Gourmet Dinner Themes
Spring 2026 Gourmet Dinner Themes and Dates
French Chefs’ Dinners:
Thursday, Jan 29 only: Special Invitation to members of the Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs
Friday, Jan 30 & Saturday, Jan 31
Join us for our French Chefs’ Dinners! These special dinners will be presented by guest chefs from L’ Association des Cuisiniers de la Loire, from the region of Des Moines’ Sister City, St-Etienne, France. This year, we will host five guests from France, including three chefs and one spouse, and one French student. The French Chefs’ Dinners are priced at $200 per person, and $100 of each ticket is a tax-deductible gift to the DMACC Foundation in support of our annual French Chef Exchange Program. Come celebrate the French Chef Exchange with our French guest chefs as they prepare a special menu, along with the ICI culinary team of students and chefs.
Brazilian: Thursdays, Feb 12, 19, & 26
Discover the fusion cuisine of South America’s largest country, including the diverse flavors of Portuguese, African, and Indigenous dishes.
Turkish: Thursdays, Mar 5, 12, & 26
Explore Turkey’s cuisine, representing dishes from Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkan region.
Kenyan: Thursday, Apr 2
Join us as we celebrate Kenya, DMACC’s International Year focus country for 2026!
Special Event: Fleur de Lys Gala - Saturday, Apr 11
Join us on the “Streets of Paris” as we celebrate the arrival of spring and the French Chef Exchange. The proceeds of this French gourmet buffet dinner (with paired wines) and auction go to support our exchange, which provides scholarships for our top eight graduates to travel to France every May and do culinary internships with our French Chefs in the St-Etienne region. This dinner is priced at $200 per person, and $150 of each ticket is a tax-deductible gift to the DMACC Foundation in support of our annual French Chef Exchange Program. We will be unable to honor dietary restrictions at the Gala since it is a buffet rather than a plated dinner.
Kenyan: Thursdays, Apr 16, & 23
Join us as we celebrate Kenya, DMACC’s International Year focus country for 2026!
Unless otherwise noted, the cost for each dinner is $140 per person ($50 per person is tax-deductible and will be credited towards membership in the ICI Chef’s Toque Society).
All dinners will be in the Lakeview Dining Room of the ICI, located in Building 7 on the DMACC Ankeny campus. Champagne or sparkling wine reception will begin in the ICI Atrium at 6:00 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Please do not arrive earlier than 5:45, as students need time for set up.
We are only able to accommodate dietary requests based on medical allergies or religious restrictions. Please alert us to medical or religious dietary requests upon making your reservation.
ici® Experience Magazine
The ici® Experience Magazine is a publication of the DMACC Iowa Culinary Institute® (ici®). It is published twice a year: Spring and Fall.