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Did everyone survive the week!? I hope you all had a good one, I certainly did! On Wednesday night I so lucky to have been invited to a blogger dinner with Chobani! The dinner took place at Boka, a Michelin Star recipient in both 2011 and 2012! Needless to say I was thrilled to not only try their amazing food, but to also get to meet other Chicago bloggers as well as some of the wonderful women working for Chobani!
When I arrived at the dinner there were a few bloggers there, as well as some wonderful ladies from Chobani! I introduced myself, grabbed a glass of Chardonnay and starting chatting with the other bloggers! We also got to enjoy several appetizers while waiting for dinner, such as smoked salmon with a yogurt filling and mini falafels!
Once everyone arrived we sat down to dinner, which was a specialized menu made by Boka’s chef to incorporate Chobani yogurt into each course! How cool is that?! Apparently not all chefs were receptive to Chobani’s request, so it’s nice to find a restaurant where the chef appreciates a challenge and trying something new!
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Our amazing waiter, Stu, then came around and asked each of us about our food allergies and preferences! I was amazed. Honestly, I was a bit worried coming into this dinner that I’d either 1) not be able to eat much or 2) be annoying by asking for substitutions, especially when the chef was already going off his regular menu. I was so impressed with Boka and the chef’s willingness to adapt his menu to our needs.
Everyone was brought out some bread to begin with, but myself and a couple other women receive flax crackers. These. Were. Amazing. So good. Lindsay and I couldn’t not figure it out but there was some amazing spice in there. My guess was curry.
The first course was Hay Roasted Baby Beets, Blueberries, Chobani Greek Yogurt, Fir Tree Honey and Pepper Wheat Cracker. Mine came without the cracker, and it was great! I’m a huge fan of beets so you really couldn’t go wrong with this one.
The second course was soft shell crab, grilled prawns, Chobani Greek Yogurt Grits, morel mushrooms, beet braised Kohlrabi, mache. I have to say this was by far my favorite course. First, the mushrooms were the coolest texture and I loved them! Also, I haven’t eaten anything battered and fried in a VERY long time. The chef did the gluten free option with rice flour! We were shocked at this one, but very happy!
The third course was lamb rack, rooibos, bulgur wheat, roasted baby vegetables, purple fingerling potatoes, fava beans, roasted eggplant and Chobani Greek Yogurt sauce. The lamb was cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed it with the sauce. The bulgur wheat… well we weren’t sure if it was gluten free or not (a quick google search said no) so I just moved the lamb to one side and ate that, while leaving the bulgur alone.
Finally, dessert! The chef made a Chobani Greek Yogurt panna cotta with plums, honey, and a streusel topping. The gluten free crowd got chopped, candied almonds instead of the streusel. It was pretty good (I loved the plums!) but nothing that blew me away. Haha guess it’s just not fro yo…
We all had a great time at the dinner. Between courses we would go around the table, introducing ourselves and a few things about us. We had quite a few laughs and a lot of things in common! I, however, had the "cool" end of the table! Haha. My end had Marissa and Cate,
and Lindsay, Kelsey, and myself:
One really cool thing we learned about Chobani at this event is that they are a sponsor of the US Olympic team! The company is only 5 years old and already sponsoring athletes on the team! They have a campaign going about naturally powering athletes! You can find them on twitter through @Chobani or the hashtag #ChobaniPowered. I can’t believe all the things this company has done in only a short amount of time!
I am so appreciative that I was included in this dinner! I really had a blast and enjoyed every minute of it! Thank you so much, Chobani, for hosting such a great event!
Have you ever been to a dinner at a restaurant with a set menu? I think the only times I have were rehersal dinners, so that doesn’t really count!
Which dish do you think you’d want to try the most?
What would you make with Chobani yogurt, and what flavor!?
