An ambitious new culinary fundraiser will make its debut next month when Great Chefs of Grand Avenue brings together many of St. Paul’s best-known restaurants under one roof for an evening of food, drink and community impact.
The inaugural event takes place Thursday, Feb. 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Macalester College, transforming the campus into a cocktail-style tasting experience featuring chefs and small plates from across Grand Avenue. Tickets range from $150 to $810, with proceeds benefiting the Grand Avenue Business Association, neighborhood beautification efforts, and the nonprofit Women’s Advocates.
Great Chefs of Grand Avenue was conceived as a way to showcase the avenue’s culinary diversity while also strengthening the business corridor itself.
“We initially talked about doing a more traditional gala,” said Jason Koenig of The Odd Couple Team, who helped develop the concept. “But Grand Avenue is special because of its diversity—retailers, restaurants, service businesses—and I thought, what if we really leaned into that and made the chefs the headliners?”
Koenig said the idea drew inspiration from chef-driven benefit events in other cities, but with a distinctly local focus. “You can have a fancy supper club experience at The Lexington one night, sushi at Saji-Ya the next, Korean fried chicken with your kids, or a neighborhood pub meal,” he said. “That variety is what makes Grand Avenue a destination.”
Rather than a seated dinner, the evening is designed as an upscale stroll. Each participating restaurant will host its own station, offering a curated small plate. Beer, wine and cocktails are included with admission, thanks to donated beverages from local partners, and guests can move freely throughout the venue.
“We keep telling people to think ‘cocktail party,’ not sit-down dinner,” Koenig said. “It’s an experience—great food, great drinks and the chance to connect.”
Among the featured chefs and businesses announced so far are Chef Lawrence Kirkland (The Lexington), Chef Antonio Murray (Russell’s St. Paul), Chef Tom Forti (Iron Ranger), Chef Noe Frausto (Emmett’s and Saji-Ya), Chef Adam Lerner (Red Rabbit), Razava Bread Co., Big Island Poke, bb.q Chicken and House of Gloor, with more participants still being added. A dedicated dessert table will include contributions from Baking Betty’s, Café Latte and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
A silent auction will run throughout the evening, featuring experiential packages, dining and beverage tastings, travel stays and donated goods and services from Grand Avenue businesses and sponsors. Organizers are still accepting auction donations and sponsorships.
For Minda Sherman, director of sales and marketing at The Lexington and a co-organizer of the event, the charitable mission is central.
“Getting the word out about Women’s Advocates on Grand is the biggest deal to me,” Sherman said. Women’s Advocates, founded in St. Paul, is the nation’s first domestic violence shelter for women and children and recently expanded its housing services with the purchase of two nearby apartment buildings.
Sherman, who also serves on the Grand Avenue Business Association board, said the fundraiser supports both immediate needs and long-term investment. “Beautification efforts like flower baskets, lighting and infrastructure improvements really matter,” she said. “They’re what make people want to walk the avenue, shop here and spend time here.”
Ticket sales have been strong for a first-year event, organizers say, and they hope Great Chefs of Grand Avenue becomes an annual tradition.
“This feels very grassroots,” Koenig said. “It’s the business community coming together to showcase itself—and I think that’s something we need right now.”
More information and tickets are available at grandave.com/events/greatchefs.
Leave a Reply