Veteran chef and Tulsa culinary icon Chef Devin Levine will bring his 40-plus years of experience and expertise to the last luncheon in the 2017-18 Cowboy Chef’s Table series.

“I am very honored to be asked to be part of this event. I feel this is a great way to promote the culinary program at OSUIT and involve Oklahoma chefs so that the students have a broad education of our industry,” said Levine, a Certified Executive Chef who currently serves as executive chef of the BOK Center Arena and the Cox Business Center in Tulsa.

The sixth luncheon in the Cowboy Chef’s Table series is Tuesday, June 12, at noon in the State Room on the OSUIT campus, 1801 East 4th St., in Okmulgee.

First, guest chefs spend the morning with students teaching them how to prepare the menu’s dishes.

“As a chef, I feel we are all teachers at heart. Everyday in our own kitchens, we train and mentor young culinarians to be better at their art so they can grow and prosper,” he said.

Then at noon, Levine will present a cooking demonstration of that day’s featured menu to guests in the State Room and will talk about his career and culinary style.

Tickets to the luncheon are $15 with proceeds going to the Cowboy Chef’s Table Scholarship Fund for OSUIT culinary students. U.S. Foods and Ben E. Keith are donating the food for the luncheons, and U.S. Foods has already donated $500 to the scholarship fund.

“I feel it is a chef’s duty to be involved with the culinary community by supporting college culinary programs, charitable organizations and youth programs to further awareness of food and nutrition,” he said.

School of Culinary Arts Dean Gene Leiterman said he wanted to have an event that would benefit students and bring renowned chefs as well as guests from the surrounding area and potential students to the OSUIT campus.

“Chef Levine is a Tulsa institution and will bring a wonderful southern flair to his menu to end the series,” Leiterman said. “I know guests that know him and enjoy his food from his days at Southern Hills are looking forward to it.”

Levine started his culinary career at 13 working at the Camelot Inn in all aspects of the kitchen. Just six years later, he became executive chef at the Executive Dining Room at the Bank of Oklahoma tower at the age of 19.

He worked at Southern Hills Country Club for 34 years, serving as executive chef for 21 years.

Levine is a 40-year member of the American Culinary Federation and is also currently president of the American Culinary Federation’s Tulsa Chapter. He was voted Chef of the Year in 1989 and 2004; achieved one bronze and two silver medals in ACF approved culinary competitions; and voted Best Country Club Chef in Oklahoma in 1995.

He also serves as an advisory board member for OSUIT’s School of Culinary Arts and Platt College Culinary Arts programs. He is actively involved in numerous local charitable organizations and events.

On the menu for the upcoming Cowboy Chef’s Table luncheon is an appetizer of smoked candied-peppered bacon and jalapeño deviled eggs; and a Southern inspired entrée of cornmeal crusted catfish and crab with white cheddar grits, sweet corn, edamame and red pepper succotash, flash fried collards and crispy black-eyed peas. Dessert will be a warm white chocolate cranberry croissant bread pudding.

Levine said his early culinary training was in southern and Oklahoma cooking with an emphasis in comfort foods, low and slow cooking and regional dishes, but as he continued his training he had the opportunity to learn about nouvelle cuisine, multicultural cooking and a wide range of ethnic and specialty cuisine.

“Most of my style of cooking is based from the classic dishes that are updated, lightened and altered to fit today’s customer demands,” he said. “Most of my foods are bold flavors and take advantage of the natural flavors of foods using the right additions to bring out the best of that food.”

Leiterman said he hopes to raise a total of about $16,000 for the scholarship fund after the final luncheon of the series’ inaugural year.

“The series has been a great hit, and we are getting the community really involved and hope to have another great line up with a bit different format next year,” he said. “The visiting chefs have been overwhelmingly positive and are excited about the new experiences we are constantly creating for our students as they enter the industry.”

For more information or to reserve your seat to the Cowboy Chef’s Table luncheon, go to osuit.edu/chefstable.