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Sunday's Event at Chicago Q Emphasized Chefs' Talents and Generosity
The Chicago Chefs Cook humanitarian non-profit once again proved ita agility Sunday, pulling a successful fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Helene in less than a week.
Star Chef Art Smith, owner of the Chicago Q Southern-themed restaurant where the tasting event took place, told attendees that he was abroad when he learned that his hometown of Jasper, Florida was in the bullseye of the monster storm.
He returned home to Chicago and immediately contacted Sarah Stegner — chef-owner of suburban Northbrook's Prairie Grass Cafe and co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook — with whom he collaborated on earlier events put on by the organization since it was founded in early 2022.
Together with the rest of the Chicago Chefs Cook team of Eda Davidman, Darren Gest and Melissa Clark, they recruited several other leading chefs, many of them regulars at Chicago Chefs Cook events, and sold enough tickets to fill the space.
After brief remarks, Art staged an unusual impromptu auction. He offered a dinner at the home of a woman A-list celebrity who he declined to name to the audience, describing her only as an Academy Award winner. (Airfare not included.)
When the contest came down to two bidders around the $1,500 mark — which Art promised to match — he presented a novel solution, adding a dinner with a male A-lister so that both bidders could win a prize. (I will share if I learn who the celebrity donors are.)
The rest of the evening was all about the food. So much delicious food.
Most walk-about food tasting events provide very modestly sized samples. Not in Art Smith's house. Exhibiting his own sense of Southern hospitality, Art furnished much of the food for the event, including the mouth-watering brisket in the above photo.
Each portion was practically dinner sized, as was also the case for...
... the super-sized chicken tenders, one of Chef Art's signature dishes. In the background are mini-corn dogs, the darker of which are coated with Red Hot Cheetos.
Art also provided an endless supply of chili and shrimp gumbo.
The evening's chefs assembled for a group photo before the guests poured in. The following are just samples of the treats they had in store.
The tasso ham and grits dish created by Chef Darnell Reed of Luella's Southern Kitchen was a taste sensation.
Chef Ken Polk of Batter & Berries dished up these smothered chicken sandwiches.
Is a Southern feast complete without oysters? Logan Oyster Socials said no.
Finally, it was great to see Ina Pinkney, the legendary retired Breakfast Queen of Chicago, seen here chatting with one of the youngest attendees while Darren Gest of Chicago Chefs Cook and TV journalist Silvia Perez of Fox 32 Chicago looked on.
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