Tru Presents the Ultimate Pre-Holiday Culinary Event Featuring Blackberry Farm

The weekend of November 20th will offer a most unique blend of culinary creativity and innovation to begin the holiday season. Four-star Chicago restaurant, Tru, and the famed Blackberry Farm (recently featured on the Martha Stewart Show) will join together for an entire weekend of events that are sure to delight the culinary senses. Sam Beall, owner of Blackberry Farm and author of their recently released cookbook, The Blackberry Farm Cookbook, will be in attendance along with Gale Gand, Executive Pastry Chef/Partner of Tru and recent author of a Gale Gand’s Brunch! The weekend will offer an exclusive seven-course dinner, culinary demonstration and luncheon as well as a Sunday brunch.

“Blackberry Farm is of my favorite places to teach and bring my family. They do everything right, from their gardens and jam-making to the cottages and trout fishing. That's why I'm so excited to have them here at Tru for a whole weekend. It will be wonderful!” – Gale Gand

"I am so excited to work with Chef Anthony Martin at Tru to produce a very special experience for the guests of this event. It is refreshing to collaborate completely on the entire menu in order to create something totally new and unique. Blackberry and Tru both hold a philosophy that allows such ease in our working together for this experience." -Chef Adam Cooke

Friday - Nov. 20 -

Chefs Anthony Martin of Tru and Adam Cooke of Blackberry Farm will be collaborating on each and every detail of their seven-course tasting menu, offered exclusively for this dining event. Such collaboration between two refined yet distinctive Relais Chateaux properties offers a highly unique and creative menu. $250 per guest (plus tax and gratuity), 6 pm dinner, 6:45 reception.

Saturday - Nov. 21 -

The weekend continues with Chefs Adam Cooke and Josh Feathers of Blackberry Farm hosting a culinary demonstration and luncheon, offering festive ideas to integrate into your upcoming holiday meals. $100 per guest (plus tax and gratuity), 11 am to 1 pm.

Sunday - Nov. 22 -

Chef Josh Feathers concludes the weekend by presenting the famed Blackberry Farm brunch, a treat rarely offered outside of their Tennessee property. $85 per guest (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Both Tru and Blackberry Farm will have a variety of items available for purchase available throughout the weekend, such as cookbooks, chocolates and sweets. The Blackberry Farm Cookbook: Four Seasons of Great Food and the Good Life, was recently released and will be available to purchase and to have signed by Sam and the chefs at the event, along with farmstead products from Blackberry Farm available for purchase.

Opened in 1999, TRU is a AAA Five-Diamond and Mobil Four-Star restaurant owned by chef/partner Rick Tramonto, executive pastry chef/partner Gale Gand and Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Located just off the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago, TRU is synonymous with luxury and elegance. The restaurant is renowned for its French Progressive cuisine and award-winning service. TRU is open for dinner nightly, except for Sundays and major holidays, and is available for private events. For more information, call (312) 202-0001 or visit www.trurestaurant.com.

Blackberry Farm - often described as "Easy to get to. Hard to leave." is located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. This 60-room Relais and Chateaux and Relais Gourmand property offers some of the world's finest wines, cuisine, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, cycling, sporting clay and mountain biking opportunities. In addition to an abundance of outdoor activities, including an Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Program, Blackberry Farm offers an Aveda-Destination Spa and a series of annual cooking schools and culinary events along with other world-renowned guest chefs, vintners and artisans. For reservations and information, please call 800) 993 7824 or visit our website, www.blackberryfarm.com.