Baconfest, the festival devoted to everyone’s favorite mental health food which has grown immensely since its semi-humble beginnings four years ago and now occupies the entire state of Iowa the UIC Forum, released its list of participating chefs and restaurants today. Over 100 chefs will compete with their interpretations of bacon dishes during the lunch and dinner sessions to be held on April 14, including a half dozen who have participated every year since the festival started— Chris Pandel (The Bristol), Troy Graves (now at Cantina 46), Gilbert Langlois (Chalkboard), Rick Gresh of Primehouse, Pat Sheerin (soon of The Trenchermen), and Nathan Sears of Vie. The full list of participants follows below. As in past years, there will also be vendors showing bacon-related wares and portions of the proceeds will go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. General admission tickets go on sale in February; check Baconfestchicago.com for announcements.
2 SPARROWS - Gregory Ellis
694 WINE & SPIRITS - Chris Dunstatter
AJA
ATWOOD CAFE - Derek Simcik
AUTRE MONDE CAFE - Dan Pancake & Beth Partridge
BAKIN’ & EGGS - Bob and Gina Hartwig
BEDFORD (The) - Mark Steuer
BENNY’S CHOP HOUSE - Jonathan Lane
BIG JONES - Paul Fehribach
BISTRO CAMPAGNE - Michael Altenberg
BLACK DOG GELATO - Jessica Oloroso
BLEEDING HEART BAKERY & CAFE
BLT AMERICAN BRASSERIE - Aksel Theilkuhl
BLUE 13 - Chris Curren
BRANCH 27 - Cary Michael
BRIDGE HOUSE TAVERN - Mark Hemmer
BRIDGEPORT PASTY - Jay Sebastian & Carrie Clark
BRISTOL - Chris Pandel - (* 4 year BFC VET)
BROWNTROUT - Sean Sanders
BURGER BAR CHICAGO - John McLean
BUTCHER & THE BURGER - Allen Sternweiler
CAFÉ des ARCHITECTES - Greg Biggers
CAFE SPIAGGIA - Sarah Grueneberg and Aaron Diener
CANTINA 46 - Troy Graves - (* 4 year BFC VET)
CANTINA LAREDO - Larry Sinclair
CHALKBOARD - Gilbert Langlois - (* 4 year BFC VET)
CHIZAKAYA - Harold Jurado
CUSTOM HOUSE TAVERN - Perry Hendrix
DAVANTI ENOTECA - Jonathan Beatty
deca RESTAURANT + BAR at the Ritz Carlton - Mark Payne
ELLY’S PANCAKE HOUSE
EPIC RESTAURANT - Mark Pollard
FARMHOUSE - Eric Mansavage
FEAST - Debbie Sharpe
FLIGHT 1551 - Robyn Marfurt
FRANCESCA’S FORNO - Kael Klassen
GEMINI BISTRO - Jason Paskewitz
GIRL & THE GOAT - Stephanie Izard
GLENVIEW HOUSE - Grant Slauterbeck
HEARTY - Dan Smith
HOPLEAF - Ben Sheagren
INOVASI - John des Rosiers
IPO - Trevor Hoyte
J LAFAYETTE CATERING CO. - Alexander L. Martin
LA MADIA - Jonathan Fox
LEOPOLD - Jeffrey Hedin
LILLIE’S Q - Charlie Mckenna
LOCKWOOD RESTAURANT at the Palmer House - Greg Elliott
LOKaL - Artur Wnorowski and Ruben Torres
MAGNOLIA CAFE - Kas Medhat
MARKET BAR CHICAGO - Evan Packer
MARKETHOUSE - Scott Walton
MAY ST. CAFE - Mario Santiago
MERCADITO - Patricio Sandoval
MERCAT A LA PLANXA - Jose Garces and Cory Morris
MEXIQUE - Carlos Gaytan
N9NE STEAK HOUSE - Jimmy Farrell
NACIONAL 27 - Francisco Vilchez
NANA - Alan Krueger
NONNA SANTI’S BISCOTTI - Jo-Marie Frigo
OLD TOWN SOCIAL - Jared Vancamp
PADDY LONG’S - Patrick Berger & Chris Latchford
PARK GRILL at Millenium Park - Alex Shalev
PENINSULA HOTEL - Kai Lermen
PENSIERO RISTORANTE - Brandon Baltzley
PIECE - Bill Jacobs, Jonathan Cutler & Antonio Jops
PLEASANT HOUSE BAKERY - Art and Chelsea Jackson
PRIMEHOUSE (David Burke’s) - Rick Gresh - (* 4 year BFC VET)
PROVINCE - Randy Zweiban
PUBLIC HOUSE and BULL & THE BEAR - David Blonsky
PURE KITCHEN - Steven Hubbell
QUINCE - Andy Motto
RED BUTTER - Monica Sharma
RED CANARY - Daniel Tolentino
ROCK BOTTOM BREWERY CHICAGO - Shawn Murphy
ROOTS HANDMADE PIZZA
SABLE KITCHEN & BAR - Heather Terhune
SAIGON SISTERS RESTAURANT - Mary Nguyen Aregoni
SIGNATURE ROOM - Chef T.B.A.
SIXTEEN - Sarah Kosikowski
SMALL BAR - Justin White
SOUTH WATER KITCHEN - Roger Waysok
SPACCA NAPOLI - Jonathan Goldsmith
STANLEY’S KITCHEN AND TAP - Jaysen Euler
STATE & LAKE at The Wit Hotel - Evan Percoco
SUNDA - Jess De Guzman
TABLE FIFTY-TWO - Chef Art Smith
TERZO PIANO at the Art Institute of Chicago - Margaret Colleran Sahs
THE PIGGERY - Thomas Riemer
THREE ACES - Matt Troost
TINY LOUNGE - Chef T.B.D.
TOWNHOUSE RESTAURANT & WINE BAR
TRENCHERMEN - Pat Sheerin & Michael Sheerin - (* 4 year BFC VET - Pat Sheerin)
UNCLE BUB’S BBQ - Mark Link
UNION SUSHI + BARBEQUE BAR - Chao
VIE - Nathan Sears - (* 4 year BFC VET)
WEST TOWN TAVERN - Susan Goss
WILDFIRE - Paul Guerrero
WITTS
WOW BAO - Hot Asian Buns
ZAPATISTA
ZED451 - Patrick Quakenbush
