Oak and Reel dinner series to raise funds for youth of Downtown Boxing Gym
For the second consecutive year, Oak and Reel, the Milwaukee Junction Italian restaurant, is holding the Culinary Collective, a dinner series that brings to Detroit esteemed chefs from some of the best restaurants in the country.
The Culinary Collective, which kicked off Thursday, upholds a mission that is twofold: The series promises outstanding meals prepared by top chefs, but also aims to help strengthen Detroit’s culinary community by supporting budding chefs.
Jared Gadbaw, Oak and Reel’s executive chef and owner, has partnered with Schoolcraft College to offer an opportunity for students enrolled in the college’s culinary arts programs to learn from each visiting chef. With each chef offering dinners on two nights, students will cook alongside the chefs for the first night and have the chance to participate in the guest experience by enjoying the dinner the following evening.
“We're excited with our partnership and the enthusiasm that the kids bring,” Gadbaw said of the restaurant’s partnership with Schoolcraft College. “They’re getting hands-on learning and a free meal, which hopefully, is a bit of an eye-opener as far as what’s possible,” he said, adding that the tasting menu experience may be a first for some of the apprentices.
As an extension of the mission to support up-and-coming culinarians, Gadbaw has also joined forces with the Downtown Boxing Gym to create a scholarship fund for youth who are enrolled in the Islandview academic and athletic program and have interest in culinary arts.
The Downtown Boxing Gym is a nonprofit that has supported Detroit youth ages 8-18 through athletics as well as academic and mentoring support for nearly 17 years.
The “Downtown Boxing Gym is an organization that my wife and I have been a part of for a few years,” Gadbaw said. “I'm inspired every time I go to the facility and hear the story of how it came about. I see the kids and what they do on a daily basis.”
In his own quest to serve the community through his work at Oak and Reel, Gadbaw said he tries to find partnerships with individuals and businesses committed to giving back. Having recently invested in a new culinary arts program, the Downtown Boxing Gym seemed the perfect fit.
In January, the gym hired Molly Mitchell, founder of Rose's Fine Food, a former east-side Detroit diner, as associate director of culinary arts. Mitchell now leads the facility's commercial kitchen and is developing programming for those interested in food, and eventually, farming. In March, a sign-up sheet for youth with culinary interests garnered more than 20 names.
“I have a list like a mile long of kids who are ready to get the cooking classes going,” Mitchell said.
A portion of proceeds from the Culinary Collective will benefit the scholarship fund developed by Oak and Reel and the Downtown Boxing Gym, amounting to a total of $10,000. With the culinary program still in its infancy, the function of the fund is still being determined. However, Mitchell said, like all programming at the Downtown Boxing Gym, student interests will ultimately inform how the scholarship fund is used.
“Like a lot of things that we do here, it will be led by student voice, but some of the ideas that were floated were taking a trip to Chicago and eating at restaurants just to have exposure,” Mitchell said, adding that most industry professionals draw their greatest inspiration from eating at restaurants in other cities. “You see things from a different point of view, which can push you forward,” she said.
Other ideas for the scholarship fund include providing internship opportunities or bringing acclaimed chefs to the Downtown Boxing Gym to offer cooking lessons or demonstrations, perhaps funding a garden, which would allow students to learn farm-to-table growing and cooking techniques.
“There are a lot of ideas of what to do with the funds once they’re available,” Mitchell said.
The Culinary Collective begins with chef Hemant Mathur, a NYC-based Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur who specializes in fine Indian cuisine.
“I was introduced to Hemant Mathur and as I got to talking to him, I realized just what an impressive, elder statesman in the culinary world he was,” Gadbaw said. “And just what an incredible human being and great chef to be around in the kitchen.”
Mathur’s dinner will feature a tasting menu of up to seven courses with beverage pairings for $250 per ticket.
Michelin-starred chefs Erik Anderson, of Barndiva in Headelsburg, California, and Anita Lo, of the former Annisa in New York City, will follow with dinners in June and September, respectively. For Lo, the visit will be somewhat of a homecoming, as the acclaimed chef and cookbook author is a Birmingham native.
Visit oakandreel.com for a full schedule and tickets.
The Culinary Collective: Chef Hemant Mathur
Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12, at 7 p.m.
$250 per ticket
Oak and Reel, 2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-270-9600; oakandreel.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oak and Reel dinner series creates scholarship for Downtown Boxing Gym
