Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance Digs Deep Into Road Food This Weekend
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Apr 25, 2012 8:40PM
If you've embarked on a cross-country trip by car, you've probably entertained some romantic notion of stopping for authentic eats as you travel from Point A to Point B, only to find the reality is more like stopping for some Taco Bell or an Auntie Anne's pretzel as you filler the car with gas and treat the interstates like your personal autobahn. Or worse, stopping at a Stuckey's.
There are still good eats to be had riding the highways, and that spirit is what will inform the Greater Midwest Food Alliance's symposium, Road Food: Exploring the Midwest One Bite at a Time, at Kendall College this weekend.
The GMFA has programmed a tightly packed schedule of programs and activities, headlined by a keynote speech by author Michael Stern, who coined the term "road food" in his book of the same name. The speech will focus on "Will Success Spoil Regional Food?"
Other programs include a discussion on food trucks by WBEZ food blogger and chef Louis Chu, a presentation of oral histories of Midwest Supper Clubs by Sun-Times "Back in My Day" columnist Dave Hoekstra, a presentation on Midwestern farmers markets by author Janine MacLachlan (who has an upcoming book on the subject), and a tour of the Maxwell Street Market.
If you wish to attend, go to BrownPaperTickets.com or or 1-800-838-3006, which charges a nominal convenience fee. You may also check out the full program here.