Can you bank sleep? Nope. But that hasn't stopped me from trying as James Beard Award weekend has hit Chicago — the gala is on Monday, June 15. This time of year has me confused. I want to be welcoming to the visiting media and restaurant folks in town to celebrate. But I'm also a Chicagoan, and like every citizen of a major metropolitan city, we have a love-hate relationship with tourists. We love the money you spend, but we have a low tolerance for your need to make us wait in line to get deep-dish pizza or see the top of the Willis Tower. Don't get me started on Lollapalooza and crowded CTA trains.
But not all tourists are created equal, and by the time you read this, I will have assembled with my four Ravenous founder-owners for the very first time in the same room. I need to bring my A-Game and stow my disdain for a few more days. But what if the lesson is that I really love entertaining and showing off Chicago? Stack up the Malört shots, and let's go! Yes, one of my colleagues hates how so many chefs like to use "let's go!" on social media. Yes, I'm trolling my colleague for her very valid point.
In this week's newsletter, I dive into the value of street food vendors, and how the city of Chicago is bent on killing something so vibrant to the fabric of cities all over the world. You'll also never guess who's happy about Noma's comeback. Meanwhile, Frances takes a look at how restaurants use Substacks, while I ponder the outrage if Chicago's Pope Leo spilled giardiniera on his robes.