June 2, 2013

Mayor Emanuel and DCASE Announce Popular Restaurant Pop-Ups Return to Taste of Chicago

Twenty Restaurants will "Pop Up" for a Day or Two at Taste; Daily Pop-Up Booth will be Added Offering More Dining Options

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced today that the 33rd Annual Taste of Chicago, July 10-14 in Grant Park, will once again include the popular feature of Pop-Ups, restaurants that "pop up" for just a day or two during Taste of Chicago. New this year, many of the Pop-Up restaurants, presented by WTTW11’s Check, Please!, will be on site for two days in a row. Further, an additional daily Pop-Up booth will be presented, offering even more dining options.

“The Pop-Up Restaurant feature was introduced at Taste of Chicago last year as a new way to showcase unique neighborhood restaurants and emerging culinary gems,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The program was successful last year and we’re thrilled to welcome Pop-Ups back along with some new additions, giving residents and visitors a great way to enjoy some of our newer culinary and neighborhood choices during this year’s festival.”

Taste of Chicago has once again teamed up with WTTW11’s Check, Please! and creator and Executive Producer David Manilow, who worked to promote participation and to curate the Pop-Ups. Check, Please! is seen locally on WTTW, Channel 11 and on wttw.com/checkplease.

 “We thank WTTW11’s Check, Please for partnering with us on the Taste of Chicago Pop-up restaurants,” said Michelle T. Boone, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “The Pop-Ups were so popular last year that many of the restaurants, all of which were new to the Taste of Chicago festival, have returned and some are participating every day. We are also excited to offer a new daily Pop-Up booth offering even more dining options.”

“WTTW and our most popular local series Check, Please! are delighted to have a presence at Taste of Chicago again this year,” said Executive Producer VJ McAleer.  “We have always sought to engage Chicagoans in the wide variety of dining experiences the city has to offer. Our program’s partnership with this event takes that process one step further, bringing exposure to even more restaurants while giving diners the tactile experience of actually sampling the cuisine,” McAleer added. 

New restaurants participating in the Pop-Ups program this year are: Hearty Restaurant, Punky’s Pizza & Pasta, Pecking Order, Taco Joint Urban Taqueria & Cantina, Terzo Piano and Kilwin’s Chocolates. They will be located on Columbus Drive.

Many new menu items will be available, including a Cilantro Garlic Pulled Pork Sandwich from The Hearty Restaurant, Panades from Garifuna Flava, Elotes from Taco Joint, Mini-Lamb Burgers from Terzo Piano and a Garlic Fried Rice Chicken Bowl from Pecking Order.

Pop-Ups accept the same food tickets as five-day restaurants which are sold on site at six ticket booths in strips of 12 for only $8. Attendees may purchase the tickets in Dominick’s locations for only $7 beginning July 1-9; remaining ticket strips sell for $8 when the event opens.

 

The lineup of Pop-Up Restaurants is as follows:

 

Wednesday, July 10

Jin Ju

5203 N. Clark St.

 

Hearty Restaurant

3819 N. Broadway

 

Inspiration Kitchen

3504 W. Lake St.

 

Riva

700 E. Grand Ave.

 

Thursday, July 11

Pecking Order

4416 N. Clark St.

 

Hearty Restaurant

3819 N. Broadway

 

Inspiration Kitchen

3504 W. Lake St.

 

Punky’s Pizza & Pasta

2600 S. Wallace St.

 

Friday, July 12

Heartland Café

7000 N. Glenwood Ave.

 

Pecking Order

4416 N. Clark St.

 

Taco Joint Urban Taqueria & Cantina

158 W. Ontario

1969 N. Halsted

 

Punky’s Pizza & Pasta

2600 S. Wallace St.

 

Saturday, July 13

Garifuna Flava

2516-18 W. 63rd St.

 

Terzo Piano

159 E. Monroe St.

 

Café Vienna and Catering

2523 N. Clark St.

 

Taco Joint Urban Taqueria & Cantina

158 W. Ontario

1969 N. Halsted

 

Sunday, July 14

Terzo Piano

159 E. Monroe St.

 

Garifuna Flava

2516-18 W. 63rd St.

 

Café Vienna and Catering

2523 N. Clark St.

 

Kilwin’s Chocolates

5226 S. Harper

Taste of Chicago is presented by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and sponsored in part by ABC 7 Chicago, Aquafina, Blue Bunny® Ice Cream, Bud Light, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Transit Authority, Communications Direct, CLTV-ChicagoLand’s Television, Dominick’s, Eli’s Cheesecake Company, Gallo Family Vineyards, Humana, Illinois Lottery, KISS-FM, LaGrou Distribution System, Mazda6, Pepsi, Radio Disney AM 1300 Chicago, Shoreline Sightseeing, V-103, WGN-Television, WTTW 11’s Check, Please! and 93XRT.

The 33rd Annual Taste of Chicago is July 10-14 in Grant Park. (Taste of Chicago hours are 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Wed. – Fri.; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sat. and Sun.) For more information on the free admission festival, call 312.744.3316; TTY: 312.744.2964 or visit tasteofchicago.us. To plan your trip to Chicago, visit choosechicago.com. Join the Taste conversation on Facebook at Taste of Chicago and follow us on Twitter, @TasteofChi2013.

 

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