Monday, July 24, 7:00 pm
Members $100, guests $130

At his restaurant Crü in Fort Myers, Florida, chef Shannon Yates is redefining the idea of entertainment dining, combining his principle of “lush wines and pure food” with an exciting, interactive experience that might just be the culinary equivalent of a Cirque du Soleil performance. Yates’s restaurant showcases his own dishes as well as those of his sous-chefs, who greet diners from behind the “tasca” (Yates’s name for the bar) and improvise dishes based on the customers’ whims, using organic and sustainable meats, fish, and produce. For this dinner, Yates will be closing his restaurant and bringing his entire troupe to the Beard House for a performance that is not to be missed.

Since opening in 2004, Crü has captivated diners and critics alike with its infectious enthusiasm. Crü “offers charisma along with cuisine,” Carolanne Griffith Roberts wrote in Southern Living, adding that Yates “infuses the atmosphere with energy, luring you to stay and enjoy.” In the Palm Beach Post, Jan Norris wrote that the chef is “heating things up…with his innovative foods and electric restaurant that attracts a very vibrant crowd.” Pseudonymous critic Jean Le Boeuf of the Fort Myers News-Press described his experience at Crü as “two-plus hours of superb food served by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.”

A native of Melbourne, Florida, Yates has had a varied career that included turns at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida, and the Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, as well as a stint as the triangle and cowbell player on a Rolling Stones world tour. He returned to the food world as a restaurant manager before opening Bacchus & Co. and, later, the wine bar Shannon. When he decided to launch Crü, Yates took charge of every aspect of the restaurant, from interior design and menu to the selection of, as he puts it, his “knockout” staff, who will be joining him for this dinner.

Farmer Lee Jones of the Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio, will be supplying produce for the night’s meal. Jones has gained acclaim throughout the culinary world for his farm’s first-rate inventory of specialty vegetables, lettuces, herbs, and edible flowers.

Michael Honig of Honig Vineyard & Winery in Rutherford, California, will be providing the wines to go with Yates’s dishes. Since taking over the winery in 1984, Honig has brought international renown to the family name.