The Oshkosh West Index - Becket's gives back through chef night

Volume 106, Issue 1

Online Features

Becket's gives back through chef night

By Chloe Amato
posted September 29, 2009

Becket's Restaurant, located in the Oshkosh City Center, is bringing a new, tasty spin on the concept of celebrity with its Tuesday Celebrity Chef Nights. Every Tuesday since the last week in April of this year, a new local celebrity chef has selected a featured three-course meal and specialty cocktail to serve during their night in the kitchen. However, selecting a menu isn't the most important aspect of this event. Each chef also has to select a charity organization to receive a portion of the profits from the evening. Celebrity Chef Nights not only bring passionate chefs into Beckett's kitchen, but are also offers a chance for individuals to use their gifts to improve their community.

The night of Tuesday, September 15, brought in celebrity chefs Rob and Louise Bennett, from Rob &Louise in the Morning on 99.5 The Wolf. The couple has recently moved to the Oshkosh community and have loved finding exciting ways of giving back. After hearing about the Tuesday Celebrity Chef Nights, the Bennetts jumped at the opportunity to help those less fortunate and couldn't wait to take part in such a noble endeavor.

"The event is great! We first came in and discussed the menu in August and chose our charity, the Boys & Girls Club," Rob Bennett said.

The quality of the meal equaled the evening's honorable intentions, as a plethora of satisfied customers enjoyed the evening's popular featured special. The meal consisted of a garden fresh spinach and pear salad, savory lemon and herb encrusted halibut, and creamy pumpkin cheesecake. The entire dinner special came to a mere $25, with a generous portion of the profits going to the Boys & Girls Club.

Many other organizations have also benefitted from the generous event, including the Wisconsin Conservation Society, Oshkosh Area Humane Society, and The Grand Opera House. With so many talented chefs and deserving nonprofit organizations taking part in the Celebrity Chef Nights, it became a point for Beckett's to turn this into something even more.

Larson went on to explain how the event series also functions as a yearlong contest between the teams of celebrity chefs and charities.

"The chef who sells the most meals, cocktails, and gathers the most donations also receives a grand prize donation from us to their charity," says Larson.

Knowing the caliber of past guest chefs and those lined up to come through Becket's doors within the next few weeks, the competition should prove to be extraordinarily fierce.

" We have had Phyllis Leach, Paul Evanson of Fox 11, the owners of Michael's Salon, and Mike Russell the owner of Great Estates, to name a few," said Larson. "The latest event will feature Men Who Cook from the Christine Ann Center, and then next on the table is another group from the Boys &Girls Club."

Becket's has managed to give the people of Oshkosh a new excuse to get out on Tuesday nights, and making Celebrity Chef Nights a competition makes it that much more exciting for the chefs as well. Providing an ideal place to enjoy a supper with family or friends while giving back to charitable organizations within the community, Beckett's is making the effort to make a profound impact on the community.

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