The Culinary Collective, a chef series presented by Motor City Seafood, is a unique dining experience by the team at Oak & Reel where we host and collaborate with celebrated chefs from around the country. For each series, we partner with local culinary schools to bring in aspiring chefs and provide them with the opportunity to learn skills and invaluable insight from the industry’s best.
Each dinner experience will vary from one another, from the chef to the cuisine, all benefiting local non-profits that work tirelessly to help our community. It’s a dinner of a lifetime for many foodies, who will be able to experience a world-class meal without leaving Detroit.
THE DINING EXPERIENCE
The Culinary Collective dining experience is a 6-7 course tasting menu, accompanied by wine or non-alcoholic beverage pairing. Each of the menus will showcase dishes from the visiting chef’s restaurants, transporting our guests into their culinary world.
JULY 17, 2025 | 6:30PM
This year, we’re honored to partner with the Jacques Pépin Foundation for a special dinner as part of its “90 Chefs for 90 Years” series, recognizing Chef Pépin’s 90th birthday and his enduring commitment to culinary education.
For this special evening, we're thrilled to welcome two chefs with a shared respect for classical technique and a deep love of French cuisine. Chef Danny Combs—owner of Cincinnati’s acclaimed Colette—brings his globally inspired palate and refined approach rooted in tradition. Joining him is Chef Dan Williams, Corporate Chef for Daniel Boulud, whose thoughtful, precise style has been honed in some of New York City’s most celebrated kitchens. Together, they’ll craft a collaborative menu that blends their distinct perspectives on French cuisine into one elegant, cohesive experience—an unforgettable contribution to the celebration of Jacques Pépin.
2025 GUEST CHEFS
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Chef Danny Combs is a seasoned professional in the hospitality industry, honing his craft through diverse experiences and drawing inspiration from extensive travels around the globe. From his start leading premier Cincinnati restaurants such as Sotto & Boca, he has dedicated his professional life to focusing on ingredients and technique while consistently staying grounded in tradition. Now, as the proud owner of the esteemed restaurant Colette, Chef Combs brings his commitment to the artistry of French cuisine. Nestled in the heart of Cincinnati’s iconic OTR neighborhood, Colette embraces the essence of both tradition and innovation.
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Chef Dan Williams is a Corporate Chef for Daniel Boulud and a classically trained culinarian with a deep respect for tradition and technique. He began his career working in restaurants along the North Carolina coast. From there, he went on to work under influential chefs like John Bell in Birmingham and Jonathan Benno at Lincoln Ristorante in New York City, where he spent nearly five years and was part of the team awarded a Michelin star.
Dan’s journey took him through the high-intensity kitchens of New York, including a pivotal role with the Altamarea Group and the opening of Vaucluse, a French restaurant on the Upper East Side, where he met and worked closely with Jared Gadbaw. Known for his thoughtful, precise approach to food and leadership, Dan brings both humility and rigor to every kitchen he enters.
He currently oversees culinary operations across Daniel Boulud’s restaurants and will join the Oak & Reel Culinary Collective for a special Jacques Pépin 90/90 dinner, celebrating the legacy of Chef Pépin and the enduring artistry of French cuisine.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 | 6:30PM
Join us for an unforgettable evening with Chef Jaime Young of Sunday Hospitality, as he offers Detroit an exclusive first taste of The Dynamo Room — his soon-to-open New York restaurant. Paying homage to the rich legacy of New York’s historic 19th-century grills and iconic steakhouses, Chef Young's menu will honor the classics while boldly introducing modern flavors that reflect the evolution of New York dining. This special dinner promises a timeless yet forward-thinking culinary experience you won't want to miss.
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Jaime Young grew up in Long Island, New York. He started his culinary career at Johnson & Wales University where he received a bachelors degree in culinary nutrition. After graduation, Jaime pushed into fine dining at Eleven Madison Park cooking under chef Daniel Humm. He spent a year working his way through every part of the kitchen, then moving on to work at celebrated restaurants Grayz and Ten Downing Restaurant. Jaime then moved on to work for James beard award winning chef Tony Maws at Craigie on Main in Cambridge Massachusetts, where he reinforced his style, showcasing a unwavering commitment to quality of ingredient, technique, seasonality, and deliciousness. More recently, Jaime has held the Chef de Cuisine role at Atera under his mentor Chef Matthew Lightner, using modern cooking techniques, abstract thinking and application to seasonal and local ingredients. Through out his tenure at Atera, he would help maintain a two Michelin star rating for three consecutive years. Seasonality, locality, and sustainability is the most important underlying principle. The emphasis on quality and simplicity to showcase the integrity of ingredient is what makes cooking beautiful and the basis to the menus Jaime creates.
PREVIOUS GUEST CHEFS
CHEF MICHAEL WHITE
CHEFS MICHAEL GALINA & AARON MARTINEZ
CHEF ERIK RAMIREZ
CHEF ERIK ANDERSON
CHEF HEMENT MATHUR
CHEF ANITA LO
COMMUNITY IMPACT
At Oak & Reel, we believe in giving back to the community that supports us. That’s why a percentage of every ticket sold for the Culinary Collective will go towards our newly founded Scholarship Fund with Downtown Boxing Gym. The scholarship will help nurture the next generation of culinary artists and hospitality professionals from within our community.
OUR SPONSORS
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Get a glimpse of the Culinary Collective…