Taste Talks, the annual weekend of food industry discussions and tasting events, kicks off on Friday, October 2, and runs until Sunday, October 4. These are the three can't-miss events.
Conference
The all-day Saturday conference, held at Morgan's on Fulton, features short panel discussions from chefs, bartenders, writers and others in the local food industry (full disclosure: I am on a panel about the evolution of Chicago food media). Among the highlights: at 9:30am, see Megan and Dave Miller (Baker Miller), Ellen King (Hewn Bread) and Cameron Grant (Osteria Langhe) talk about in-house grain programs; at 11:30, an international panel with Fergus Henderson (St. John's), Rob Levitt (Butcher + Larder), Cosmo Goss (PQM) and Chris Cosentino (Cockscomb and Boccalone) tackles whole-animal butchery; and at 2pm, Paul Kahan (One Off Hospitality Group) and John Stiratt (Wilco) talk about the intersection between food and music. The conference pass is $100.
April Bloomfield's Pop-Up Gastropub
On Saturday, Bloomfield, the British chef who runs several New York restaurants and a San Francisco spot, will celebrate the release of her new book, A Girl and Her Greens, at the Virgin Hotel. Expect plenty of snacks and booze, including beer from Goose Island. The event is from 7-9pm and tickets are $90.
All-Star Barbecue
On Sunday, head to Palmer Square for two sessions of the barbecue, which offers tastings from chefs like Kahan, Sarah Grueneberg (the upcoming Monteverde) and Matthias Merges (Yusho, A10, Billy Sunday), plus drinks from bartenders like Paul McGee (Lost Lake). Sessions are at 12pm and 2:30pm and tickets are $45.