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October 31, 2019For the second year, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, Jamil’s Steakhouse, McClintock Saloon & Chop House, Petroleum Club OKC, The Hamilton, Vast/Western Concepts, Premium Brands Wine & Spirits, Thirst Wine Merchants, Joullian Vineyards & Winery and Alexana all came together to serve a “Grand Dinner” for one common cause: the residents at The Center of Family Love in Okarche.
The entrepreneurs from these establishments collaborated to host an elaborate dinner at the top of the downtown Petroleum Club. Throughout the six-course meal, owners, chefs and wine experts spoke about their contribution and to share their passion for The Center of Family Love, a residential and vocational nonprofit that provides lifetime care for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.
“We get asked to do a lot through our restaurants, and unfortunately, we can’t always help everyone,” said the chef of Vast/Western Concepts, Kurt Fleischfresser. “However, this is one of the few causes we feel strongly about. The Grand Dinner is a special event for a very special organization. It means a lot to us.”
Speakers encouraged guests to visit The Center of Family Love and to learn more about the organization.
“Until you go to Okarche for a visit, you don’t fully see the compassion, love, teamwork and friendship that is expressed at the center,” said Jamil’s Steakhouse Owner, Greg Gawey. “It’s just an amazing, amazing place, and it’s an honor for me to serve at an event like this for them. If they asked me to do 50 of these dinners every year, I would do it happily.”
Special guests who spoke at the event included Dick Sias, an Oklahoma oilman and one of the founders of Joullian Vineyards & Winery, and Tom Lerum, a guest vintner and the current co-owner of Joullian Vineyards & Winery.
The meal included mini cabbage rolls, “Oklahoma foie gras” (also known as fried bologna), blackened egg infused with truffle oil on a bed of spiced pecans, jalapeño and avocado soup, hot-smoked salmon topped with dijon mousse served on a frisée salad with fried capers, prime ribeye steak served with leek and lobster bread pudding with brown butter and baby broccoli, and blueberry thyme mousse. Each course had its own wine carefully selected by wine experts. Additionally, the lettuce used in the dishes was specially grown for the event by the residents at Kristy Lyn’s Flowers & Gifts, one of the vocational programs at the Center of Family Love.
Photo: As a token of appreciation, each entrepreneur left with a succulent garden grown and cared for by residents with careers at Kristy Lyn’s Flowers & Gifts. (Left to right) Petroleum Club OKC General Manager, Verej Jazirvar; Jamil’s Steakhouse owner, Greg Gawey; The Hamilton owner, J. Mays; a proprietor of McClintock’s Saloon & Chophouse and co-owner of La Baguette, Michel Buthion; Cattlemen’s Steakhouse director of operations, David Egan, local entrepreneur, Oliver Boudin; co-owner of La Baguette, Alain Buthion; The Center of Family Love CEO, Debbie Espinosa; co-founder/owner of Thirst Wine Merchants, Alex Kroblin; owner of Premium Brands Wine & Spirits, Rick Naifeh; and guest vintner and co-owner of Joullian Vineyards & Winery, Tom Lerum. (Not pictured: chef of Vast/Western Concepts, Kurt Fleischfresser.) Photo provided.
