When it comes to culinary expertise, Chicago knows best, obvi. Instead of Fashion Week, we host one of the biggest foodie festivals in Millenium Park, and we're cool with that. This year, Chicago Gourmet will take place September 23 through 25. Saturdays tickets are already sold out, so we need you to, like, get moving on this one. Every year Chicago kicks off the weekend by throwing the annual Hamburger Hop that's full of some of the city's most-renowned chefs. The best part of the night? They all have a cook-off competition over who makes the best burger. We're in! The rest of the weekend is full of more than 100 of Chicago's finest restaurants and chefs, as well as spirit-makers and breweries from around the world. If that's not enough for you, they will also have cooking demonstrations, gourmet tastings, wine seminars, and book-signings going on, too. Buon Appetit. For real.
Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street (at Michigan Avenue); 312-742-1168.
Chicago Gourmet image courtesy of Isabelli Media Relations.