Culinary Historians of Chicago
http://www.culinaryhistorians.org/
An educational organization committed to the study of the history of food and drink in human cultures.
The members are from a wide range of competencies: those who are everyday cooks or amateur historians to the food professionals and those in academia.
The group often co-sponsors events with ChicaGourmets!, and their ChicaGourmets! event calendar page sometimes manages to list ChicaGourmets! events before this web site does!
Slow Food Chicago
http://www.slowfoodchicago.org/
Slow Food USA
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/
Recognizing that the enjoyment of
wholesome food is essential to the
pursuit of happiness, Slow Food
U.S.A. is an educational organization
dedicated to stewardship of the land
and ecologically sound food
production; to the revival of the
kitchen and the table as centers of
pleasure, culture, and community; to
the invigoration and proliferation of
regional, seasonal culinary
traditions; and to living a slower and
more harmonious rhythm of life.
The Chicago Convivium, as this group's chapters are called, often hosts events of interest. While there is some data on their web site, the best way to get information about these events is to sign up (on the Slow Food Chicago page) for their email newsletter.
chowhound.com
http://www.chowhound.com/
An online dining/eating discussion web site
for people who insist they're not foodies... but more adventurous
than foodies!
The Chicago Area discussion board had been full of good information,
if a little chaotic, but recently many of the most informed participants
have moved to the lthforum.com discussion instead.
http://www.chowhound.com/midwest/boards/chicago/chicago.html
The regular participants in the Chicago discussion
often organize expeditions to restaurants, although
they sometimes seem to have trouble remembering to focus on tasty instead of just
the unusual.
lthforum.com
http://www.lthforum.com/
Another online dining/eating discussion web site, created by a Chicago-based group
which split off from chowhound.com.
The discussion ranges from cooking supplies to cheap eats to fine dining.
There are occasional group meals and tour events, usually informally organized....
The discussion is punctuated with photos of the food and the diners.
The group's mysterious name comes from the Chicago restaurant "Little" Three Happiness (meaning the smaller, less well-known restaurant on the south side of Cermak Road), a favorite of some of the group's organizers. Some might suggest that it represents the ability to tell the difference between good tastes and adequate tastes; others think that it just stands for a good place to get spicy chicken.
Cooking with the Best Chefs
http://www.bestchefs.com/
This group, founded by Bill Lavery, offers opportunities for both cooking and dining. More often they meet in the Chicago suburbs, but sometimes in the city as well. They have partnered with ChicaGourmets! on some events. They offer food-related trips as well.
One of their successful events have been "restaurant tours", which begin with first-class coaches departing from suburban locations, and finding their way to Chicago restaurants in the Spring and Summer months. Northwest suburban restaurants are visited in the Fall, and West suburban restaurants in the Winter. Cash bars are available each stop of the way.
The Vinum Corporation
http://www.winecorker.org/
Jean Haley, ChicaGourmets! member, operates this business which
produces and markets an interesting wine bottle closure.
Lake Claremont Press
http://www.lakeclaremont.com/
Publisher of local and regional guidebooks, cookbooks and more.
Lake Claremont Press fosters and celebrates what's distinctive about Chicago's history, culture, geography, spirit, and lore.
northernitaliancountryhouse.com
http://www.northernitaliancountryhouse.com/
Cecile Graziano markets her family's farmhouse, located conveniently to Northern Italy's best.