Pilsen Gourmet to celebrate Latinos in Chicago’s culinary scene

Twenty-five local chefs will convene for the second Pilsen Gourmet to celebrate Latino food and culture on Dec. 16. The one-day event will take place at Apollo’s 2000, and attendees can look forward to unlimited food samples from the city’s best chefs and a range of mixed drinks.

According to the director of Pilsen Gourmet, Esmirna Garcia, this year the event will pay homage to the importance of Latinos in Chicago’s complicated culinary scene. “We are a vast part of the workforce of the whole supply chain,” Garcia said, “from the person who washes the dishes and packages the goods to acclaimed chefs and mixologists. Pilsen has the largest distribution hub of produce in the Midwest. This all takes part in a community that is giving so much.”

Participating restaurants include legends of Pilsen’s dining scene (La Casa del Pueblo), and popular spots in that neighborhood (5 Rabanitos and Frida Room). But you’ll also find options from across the city (Amaru and Tabú) and the suburbs (Mago Grill & Cantina and Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar).

Along with the restaurants, four chefs will be honored for their contributions to the scene: Dudley Nieto (Fat Rosie’s), Carlos Gaytán (Tzuco), Diana Dávila (Mi Tocaya Antojeria) and Rodolfo Cuadros (Amaru). Garcia said these four will also have a panel discussion about the evolution of the Latino culinary scene around the world and the importance of the Latino labor force in the industry.

The first Pilsen Gourmet was held in 2020, just a month before the pandemic temporarily shut down the restaurant industry. Garcia notes that the Latino community stepped up during that time and says it deserves to be recognized. “During the pandemic, Latinos were indispensable in holding down the fort, not just in the Chicagoland, but all over the United States,” Garcia said. “The pandemic affected different groups differently. The Latino group was hit disproportionately hard.”

In addition to food samples, there will be tequila and mezcal-based cocktails along with local craft beer and nonalcoholic Mexican beverages.

The full list of participating restaurants will be available soon on Pilsen Gourmet’s website. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.

$55 early-bird tickets; $100 tickets. 7 to 10 p.m. Dec. 16 at 2875 W. Cermak Road.

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com

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