70 area restaurants sign up for May 11 Chefs' Fest in Arlington Heights

About 70 area restaurants are preparing menus for the popular Chefs' Fest set for May 11.

The food and beverage sampling event, produced by the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau, will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at Arlington Park Racecourse at Euclid Avenue and Wilke Road in Arlington Heights.

Chefs' Fest 2010 is expected to feature food and beverage samplings from nearly 70 local restaurants. This three-hour extravaganza also serves up live entertainment from the Arlingtones barbershop choir, and piano music from Big Shot Piano Lounge of Arlington Heights. Back by popular demand, Lynfred Winery is conducting a "Wine 101" demonstration, organizers said.

Event guests are asked to donate nonperishable food donations to benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository serving food pantries in the Chicago Northwest area. Last year attendees donated more than 20 cases of food to help those in need.

Individual tickets are $35 if purchased on the day of the event or $30 if purchased in advance. Parking is free. Individual tickets can be ordered online at ChefsFest.com or by calling (847) 490-1010.

This is the 17th annual culinary festival designed to showcase area dining establishments. About 2,500 spectators are expected to attend, according to event organizers. The first year the event was held, it featured a handful of local restaurants and about 300 guests.

Current featured exhibitors include:

Anne Shea's Chocolates & Lounge

Arlington Park Racecourse

Barefoot Wine and Bubbly

Big Shot Piano Lounge & Restaurant

Birch River Grill

Blue Fire Grille

Blues Bar

Bob Chinn's Crab House

Brown's

Chandler's Chop House & Banquets

Costco Wholesale

Daily Herald

Dave & Buster's

Discover Woodfield Podcast

Dominick's

Fire Zone

Fox and Hound Smokehouse & Tavern -- Arlington Heights

Fox and Hound Smokehouse & Tavern -- Schaumburg

Francesca's Tavola

Friendship Village

Grand Station Restaurant & Cocktails

Grill Works Restaurant & Bar

Houlihan's

IKEA

Jeff Can Cook? Catering

Joe's Crab Shack

Lafitte's

Levy Restaurants @ Arlington Park

L'Eiffel Bistrot & Creperie

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

Lucky Monk

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant

Melting Pot

Moretti's Risotrante & Pizzeria

Oberweis Dairy

Olive Oil Place, The

Pamela's Park Side Grill

PepsiAmericas

Qdoba Mexican Grill

Ram Restaurant & Microbrewery

RealTime Sports Bar, Grill & Games

Richie's Cafȩ Clemenza

Rockit Productions

Sam & Harry's

Schaumburg Flyers Professional Baseball

Serenity Lounge

Shaw's Crab House

Shula's Steak House

Spaghetti Warehouse

Spring Valley Nature Center & Heritage Farm

Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue

Weber Grill Restaurant

Wildfire

Yelp

Yu's Mandarin