GCIA Culinary Connection Chicago, April 5th, 6th & 7th Hotel: The Gwen Location: 521 N. Rush Street | Chicago, IL | 60611 T: (312)645‐1500 Main Contacts: Kevin Ryan (407)463‐4733 or Susan Stacey‐Ryan (303)883‐9292

Wednesday, April 5th 7:00 pm Meet in the lobby for the short walk to dinner 7:30 pm – til’ ‐ Dinner at the Rick Bayless Library/Test Kitchen; 445 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654 Rick’s Library Room/Test Kitchen is located on the second floor, above Frontera Grill; this is Rick Bayless’ personal test kitchen and an extension of Topolobampo. You will be in the room where the recipes for his books, TV Shows, and Frontera Foods are created and developed. It is an awesome experience! You will be seated in the kitchen with a front row view as your unique live 5‐ course menu is prepared by a member of Rick Bayless’ Culinary Team and, of course will include, their famous Topolobampo award‐winning margaritas.

Thursday, April 6th 7:30 am Meet in the lobby to walk (1.6 miles) or Uber to breakfast 8:00 – 9:15 am ‐ Breakfast at Little Goat Diner; 820 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607; (312)888‐3455 Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner was conceived after her amazing success opening The Girl & The Goat in 2010. Girl & the Goat was nominated best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2011 and Izard won the Beard award for Best Chef Great Lakes in 2013. She was also named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2010 which lead to her television success on . The creative breakfast menu includes a unique twist on French Toast, Cheesy Grits and even a “Fat Elvis Waffle”. She was just announced as the MenuMasters Innovator of the Year to be awarded in Chicago this May.

9:30 – 10:45am ‐ Tasting at Duck Duck Goat; 857 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607; (312)902‐3825 Accolades for Stephanie’s most recent addition, a part of the BOKA Restaurant Group’s 20 successful restaurants, range from their amazing décor to the “almost authentic Chinese Cuisine”, as the chef states in interviews. From the Scallion Pancakes and Veggie Spring Rolls to the exotic Cheong Fun XO – you will love the tasting they have prepared for us to enjoy.

11:00am ‐ 1:00pm ‐ Design Thinking Workshop at Bluedog Design; 403 N. Carpenter St., Chi., IL 60642; (312)243‐1101 Bluedog Design is one of the leading brand development companies helping CPG companies and foodservice brands with new menu development and brand extensions. Global Safari™ is a proprietary practice that is rooted in the principles of Design Thinking. This hands‐on workshop with chef Adam Moore will inspire progress, and offer you a deeper, more intuitive understanding of your consumers and your own organization.

1:15 – 3:00 pm ‐ Lunch at El Che Bar; 845 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Il 60607; (312)265‐1130 Detroit‐raised, Chef‐Owner John Manion and his family moved to São Paulo, Brazil, when he was just 8 years old. He spent the next five years soaking in the culture and food of a place that was very far from home. It was this experience that developed his brand, Latin‐local. In 2012, Manion opened his first restaurant La Sirena, which means “hidden mermaid,” offering the dark and slightly mysterious atmosphere of a hidden spot one might stumble upon at a beach somewhere tropical. In 2016, housed in the former Checker Taxi building, a 15‐year‐old dream came true. El Che Bar is a love letter from Manion's travels in Argentina. In a warm and eclectic setting, the restaurant exudes the contemporary rhythm of Buenos. The beating heart of the restaurant, the 12 foot hearth, serves up classic wood‐fired Al Asador. Locally sourced vegetables, grilled meats, and seafood are cooked on custom‐built grills and chapas.

3:30 – 5:00 pm – Wine Educational Program with Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant @ Leon’s Sausage; ATK Foods; 1143 West Lake Street, Chicago, Il 60607; (312)829‐2250 x227 Coopers Hawk Winery & Restaurants are designed to bring the Napa‐style tasting room experience to your neighborhood. Chef Matt McMillin, GCIA President, will create a tasting with their signature wines created in their own private winery. Matt selected Leon Sausage Company for the location of their wine pairing with Leon’s specialty sausages and a brief talk about their company and their exciting future.

5:30 – 7:30 pm – Hors D’Ouvres and Cocktail Program and Tour at Grant Achatz’s “The Office” inside The Aviary; 955 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607 (312)226‐0868 This is an exclusive opportunity to not only get a complete inside tour on one of the nation’s hottest cocktail speakeasies while the expert mixologists also provide a demonstration on their craft. The event will include an inside tour and discussion on the secret ingredients that make them an award‐winning craft cocktail pioneer. The Aviary is where molecular gastronomy meets craft ingredients with the advantage of an Ice Chef who can make up to 35 different types of ice to complement each drink. This will be an exclusive GCIA educational activity that might change your cocktail program forever.

8:00 pm – ‘til – Dinner at Belly Q, Chef Bill Kim’s Award‐Winning Restaurant; 1400 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607; (312)563‐1010 Chef Bill Kim has redefined Asian Barbecue and is often referred to as a farm‐to‐ table Asian restaurant. That combination of using the best fresh ingredients with classic Asian Barbecue techniques has made this restaurant a Chicago hot spot for years. Chef Kim’s innovative mind was enhanced when working with the late Charlie Trotter, then he turned it up several notches when creating BellyQ by adding grilling tables into the mix and a chef table where you can watch the action of this fast‐ paced kitchen.

Friday, April 7th 7:45 ‐ 9:15 am Breakfast at Beatrix; 519 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654; (312)284‐1377 Beatrix is a neighborhood restaurant, coffeehouse and meeting place located in River North. Chef partners John Chiakulas, Rita Dever and Susan Weaver have created a menu inspired by food made in Lettuce Entertain You’s test kitchen. John Chiakulas is Corporate Chef of LEYE and Chef Partner of Beatrix, Antico Posto, Foodease Market, Foodlife, Mity Nice Grill and L. Woods; Susan is also the Chef Partner of Beatrix, Mon Ami Gabi, Café Ba‐Ba‐ Reeba, Stripburger and Community Canteen. With this much experience, you’re in for a treat at this new LEYE restaurant.

9:30 – 11:00 am Xoco Mexican Chocolate Educational Program with Chef Rick Bayless; 449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654; (312)661‐1434 Chef Rick Bayless has been the most influential chef in the United States for the education of true Mexican Cuisine. We will spend the morning learning about his new concepts and his latest passion for Mexican chocolate. From the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant to numerous cookbook awards, Chef Rick Bayless has built a restaurant empire that includes casual dining Xoco, airport locations and his two new Chicago locations. The Baja‐inspired, wood‐fired Leña Brava and the adjacent Cervecería Cruz Blanca, a craft brewery and Oaxacan‐style taqueria have both earned critical acclaim. Also in 2016, he opened Frontera Cocina in Disney Springs.

11:00 am – 12:30 pm ‐ Tour and Tasting at Eataly; 43 E. Ohio St., Chicago, IL 60611; (312)521‐8700 Chef Mario Batali's sprawling, modern outpost featuring a range of Italian eateries & food markets. With several sit‐down restaurants and an amazing fresh and imported marketplace, you could spend a day in this block‐long palace of food. GCIA members will be given a tour and tasting from some of the restaurant offerings plus you can purchase items to take home and experiment with in your own test kitchen.

1:00 – 2:30 pm ‐ Lunch at Piccolo Sogno with Chef Tony Priolo; 464 N. Halsted, Chicago, Il 60642; (312)421‐0077 The restaurant name means “little dream” in Italian and was chosen by partners Chef Tony Priolo and Wine Expert Ciro Longobardo because it had always been their dream to open a restaurant of their own. Piccolo Sogno features a menu of fresh, seasonal rustic Italian cuisine with an impressive all‐Italian wine list. “The restaurant fits our personal goal to get to the heart of Italian wine and food,” says chef‐partner Priolo. “You go to Italy for simple food, prepared by hand with local ingredients and served with local wines. That’s why people love eating in Italy, and we wanted to bring that experience to Chicago. In 2016 Tony and Ciro expanded their horizons opening another restaurant – NONNINA.

2:45 – 3:30 pm ‐ Tasting at Au Cheval; 800 W. Randolph St., Chicago. IL 60607; (312)929‐4580 A diner‐style bar and restaurant with a passion for eggs, Au Cheval elevates traditional diner fare. Guests can indulge in dishes ranging from chopped chicken liver and roasted bone marrow, to traditional sandwiches, and even matzah ball soup. The bar program showcases strong, classic cocktails including the Horse’s Neck, Vieux Bonal, and Hemingway’s Daiquiri at the Zinc bar overlooking the open kitchen. A robust draught beer list offers a wide range of neighborhood, domestic, and international selections.

3:45 – 5:00 pm ‐ Tour and Tasting at CH Distillery; 564 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL 60661; (312)707‐8780 Recently named one of Chicago’s Top Bars by Chicago Magazine, they stated, “from atop your barstool, you can gaze through floor‐to‐ceiling windows at the massive stills that produce CH’s impressive run of award winning spirits (vodka, rum, aquavit, and more). The house liquors can hold their own with the big names in craft boozing”. Co‐ founder and Head Distiller Tremaine Atkinson will take us on a private tour and share their passion for the spirits they hand‐craft in this modern distillery. Then we will make it to the impressive bar that is becoming Chicago’s new hot spot.

6:30 – ‘til – Dinner at Momotaro, 820 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60607; (312)733‐4818 Momotaro has been recognized as one of Chicago’s most amazing Japanese restaurants. It showcases the traditions of Izakaya, Sushi and Robata in one beautifully designed restaurant to a new level with a contemporary twist that makes it unique not only in Chicago, but in the entire United States. This Boka Restaurant Group sensation opened in 2014 with Chef Mark Hellyar who immediately became a rising star in the city after much acclaim in DC. You will be treated to a final meal that will be amazingly educational and the perfect balance of light and nutritional menu items. This will be a perfect ending to our GCIA/ICCA Culinary Connection that will showcase the incredible diversity of the Chicago culinary scene.

A nightcap at the Gwen Hotel will be the place where we all share our opinions about the Chicago culinary scene.