The first annual Mac and Cheese Festival will pit some of Chicago’s top chefs and restaurants against each other to see who can walk away with “The Golden Noodle.” The October 4th event, at the UIC Forum, features all you can swallow from the participating restaurants plus five drink tickets for craft beer, wine and spirits for a $50 entry fee.

Chefs have been asked to create their special versions of Mac and Cheese, inspired by culture, traditions, family recipes, their restaurants and their imaginations.

The rules allow the chefs to use any kind of pasta and cheese as the main ingredients. From there, the sky’s the limit. Rumors of upcoming dishes include: Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese, Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese, White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, and Chipotle Truffle Chorizo Mac & Cheese--with many chefs trying to keep their secret recipes undercover.

Participating Restaurants Include: 10 Pin Chicago, 676 Restaurant and Bar, American Junkie, Bar Pastoral, Barn & Company, Big G's Pizza, Black Rock Pub & Kitchen, Blackfinn Ameripub, Blue Star Bistro + Wine Bar, BourBonQue, Buzz Burgers & Beer, Carlucci Restaurant & Bar, Carnivale , Chi-Town Eatery, Chicago Q, Connie's Pizza, Creative Concepts, Crio Bar & Restaurant, deca Restaurant + Bar, ESTATE Ultra Bar, Famous Dave's, Farmhouse Tavern, Fatso's Last Stand, Fiesta Mexicana Restaurants , Five Star Bar, Grange Hall Burger Bar, Halsted's Bar + Grill, Jake Melnick's, JP Burkes Patio & Tap, Kitty O'Sheas May St Café, Meat, Municipal Bar, Noodles & Company, Orso's Restaurant , Park Tavern, Puffs of Doom, Real Comfort American Kitchen, Rockit Bar & Grill, RoSal's Rudy's Bar and Grille, Schubas' Harmony Grill, South Water Kitchen, Stanley's Kitchen & Tap, State Restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, The Kerryman Bar & Restaurant, The Southern, Ugly Mug Café, Via Carducci Restaurants and Viand Chicago.

Tickets are on sale now through TicketMaster for $50. The event takes place Saturday, October 4, from 12 to 3 p.m. at the UIC Forum (725 W Roosevelt Rd.) with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.

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