Chef Fest 2009: A taste of the suburbs with a side of goodwill

March 27, 9:36 AMChicago Dining ExaminerEmily Szopa

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Dancing with food

I have to admit that food alone isn't enough to draw me to a "fest," partly because the food is usually pretty ho-hum but also because the crowds can get to be a bit of a bother. Some people enjoy huge crowds, and if the Taste is any evidence, a LOT of people enjoy bumping elbows with one enother while shoveling food into their craws. I am not one of those people.

When I first read about Chef Fest, it was featured on the back of a health magazine that had been delivered to my mom's house. My mom, who IS one of those people who loves being in the midst of a huge, enthusiastic crowd, pointed out that Chef Fest was not just about the food, it was also about raising money for Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare. The proceeds go toward new equipment for the hospital, as well as community services ranging from counseling to hospice.

Well, okay then. I'll eat for a good cause.

The Fest was held in the Grand Ballroom at Drury Lane in Oakbrook, with a cocktail reception in the atrium preceding the food tasting. There were more than 25 local restaurants represented, each serving from small stations arranged around the perimeter of the ballroom. As I anticipated, there was the usual waiting in line and weaving through the throngs to get to a table, but what was different was the crowd itself. Every person I talked to was as enthusiastic about the food as they were about the reason why the food was there.

It was good food, sure, but the company I shared was more than enough reason to stay. Round tables seating 10 were elegantly appointed with silver chargers, red napkins and ample silverware. Some were marked with signs designating the donors who had reserved them, but others were unmarked, encouraging people to sit with others they don't know. Communal dining might be de rigueur in the city, but it's not as common in the 'burbs. I approached a gentleman browsing through his program and asked if I might sit at his table. "Of course!" he replied with a smile. He introduced himself as Al and proceeded to introduce the rest of his dining companions: his wife and several of their friends.

Al and his friends had, indeed, come out to Chef Fest for the food, but, they acknowledged, donating to the hospital was also a good cause. "As you get older, you find yourself at the hospital more often," Al quipped, flashing another bright smile as he cut into an Italian sausage from Grotto. As we moved in and out of our seats in a dining cotillion of sorts, we compared notes on the evening's selections and agreed that, perhaps surprisingly, the hospital cafe's offering was one of the best of the night. A simple croute with a sprinkle of cheese and a thick smear of spinach dip, it hadn't seemed like a much of a revelation when first placed on my plate, but sometimes it's the simple things that really satisfy.

My personal favorites were things I could have foreseen if I had looked through the program before diving in: Scallops in an earthy mushroom demi-glaze from Holy Mackerel!, sliced steak with caramelized onions from The Capital Grille, and New Orleans corn chowder from Silverado Grill. Nothing shocking, but all certainly good enough to warrant a mention.

There were almost as many desserts as there were savory dishes, from profiteroles to gelato to "Coffee and Donuts," Chef Hank Dreyer of Wine & Vine's bread pudding made with espresso and doughnuts. My body won't tolerate caffeine, so I really wish I had read more closely before indulging, but my sweet tooth tends to be myopic, so I can't say it hasn't happened before. The best dessert of the night was easily the apple slice from Andreson's Bakery. Flaky crust topped with apples and another layer of cinnamon glazed crust, it was the perfect bite of sugar and spice to end my gluttonous pas seul through the ballroom.

I bid my dining companions farewell and headed home, breaking open a fortune cookie from one of the fest's Chinese restaurants as I walked to my car. "You find beauty in ordinary things. Do not lose this ability." If dinner and simple conversation with friendly strangers is an ordinary thing, I can assure you I will always find beauty in that.

Photo by Seattle Municipal Archives via Flickr, adapted by Emily Szopa