Beginning his enterprise was powerful for Jorge Ferreyra, the proprietor of Thimi’s Empanadas in Little Italy.
“We began with no cash in any respect,” he stated. “The primary day, I bear in mind we bought like eight empanadas. We had no cash for promoting or advertising mappings.”
Then sooner or later, Ferreyra stated, a buyer who labored for the Chicago Blackhawks got here in and stated he’d give you the chance to assist increase the enterprise. Apparently one thing labored, as since then, Ferreyra has gained extra clients and executed pop-ups at breweries — which led to him getting a name to take part on this 12 months’s Taste of Chicago.
This weekend marked the forty fifth anniversary of Taste of Chicago, a beloved summer time custom that offers attendees the possibility to develop their palates with meals from numerous backgrounds, and supplies companies the chance to get wider publicity and new clients. Ferreyra stated that over the three days on the Taste, his enterprise has seen essentially the most clients it’s ever had.
Based in 1980, the Taste has been a staple in Chicago summers for many years. Traditionally held in July, it was moved to per week after Labor Day in 2023 when the NASCAR Chicago Avenue Race was launched. This 12 months, 1000’s from throughout town and suburbs got here out for the meals, dwell music and views of downtown regardless of fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that permeated the region over the weekend.
The town of Chicago deployed salt trucks to the pageant on Saturday, a routine apply to assist public security efforts at occasions the place massive crowds are current, a spokesperson for the Division of Streets and Sanitation stated Sunday. Rumors circulating on social media over the weekend steered the fleet of vehicles had been deployed to block off federal immigration exercise.
Extra than simply consuming happened on the Taste. Headlining music acts included Chicago-born, Grammy Award-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco on Friday, R&B-pop singer JoJo on Saturday and “Suavemente” smash-hit singer Elvis Crespo on Sunday.
On Saturday, in partnership with HOKA, the Taste hosted Run Magazine Mile. Fiasco, with “The Bear” and “Chicago Med” actress Sarah Ramos, helped lower a 1,000-pound birthday cheesecake at Buckingham Fountain to rejoice the forty fifth anniversary of Eli’s Cheesecake. Saturday additionally closed out with the pageant’s first drone gentle present.
Beat Kitchen Cantina at Navy Pier was one other restaurant that had its first vendor alternative on the Taste. The cantina is an extension of Beat Kitchen however has extra tacos and empanadas, stated Victor Avelar, the pinnacle chef.
Avelar’s father is one of the house owners of the restaurant, and stored him within the kitchen since he was 5 years outdated, Avelar stated.
His mother and father couldn’t discover a babysitter for him, so Avelar frolicked within the nook the place his dad used to work.
“I might simply be peeking at what my dad could be doing, after which I simply fell in love with the kitchen, with the meals,” Avelar stated.
He noticed the compliments his dad would get, and that drove him to need to be like his father. As quickly as he obtained his employee allow at 16 years outdated, he began getting his fingers on meals.
“I would like to make folks pleased with the meals I make, that’s my final aim,” Avelar stated. Sunday’s menu included lobster empanadas, delicate shell crab tacos and steak tacos.
He was promoted to head chef when he was 21 years outdated, and this weekend was his first time main the restaurant on the Taste.
Now 24, Avelar was noticing issues aren’t the identical as they’re on the Navy Pier restaurant.
“It’s actually a brand new expertise,” Avelar stated. “It’s completely completely different from being within the kitchen.”
Prematurely of the three-day pageant in Grant Park, Taste of Chicago additionally hosted a collection of summer time neighborhood pop-ups, held in Marquette Park in June, Pullman Park in July and Albany Park in August. The pageant closes at 9 p.m. Sunday in Grant Park.
Highway closures embody:
- Columbus Drive from Monroe Avenue to Balbo Drive
- Jackson Avenue from Michigan Avenue to Jean Baptiste Level du Sable Lake Shore Drive
- Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
Roads are anticipated to be opened by 4 p.m. Monday.
Chicago Tribune’s Adriana Perez contributed.
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