Some of our talented Spring Dinner Series chefs gather to support Chef Greg Hardesty for the finale of the Series.
Dinner Programs
The Culinary Crossroads Dinner Programs focus on “Great Food, Great Talent, and Great Causes” which highlight culinary ambassadors who bring their tremendous talents to our plates and make a difference in our communities.
SUPPER CLUB SERIES
Culinary Crossroads is pleased to collaborate with Paramount Schools of Excellence to launch a new, year-long dinner series: Culinary Crossroads Supper Club presented by Paramount Schools.
Paramount Schools of Excellence student caring for a member of their goat herd.
Born from the “Bring Back The Chefs” dinner series that Tommy Reddicks and Paramount Schools of Excellence produced as a way to support the culinary community during the height of the pandemic, this recent partnership with Culinary Crossroads allows for the continuation of their program and aligns perfectly with the mission.
Our Sunday suppers began on August 15th, 2021 and will continue through September 2022. These limited seating suppers will feature some of the region’s top chefs preparing exquisite five-course meals, with ticket revenue used to compensate the chefs and to provide scholarship dollars to selected Ivy Tech culinary students.
The Culinary Crossroads Supper Club is a welcomed addition to Culinary Crossroads’ portfolio of dinner programs focused on “Great Food, Great Talent and Great Causes”.
Click here for the chef lineup, upcoming dates, and to reserve your tickets!
SPRING DINNER SERIES
Our inaugural 2021 Spring Dinner Series, presented by Ivy Tech Community College was held in April and May of 2021 at Highland Country Club and featured 12 talented Indianapolis-based chefs. Each week a different chef pairing delivered a unique dining experience for our attendees, and each chef highlighted a “cause of choice” that made a difference in their personal lives or community through their respective missions.
Our chef pairings included:
Neal Brown and Ben Hardy
Tony Hanslits and Regina Mehallick
Karl Benko and Chris Liechti
Steven Oakley and Carlos Salazar
Jonathan Brooks and Esteban Rosas
Greg Hardesty and Abbi Merriss
Over 500 guests joined us including First Lady Janet Holcomb, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, and Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann who each shared kind words about the dinners and the Culinary Crossroads initiative. Nearly 2 dozen partners and underwriters participated which made our dinner series a success.
Chef Chris Liechti and team plating a course during week four of the Spring Dinner Series.
.Portions of our revenue were utilized to compensate participating chefs, make contributions to a “cause of choice” for each of the 12 chefs and provide support for future Culinary Crossroads initiatives.
ON THE ROAD DINNER SERIES
Based on the tremendously positive feedback received from the guests, chefs, sponsors, and stakeholders who attended or were involved in producing the 2021 Spring Dinner Series, we made a commitment to take the dinner series concept on the road to at least 6-8 other Indiana cities between the fall of 2021 and the end of calendar year 2022.
Producing the “On The Road” initiative provides the opportunity to hold true to the commitment made by Culinary Crossroads leadership to be a true statewide initiative. This ensures that when we talk about the “people, products, places and services” that define Indiana’s culinary landscape, it encompasses Indy as well as Evansville and Jeffersonville in the south, Fort Wayne and South Bend in the north and many more of our state’s great cities and towns.
Each of the cities selected for the “On The Road” campaign will have great stories to tell about their culinary history. And, just like in Indianapolis, the participating chefs will reflect the past, present and future talent in each destinations.
Sponsors and attendees provided overwhelming support for the Dinner Series.
We will carry on with our underlying theme “Great food, great talent, great causes” by highlighting Indiana food products, compensating our participating chefs and making a financial contribution to the chefs “causes of choice”.
Watch for more information including upcoming dates, chef lineup, featured cities, and ticketing information.