Past Events

Tommy and Darren FMK
VISIT FLAME MOBILE KITCHEN

TOMMY MCNEAL + CHEF DARREN HAYES, FLAME MOBILE KITCHEN

February 20th, 2025

Flame Mobile Kitchen, a Black-owned business led by Executive Chef Darren Hayes, brought a soulful mix of flavors and storytelling to Stories Behind the Menu. Flame Mobile Kitchen combines full-staff catering services with the charm of a food truck, aiming to build generational wealth and create positive community impact. Chef Darren, raised in St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood, is celebrated for his signature style of barbecuing and smoking meats, as well as his craft cuisine inspired by Cajun, Southern, regional barbecue, and global flavors.
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VISIT WOK STAR CATERING

CHEF KATIE CHIN, WOK STAR CATERING

April 24th, 2025

Celebrity Chef Katie Chin, award-winning cookbook author and Culinary Ambassador to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, brought her one-woman show Holy Shiitake! to life during a special 5-course dinner and evening of storytelling. Raised in the kitchens of her late mother Leeann Chin’s acclaimed Minneapolis restaurants, Katie left a successful career in film and TV marketing to follow her culinary passion. Known for bestselling cookbooks like Everyday Thai Cooking and Katie Chin’s Global Family Cookbook, and for appearances on shows including The Today Show, Iron Chef America, and Chopped, she shared her journey through food, humor, and personal stories. Guests enjoyed an unforgettable night.

holyshiitake
VISIT WOK STAR CATERING

CHEF KATIE CHIN, HOLY SHIITAKE!

April 22th, 2025

On April 22 at the B Suite in Minneapolis, guests enjoyed a special viewing of Chef Katie Chin’s one-woman show Holy Shiitake! A Wok Star is Born, written by Katie, directed by Fran de Leon, and produced by Paul Hemstreet. Blending humor, heart, and culinary storytelling, the performance chronicled Katie’s journey as a Chinese American girl growing up in 1970s Minneapolis, inspired by her mother, seamstress-turned-restaurateur Leeann Chin. The evening featured laughter, inspiration, and mouthwatering tales, along with light appetizers, wine, beer, and a post-show book signing with Katie.