Hundreds enjoy taste of Chefs' Fest 2012 in Schaumburg

Pulled pork sliders with red cabbage-apple slaw, spicy potato croquettes rolled in crushed Doritos and drizzled with vibrant margarita cream and beef tenderloin crostini topped with piquant peppercorn sauce were just a few of the plates that tempted people as they wandered from booth to booth during Chefs' Fest Tuesday evening at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center.

The 19th annual event, sponsored by the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau, drew more than 1,000 people from across the suburbs to sample fare from more than 40 popular restaurants, croon Adele during karaoke, sip wines from downstate Utica and learn about catering and banquet facilities at area hotels and recreational facilities.

“Some of the restaurants here I didn't know about; this is exactly what I needed,” said Barbara Cole, an event planner who lives in Clarendon Hills.

The first hour of the event was open exclusively for meeting professionals and event planners like Cole so they could network with catering managers and event coordinators. Unlike past events, Chefs' Fest 2012 had business expo-like layout, interspersing restaurant stations with hotel, retail and venue booths, a design made possible by the event's move to the convention center.

“We really want to encourage people to get around and visit the people and businesses,” said David Parulo, president of the convention bureau.

And while that worked for the first hour with a light crowd, when the doors opened to the general public 5:30 p.m., the aisles quickly flooded with people eager for food and drink not conversation and even more eager for a place to sit while they noshed.

Christine Derbes of Glenview was one of the lucky ones who snagged a table for her party of eight. She and her husband have attended Chefs' Fest for the past five years (give or take) with three other couples.

“The aisles are too narrow and there aren't enough tables,” she said. “It's no fun standing and eating,” she added as her another at the table lamented the lack of a cash bar.

Still, Derbes said, her group will keep the event on their annual agenda.

“We know the food is always great,” Derbes said, finishing a bite of chicken and rice smothered in strawberry mole from Mago in Arlington Heights. “We like to try things here and than visit the restaurants the rest of the year.”