Help fight the chill of winter and cozy up with several of your soon-to-be-friends on Saturday, February 17, for an evening of warmth presented by Ozarks Electric Cooperative with Chef Bernie Martinez of Blackberry Brasserie! This evening will blend tradition and innovation and showcase the creative possibilities of Southern food you already love. Whether you want to celebrate a late Valentine's day with a loved one, or grab your friends and family for an evening of camaraderie, this evening is sure to serve up vibrant tastes to brighten the gray winter. 

Featured Chef - Born in Salinas California, Chef Bernie Martinez has lived in Rogers since 1994, getting his culinary start at James at the Mill in Johnson, AR while still in culinary school.  He is one of the first NWACC culinary program graduates prior to its beginning as Brightwater, A Center for the Study of Food, as it is known today.  Chef Martinez has been a head chef in various establishments around the area, and recently accepted the opportunity to showcase his creativity at Blackberry Brasserie, which opened in Rogers, AR in the fall of 2023.  The staff there say “Chef Bernie is the kindest, hardest working chef any of us has ever had the pleasure of working with” – and boy, oh boy does that translate into his cooking!  Chef Bernie Martinez is presentation perfect and delicious beyond description.

About the Kitchen Table Dinner Series -  Born out of a desire to build a community around great food, Apple Seeds' Kitchen Table Dinner series is designed to recreate the feeling of gathering around a dear friend's table.  These dinners aim to bridge the gap often felt between the chef and diners in a typical dining environment, thereby creating a deeper connection to the food on the plate.  Through intentional procurement of local, seasonal ingredients, the transparent preparation of the meal, and storytelling by the chef, each plate is transformed from food into an unforgettable dining experience.

Event Details:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2024 

5:30-6:30 PM

Cocktail hour: Enjoy watching meal preparations or mingle in the garden.

6:30-8 PM

Multi-course dinner: Your chef will create a fresh meal with elements from the garden.  Enjoy the food, farm & company.

The dinner takes place in the Apple Seeds Teaching Kitchen on the Teaching Farm.

Seating for this event will be located indoors.  These dinners are rain or shine.  All Kitchen Table Dinner series events are fundraisers with limited seating; we cannot offer refunds for tickets purchased. 

Your participation in Apple Seeds' events supports our mission to inspire healthy living through garden-based education for students around Northwest Arkansas and beyond!