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