Chef Emeril Lagasse to Headline Fork, Cork & Style at Arlington Park This Saturday

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sat., Oct. 2, Churchill Downs Entertainment Group (CDE) will host Fork, Cork & Style - a celebration of signature food, fine wine and stylish living- at Arlington Park Racecourse. This tailgate-themed food and wine festival will feature unique dishes from America's best restaurants, chef cooking demonstrations by Emeril Lagasse and other celebrity chefs, a high-end wine tasting with 250 elite brands and innovative ways to dress up tailgating parties.

General admission tickets start at $12 and are available at ForkCorkandStyle.com.

"Fork, Cork & Style is a fun and lively event. We launched this first-ever festival at our sister racetrack historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky a few weeks ago to a delightful crowd," said Steve Sexton, CEO of Churchill Downs Entertainment. "People really enjoyed seeing Emeril make seasonal dishes live and learning how they can prepare these dishes at their own tailgate. The wine sampling is also a huge draw because festival-goers can sip on a wide-ranging variety of fine wines."

Chef Emeril Lagasse will prepare mouth-watering tailgate dishes live during two cooking demonstrations at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at Fork, Cork & Style. Also participating are local chefs and several finalists from Bravo's Top Chef Television series, including Top Chef Miami finalist Brian Malarkey, Top Chef Vegas finalist Eli Kirshtein and Top Chef Miami contestant Casey Thompson.

Binny's Beverage Depot will present a grand wine tasting filled with more than 250 wines from premier regions like Napa Valley, Bordeaux and Champagne. Notable restaurants participating include several eateries from the Travel Channel's official list of the "101 Best Places to Chow Down," including:

• Buffalo's Anchor Bar, No. 17 and home of the original Buffalo Chicken Wings;
• St. Louis's Ted Drewes, No. 37 for its signature frozen custard
• Memphis hotspot Central BBQ rated the "No. 1 BBQ Joint in Tennessee"

Renowned Chicagoland restaurants participating include Albano's Pizzeria, Billy Goat Tavern and Grill, Bob Chinn's Crabhouse, Churro Factory, Lagniappe, Jack Melnick's, McGonigal's Pub, Park Avenue Wine Bar & Merchant and Fresh 1800. For the complete list of restaurants, visit www.forkcorkandstyle.com

SOURCE Churchill Downs Entertainment Group