Arlington heats up in October with Fork, Cork & Style

Churchill Downs Entertainment Group (CDE) will introduce Fork, Cork & Style, a celebration of unique cuisine, fine wine and stylish living, on October 2, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CDT) at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The first-of-its-kind festival will feature signature foods from around the country, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, a premier wine tasting with 250 elite brands and innovative ways to dress up tailgating parties. Renowned chef Emeril Lagasse will headline Fork, Cork & Style, preparing mouth-watering food live amidst a fun, high-energy atmosphere. Lagasse has hosted more than 1,500 shows on the Food Network and is presently a correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America.

In addition to Lagasse's cooking demonstrations, several finalists from

Bravo's Top Chef television series and featured local chefs will also

participate in cooking demonstrations on the feature stage throughout the day.

Among the celebrity chefs also scheduled to appear are:

Brian Malarkey:		California Restaurant Association's "Chef of the Year," and owner of San Diego's new Searsucker restaurant, recent guest on TLC's Mega Bites and finalist from popular Bravo television show Top Chef Miami.
Eli Kirshtein:		Finalist on Emmy Award-nominated show Top Chef Vegas and owner of a new restaurant opening soon in New York City.
Casey Thompson:		This Top Chef Miami contestant, known for her talent for pairing the perfect wine with every dish, serves as a culinary ambassador for the San Francisco Bay Area.

 CDE launched its Fork, Cork & Style franchise earlier this year and

will host the branded event in the series on September 12 at Churchill Downs,

Arlington Park's sister racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.

"This is another innovative concept we think appeals to our target market of

highly engaged entertainment seekers," CDE President Steve Sexton said. "Fork,

Cork & Style is a winning combination, a blend of marquee foods from various

markets combined with key local offerings and offered at one location. The

festival will celebrate America's best foods, the world's finest wines, and give

festival goers ways to enhance their next tailgating experience."

Notable restaurants participating include several eateries that have ranked

high on the Travel Channel's official list of the "101 Best Places to Chow

Down":

Chicago area's Albano's Pizzeria:		No. 8 on the list for its football-sized pizza puff.
Buffalo's Anchor Bar:		No. 17 on the list and home of the original Buffalo Chicken Wings.
West Virginia's Hillbilly Hot Dogs:		No. 15 on the list and is best known for the 15-inch Home Wrecker hot dog topped with a pile of tasty condiments.
St. Louis's Ted Drewes:		No. 37 on the list is frozen custard family tradition.

Additional restaurants featured include Memphis hot spot Central BBQ, rated

the "No. 1 BBQ Joint in Tennessee," which will prepare delicious ribs and pulled

pork; South Philadelphia's Tony Luke's, home of the ultimate cheesesteak, which

was featured on Travel Channel's Man v. Food; and Chicago's own world

famous Billy Goat Tavern and Grill.

There will also be a grand wine tasting filled with high-end vintners

presented by Binny's Beverage Depot including more than 250 wines from premier

wine regions like Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Washington State, Rioja, Sonoma Valley,

Champagne and many more.

Chicago's Fork, Cork & Style will also feature the sounds of the east coast

dance band Boogie Knights, complete with Disco cover songs and funky 70's

attire. Other groups will be announced later.

Tickets went on sale Thursday at 5 p.m. (CDT). Advance ticket prices --

available through September 25 -- are $25 for general admission and $60 for

general admission and wine tasting. After October 2, prices are $35 for general

admission and $70 for admission and wine tasting.

Special promotions to be announced soon will be available at any Chicagoland

Binny's Beverage Depot by clicking on their website

www.binnys.com. A limited

number of $200 VIP tickets will also be available which include an exclusive

meet and greet with chef Emeril Lagasse and the other celebrity chefs, reserved

seating at the cooking demo stage, first-class access to the wine tasting and

VIP parking.

Tickets are available online at

www.forkcorkandstyle.com.