The Culinary Crossroads 2022 Spring Dinner Series kicks off April 19 with three of Indy’s top chefs. Abbi Merriss of Bluebeard and Kan-Kan Brasserie, Carlos Salazar of Lil Dumplings Noodle Bar and Pete Schmutte of Leviathan Bakehouse will be cooking for the first night of the four-dinner series. The dinners are sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College and take place at Highland Golf & Country Club.
“We’re so excited to have chef Abbi and chef Carlos back for the second Spring Dinner Series,” said Culinary Crossroads founder Larry Dickerson. “And to add pastry chef Pete Schmutte to the team is just phenomenal. It’s going to be a fantastic dinner.”
The 2022 Spring Dinner Series has a global exploration theme, with each week featuring a different country or region. The April 19 dinner with Abbi, Carlos and Pete will be inspired by the foods of Spain and Portugal.
The week-two dinner on April 26 features an Italian-inspired menu from chef Alan Sternberg of Iozzo’s Garden of Italy, chef Brad Gates of Convivio Italian Artisan Cuisine and pastry Tanya Smith of Our Table American Bistro in Bargersville.
On May 3, chef Steve Oakley of Oakleys Bistro and chef Esteban Rosas of Milktooth, along with pastry chef Cindy Hawkins of Circle City Sweets, will create a French-inspired menu.
To wrap up the series on May 10, chef Jonathan Brooks of Beholder and Milktooth, chef Erin Kem of Scarlet Lane Gastropub and pastry chef Youssef Boudarine of Gallery Pastry Shop will create a Middle Eastern-themed menu.
Each dinner includes appetizers and a complimentary cocktail hour; the three-course dinners also include wine pairings by sommelier Ashlee Nemeth of Tinker Street. Tickets are $175 each, with a purchase of two tickets; a table of six is $1,000. Tickets are available here on Eventbrite.
A portion of the funds raised will go toward creating an Ivy Tech culinary scholarship, compensating the chefs and supporting future Culinary Crossroads initiatives — fitting with our motto of “great food, great talent and great causes.”