THE LOOP — The Taste of Chicago will add 19 newcomers to its lineup of restaurants, food trucks and pop-ups.
The foodie festival will feature 60 restaurants (although fan favorite Rainbow Cone has opted out) July 8-12 in Grant Park. The newcomers include food trucks like Bruges Brothers, which serves up gourment street food like beef and duck fat fries, and restaurants like the Emerald Isle, which has classics like wings, burgers and sandwiches.
Tanya Baker of the Boarding House, Thomas Lents of Sixteen, Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish and Oyster, Jimmy Bannos Jr. of the Purple Pig and Phillip Foss of EL Ideas will also provide their culinary talents to the festival as part of the Celebrity Chef Du Jour. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said "Chicago is becoming the culinary capital of America."
Attendees can experience the chefs' work during a sit-down, three-course meal in an air-conditioned pavilion 6:30 p.m. July 8-11 and 5 p.m. July 12 for $45 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will go on sale 10 a.m. Friday.
"The Celebrity Chef Du Jour program at Taste of Chicago brings many [of] the city's most celebrated chefs into an intimate environment, providing a unique dining experience for guests," said Michelle Boone, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Several of the chefs will also show off for free at In the Kitchen with Mariano's cooking demonstration in the Buckingham Fountain Plaza.
On the musical side of things, Weezer, Erykah Badu and Spoon are among those headlining the festival.
Check out the Celebrity Chef Du Jour schedule:
6:30 p.m. July 8: Tanya Baker of the Boarding House
6:30 p.m. July 9: Thomas Lents of Sixteen
6:30 p.m. July 10: Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish and Oyster
6:30 p.m. July 11: Jimmy Bannos Jr. of the Purple Pig
5 p.m. July 12: Phillip Foss of EL Ideas
Here's the full vendor lineup. *Starred* restaurants are new this year.
Five-Day Restaurants
Beat Kitchen
Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
BJ's Market & Bakery
Bobak Sausage Co.
Caffe Gelato
Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill
Chicago's Dog House
Churro Factory
Connie's Pizza
Dia De Los Tamales*
Eli's Cheesecake Co.
Emerald Isle*
Farmer's Fridge*
Franco's Ristorante
Gold Coast Dogs
Iyanze
Kasia's Deli
La Bomba Restaurant*
La Mexicana*
Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Mariano's Chicagoland Locations
Miller's Pub*
Oak Street Beach Café
O'Briens Restaurant
Porkchop
Punky's Pizza & Pasta
Ricobene's on 26th Street
Robinson's No. 1 Ribs
Star of Siam
The Fudge Pot
Tuscany
Vee-Vee's African Restaurant
Pop-Up Restaurants
Burger Bar Chicago*
Dinky Donuts, Inc.*
DönerMen
Garifuna Flava: A Taste of Belize
Haire's Gulf Shrimp*
Jin Ju Restaurant
Luke's Lobster*
Old Crow Smokehouse*
Puffs of Doom*
Riva
Sono Wood Fired*
Stan's Donuts & Coffee
Food Trucks
Beavers Coffee + Donuts
Bruges Brothers*
Chicago Cupcake
Chicago Lunchbox
Gino's Steaks Truck
Giordano's
Harold's Chicken
Jack's Fork in the Road*
Jerk. Modern Jamaican Grill
La Cocinita*
Ms. Tittle's Cupcakes
Starfruit Café
The Crave Bar*
The Fat Shallot
Yum Dum*
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: