Meet Mindy Segal, the Chicago Chef Infusing Haute Gummies With Weed

“We are in a renaissance period,” founder of Mindy’s Chef Led Artisanal Edibles says of the industry”

On a recent pre-pandemic night in February, Mindy’s HotChocolate in Chicago was buzzing for a unique “Flavor Trip” tasting event. Industry folks and influencers mingled between exquisite stations, each offering a distinct, fruit-forward pairing. At the setup near the entrance, a rich black-cherry cobbler with fresh cream mirrored the burst of poached cherries and hint of vanilla found in a Lush Black Cherry gummy. Nearby, a refreshing sorbet enhanced a Botanical White Grapefruit gummy, with its juicy, sweet-tart citrus notes and touches of gin reminiscent of a summer cocktail. Flanking the bar, an array of Segal’s chocolate brittles, speckled with shortbread, marshmallow and nuts, overflowed on a self-serve tray to sample.

Mindy Segal, the restaurant’s owner, presided over that night’s proceedings, her no-nonsense reputation displayed as she moved between the kitchen, directing staff, mixing in some friendly hobnobbing. That kind of orchestration comes second nature to the chef, who opened her namesake restaurant in 2005, after working at several of Chicago’s lauded restaurants including the now shuttered Charlie Trotter’s — for decades, the city’s haute-cuisine standard. But the event was also a peek behind the curtain of how the celebrated chef crafts her new marijuana-infused concoctions. In the year Illinois’ medical marijuana bill took effect (the bill was signed in August 2013 and took effect in January 2014), Segal partnered with Cresco Labs. [Read More @ Rolling Stone]