Taste of Chicago is ready to roll.
The popular food festival will be held Wednesday through Sunday in Grant Park, the second year the event will operate under a shortened schedule.
Thirty-five restaurants are participating this year, plus four pop-up restaurants featuring rotating restaurants and 14 food trucks, which will be available before and during the evening concerts at the Petrillo Music Shell.
The fest kicks off with celebrity chefs Rick Bayless and Ted Allen at the Dominich's Cooking Corner at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
Full list of restaurants and food trucks
Music headliners include singers Robin Thicke and Jill Scott, Led Zeppelin alumnus Robert Plant, alternative rockers Neon Trees and Grammy award-winning indie pop group fun. Reserved seating for some of the concerts have already sold out, but lawn seating is free. (View Schedule)
Upscale food items will again be available through the Celebrity Chef du Jour, a special ticketed culinary option offered for the second year in a row. As of this writing, tickets still remained for Chef Gale Gand and The Hearty Boys
Strips of 12 food and beverage tickets will be available for $8. Each restaurant will offer signature items as well as "taste" portions costing $2.50 or less.
It won't be a good idea to drive near the festival. Jackson Street will be closed from Lake Shore to Michigan, and Columbus will be closed from Roosevelt to Monroe for the duration of the festival.
