As soon as I arrived at Chicago Gourmet in Millennium Park this weekend, I suffered an acute case of sensory overload. Glasses of bubbly rosé bobbed around me, the smell of fire-roasted pork wafted my way, a voice over the speaker system announced Rick Bayless was taking the main stage and I spotted a tray of gold-dusted macarons in my peripheral. This must be heaven, I thought. After collecting myself, a wine glass and plate for food, I made my way toward the madness and didn't look back.In the events that followed, I ate my weight in food, chatted with the Chicago chefs that prepared each sample, sipped wines from around the world, Instagrammed the hell out of a very adorable dessert and passed out in a food coma as soon as I got home. Tickets for the event ran from $170 per day to $275 for a weekend pass. And though I was graciously granted a press pass for the event, I wouldn't think twice about forking over the cash to attend this event again. Here's a food-focused rundown of some of the things I ate this weekend.

RL fried oyster po' boy: Crispy, buttery and not too heavy on the bread, these tiny sliders were two bites of YES.Knife & Tine honey lemon curd tart with candied blueberries, ginger nutmeg and whipped cream: Perhaps the best thing I tried all weekend, this tart was heavenly.Joe Fish Maine lobster roll: I was super excited when I unwrapped this roll but majorly disappointed when I realized the bread-to-lobster ratio was completely off. Flo & Santos crostini with marinated tomatoes and lemon ricotta: Though this bite wasn't overly memorable, it basically tasted like summer on a piece of bread. Honey Butter Fried Chicken fried chicken bites with honey butter: I'm a big fan of this Avondale spot, so I was happy to see their classic recipe at the festival.Autre Monde Cafe braised pork with white corn polenta: This plate was full of texture and flavor, but ended up being just OK in my book.The Big Green Egg Elvis s'mores: Chocolate, marshmallows, bananas and more chocolate inside a classic sugar cone.

Be still, my heart.Oak & Char duck kielbasa: Covered in fennel, shaved Brussels sprouts and duck heart gravy, this was my favorite savory dish of the day.Pazzo's Chicago osso bucco ravioli with wild mushroom gravy: These giant veal-stuffed pillows were tender, warm and oozing with mushroom goodness. Marion Street Market pumpkin soup with celery root brunoise and maple manchego creme fraiche: Like slurping down fall.Arami poached octopus with seaweed: Despite the tender tendrils, I was over this dish after one bite.Homestead on the Roof frika salad with burnt leek vinaigrette and smoked goat cheese: Zesty, smoky, chewy yumminess that would be so delicious alongside a hunk of steak.City Winery duck breast with cherry compote and soba noodles: This flavor combination blew me away and earned the spot for best dish of the day.Side Door chicken bahn mi sandwich: Tasty? Paramount Events pork and wild mushroom ragu over stone-ground polenta: Served on a bed of greens and tiny wild flowers, this dish won the award for best dressed.

Dolce Italian crostone with avocado, heirloom tomatoes, shrimp and calamari: Refreshing and tasty, this toasty bite was gone in a matter of seconds.wine on tap ukThe bottom line: Though the price tag is a little steep, I felt the experience was absolutely worth it. best budget red wine 2014Chicago Gourmet is essentially an adult playground with unlimited snack time, booze and top chefs. best australian wine 2010I left each day feeling completely full, a little tipsy and totally happy. best italian wine barsWould I go again? cheap wine liquor storesAbso-freaking-lutely.For more eat & drink news, click here.best dessert wine list

Update: this giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered – and congrats to our winner, Laura P.! Few people know this, but my relationship with Chris started with a night of dancing. A pair of silver pumps. And a girl named Ashley. Ashley and I shared mutual friends throughout college, so our run-ins were not infrequent. She roomed with one of my high school classmates in the dorms. Was heavily crushed upon by my own roommates in the years following (sorry guys, the cat’s out!). And we were both, I can now freely admit with only the faintest hint of shame, groupies of the local bike shop, where my best friends — and Chris — earned their keep three days a week. One particularly slow Saturday, I was sitting with Chris at the register (yeah, no — I wasn’t getting paid to be there; college girls do stupid things around attractive boys), smothering any subtlety with too much hair twirling and short skirtedness (college girls do stupid things around attractive boys) when Ashley suggested the three of us go out that evening.

Bless her little wingman heart. And so it was that three of us ended up in the queue for a downtown bar. Into which Chris paid my cover. After which Ashley promptly disappeared down to the creek.Down to the creek. Like, she club-yelled to me: “Sorry! I have to meet someone down at the creek! Baby’s butts don’t come smoother than that. But — spoiler alert — it worked. We danced for far too long and far too closely and had the best time learning all about the Sugar on Trick Daddy’s Tongue (that’s a song reference, mom) while Ashley hung out down by the creek patiently doing God knows what until the wee hours. Clearly, homegirl knew what she was doing. And I’ve got a pretty rad marriage to prove it. Ashley also knew what she doing when it came down to her family’s secret Sherry Wine Cake, which she famously contributed to dinner parties, barbecues and all the shop-groupie ragers. A tender, spongy cake with a faintly boozy aroma, just a hint of spice and a crisp, sugary top, I chubby-bunnied loaves of the stuff over the course a school year. T

ime and again, I’d ask her for the recipe. And time and again, she’d deny me. “It’s a family secret!” she’d coyly proclaim, while I calmly invited her to die in a fire under my breath. * Today, however, thanks to a slick move of my own that can only be described as bribery, everything has changed. Last year, Ashley launched The Lettered Bride, a calligraphy and illustration business that turns everything from party invitations to wedding programs into inspired little works of art. While Ashley takes orders for custom calligraphy projects, the highlight of her offerings is The Lettered Bride DIY Calligraphy Kit — which includes all the goodies you need to create modern script calligraphy of your own: templates and step-by-step instructions, a pen holder, nibs, high-quality ink that’s been tested on a wide variety of paper stocks commonly used for formal invitations — everything. It’s one-stop shopping for the creative bride-to-be — or anyone looking to up their Pinterest game, really. I

t’s stupid charming and, unsurprisingly, super popular! She’s kinda killin’ the game. See that cute caption on the header image? Tince Ashley is basically the reason I became the bride to Chris’ groom, it seemed only too apropos to host a The Lettered Bride giveaway here on the blog. Complemented, of course, by a certain Sherry Wine Cake recipe, muahahahaha. Today, I’m so excited to share with you Ashley’s previously unattainable family recipe for a cake that will — without exaggeration — change your life. It’s so sooo simple (one bowl!), light (you beat the crap out of it for five minutes!) — and refreshingly full of life’s most delicious indulgences. LI licked the beaters. A But first — the GIVEAWAY!!! One (1) P&Q reader will win their choice of either Ashley’s signature The Lettered Bride DIY Calligraphy Kit OR a Custom Calligraphy Return Address Rubber Stamp, hand-designed by Ashley, herself. Here’s How to Enter (required):

For Bonus Entries, do any/all of the following: (comment on this post to let us know which bonus entries you’ve made so we can increase your odds in the drawing) Best of luck, all you sassy piggies! And enjoy the heck out of this lovely Sherry Wine Cake. Feel free to pass it off as a ‘secret family recipe’ of your own, even. My lips are sealed. 😉 * Yes, I now realize that, according to Google, the secret is out. Apparently it never crossed my mind to check the interwebs at the time. (College girls do stupid things around attractive boys.) Courtesy of Ashley Lurcott Cook time: 1 hour | Makes two 9″ x 5″ loaf cakes This cake is light, spongy and ever so faintly kissed with a warm, sherry aroma. Ashley recommends serving it with vanilla ice cream. Sounds good to me! Preheat oven to 350F. Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs, sherry and oil and mix by hand to combine, then beat with a hand blender at medium speed for 5 minutes. Bake in two (2) ungreased and unfloured 9″ x 5″ x 3″ (or similar) loaf pans for 40-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (I