Need caterer- Tall order- Really tall

LTH,
I have been put to the task of finding a caterer to handle vending at an upcoming art fair at the Merchandise Mart. The fair is expected to see attendance figures in the several tens of thousands over its three day schedule. We are interested in offering local foodstuffs to lend a feel of hometown pride and support. There will be several different vending stations and we are in the process of securing a range of local vendors. My specific challenge is to "curate" the offerings for the food court adjacent to the main bar at the fair, which we are designing to have a Chicago corner bar feel, complete with an actual antique oak bar. So, ideally we are looking for a caterer to prepare Chicago style "bar" food with a gourmet twist that will appeal to visitors from out of the country. Chicago style hotdogs are a must and we have also discussed: corn dogs, tater tots, frites, chili (with nicer than ground meat), tamales (Mexican, not Tom Tom hotdog stand style), and nachos (with real cheese). Vegetarian versions of the meaty stuff would also be preferred. Does anyone have any ideas on where to contact a reliable, creative food vendor able to cater to crowds in the thousands? The Mart has in house service professionals if that would be an issue.

Chuck's Southern Comfort Cafe seems like a really viable option- thoughts?

Jefe wrote:Chuck's Southern Comfort Cafe seems like a really viable option- thoughts?

You are correct. Chuck's has the chops to both deliver good food in quantity and serve lots of people buffet style, as has been shown at his annual Mardi Graspartys.

I'm sure Blue Plate Catering could handle pretty much anything thrown their way - unless you were looking for someone smaller.

Jefe wrote:LTH,
I have been put to the task of finding a caterer to handle vending at an upcoming art fair at the Merchandise Mart. The fair is expected to see attendance figures in the several tens of thousands over its three day schedule. We are interested in offering local foodstuffs to lend a feel of hometown pride and support. There will be several different vending stations and we are in the process of securing a range of local vendors. My specific challenge is to "curate" the offerings for the food court adjacent to the main bar at the fair, which we are designing to have a Chicago corner bar feel, complete with an actual antique oak bar. So, ideally we are looking for a caterer to prepare Chicago style "bar" food with a gourmet twist that will appeal to visitors from out of the country. Chicago style hotdogs are a must and we have also discussed: corn dogs, tater tots, frites, chili (with nicer than ground meat), tamales (Mexican, not Tom Tom hotdog stand style), and nachos (with real cheese). Vegetarian versions of the meaty stuff would also be preferred. Does anyone have any ideas on where to contact a reliable, creative food vendor able to cater to crowds in the thousands? The Mart has in house service professionals if that would be an issue.

We had originally discussed doing something in the mid hundreds, though I'm sure they can scale even larger, with Jordan's Food of Distinction. The other place that I absolutely know can do it is Levy Catering Services. They've done quite a bit of catering in this size.

Blue Plate would probably be the way to go. They own Blue Light located in the mart.