Meet the Chefs Behind Harvest Dinner on the Farm

On September 26, chefs from across Indiana will gather at A Longer Table’s urban farm in Indianapolis, drawing on the season, produce grown on-site, and their own backgrounds and approaches to cooking to create one collaborative meal.

The evening supports A Longer Table’s work to strengthen school cafeterias so children are nourished and prepared to learn by building the workforce and systems to support scratch cooking.

Meet the people lending their talents to the evening.

Nick Detrich, Magdalena

Nick Detrich is behind Magdalena in Indianapolis and co-founded New Orleans cocktail destinations Cane & Table, Manolito, and Jewel of the South. Those bars have earned recognition from the James Beard Foundation, World’s 50 Best Bars, and Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. His approach brings together classic cocktail technique, seasonal ingredients, and an agricultural point of view.

Bryan Kanne, Magdalena

Bryan Kanne has spent years in Indianapolis kitchens, including Bluebeard and Pioneer. His long tenure at Bluebeard put him in one of the city’s best-known kitchens for seasonal, locally driven cooking. His background is rooted in hands-on, ingredient-focused cooking and making the most of what is in season.

Shannon Mitchell, A Longer Table

Shannon Mitchell brings more than 30 years of culinary leadership spanning high-end hospitality, large-scale banquet production, and school food service to her role as A Longer Table’s Culinary Director. Trained at the Florida Culinary Institute with continued education at the Culinary Institute of America, she now develops menus and leads culinary training for A Longer Table’s Next Course Cafeterias.

Neal Brown, Private Chef

Neal Brown has spent more than two decades shaping Indianapolis dining through projects including L’explorateur, The Libertine, and Ukiyo. A two-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Midwest, his interests have long extended to agriculture, traditional cooking techniques, and sustainability. His latest project, WinWin, helps people share surplus food rather than throw it away.

Craig Baker, InterContinental Hotel

Craig Baker is Executive Chef at InterContinental Indianapolis, overseeing a culinary program that includes Serliana and rooftop venue Astrea. His career has taken him through kitchens from Portland to Indianapolis, along with restaurant and hospitality concept development. A veteran of culinary competition, Baker won the Best Chef category at the World Food Championships in 2017.

Jon Brooks, Milktooth + Beholder

Jon Brooks opened Milktooth in 2014 and Beholder in 2018, building a national reputation for inventive, deeply personal cooking. Food & Wine named him one of its Best New Chefs in 2015, and he was a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes. His cooking continues to draw heavily on seasonality and the ingredients around him.

Esteban Rosas, Julieta

Esteban Rosas grew up in northern Indiana eating traditional Mexican food made by hand by his mother, Yolanda, who now works alongside him at Julieta Taco Shop. His path there included Cerulean, Rook, Black Market, and Milktooth. Since opening in 2023, Julieta has earned attention as one of Indianapolis’ standout newer restaurants.

Dave Tallent, Indiana University

Bloomington native Dave Tallent is Executive Chef for Indiana University Dining. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, he opened Restaurant Tallent with his wife and fellow chef, Kristen, and earned repeated recognition from the James Beard Foundation during his restaurant career. Today, he brings that same commitment to seasonal ingredients and local producers to the scale of a university campus.

Ben Hardy, Indianapolis Colts

Pastry chef Ben Hardy is a Certified Executive Pastry Chef who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and has medaled in American Culinary Federation competitions. His career has included chocolate work, hotels, high-volume production, country clubs, and teaching future pastry chefs. He went on to co-found Gallery Pastry, known for its European-inspired pastries and plated desserts.

Harvest Dinner on the Farm is also supported by A Longer Table staff, staff from our school partner kitchens, and current Food Fellows. Much of the produce featured throughout the evening came directly from A Longer Table’s urban farm.