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Chicago Chefs Cook Expands Program to Boost Local Restaurants

  • Writer: Bob Benenson
    Bob Benenson
  • 2 days ago
  • 2 min read

Diners Who Post Six Local Dining Experiences Will Compete for Culinary Giveaways


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Running a restaurant is always a risky proposition even in the best of times. The challenges for independent restaurant owners are currently heightened by the lingering aftermath of the COVID shutdowns, rising costs for ingredients and labor, and decisions by many consumers to eat out less often.


The need to inject new energy into the culinary sector has spurred Chicago Chefs Cook — a non-profit created and supported by members of the city's highly philanthropic chef community — to launch a program to incentivize dining at local restaurants.


Their Eat Near Eat Here campaign asks people to eat at six local restaurants — national fast-food and fast-casual restaurants excluded — through January 22, and then take the following actions:


  • Share a photo or video of each meal online.

  • Follow and tag Chicago Chefs Cook and the restaurant/chef, and use the hashtag #EatNearEatHere

  • Share thoughts about what makes that restaurants special.


Once six dining experiences are completed, you can fill out a form (click the button below) to enter the challenge giveaway.



The following are just some of the prizes offered by participating restaurants.


  • Galit (Lincoln Park, Chicago): Chef-curated dinner for two

  • Frontera Grill (River North, Chicago): Chocolate and mezcal class with Chef Rick Bayless

  • Vistro Prime (Hinsdale): Custom five-course wood-fired oven dinner

  • Floriole (Lincoln Park, Chicago): Cookie decorating class with Floriole bakers

  • Mirra (Bucktown, Chicago): Chef-curated dinner for two

  • Imee's Mediterranean Kitchen (The Loop, Chicago): Lebanese Cooking Class with Imee's Chefs


Here's the current list of partner restaurants participating in the campaign, in alphabetical order. But please note, you can eat in any non-national-chain local restaurant to enter the contest.


Amaru/Bloom... Beatnik... Big Jones... Bronzeville Winery... Demera Ethiopian Restaurant... Dixie Pura... Floriole Cafe & Bakery... Frontera Grill/Topolobampo/Xoco/Bar Sotano... Galit/Cafe Yaya... Imee's Kitchen... Indus... J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop... Lou Malnati's... Luella's Southern Kitchen... Mirra... Nakorn... Peach’s Restaurant.. Prairie Grass Cafe... Roop/Bar Goa/Yassemi... Saigon Sisters... Sifr... Soul and Smoke... Tama... Tamales... Taste of the Philippines... Verzênay... Vistro Prime 



 


 

 





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