Congratulations to Evanston's own Hummingbird Kitchen for earning rave reviews all weekend long during the 2013 Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago's Grant Park this past weekend.
One of Hummingbird's offerings, the SMOTHERLOAD -- a perfect combination of cheese, bacon, scallions and sour cream dancing across waves of light and crispy waffle fries -- looked to be the perfect walk-around, concert-going snack, and I'm not the only one who thought so. Time Out Chicago's reviewers declared the SMOTHERLOAD their favorite of Lolla's cullinary offerings sampled... not surprising, since Hummingbird Kitchen's been wowing its massive crowds from day one.
Of the music festival's 43 vendors this year, it's not hard to see what made Evanston's Hummingbird Kitchen stand out: it didn't serve fancy-pants stuff, trying to impress, nor was there anything showy or trendy about its menu. Similar to Edzo's Burgers (another oustanding Evanston restaurant at Lollapalooza), Hummingbird Kitchen's offerings represented the best qualities of Evanston -- genuine, approachable, and just plain down-to-earth. In addition to the SMOTHERLOAD, Hummingbird also offered Village Salad Flatbreads as well as their legendary Italian Fries with shaved garlic, fresh oregano and chili flakes.
Still, the effort required to serve three (seemingly) simple-yet-delicious menu items to the masses takes a coordinated effort beyond description. You would not believe what goes into running an operation like Lollaplooza -- let alone coordinating efforts to serve food to thousands of festival-goers. From ordering and prepping the food to setting up the tent to dealing with unexpected logistical nightmares, there's always a story (or 100) behind the scenes.
I heard just a few of those stories whispered by Heather Falconer Behm, an Evanston resident and partner in Hummingbird Kitchen. And yet, what came through loudest and clearest was Behm's hard work and dedication prior to, during and after the event.
Behm's just one of hundreds of people I've been lucky enough to know during my years here in town -- someone like so many residents of Evanston: hardworking, aboveboard, and as unpretentious as apple pie.
If I had a choice between caviar or cheese fries, I'd choose a SMOTHERLOAD of sincerity over hautiness any day of the week.
Congratulations, Hummingbird Kitchen!
