"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Helen Keller
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| Lobby of my hotel! |
Tuesday morning had me up and out very early driven
to the airport by Steve the Cabbie who I met on the street a few nights before,
literally. (Steve@SteveTheCabbie.com).
He is a real character, sweet, with an interesting story, but I truly don’t
love to chat at 4am with no coffee in my system. Flying standby now that I have the gift of
time is not so stressful. I was able to
sit with my new Friend (met Him at the big Wine and Food Festival and He’s been
with the Food Film Festival from the beginning). We then shared a cab with
another amazing chef from NYC into Chicago. (As is
often the case, many of the best times
are in the car. When my Ladies were
growing up, I learned some important info by keeping my mouth shut. Other times, we had some of life’s most
important discussions.)
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| From the Hancock Tower |
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| From the River Cruise |
With the help of the Executive Producer of the FFF I
found a great rate at the Millenium Knickerbocker Hotel which is at the perfect
location, especially for a first timer to Chicago (as I was!). I couldn’t get into my hotel room right away,
so I just started meandering down Michigan Ave, aka “Chicago’s Magnificent
Mile”. It is beautiful. The avenues are so wide, and clean. I played tourist and went up the Hancock
Tower. Then I found one of the
Architectural River Cruises heading out just as I walked by. Perfect.
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| Akiko from her Website |
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| One of the many courses.. |
By then, I was crashing. Moved into my lovely, huge, room and
napped. Have I mentioned that I think we
should adopt the European tradition of Siestas? I woke up, texted my Friend
about dinner plans, and was invited to the Staff dinner in Old Town. Since the Festival Director’s in-laws live in
Chicago, he knows it well. Delighted, as
a first timer to Chicago, I never would have found the places he took us
to. That first night we met at Old
Jerusalem, a family owned (37 years!) authentic Mediterranean delight. I met some new People and especially enjoyed
one wonderful Lady who should be performing at Second City right down the
street! Akiko (www.akikomoorman.com). was
one of the Judges for the weekend, and lives and works between Chicago and New
York. One of many I hope to get to know
better!
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| Skyline Room @ Kendall College |
From Festival Director George Motz (www.georgemotz.com,
www.hamburgeramerica.com) in the Program (used with his permission):
“Welcome to the 4th Annual Chicago
Food Film Festival! (www.thefoodfilmfestival.com). We are back at Kendall
College because there is no better venue for what we do with its state- of-
the- art facilities, eager culinary students and knowledgeable staff.
This year’s festival features 33 food films that will be screened at 5 events over 4 days. There will be multiple surprises including
guest chefs from all over the planet, many talented filmmakers, stunning food
films and bountiful film foods.
It’s all about getting a taste of what you see on the screen.
As you watch food films, expect the food you see on the screen to be
served to you, in most cases, right in your seat.
Go deep into the art, design, and philosophy of food
and wine at Untitled II and make
sure not to miss the return of the Edible
Adventure, #009 – featuring films about fish tacos, Brazilian Feijoada, and
the Green Chile of New Mexico. And you
could be one of the FIRST Chicagoans to try the World-Famous Ramen Burger when it makes its
Chicagoland debut at the Festival!
There will be well over 100 different food and drink paired with films over the 4 days of
the festival including the closing night celebration featuring the Chicago
premier of Head On: Shrimping in the Lowcountry followed
by an authentic Lowcountry Shrimp
Boil. And if that weren’t enough,
get ready for the return of the super-fun Food
Porn Party featuring films containing the sexiest shots of food you’ll find
anywhere, plus an appearance by the World’s
First Food Porn Star, Larry Caldwell. Lucky
guests will have the opportunity to sit on Larry’s lap for a photo in his Fondue Lounge.
There will also be goodies like Vermont cheese,
smoked salmon, and Mandorlato from Cologna Veneta Italy plus NYC’s most famous
sweet treat the Compost Cookie from Momofuku
Milk Bar will make an appearance.
And, be there when Seattle’s Top
Pot returns, this time with a new caramel covered doughnut. All of
these tastes will accompany their respective films.
None of this would be possible without the help of
our amazing sponsors And for the 3rd
year, the Chicago Food Film Festival is proud to announce its partnership with
the Good Food Project whose mission
is to introduce children to a lifelong love of good food.
We are not trying to change the world. We are just trying to make it tastier. The Food Film Festival is like no other and
reminds us all that we need to celebrate food and the people who make our food.
So pace yourself..it’s going to be another great
year at the Chicago Food Film Festival!”
And, it certainly was. As you can see from George’s introduction, a
lot took place for the Guests of the Food Film Festival. We worked hard, and “played” hard. I laughed more in those six days than I have
in two years. It was truly medicine for
my healing soul. I got to know some
wonderful, incredible, crazy, and fun people.
I got a taste of many of them in NYC, but because we worked so closely
in Chicago, it was a treat, privilege, and pleasure to really become part of
the Food Film Festival Family.
After working so many long hours together we would
then head out into Chicago exploring more food!
The first night we cried Uncle and went to our different homes for the
weekend. Since I was staying so close to
George (his in-laws live a block from my hotel), I had the pleasure of really getting
to know this very nice man on our rides home at night.
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| Crew inside |
Thursday night after the event we went to The
Weiner’s Circle (Lincoln Park
2622 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60614
Phone number(773) 477-7444), apparently known for
it hot dogs. Also notorious for their rude and raunchy hosts. The Lady working that night had more than a
few of us blushing. Makes the waitresses
at Durgin Park in Boston look tame and nun-like! Great fun although I am not a fan of hot
dogs, even at Fenway Park.
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| From Yelp |
Friday night we visited
another Chicago institution, Billy Goat Tavern (430 N
Michigan Ave (between Hubbard St & Illinois St) Chicago, IL 60611Neighborhood: Near North Side(312) 222-1525) Lots of giggles and guffaws. Since I was staying close by, I thoroughly
enjoyed a walk down Michigan Ave back to my hotel, since my ride, George,
unfortunately and unceremoniously, had his car towed! Never a dull moment.
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| Managed to get a sunset! |
Saturday
night we went to a posh bar, which I can’t remember the name of. Rev summed it up perfectly: “Oh, that place
where we went and sat quietly.” A quiet
crowd we usually were not! The pizza was
good though.
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| Nicole & Emma Exhausted! |
Sunday
after breakdown and cleanup we happily headed to the ‘burbs of Chicago where we
were wined and dined at our Family Dinner in the warmth and hospitality of Chef
Josph Monastero’s Family restaurant!
Monastero’s has been feeding Chicagoans for 50 years, and we were very
well spoiled. Thank you!! Also, thank you to both he and Christine who
joined us even after the grueling hours they had put in for us during the week
of the Festival. I loved getting to know
you personally. (And for the ride home
after dinner, Christine..love those car rides!)
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| Dessert! |
As I
said about the NYC Wine and Food Festival, I love People, some drive me
crazy. As in NYC, I was a Mistress of
All trades. You know the saying, don’t
ask for what you want? My Family used to
dream of owning a B&B (one of the best decisions we collectively never
made.) In Chicago I nicknamed myself the B&B Lady as I was primarily the
bag lady, and blackboards again which are becoming the bane of my
existence! But seriously, I also helped
Artie in the kitchen, and served. One night
as I was giving out the swag bags (Everyone loves those!, which included a bag
of goodies form the Good Food Project including apples and avocados), a Man thanked
me for serving him earlier and then sending him home with goodies. Many People came to All of the events, so by
the end of the weekend we were friends, or so it felt like. One Lady wanted to play in the After Party,
but I was too busy with my bags.
One couple
did unofficially win the “most entitled pias” of the FFF. They arrived an hout late thus missing three
courses. The indignantly asked a
culinary student what would be done about it.
Since we had extra helpings of what they missed, Artie thought it would
be fun to set them up in the kitchen and make them feel like part of the
family. The culinary student brought
them in following the first event. As I was
leaving the kitchen onto my next task I heard the woman ask Artie how long this
would take as they didn’t want to miss the Afterparty and Sugar Takedown. Agh….Most people were awesome.
A former Patient of mine, a State Senator at the
time and very important don’t you know, once said to me “No publicity is bad
publicity.” (Although for her, I think
she may have changed her tune on that statement..but that’s another story..) My point to all of that is that many of the
People I have worked, and laughed, so hard with have other lives, and ventures
besides the FFF. I would like to share
some of them with you..Check them out, visit them often, and tell them I sent
you!! (And if I forgot anything, or
anyone, please let me know!!).
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| George and Harry from a past year in NYC |
Harry Hawke created the Food Film Festival with
George in 2007. He is a true
entrepreneur and has stepped back from actively participating in the FFF. So he says, as he is there taking wonderful
pictures every time. In NYC, he shared
some of the best Black and White cookies I have ever tasted from his Leskes
Bakery on 5th Ave in Brooklyn. (www.leskesbakery.com). Harry brought his Mom Judith to Chicago. Since I was the only other woman “of a
certain age” and both native New Englanders, we bonded. Loved my time spent with her.
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| Pretty much sums it up...some of my crazy work/play hard new FFFfamily...from Facebook! |
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| From Facebook |
Executive Producer Seth Unger is
wonderful. From an interview with Simone
@ Multicultural Cooking Network in October ‘12:
I started a TV network, NYC channel 25, and
George did some work for PBS and some other places and we met at the Emmy
awards and would see each other at other industry events. The third year of the
festival was coming up and I had left television and my events production to be
a stay-at-home dad of twins and after a couple years of that I wanted something
else to split my time with. When George told me about the festival I thought
what a wonderful concept and if it would be anything to pull me away from
family time it would be something this unique.
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| Rev (from Chicago Hustle Magazine) |
David “Rev” Ciancio is the Festival’s
Director of Brand Partnesrhips and Beer Sommelier. Another entrepreneur, from blog bio: Rev successfully started and runs the
hospitality and entertainment marketing agency Yeah! Management. Through Yeah!,
he has consulted for dozens of music clients, managed the careers of 8
entertainment clients and oversaw strategy and implementation of marketing and
branding for 5 different restaurants and bars, including Idle Hands Bar (in the East Village) which
he co-owns with Marc Schapiro and Rob Morton. (www.idlehandsbar.com). This comment made to Bram Teitelman of
Noisecreep written at the opening of Idle Hands Bar in September 2010 pretty much sums up this gentle giant to me: “I’ve wanted to own a bar ever since I was 16
and my dad made it sound like the coolest thing in the world,” he says. “He had
a dream that he and I would one day own a bar together. Unfortunately, I lost
my father before he was able to realize his dream, but I can now proudly say,
‘This one is for you, Bones.’”
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| Charles |
· Culinary Manager Charles Grantham is another
gentle giant. He also has an alter ego,
the World’s First Food Porn Star, Larry Caldwell. My new dear friend, Fletcher Chenn (Chef’s
Assistant) described watching Charles transform into Larry Caldwell
before his eyes while walking through the kitchen into the theatre as a
highlight of the weekend. From www.independentfilmnow.com
: Synopsis: Comedic food film hosted by Larry Wellington Cauldwell
III, a larger-than-life mustachioed culinary expert. He’s a man dedicated to
the finer things in life: fine food, fine wine, and fine women. Larry has all
the misdirected charm and hilarity of Ron Burgundy, with the real-life advice
and skills of Martha Stewart. By the Fireside is the
chance to get to know him in a much more intimate way. Join him by the fireside
where he shares his innermost thoughts and more importantly, his recipes for
delicious libations, which will whet the appetite of even the most
sophisticated cocktail enthusiast.
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| Larry |
Bio: Charles
Grantham is the creator of the character Larry Cauldwell, mustachioed
culinary & lifestyle expert and food porn star,
who is featured in the 2012 New York and Chicago Food Film Festivals. He
graduated from Circle in the Square Theater School in 2005, and has performed
at the Lincoln Center Institute and the Metropolitan Opera. He created the
video projections for The Little Flower of East Orange directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman at the
Public Theater, and has directed and lensed various other film projects
including a remake of the Rocky “Training Sequence” for Labyrinth Theater Company, starring Kristen Wiig,
Sam Rockwell, and Justin Long. He produced and co-starred in the multiple
award-winning Norwegian short film Believe the Dance. Charles lives with his wife
in Brooklyn and has a degree in Physics, which he rarely puts to good use.
Larry Cauldwell’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/LarryCauldwell?feature=watch
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| Debbie w Guest (from Chicago Hustle Magazine) |
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| DJ Keili (From:vivachileproject) |
DJ
Keili (www.djkeili.com) is an amazing young Lady, and definitely ties for best
dressed (with Associate Producer Debbie Pressman)! Keili is the resident DJ for the FFF,
literally, as she travels everywhere with the Festival!
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| From Twitter |
·
Keizo
Shimamoto’s (www.goramen.com) Famous Ramen Burger made its Chicago
debut following the showing of “Biting into the Ramen Burger” directed by
Michael Fox, who was awarded Best Director at this year’s Festival. Two more gentle, kind, fun men.
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| Middle pic: Takoyaki |
Chef Karl
I got to know in our cab ride from the airport.
He shared his passion of Japanese Street food on the film “Tako NY”
directed by Kris Brearton, and in person.
From the T.I.C.group news blog: “I love to cook, and though I'm no Morimoto, I can honestly say,
my Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba is some of the best in the city. I
put a lot of love into it, because I always cook like my mom cooks for me.
I'll always do the same for you no matter how busy. With that, I'll
continue to do the best that I can do, and hope you enjoy the ride too.
So check out the film, sit back and relax for the 5 minutes it is (ha
ha), and enjoy!
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| Enough said.. |
Matt
Timms’ Sugar Takedown. (www.matttimms.com) When we were
setting up on Thursday, this young guy whom I had just met (didn’t meet him
personally in NYC when he did the Chili takedown), mentioned that something was
“wicked cool”..I turned around and asked what part of Massachusetts he was
from. Fitchburg, but went to Milton
Academy! An instant bond was formed as I
grew up in Milton, raised my Ladies there, and lived less than a mile from the
Academy. The world is so small. He is an actor whose parties got some press,
and the Takedown was born. He does all
kinds all over the country. I will be
happily going to his Cookie Takedown
this weekend at the The Bell House in Brooklyn (site of the Moth events
I have been to.
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| From Report Images |
Colleen
Grapes flew in from NYC to help out, especially in making Burmese Faluda.. A
very interesting and fun Lady who grew up baking with her Mom, Grandmom, and
Great- Grandmom. After a varied career that
led her around the world, she is back in NYC and is the pastry chef for Jimmy
Bradley’s restaurants, The Red Hat and The Harrison.
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| Arite getting interviewd! (From Chicago Hustles Magazine) |
Definitely
so many others involved to create and make a splendid event..Artie Unger,
Festival GM (self-described Garbage
Man), in actuality manages the Food Operations.
Having lived in Miami his whole working life as a CPA, he follows his
son, Seth, and runs the kitche at the Festivals.
Talk about sweet, gentle Giants, Alton I love working with you! Producers Nicole and Emma, Partnerships Director Dana, the staff and students at Kendall College, Christine, Chef Joseph Monastero, and so many more.Whomever I may have missed, my apologies.I loved working with all of you.Thank you from the bottom of my heart for welcoming me into the Family Fold of the FFF.
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| From Twitter |
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