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The Taste of Chicago may be one of the world’s largest food festivals, but ten days of cheesecake on a stick isn’t doing anything to further Chicago’s gastronomical reputation. For that, we have high hopes for Chicago Gourmet, an upscale food and wine event that will take over Millennium Park for three days starting September 26. Modeled after festivals such as the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado, Chicago Gourmet will gather Chicago sommeliers and chefs—as well as some chefs from outside the city—for presentations, tastings and lots of wine sampling. Of course, a festival of this scope comes at a price—tickets start at an eyebrow-raising $150 per person per day. Here’s a look at what you get for the money.

Illustration: Nadine Nakanishi

45
The number of participating chefs

14
The number of chefs who aren’t from Chicago

$150
The ticket cost, per person per day

3,782
Miles chef Coque Ossio of Peru will travel to be at the event. He’ll be presenting alongside other South American and Mexican chefs at the Culinary Institute of America’s Worlds of Flavor Pavilion—but it will cost you an extra $95 to see him.

200
The number of wineries lugging cases of booze across the country to pour at the fest

$450
The cost of participating in every possible event in one day

Illustration: Nadine Nakanishi

911
The number to call if you ingest all 200 wines

0
The number of full meals that $450 will get you

300,000
Organizers’ modest prediction for how many wine pours will be served

3
The number of kids an adult can take into the Family Pavilion

$30
The absolute least it will cost to bring those kids ($30 for entrance to the family pavilion)

$175
The per-day price, not including general admission, to enter the Grand Cru Tasting Tent, where the best of those wines will be poured

1.5
Hours the Grand Cru Tasting Tent will be open each day

700+
The collective years of cooking experience chefs will bring to the event

Illustration: Nadine Nakanishi

30
The average number of minutes each chef will have during presentations to relay some of that experience

Chicago Gourmet runs Sept 26–28 at Millennium Park (Michigan Ave, between Monroe and Randolph Sts). Tickets (starting at $150 per person per day) and more information at chicagogourmet.org.

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