Local chefs curing cabin fever all week
Thaw deliciously with Kevin Lee or The Big Kahuna
Hope everyone is staying cozy as the sunshine does it’s best to burn through the arctic air and defrost our streets and rooftops. Thankfully precipitation wasn’t overwhelming, so getting around is possible but plenty punishing. The forecast indicates our full range of collective motion might not return until Wednesday.
Cabin fever might muster up a pandemic of its own by then, so it’s my pleasure to report 9 out of 10 doctors surveyed recommend a dining event to cure cabin fever. Turns out, I’ve got a couple coming this week to recommend and a couple more to mark on your calendars.
Last week, chef Kevin Lee hosted a ticketed event in the newly renovated dining room at Birdie’s by Chef Kevin Lee. This weekend he has two nights to preview the new menu before it goes live to the public. Tickets are now available for services this Saturday and Sunday night.
Lee will serve a special menu of shareable plates large and small. Ticket-holders will receive a welcome cocktail, then choose two small plates from among Himachi Crudo, Sweet Potato Burrata, and a Kimchi Pancake. Guest then choose one item from shareable plates of Pan-Seared Salmon, Galbi Short Ribs, Tteoktokki, and Sticky Pork Ribs. Dinner also comes with a Wagyu steak then Black Sesame Crème Brulee for dessert.
These will be the last two services to help chef Lee get ready for the grand opening of Birdie’s by Chef Kevin Lee next week.
On Thursday, The Tasting Room and chefs Kurt Fleischfresser and Jason Jones will host a tasting for a Made In Oklahoma Showcase. Oklahoma’s culinary Big Kahuna and his partner in culinary crime at the Will Rogers Theater prepare a sampling of flavors using local products to go along with beer, wine and spirits from Oklahoma.
Don’t be surprised to see me at this event donning an apron. Guests can sample all they want for $75 with proceeds benefiting the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Get your tickets for Thursday’s party, which runs 6 to 8 p.m.
Here’s a few more dinners to put on your calendar:
Events
Chef Jonas Favela of Stock and Bond does chef wine tastings and dinners on the regular. He’s got one tonight featuring Long Shadows Winery of Walla Walla, Wash., at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $175 per person. I don’t have the menu for tonight’s dinner, but I do for the one on Feb. 5 featuring wines from Paul Hobbs Winery. Cocktail hour that evening is 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will include Duck Confit Spring Rolls. The first of three courses is served at 6:30, starting with Argentina Red Shrimp & Agnolotti. The main attraction is a Linz Heritage Angus Filet of Tenderloin with Pomegranate reduction plus fingerlings and asparagus. Dessert is Flourless Chocolate Gateau with raspberry syrup, blueberries and vanilla-cardamom gelce. Guests can expect pours of 2020 Dry Riesling, 2021 Chardonnay, 2021 Pinot Noir, and 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. Cost is $225, not including tax or gratuity, and reservations for either event can be made by calling 405-900-6850.
Ma Der Lao Kitchen has a collaboration with Yia Vang of Vinai in Minneapolis and the Outdoor Channel TV series Feral. Chef Yia promises to bring Hmong culture in exchange for the Lao cuisine chef Jeff Chanchaleune slings. The menu won’t drop until Feb. 3, but Chanchalenue promises an evening of Southeast Asian izakaya experience. The first-come, first-serve event runs 6 to 9 p.m.
ALERT! Consider this your early, early reminder to make those Valentine’s dinner reservations now, and keep in mind it crosses swords with the Lunar New Year next month.