What: Hot on the heels of Condé Nast Traveler naming Chicago one of the Top 10 Cities in the United States, I’m excited to tell you that the Condé Nast Traveler & MasterCard Priceless Cities Global Tasting Tour is coming to town!

Close to 80,000 readers voted for the 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards which ranked Chicago as No. 5 City in the United States…

 Come celebrate with us at the Condé Nast Traveler “Global Tasting Tour” kicking off this Sunday, October 27th!

A MasterCard Priceless Cities Event 

Why: The Global Tasting Tour is a week of once-in-a-lifetime dinners celebrating cuisines of the world. At each private dinner, leading chefs including Sarah Grueneberg, Bill Kim, and Matthias Merges will personally introduce the one-time-only menus along with inventive wine and spirits pairings, special ingredients, and a take-home gift. Each dinner is a private, ticketed event available solely to MasterCard holders.

Details:

Sunday, October 27 – BellyQ – Chef Bill Kim’s American BBQ – A Family Dinner Event

For one night only, chef Bill Kim will take a detour from Asian classics to offer a family menu of American barbecue favorites with a twist. The fun-filled evening menu will include beef ribs, corn bread with kimchi and bacon, and cole slaw with nuoc cham and mint—plus cocktails for the adults and refreshing drinks for the kids. Chef Kim will lead a hands-on spring roll demonstration and the winning creation will be featured on the bellyQ menu!

5:00 PM – $100 for 1 adult & 1 child under 12

Monday, October 28 – Publican Quality Meats – Oysters, Pork, and Beer, Oh My!

Indulge in Publican Quality Meats’ founding trifecta of oysters, pork, and beer. The evening starts with a welcome cocktail and oyster-shucking demo, with a guided tasting of East and West coast oysters. Then, enjoy the restaurant’s most famed dishes including the Little Gem Salad with crispy fried pigs ears, hot charcuteries, grilled country ribs, ham chop in hay, farm chicken, or glazed pork belly, all with beer pairings. The feast ends with a seasonal dessert by award-winner pastry chef Anna Shovers.

7:00 PM – $125

Tuesday, October 29 — Yusho — An Exploration of Japanese Sake

The best way to learn about sake is to enjoy it artfully paired with food. Imagine Kalbi Beef Short Ribs paired with a full-bodied Mizbash Ginjo or duck breast paired with a mellow Kimoto Junmai. At this first of it’s kind Yusho experience, certified sake professional Timothy Koenig will guide you course-by-course, including some sakes not available anywhere else or recently imported.

7:00 PM – $125

Wednesday, October 30 —Spiaggia— A Celebration of Nomadic Bees

In 2012, Executive Chef Sarah Grueneberg, a Top Chef finalist, journeyed to Italy to study the ancient art of beekeeping and produce her own mono-floral honeys with noted nomadic bee keeper Andrea Paternoster. Now, in a spectacular first-ever menu, a newfound passion meets Old World technique to showcase honey’s delicious possibilities. From roasted sea scallops with cardoon honey and truffle to suckling pig with polenta and sunflower honey, each course will be paired with wine from the restaurant’s famed collection.

7:00 PM – $125

Tickets and info: www.cntglobaltastingtour.com