I went to a food festival that served elevated versions of chain restaurant menu items. Here's everything I ate.

• I attended the first-ever ChainFest in New York City and ranked everything I ate.
• The food festival features elevated takes on iconic chain-restaurant and fast-food menu items.
• Here's everything I ate, including new menu items coming to KFC and Red Robin.

On what felt like an unusually hot September day in New York City, I trekked across a grassy field, my stomach empty and churning in anticipation of what lay ahead.

In front of me loomed a large stage with a DJ blasting music, tents set up with picnic tables, and a VIP area that beckoned me to come inside.