Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Onion rings with creme fraiche and caviar at ChainFest ChainFest A food festival rooted in elevating nostalgia is expanding to a new coast. ChainFEST, the Los Angeles-based food festival will have its first ever East Cast event at Randall’s Island Park in New York City on Saturday, September 21. Founded by actor and writer B.
J. Novak and Michelin - starred chef Tim Hollingsworth, ChainFEST serves up gourmet renditions of classic American fast food dishes. In partnership with Chrissy Teigen, ChainFEST New York will serve over 10,000 guests, with new culinary renditions on dishes from KFC, Panda Express, RedRobin, Portillo’s, Krispy Kreme, Red Lobster, Chuck E.
Cheese, and more. Think: Sweet and Sour Chili Crunch Fried Oyster Mushrooms and a Panda Freeze frozen drink from Panda Express, a sneak peek of a spicy new gourmet burger with five layers of heat from Red Robin, a preview of a new KFC item with curated sauces, a one-of -a-kind gourmet Portillo’s Chicago hot dog, a Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit with butter poached lobster, and more. “It’s like that full circle moment,” Chef Hollingsworth said at a press conference to promote ChainFEST at Per Se in New York.
“You’re creating this new memory based on an old memory and it’s reinforced.” Chain restaurants are in hometowns all over the world, and though many have left their home cities, they can reminisce on childhood whenever they taste a familiar fast.