Cochon 555 returns for a 6th visit to Chicago

If you don’t get enough bacon at Baconfest this year, you can still get your fill of bacon and much more on Sunday, April 13 at Cochon555. Arriving in The Windy City that Sunday at the Renaissance Blackstone Hotel (636 South Michigan Avenue), Cochon 555, the pork-centric tour, gathers together five chefs, five pigs and five wineries at each event – ultimately touching down in 10 cities across the country and bringing its message of nose-to-tail cooking, breed diversity and family farming to food enthusiasts nationwide.

Each Cochon 555 event challenges five local chefs to prepare a menu created from the entirety of heritage breed pigs for an audience of pork-loving epicureans and celebrated judges. Chefs competing for Prince or Princess of Pork in Chicago are Tim Graham of Travelle, Abraham Conlon of Fat Rice, Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish & Oyster, Cory Morris of Mercat a la Planxa and Ryan McCaskey of Acadia Restaurant.  Guests will be treated to an epic pork feast alongside wines from five small family-owned wineries. Twenty judges and 400 guests help decide the winning chef, who is crowned the Prince of Pork and will compete against other regional winners at the finale Grand Cochon event at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, CO in June.

The pack of judges who will select Chicago’s “Prince of Porc” include: 

• Paul Kahan, One Off Hospitality Group
• Carlos Gaytan, Mexique
• Brett Porter, Goose Island Beer Co.     
• Jason Vincent, Nightwood Restaurant – the 2012 Chicago winner AND the grand prize winner in Aspen 2012!
• Rob Levitt, Butcher & Larder
• Carly Fisher, Feast NBC
• Greg O’Neil, Pastoral Artisan
• Cosmo Goss, Publican Quality Meats – last year’s Chicago winner!
• Doug Sohn, Hot Dougs 
• Daniel Gerzina, Eater
• Patrick Sheerin, Trenchermen
• Charlie McKenna, Lillie’s Q
• Elias Cairo, Olympic Provisions

The event will also include:

• The Goose Nest, an area featuring the Vintage Ales of Goose Island Beer Co. paired with Hudson Valley Foie Gras.
• Live butchering demonstration at the Pop-Up Butcher Shop, benefitting the students of Le Cordon Bleu with the support of Williams-Sonoma.
• Different ages of Prosciutto di Parma ranging between 14 and 30 months, sliced by a roaming Berkel and by hand off a bone-in leg.
• “Punch Kings” cocktail competition featuring five local barkeeps presented by Breckenridge Bourbon.
• A welcome cocktail from Four Roses Bourbon.
• The Bourbon Bar presented by Breadcrumb by Groupon featuring Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Breckenridge Bourbon, Hirsch, Templeton Rye, New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon and Luxardo.
• Libations include the portfolio of Crispin Ciders, Wines of Rioja, Colene Clemens Vineyards, Jordan Vineyard & Winery, New Holland Artisan Spirits.

Tickets are still available for both levels –  standard ($125) and VIP ($200).  The VIP tasting begins at 4 p.m. and the standard begins at 5 p.m.  For ticket information visit their website at www.cochon555.com. 

You can also get more information on their Facebook page and can follow them on Twitter or YouTube.