A-List Magazine of the Year in 2013 and “One to Watch” in 2014, and has been Adweek’s Food Magazine of the Year in 2012, 2013, and 2014. www.bonappetit.com
ABOUT SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS, INC.: Since its founding in 1968, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. (Southern), is the nation’s largest wine and spirits distributor employing over 14,000 people and is nationally recognized by its supplier partners and customers for its historic commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service and creative marketing programs and partnerships. In addition, Southern is justly respected for its deeply held belief in the importance of giving back, for being a socially responsible corporate citizen and for making generous contributions to national, state and local charitable organizations. Today, Southern operates in 35 states, including its original Florida market, where its corporate headquarters is located in Miami. Born through acquisition in 2002, Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois, Inc. (SWS-IL) has grown to be the company’s third largest market behind California and Florida. With offices in Bolingbrook, Chicago, Rockford, Springfield, and Mt. Vernon SWS-IL employs nearly 1,100 people statewide. Its’ Bolingbrook headquarters serves as the distribution center for the entire state while the Southern Hospitality Center in Chicago is home to industry leading trade education and trainings as well as the Signature Fine Wine & Spirits division. www.southernwine.com
ABOUT CHICAGO GOURMET: Now in its eighth year, Chicago Gourmet, the nation’s premier culinary experience aimed at promoting Chicago’s world-class culinary community, will take place September 25-27, 2015. It was created by the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) and the Anton Family Foundation to celebrate and honor both Chicago’s culinary achievements and the creative vision of the chefs, Master Sommeliers, and wine-, spirit-, and beer-makers who participate. It also spotlights Chicago as an international culinary destination via its unparalleled epicurean talent. For more information, please visit www.chicagogourmet.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT THE ILLINOIS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION Founded in 1914, the Illinois Restaurant Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, educating and improving the restaurant industry in Illinois. For more information, visit www.illinoisrestaurants.org and follow on Facebook and Twitter.