The Ina Monologue

Chicago’s spicy Breakfast Queen has a savory history!
Presented by
Ina Pinkney
Restaurateur, Author: Taste Memories– Recipes for Life and Breakfast

When asked to give an appeteaser of what she will share with the Culinary Historians, Ina Pinkney demurely bats her eyes: “Hmmmm… I will tell the story of how I went from Brooklyn to Breakfast… my childhood polio… coming to Chicago without knowing a soul… baking my first cake at 37 and finding my way for 33 years… I’ll talk about what it means to be me now… post restaurant and what the future might hold.”

But wait, there’s more! Ina will also give us the real skinny on what it was like to be mentored by Rich Melman and the Lettuce Entertain You operation at her Iconic down-home restaurant, Ina’s, on West Randolph; how she became Chicago’s anointed Breakfast Queen; how she ran for mayor and the U.S. Senate, became a finalist in the auditions for host of “Check Please”; and how the aura of ballerina Maria Tallchief inspired her to walk again while battling polio as a child in Brooklyn. (Ina finally met Ms. Tallchief in a syrupy encounter at her restaurant where the two wept over Ina’s Heavenly Hots pancakes.) Ina now speaks to Rotary groups about the late effects of polio. Such a life story! Such a Chicago food history!

Ina’s friends, chefs Joan Hersh and Judith Dunbar Hines will be on hand to dish out samples of some of Ina’s favorite recipes, most of which can be found in her recently published food memoir/recipe book: Taste Memories, that will be on sale.

Saturday, April 12, 2014
10 a.m. to Noon
At
Kendall College, School of Culinary Arts
900 N. North Branch Street, Chicago
(Located just north of W. Chicago Ave. at N. Halsted St.)
Free Parking in lot on north side of school, but not in front, please!

Cost of the lecture program is $5, $3 for students and no charge for CHC members and Kendall students and faculty.

To reserve, please e-mail your reservation to: Culinary.Historians@gmail.com.