On Friday, April 28, more than 200 guests came together for the 4th Annual Passport to Chicago in support of the CBF. At Kendall College, guests enjoyed dishes representing different Chicago neighborhoods, conceived and prepared by members of the Kendall College Competition Club. The creations were paired with a selection of local beers and regional wines, with special tastings provided by Chicago’s Midwest Wine Selections.
The event, co-chaired by Nancy Linder of Linder Legal Staffing and Jeanne Doran of LexisNexis, culminated in a competition for the Top Chef judged by both the guests and a Culinary Professional Panel. This year, the student chefs were competing for one of two $1,000 scholarships one from the CBF and the other generously sponsored by Linder Legal Staffing. The Culinary Professional Panel chose Prerana Sharma for her lavender panna cotta (Magnificent Mile), and Dain Kim won a repeat victory as the People’s Choice Chef for his butter chicken with ceviche-style red onions (West Rogers Park). A special thanks goes to Curtis Linder and Bill Richert for the wonderful event photography.
This year, we tied in some of the great legal aid work being done in each of the communities featured at the event. These highlighted programs are just a taste of the impactful work pro bono and legal aid organizations are doing every day in every Chicago neighborhood. Thanks to the generosity of our guests and sponsors, Passport to Chicago again will help the CBF continue to support this work, improving access to justice for people in need and making the legal system more fair and accessible for everyone.