The Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) invites the public to celebrate the return of spring with “Equinox in Old Town,” a unique fundraiser dinner for HCOE’s Nutrition Programs and Services on Monday, March 19 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at Restaurant Five Eleven in Eureka.
Chef Josh Wiley of Restaurant Five Eleven heads up the Equinox dinner. Wiley is being joined by a group of chefs from other Old Town restaurants to craft a refined seven course menu that will put their skills and creativity on full display. Each chef is given full rein over one or two courses and receives help from the rest of the team to put it all together. This arrangement provides the chefs a rare opportunity to work side by side with peers they don’t typically collaborate with. The camaraderie that develops in the kitchen is rounded out by a healthy dose of competition, leading to delicious results for dinner guests.
In addition to Five Eleven, Kyoto, Restaurant 301, Ramones, Mazotti’s, and Vista del Mar will be represented. Chef Alex Begovic of Le Monde is also stepping out of his Henderson Center neighborhood to team up with Old Town crew. The kitchen should feel very familiar to Begovic since he was chef at Hurricane Kates, the restaurant that preceded Five Eleven at its current location.
Proceeds from the dinner benefit HCOE’s Nutrition Programs and Services. HCOE provides a fresh approach to student health that spans the pre-school, classroom, cafeteria, and after school settings. Some of their efforts include introducing kids to local fruits and vegetables through Harvest of the Month, providing culinary trainings to school food service staff, and coordinating county wide efforts to bring local beef into school cafeterias. “We are incredibly thankful for the collaborative effort from these amazing local chefs and truly appreciate their support,” states Superintendent of Humboldt County Schools, Dr. Chris Hartley. “We hope everyone will come out an enjoy this unique dining experience in support of these important programs that help educate our students on the importance of making healthy choices in their day-to-day lives.”
Seating for the intimate dinner is limited to 50 people. Tickets are $100 and are available online at Brown Paper Tickets.
For more information about HCOE’s Nutrition Programs and Services find them on Facebook as @HCOEnutrition or contact Linda Prescott at (707) 445-7042, lprescott@hcoe.org.