Chef's Fest serves up savory samples at Arlington Park

Local suburbanites experienced a treat at Arlington Park Tuesday as the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau held its 17th annual Chef's Fest for restaurants in the Northwest suburbs.

Sixty-one restaurants served up free samples of food and drink for more than 2,000 visitors. Food ranged from Lou Malnati's famous deep dish pizza to Shaw's Crab House's shrimp and crab cocktail. Pubs and bars offered premium beers, mixed drinks and wines for visitors to sample.

Along with the large selection free food and beverages, the event hosted musical entertainment from blues groups and a barbershop chorus. The event collected food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, with donors being entered into raffles to win gift certificates and items donated by participating restaurants.

"We like the exposure the event gives us. Some people don't even know that Chandler's does banquets, or that the Schaumburg Golf Club is a public course," said Kim Panzarella, the catering director for Chandler's Chophouse.

"Its great marketing for the restaurants in our area," said David Parulo, the director of membership and community outreach for the convention bureau. The bureau helps to promote tourism within the Northwest suburbs, and Parulo says a huge part of attracting tourism is showing the quality of dining in the area.

Many of the restaurants were at the event for the first time. Many were recently opened and were looking to get their name and food out there.

"We're really proud of the products we have and the service we give. We want to show it off everything we can do," said Mike Weis, the chef at Blues Bar in Mount Prospect.

Pamela's Parkside Grill of Arlington Heights opened on New Year's and was looking to spread the word about its menu specializing in fresh seafood.

"It's an important event in the community that we want to be an important part of," said executive chef and co-founder Howard Maybloom.