Dinner in the Dark is a unique dining experience founded by Brian Okin of Luxe Kitchen and Lounge and Jeffrey Jarrett of Amp 150 at the Cleveland Airport Marriott. 

Jeff Jarrett and Brian Okin are a great team!

No, you don't dine without light thankfully. The food is too beautiful for that! Instead, being in the dark refers to the mystery involved. You know the date, time and location of the event but you don't learn the chefs involved or the menu until you arrive. I love a good surprise and I haven't been disappointed yet! And as a bonus, all proceeds benefit the charity chosen by the hosting chef for the night.

Last night the charity was The Covenant, an adolescent chemical dependency treatment and preventive center. They are located in Ohio City and have been helping youth for over 25 years.

I've gone to several of the Dinners and absolutely love the concept and the charitable element. All the charities are local and most have a special connection to the chef involved. They sell out super fast - this one in only 3 days! - so if you want to attend (I promise, you do!) don't procrastinate and get your ticket as soon as they go on sale. Follow them on Twitter @DinnerintheDark or on Facebook to get the scoop. They announced the next Dinner last night: October 15th at the Tri-C Hospitality Management Center on Public Square right next to Pura Vida. Tickets on sale now - click here.

Here's the menu - as you can see, they list the Chef's name and a picture representing what the main ingredient of the course will be. Don't worry, no horse was served!

Mr. Wing's Bubble Tea with Watershed gin, aloe juice, green tea, ginger and juniper Eric Ho, Melt (Independence)

Amuse bouche: raw tuna with jalapeno, ginger, scallion, and sea salt in a miso broth Pat Thaxton, Luxe

Fried Pig Trotters (feet), red mustard greens, pickled fennel, ginger beet gastrique and poaced egg Brian Okin, Luxe

Green curry soup with shrimp, shitake, lemongrass, coconut milk,  fresh basil, and grape tomatoes Bac Nguyen, Bac in Tremont

Alder cured and compressed Strawberry Watermelon with prosciutto, nasturtium leaf and bay leaf infused balsamic Brian Doyle, Sow Food

Seared salmon with roasted pepper strips and citrus salad over roasted tomato and corn puree with bacon Miguel Neira, Key Center Marriott

Intermezzo - watermelon gelee Ray Garman, Luxe

Smoked beef tongue pastrami, pickled cabbage, pickles, pickled mustard seed, gruyere and egg sponge, and beet horseradish over rye bread puree Jim Blevins, Downtown 140 - Hudson

Milk chocolate panna cotta, salted caramel, quail egg malted creme anglaise with rice pearls, cocoa nibs, red river sorrel, amaranth and chocolate mint Jeff Jarrett - Amp 150 The stand out for me was the deconstructed pastrami sandwich from Jim Blevins. It was incredibly creative and unique and absolutely delicious! Who thought beef tongue could taste sooo good?  Same thing could be said for the fried pig's feet patty from Brian Okin - this was a far cry from the pickled pig's feet I remember eating as a kid. The dessert course was also a favorite - I loved the crispiness the rice pearls added to the creamy panna cotta. Also, the addition of the chocolate mint was so refreshing. I liked that I could choose to have a bite plain and then another bite with the mint added - it was like 2 desserts in one. YUM! And Ray Garman gets bonus points for his watermelon gelee - I discovered Jello shots in orange rinds in Vegas and loved that he used that presentation for his intermezzo. Last night Dinner in the Dark said farewell to longtime worker Christina. She's off to Chile for new adventures. Bon voyage Christina!!

Jeff Jarret, Brian Okin, Brian Doyle and Christina

Thanks to Luxe for hosting another fabulous Dinner in the Dark. If you can't make it to a Dinner in the Dark, you can always pay a visit to one of the participating restaurants and taste the delights from these super talented chefs.

To the solemn graves, near a lonely cemetery, my heart like a muffled drum is beating funeral marches.                           ...