CHEFS JOIN FORCES FOR ‘FOREST TO TABLE,’ AN UPSCALE DINING EVENT USING INGREDIENTS FROM THE FOREST
• A seven-course outdoor strolling dinner created by chefs from Sylvan Table and Alchemi will benefit Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Hills • The September 14 event will also include live music, performing artists, open bar, and interactive demonstrations on ecological issues
Robin Schwartz
robinschwartzpr@gmail.com
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (August 22, 2024) – Two renowned chefs will work side-by-side in a breathtaking wooded setting to create an enchanted open-air dining experience filled with flavors from the forest. Chris Gadulka with Sylvan Table in Sylvan Lake and Johnny Prepolec of Alchemi in Royal Oak will create seven distinct courses served along a quarter-mile trail during Forest to Table, an upscale dining event September 14 at Johnson Nature Center (3325 Franklin Rd.) in Bloomfield Hills.
Each dish will feature Michigan-foraged ingredients including plants, flowers, berries, mushrooms, and other items you might find in the forest, paired with locally sourced fish, game, and other fare. The event, hosted by Friends of the Johnson Nature Center, is designed to connect attendees with their natural environment in a whole new way.
“Our mission is to promote conservation and stewardship through meaningful experiences in nature,” said Alan Jaros, Director of Bowers School Farm and Johnson Nature Center. “You often hear of a strolling dinner, but how often do you stroll outdoors on trails and get a 5-star experience?”
WHEN: September 14, 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. (rain or shine)
WHERE: Johnson Nature Center, 3325 Franklin Rd., Bloomfield Hills
TICKETS: johnsonnaturecenter.org/forest2table
Funds raised at the event will benefit Johnson Nature Center, a hidden gem in Oakland County with a four-acre pond and more than two miles of wooded nature trails. The 40-acre site is owned by the Bloomfield Hills Schools which purchased the property more than 50 years ago as a learning laboratory. There’s also an outdoor classroom, a visitor’s center, and habitats for rescued wildlife. The nature center is open to the public free of charge seven days a week from 8 a.m. to dusk.
“Proceeds from Forest to Table will help the nature center install an accessible trail for visitors with physical limitations,” said Erin Watson, president of Friends of the Johnson Nature Center. “Funds raised will also support field trips for students from underrepresented schools across Southeast Michigan and help with capital improvements and continued conservation of this stunning property.”
“We’re excited to present an innovative menu guests will love,” added chef Prepolec. “We’re using ingredients that are abundant and natural to us in the community of Michigan. That’s really what sustainability is all about.”
General admission tickets are $225. To learn more, purchase tickets, or help sponsor the event, visit: johnsonnaturecenter.org/forest2table.
