Chefs’ Feast
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) doesn’t want anyone going hungry. With this year’s 29th Chefs’ Feast event, guests can fill their plates and keep the state’s children fed.
“Last year, the net proceeds were $149,815,” said RFBO marketing and communications director Angie Doss. Proceeds benefit its Food for Kids program.
The 2015 Chefs’ Feast raised enough to feed almost 750 kids. Every $200 raised provides food for a child for an entire year.
Held 6-9 p.m. March 10 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., this year’s event features 25 of the best restaurants in Oklahoma City serving tailgate-themed bites, Doss said. Participating eateries include Aunt Pittypat’s Catering, Platt College, Boulevard Steakhouse, Back Door Barbecue, Cafe 7, CocoFlow, Gopuram Taste of India, Rococo and more. For the first year, Slaughter’s Hall and The Drake Seafood & Oysterette will take part.
Since it began, Chefs’ Feast has raised $1.966 million to feed children across the state. Tickets are $130, available at at chefsfeast.org.
Memorial dinner
Chefs who worked with Donnie Cashion, killed in a car accident Jan. 15, came together Sunday to prepare a wine dinner to honor their fallen friend and raise money for his wife and daughter.
“I’ve known Donnie for 18 years,” said Leslie Schlegel, owner of Peletón Wine Bar, who helped organize the dinner. “He was a fabulous chef. He studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris.”
He worked at restaurants across the city, including Republic Gastropub, before moving to California. When he returned to Oklahoma City with a baby on the way, he called Schlegel and asked for a job, but she said it wasn’t cooking.
He wanted to work at Schlegel Bicycles and became a beloved member of the city’s cycling community, she said.
The dinner included dishes from Dustin Bagnaro of Pizzeria Gusto, Jonas Favela of Boulevard Steakhouse, Chris McCabe from A Good Egg Dining Group, Logan Hester of Vast and Ryan Parrott of Picasso Cafe.
There is a fundraising page for Cashion’s wife Risa and daughter Vera at youcaring.com/risa-suave-503751.
Canyon Lakes
Piyush and Lisa Patel retired after selling their company, Digital Tutors, for $45 million. That lasted three months.
“One of my son’s friends asked what we did, and he said, ‘My mom and dad just hang around the house,’” Patel said.
After considering a move to Napa, California, the couple decided to stay in Oklahoma but found a good reason to keep visiting the coast — they bought into a small winery co-op. Now, their classic California wines from Canyon Lakes Winery are on sale in Oklahoma.
Piyush said they had planned to give all the wine away to their friends and family. It turns out that’s illegal in Oklahoma, so instead, they decided to sell the wine and give all the profits from their 2013 and 2014 vintages to Oklahoma City-based Infant Crisis Services.
Their pinot noir and cabernet are available at liquor stores across the state. They’re already working on 2016 vintages.
Texas Invasion
Fort Worth, Texas-based brewer Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. expands into Oklahoma Feb. 29 with a beer dinner 7-9:30 p.m. at Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St. It features a special menu of Rahr beers paired with the restaurant’s German dishes. Tickets are $35. Call 609-3300 for tickets and more information.
Then on March 1, Rahr hits liquor store shelves and taps across the state. The initial release in Oklahoma includes Rahr’s Blonde, a black lager called Ugly Pug, English IPA Stormcloud, Buffalo Butt American Amber and a seasonal strong ale called Iron Thistle with other beers released seasonally. Other local Rahr events are March 1 at The Patriarch in Edmond, March 2 at Skinny Slims locations in Edmond and Oklahoma City and Oak & Ore and March 3 at Tapwerks.
