Not Your Grandpa’s Backyard Barbecue
The annual Green City Market Chef BBQ fundraiser was one of Chicago’s most popular food and beverage tasting events for years through 2019. The COVID crisis caused the market’s managers to cancel the 2020 live event, and the return in September 2021 was on a smaller than usual scale, as many restaurants were struggling to recover from the long pandemic shutdowns.
So it appears that a lot of pent-up demand was unleashed on Thursday, as this year’s full-on Chef BBQ drew an enormous crowd, as the photo above underscores. I’ll be reaching out to the Green City Market folks to see if I can get numbers on attendance and dollars raised to support the nonprofit organization’s work to help build a better food system.
One sign that you’ve staged a successful event is when attendees are in no hurry to leave at closing time.
I’ll be using up photos I took in this issue and the next couple. I want to make sure you know when Green City and all the other farmers markets are open this weekend so you can shop local, so please scroll down below to see some of the renowned chefs who appeared in person at the Chef BBQ.
This Weekend’s Chicago Region Market Schedule
Friday, September 9
Back of the Yards Farmers Market, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m, 940 W. 50th Pl., Chicago
Lake Bluff Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, Village Green
Lake Zurich Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 200 S. Rand Rd.
Marshall Farmers Market, 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Courthouse Square
Mundelein Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Park St.
St. Charles Indoor Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon, Baker Memorial Church
Schaumburg Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 190 S. Roselle Rd.
Saturday, September 10
Aurora Downtown Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, Water St. Square
Batavia Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, N. River St. betw. Wilson and Spring
Brookfield Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8820 Brookfield Ave.
Crystal Lake Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Depot Park
Deerfield Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Park Ave. betw. Jewett Park & Hazel
Division Street Chicago City Market, 7 a.m. to noon, Chicago
Downers Grove Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5001 Main St.
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m, University Place and Oak Ave.
Edgebrook Farmers Market*, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Central & Hiawatha, Chicago
Elk Grove Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 901 Wellington Ave.
Englewood Village Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 58th and Halsted, Chicago
Garfield Park Neighborhood Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 135 N. Kedzie, Chicago
Glenview Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, 1510 Wagner Rd.
Grayslake Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 201 Center St.
Green City Market Lincoln Park, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark, Chicago
Green City Market West Loop, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 115 S. Sangamon St.
Homewood Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., Martin Ave. betw .Ridge & Chestnut
Horner Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2741 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago
Huntley Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m.,11704 Coral St.
Kankakee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, S. Schuyler and Merchant
Mercado de Colores, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4345 W. 26th St. Chicago
Naperville Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, 200 E. 5th Ave.
Northcenter Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., 4101 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
Oak Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m, 460 Lake St.
Park Forest Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, 152 Main St.
Palatine Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 137 W. Wood St.
Park Ridge Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 15 Prairie Ave.
Plant Chicago Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Davis Square Park
61st Street Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago
South Chicago Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 9000 S. Mackinaw, Chicago
South Loop Farmers Market Printers Row, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 632 S. Dearborn St., Chicago
Streator Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, 200 N. Park St.
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2001 N. Orchard, Chicago
West Humboldt Chicago City Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3601 W. Chicago Ave.
Winnetka Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 510 Green Bay Rd.
Woodstock Saturday Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, Historic Woodstock Square
Sunday, September 11
Bronzeville Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4700 S. King Dr., Chicago
Buffalo Grove Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 951 McHenry Rd.
Glenwood Sunday Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Glenwood Ave. betw. Morse & Lunt, Chicago
Hyde Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 54th St. & Old Lake Park Ave. West, Chicago
Independence Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., W. Irving Park Rd. & Hamlin, Chicago
Jefferson Park Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 4818 N. Long, Chicago
Logan Square Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3107 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., Northwest Hwy. & Main St.
Pilsen Community Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1811-25 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
95th St. Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago
Roscoe Village Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, 3149 N. Wolcott, Chicago
Skokie Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5127 Oakton St.
The Dole Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 401 Country Club Rd., Crystal Lake
Wicker Park Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1425 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
Chef BBQ Paparazzo
Chef John Manion of El Che Steakhouse and Bar was in the heat of the moment.
Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe (center in top photo) is an organizer of the Chicago Chefs Cook for Tigray event on September 21, which will raise funds for humanitarian assistance in Tigray, a war-torn province of Ethiopia (see Thursday’s Local Food Forum for details). Chef Beverly Kim of Wherewithall and Parachute restaurants, who is also participating in the Tigray event, is co-founder of The Abundance Setting nonprofit — in which Sarah is also a leader — that is designed to help mothers succeed in the culinary industry.
Chef Matthias Merges (right) — whose Folkart Restaurant Management establishments include Mordecai, Old Irving Brewing, Billy Sunday and Lucky Dorr — is a co-founder of the Pilot Light nonprofit that works with school systems to integrate food education into their curriculums.
Chef Paul Fehribach (left) of Big Jones, a Chicago leader in heritage Southern cuisine, is a longtime advocate of Good Food values.
Jared Rouben (center), founder and brewmaster at Chicago’s Moody Tongue Brewing, is a leading proponent of a culinary approach to beer, and for years has shopped Green City Market for ingredients to include in his beer recipes. He teams with Executive Chef Jared Wentworth at The Dining Room, Moody Tongue’s restaurant, which is Michelin-starred.