March 13th, 2009 1:30 am |
Watch out Chicago, Scott is coming to town! I haven’t really been back to Chicago since we moved from there back when I was 10 years old. I was born in Chicago.
Anyway…I will be arriving around noon on Thursday and will be in town until Tuesday evening where I arrive back in Southern California at around 11pm.
I am sooo excited and scared at the same time. This was a completely unexpected trip and let’s just say that funds are really short for me right now. So why all the hoopla? I will be attending the International Home + Housewares Show at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. It’s an industry trade only show and not open to the public. So how do I get to attend? I’m attending as news media as the owner and founder of FoodieInDisguise.com
I had the hardest time finding airfare that wasn’t going to kill me. It’s kinda surprising that you can fly to Washington DC for $125 round trip and fly thru O’Hare International (ORD), but if you want to fly to O’Hare as your destination, it will cost you around $340. I found a good fare out of LAX for $275.
The show starts on Sunday and the keynote address is being given by Tyler Florence. A person very close to my culinary soul will also be at the show, my former boss and owner of Sur La Table, Renée Behnke. Two Sur La Table cookbooks are up for nomination for the coveted IACP Cookbook Awards and she will be doing a book signing at the show. Other celebs are Season 4 Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Suvir Saran, Gale Gand, Paula Deen, Rick Bayless, Akasha Richmond of the Akasha Restaurant here in Culver City and a host of many more chefs.
I can’t tell you how excited I am!!! The show is the world’s largest homegoods & housewares marketplace, showcasing thousands of new products and designs in four related product expos.
So my next goal is to find a place to sleep. Luckily, Chicago has an awesome transit system and I can probably stay in the “burbs” for cheaper housing. What would be better is if I can get a hold of the 2 or 3 people I know in Chicago and see if I can catch a couple of nights of sleep on the couch.Remember this was an unbudgeted trip.
Any kind souls in Chicago want to put me up??? I’ll cook you a meal!
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Personal Log, Rave