If you believe the old saw, “When it comes to chocolate resistance is futile,” then come to the Chicago Artisan Chocolate, Wine & Spirits Expo at the Stephen M. Baily Auditorium, April 21-22, and stay at the nearby and affordable Best Western Plus Chicago Hotel at Hillside!
The Chicago Artisan Chocolate, Wine & Spirits Expo features over forty vendors offering samples of chocolate specialties from cupcakes to gourmet spreads, guest speakers, and even wine and olive oil tasting! Meet the artisans, chat with makers, sample lots of goodies, and enjoy chef demonstrations of various products.
Partial roster of vendors: Dr. Ray’s Toffee; Chocolate Moonshine Co.; Let Them Eat Candles; Melt Chocolates; Nothing but Bundt Cakes Chicago; Sparkling Ice; The Cocoa Cabana; Savor and Salt; Mindo Chocolate Makers; Krave Jerky; Dave’s Coffee Cake; Cakewalk Chicago; Boxed Water; The Mighty Truffle; Signature Popcorn; and many more.
Artisanal foods: Cass Winery, California Coast; JCB Wines, Washington; Materra Vineyards, Napa; Mozart Chocolate Liqueur; PRP Wine International; OMG Olive Oils, Seattle; Twisted Eggroll; Glazed and Infused; Wheatley Vodka; Art of Tea, Los Angeles; Tea Lula; The Spice Merchant and Tearoom; Metropolis Coffee Company; 1792 Small Batch Bourbon, Kentucky; Raymond Vineyards, California; and many more!
The Stephen M. Baily Auditorium is located in Plumber’s Hall, 1340 West Washington Boulevard, in Chicago. For tickets and a list of presenters (TBA), go online to https://squareup.com/store/gourmet-expos-inc and follow the prompts. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Free parking. Wine tasting, a charity event, requires separate admission.
Best Western Plus Chicago Hotel at Hillside, just minutes away from the Chicago Artisan Chocolate, Wine & Spirits Show, offers free shuttle service to and from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The hotel offers affordable, comfortable rooms, a breakfast bar and restaurant and much more. The hotel is pet friendly and offers AAA rates.