Kouzina, Greek Food and Culture Festival, Starts Tomorrow

By Anthony Todd in Food on Sep 20, 2011 3:40PM

Chicago's Greektown neighborhood is a favorite for tourists, but serious foodies sometimes turn up their noses at the gyros, fried cheese and cheap wine. We think they're crazy, but that's a post for another day.

In an attempt to teach Chicagoans about the real glories of Greek cuisine (and to build excitement for the new National Hellenic Museum, opening in December), Kouzina will offer three days of chefs demos, wine tastings and more.

The event kicks off with a Chef Tasting tomorrow night, where some of Chicago's best chefs will create Greek and Mediterranean specialties and pair them with Greek wines. Participants include George Bumbaris (Prairie Fire), Jimmy Bannos (Heaven on Seven), Jason Hammel and Amalea Tshlidis (Lula Cafe), Michael Noll (Elate) and James Toland (Black Sheep).

Thursday night's "Premium Dinner" shows off the talents of David Schneider (Taxim). In addition, during the day on Wednesday through Friday there will be a marketplace of Greek delicacies, chef demonstrations and more, all in the new museum space. Visitors to any of the festivities will get a sneak peek, several months early, of the National Hellenic Museum.

Check the website for more details. Tickets are $100 for a 1-day general admission (if you go on Wednesday, admission includes the evening tasting) or $200 for the whole three days, including the Premium Dinner.