Chicago’s Gluten & Allergen Free Expo 2013

Where are all my gluten free friends? Living gluten free seems like it has become a popular American trend, but many are required to sustain this diet for a healthy wellbeing. If you think back five years ago, when you asked for a gluten menu, chances are you would get a look of confusion. As if you just asked the server a trivia question of some sort. Luckily, gluten free options are popping up all around the Chicago scene including grocery stores dedicated to specific diets like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. But, I have something greater than a menu; the gluten free gods are now bringing us the USA’s largest – The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo!

On April 20^th-21^st, over 120 national and local Chicago vendors will take over The Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center and transform it into a comfortable tasting for those with gluten and allergen sensitivities. Vendors will not only be offering tastings of their goodies but share knowledge about recipes and general tips about lifestyle. All vendors will have signage indicating allergy information—have no fear! Not only can you sample and purchase some of the products but attend classes about cooking, baking, traveling and saving money.

Some of the vendors you can expect to see are Glutino, Udi’s, Enjoy Life, San-J, Schar, Truebar, Ian’s, Whole Foods, Smart Flour, Rudi’s, Holy Crap, Pamela’s Products, Kinnikinnick Foods, Zee’s Apparel, Crunchmaster, AST Enzymes, Andean Dream, Kiki’s, Health Yip, Freedom Foods, Bella, Zipfizz, Zemas, Surf Sweets, Gluten Free Passport, Hail Merry, Blue Diamond, Lucy’s, Penn Street Bakery, El’s, Tasterie, Lola’s Gourmet Chocolate, The Gluten Free Bar, Farmo, Keeki, Chicago Vegan Foods and many more.

Calling all early birds! If you want to be first to meet the vendors the doors open at 9am both days for you! Tickets are $35 per adult and $10 for children ages 3-12. For 10am, regular admission, tickets are $20 per adult and $5 for children ages 3-12. For information about The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo, go here. Hope to see all you gluten and allergy free friends trying all the new goodies and spreading the love!

-Sammi Raines

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Billy Dec Discusses State of Restaurant Industry on WBBM FM Radio Business Hour

Andy Giersher of WBBM’s Noon Business Hour discusses today’s Restaurant Industry with Rockit Ranch Productions’ CEO/Founder, Billy Dec! Click this link to listen: WBBM FM Radio Noon Biz Hour

Billy and Andy cover various elements of dining and nightlife experiences including ::

1.) Visiting restaurants for an “elevated entertainment experience” …to be part of a community

2.) Why are restaurants so noisy

3.) Changing restaurant trends due to the recession

4.) Where Chicago stands in the US and the World as a “restaurant city”

5.) Can people really work their way up from the bottom to the top in a restaurant career

6.) The restaurant industry’s affect on local jobs

Tags: 105.9FM, 780AM, andy giersher, billy dec, CBS Radio, chicago, community, culinary, Employment, Entertainment Industry, Fine Dining, foodie, Lunch Money Friday, News Radio, Noon Business Hour, Radio, reality tv, Recession, Restaurant Industry, restaurants, rockit ranch productions, talent, trends, WBBM

Taste of Chicago Turns into a Nibble

I heard the news on the radio.  Taste of Chicago is going to be revamped (again) for 2012.  The Taste will be chopped from 10 days to 5, and moved from the 4^th of July week to mid-July (July 11-15 to be exact).  I had always thought that the excitement from the Taste came from its grand proportions – of food, music and crowds. Yes, I said it, the crowds.  The immense, hungry crowds walking their way into Grant Park, bibs tied on to catch the drool, in anticipation of sampling the flavors that make Chicago the dining capital of the world!  The Taste was the thing to do leading up to the 4^th of July.

So why make these changes?  The organizers want the focus to be put back into the food – with renowned chefs coming in, featuring not only Chicago favorites, but also “offerings from Chicago’s new and emerging culinary scene” – - less festival and more “foodie”.  And the reason for the change in date? It would mean less competition with other festivals that take place during that busy and bustling summer holiday, like Naperville’s Ribfest and Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

For me, the Taste of Chicago was the big kickoff to summer.  It was the turkey leg in hand, triple scoop of ice cream, and deep dish pizza enjoyment, while waiting for Elvis Costello one night and the spectacular fireworks production on another, simply feeling that sense of awe to be there.  That is now a thing of the past.  We’ll have to wait until the middle of summer to see just exactly what the new Taste will look like, but I’m sure I won’t be the only one who’ll still be heading there, with drool bib in hand.

Click here for upcoming details on Taste of Chicago 2012.

- Jocelyn Flojo

Tags: 2012 events, chicago, chicago restaurants, food, food events, restaurants, summer, summer events, taste of chicago, Taste of chicago 2012

5 Questions with…Billy Dec

From CSN Chicago – March 9, 2011

This week’s guest…one of the nation’s premier and most popular dining and entertainment entrepreneurs…however, our guest this week is more than that…he’s become a city leader for his 24/7 philanthropic work helping those in need around the world…plus, his venues around the city continue to attract the biggest names in both sports and entertainment …a Chicago native who continues to give our city a good name, here are “5 Questions with…BILLY DEC!”

For full article, visit: http://bit.ly/fh76lD

Tags: 5 Questions, billy dec, chicago, CSN, Dining, restaurants, Restaurateur

shout out to chicago's hyde park art & culture scene

One of my favorite things about Chicago is how each neighborhood is so diverse & filled with rich personality, culture & art… Hyde Park (where my family lived at one point) is no exception!  The south side is home to world-renowned museums, art exhibits, ballet, hip-hop & restaurants.  Many great people have lived in Hyde Park & drawn from the inspiration from this community from U.S. President Barack Obama, Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow, Imagist painter Ed Paschke, and dozens of writers, musicians, & artists.

Two must-see events coming up this weekend in Hyde Park are Art Here, Art Now & Exploring the public art under Hyde Park’s viaducts

HyPa and the University of Chicago have teamed up to present Art Here Art now, which showcases five installations in storefront windows with a working artists.  It is their goal to stimulate interaction and curiosity between the artists and the public.  This event takes place at the corner of 53rd & Harper every Saturday afternoon in October.

Tomorrow, there will be a tour that features public arts on the walls of the viaducts between 47th and 57th streets.  The new installations will showcase the work of Margaret Burroughs, Terry Evans, John Himmelfarb and Calvin Jones as well as restored murals by William Walker and Olivia Gude. The tour is free for all & led by Jon Pounds, the Executive Director of the Chicago Public Art Group!

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Tags: Art, billy dec, chicago, culture, hyde park, hypa, restaurants, southside