Chef Tyler Shedden of Cafe Boulud Toronto

Cafe Boulud’s Chef Tyler Shedden

Next Tuesday, February 18, downtown comes uptown as Chef Tyler Shedden opens his kitchen at Café Boulud to Michale Caballo and his Edulis cooking crew for a one time only dinner focused on the Basque region that straddles both sides of the French-Spanish border. On hand will be Café Boulud Sommelier Drew Walker and Edulis Sommelière Tobey Nemeth to pour wines from both countries.

GFR asked Shedden why he invited Caballo and Nemeth (who are both life and business partners) to cook and pour at the Four Seasons’ marquee restaurant. He explained that the couple have been “big supporters” of he and his crew, and often dine at Café Boulud and he thought it would be fun if he had a chance to collaborate. He stressed that he appreciated that the Edulis crew was giving up a day off to cook for the Tuesday night dinner, so he “just wants everyone to have fun” and expects that spirit to move from the kitchen to the dining room.

Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth, captured by Jamie Drummond in March 2012.

For their part, Caballo and Nemeth confess to be “huge fans of Tyler Shedden and his team at Café Boulud, and say their a little “humbled and nervous” to be cooking in the Café Boulud kitchen. Caballo says he knows a few Edulis regulars are planning to attend, but he “loves the idea of meeting new people” and says he’s been inspired in new ways thinking about how to translate his cooking at Edulis to a new venue in collaboration with Shedden. Both chef seem genuinely excited about the whole thing.

Stay tuned: Shedden says the dinner with Caballo and Nemeth is the first in a series. See Café Boulud’s Good Food Fighter post on the dinner here, or book a reservation at Café Boulud here.

Malcolm Jolley is a founding editor of Good Food Revolution and Executive Director of Good Food Media, the company that publishes it. Follow him at twitter.com/malcolmjolley