Heads-up if you're eating at Salpicon tonight: You'll be seeing uber-chef Charlie Trotter there.
And though you may not recognize his entourage, you should know who they are: Spain's Juan Mari Arzak, who once was mentor to Ferran Adria, if that gives you any idea of his stature; and two of New York's It chefs, Daniel Humm of the four-star Eleven Madison Park and Paul Liebrandt of Corton.
Trotter and Arzak also plan to hit Gibson's Monday. "All these European chefs are fascinated with the idea of a steakhouse," Trotter says. "They don't have them in Europe, where you go and just get this big piece of meat."
The chefs are in town to help Trotter mark his restaurant's 22nd anniversary with a $495-a-head blowout Sunday. (Trotter has perfected the art of drawing in some of the culinary world's hugest names like bees to honey. His 20th bash featured the jaw-dropping roster of Adria, Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Tetsuya Wakuda, Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Herme.)
This year, a non-chef also will be in the kitchen -- honest-to-goodness Ohio farmer Lee Jones of the Chef's Garden, which supplies produce to many of the nation's top restaurants.
Trotter asked Jones to come up with a dish for the evening. Jones' contribution (which Trotter's chefs will execute): a "tiny roasted heirloom tomato with the elements of a BLT inside."
Sun-Times Food editor Janet Rausa Fuller is always thinking about her next meal.

Lee Jones is tremendous -- and so is Trotter, for going past farm-to-table and bringing a farmer into the kitchen.