You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Chefs Collaborative’ tag.
We want to know: Is there a restaurant in Chicago that you are dying to go to, but haven’t yet?
In case you were wondering, NAHA was that restaurant for me. Last summer when I started volunteering at Green City Market, I learned about Chef Carrie Nahabedian through new acquaintances. Everyone praised both her exciting, local, delicious food and her very sweet demeanor. Then people went on and on about NAHA, this restaurant that seemed to be on everyone’s “Favourites” list.
Standing, in the back: Chef Carrie Nahabedian on the left, Chef Rick Bayless on the right at Chefs Collaborative
When Chefs Collaborative came to Chicago for their National Summit last year, I had the pleasure to dine with them at Cafe Brauer at the Lincoln Park and taste Chef Nahabedian’s food for the first time. Needless to say, I was smitten.
When Restaurant Week was announced and NAHA was on the participant list, I decided I was tired of waiting. Restaurant Week or not, NAHA is a place you must, must go to if you want some of the best food in the city.
I know I should have updated yesterday, but I had such a fun, full and busy day that I just had to take a break and put it off until today (and I still will have to post more tomorrow about Day 8 AND 9!!!
In honour of Melon Fest, there were chefs and mixologists at Green City Market handing out samples of melon salad with goat cheese and melon soups. Sound good? Yes. Sound safe? Yup. But then there was this renegade chef who was handing out samples of his goat cheese and dill ice cream in a watermelon corn soup (picture above)! Goat cheese dill ice cream!? Come again? After I took my first bite, all I could think of was that my tastebuds were confused but happy. I thought the dish was perfect.
Can anybody identify the chef in this picture (the man on the left!)
Ten points goes to the reader who can identify the chef on the left in the picture above. Someone needs to give this man props for his weird and wonderful creation!
The inside of Cafe Brauer
On Wednesday, I was incredibly honoured to give a Green City Market tour to the chefs who attended Chefs Collaborative’s Summit. I am so thankful to the amazing and hard-working Laura Watkins, marketing and communications coordinator at GCM, for letting me give the tour!
Before the tour started, Rich Hawley, another awesome GCM employee, took me around to each vendor and I found out some interesting and fun stuff that makes them unique! Since this is stuff I did not know before, and information that really impressed the chefs on the tour, I thought I would share it with you!
I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time Wednesday afternoon and am very, very thankful that Mark, who works with Green City Market, invited me along to the Chefs Collaborative lunch at Cafe Brauer.
Cafe Brauer, as I learned, is an example of Prairie style architecture that originated in Chicago!
