When they step foot into Idler’s Home on June 17, ticketholders will be greeted with a splash of sparkling wine and a bite of teriyaki beef before chef Gregory Kalatsky leads them through the evening’s four courses, each paired with a local wine from Peachy Canyon Winery.
Central Coast Party Helpers [CCPH] will host the next Central Coast Cooking Show, a monthly cooking demonstration, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Paso Robles home and appliance showroom. Brigitte Faulkner, owner of CCPH and the brains behind the cooking shows, said this month’s ticketed dinner, titled What Men Want, is an opportunity to celebrate local fathers with some barbecue, following last month’s Mother’s Day-themed cooking show.
“People have fun eating, and they get to know each other,” Faulkner said about the dinner affairs. “You can come to our show, eat and drink, and then share your business with a captive audience. You’ve got their undivided attention for those few minutes [in the beginning] and then throughout the night. You get to mingle with other vendors, drum up some business, and pique the interest of other people.”
At 4:45, before dinner begins, Faulkner will lead guests in a scavenger hunt throughout Idler’s to explore the intricate decorations she organized, like flowers from Carmelita Florals. The winner of the scavenger hunt gets free tickets to the next cooking show, which will take place in September.
At 5, it’s time to eat. Place cards will tell guests exactly where to sit, and Kalatsky, the chef behind Chef Gregory’s Barbeque Smokehouse Emporium in Atascadero, will fire up the grill. As part of the dining experience, Kalatsky will be available to answer any questions guests have about their food while eating.
The barbecue dinner begins with Southwestern flair shrimp, after which Kalatsky will serve a main course of a smoked prime rib with potatoes au gratin and white corn sliced off the cob.
Later in the evening, Kalatsky will treat guests to his signature salad: spring mix lettuce with toasted pine nuts, heirloom tomatoes, and dried cranberries, topped with ginger soy dressing. While some may be new to eating salad second, the chef said serving the leafy greens selection after the main course aids digestion.
The evening concludes around 6:30, following dessert: a brown butter cake with brown butter caramel sauce.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Kalatsky said he’s more than prepared for his cooking demonstration, noting that he’s been participating in world championship barbecue cooking contests since 1998.
After this event, the fifth such demonstration of the year, the Central Coast Cooking Show will take a summer break in July and August. It will return on Sept. 9, with the last two shows of the year planned for Oct. 7 and Nov. 4.
When organizing each month’s cooking show, Faulkner ensures she’s featuring local businesses. She said the produce for What Men Want will come from the Seed and a Bucket Farm in San Luis Obispo.
“Paso is a small town still,” Faulkner said. “No matter how big we get, we still band together to support each other.”
Faulkner usually pairs the cooking show with live music, typically a singer/guitarist. For the June show, she’s trying something differentāProfessional DJ Services from Lompoc will provide the music.
Tickets to What Men Want are $88.36 for a group dining table experience and $104.59 for a VIP spot at the counter within arm’s length of Kalatsky as he cooks, Faulkner said. She said she normally sells about 25 seats to a cooking show, and everyone gets the same food, regardless of whether they bought a dining table or VIP counter ticket.
Faulkner said she also hires a nonprofit organization to advertise themselves at each month’s dinner. For What Men Want, the feature group will be Spokes, a nonprofit that supports other nonprofits across the Central Coast and has been doing so since 1996.
“They get to showcase, raise funds, and participate in the event,” Faulkner said. “They get to know people, and people get to know them. Some people have never heard of any of these nonprofits. This is one way for [people] to learn who [these nonprofits] are, what they do, and how they [provide] support.”
Faulkner said Central Coast-based wedding videographer Trent Stevens is coming from Ventura to film the event.
“When people walk in and start smelling the food, they’re stepping into a whole experience that you don’t get at a restaurant or your home,” Faulkner said. “Expect a good time.” Ī
Staff Writer Reece Coren, from the Sun, New Times’ sister paper, could go for some barbecue right now. Send sauce and napkins to rcoren@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Pride 2025.