Chicago Craft Beer Week

I assume it will be like a somewhat smaller, mostly local breweries version of the Oak Park fest (which ICBG co-produces, and is a really nicely done street beerfest). VIP includes food during the noon to 1pm VIP-only hour and special beer tastings. I bought VIP tickets. I never regretted buying them for the Oak Park fest.

 

It's an eight-course meal, plus drinks, from an acclaimed restaurant and chef that is booked for months out at prime dining times. $175 isn't particularly outrageous.

 

175 is kinda outrageous because she isn't grant achatz or Michael Carlson both who offer more course meals with expensive wine/alcohol pairings (well at least Grant does) for about the same price. Also the menu is big on different meats while being a zero in creativity or molecular gastronomy that yields those prices. I know she's a great chef, but she isn't the greatest. That place is sold out more because of her TV appearances then her amazing take on chicken hearts. But this isn't chef advocate so I digress.

 

agree. even though i think izard can cook up some heart if she wants to, girl and the goat is probably the most overrated restaurant in chicago.

 

The prices at her restaurants aren't that much more expensive than Fountainhead, FFF, etc...; however, you are right that this dinner was a little pricy. I didn't go to this dinner, because I can't justify that much for a meal (even a very good meal as this). But I absolutely recommend people go to her restaurants for a special occasion as they are very well worth it!

 

Alinea is $210 for the meal. $150 for wine pairings. And that's before 11% sales tax and a mandatory 18% "gratuity". You might say that Grant has more courses, but really its about the same amount of food considering portion size. So easily double the cost of the Goat beer dinner. Also, Izard isn't a slouch when it comes to creativity in her preparations, her chickpea fritters and roasted pig face are really top notch.

If anything I've always come away happy and satisfied when going to Girl and the Goat and thought Alinea was a gigantic gimmick and easily the most overrated restaurant in town. Every course having a custom made dish and having the life altering experience of sucking helium out of a candy balloon ....doesn't make up for the massive surcharge.

Noma in Copenhagen on the other hand was about the same price as Alinea and was far and away the best dining experience I've had to date when it comes to molecular gastronomy.

 

So much for not reigniting the cost debate...

 

Cool thank you for posting.

 

I don't even want to think about what a one-off, one night only special event dinner with pairings would cost with Achatz. $2000 a person? I mean, Alinea's $450-500 per person, all in including pairings.

As for Carlson, well, they don't even offer pairings, and that's without even getting into the possibility that you could be bumped for "plumbing problems" at the last minute, after you struggled to even get them on the phone for a reservation in the first place.

 

$175 for any meal is outrageous! Like I said if you have the money why not. I am not a "foodie" and don't care about eating high acclaimed chef's food or fancy food. That's why I said give me regular bar food and great beers and I'm in on that beer dinner. I have spent over $100, for a couple, on a meal less than handful of times in the past 10 years.

 

I should stick to rants about the fetishism of beer and/or the lack of empathy in contemporary society.

 

Checking in from. Half acre's open house. Im new to town any other beer advocates here geeking out on their phones? Cheese. Double daisy is in my tulip now. Cheers!

 

Excellent list there tonight, and good prices.

 

I bought VIP tickets for the West Loop Beer Fest. I figured the food alone is going to be worth the extra $25, and I'm hoping a few exclusive and/or early access to some highly sought after taps is going to make it even more worth it.

 

Everything ran pretty late. Got there around 7 expecting the Cherry to be gone. To my suprise that and pretty much everything else were still on, when we left around 9:30.

 

I was there withe 2 buddies from about 9-11. Had 2 pours of cherry rye and 2 pours of Framois de Amorosa. $6/8 oz is a steal for most of the beers there. I would guess most if not all are still on today also.

 

Been looking on the site for when I'll be there this Saturday. Seems a bit sparse for a city the size of Chicago. Are there good events out there worth going to in the afternoon?

 

agreed. and I was one originally skeptical when they released ticket price without many details. but looks worth the price with quality 8-course meal and very good beer selection.