BIG ON BEEF. Lakely Loves returns and showcases beef from Klatt Farms. (Submitted photos)

The Lakely Loves quarterly dinner series returns to The Lakely, a downtown Eau Claire farm-to-table restaurant, on Wednesday, April 27, for the first time since the restaurant reopened post-lockdown.

Lakely Loves was started in 2017 as a multiple-course dinner service, each event focusing on a different theme or main ingredient. It is also a chance to learn about the chef and any special guests. Past Lakely Loves themes have included Oliphant Brewery, Driftless Cafe, Uncle Gilly’s Maple Syrup, Morel Mushrooms, Hmong Cuisine, and more.

The upcoming dinner will be a five-course meal centered entirely around beef. Yes – there will even be beef in the dessert. Luke Bilda, The Lakely’s executive chef, collaborated with Klatt Farms, a small, family-owned beef farm in Barron to source the beef for the menu. 

“My main goal is to work with underappreciated farms, the ones who don’t get as much publicity, I want to bring those small farms in and give them forward-facing attention towards the public,” Bilda said. “It’s some of the best beef I’ve had in the area, and they’re an amazing, amazing family.”

The Klatt family – Sean, Danielle, and son Mason – are pictured on their farm.

The Klatts – Danielle, Sean, and their son, Mason – will be speaking during the dinner, along with Bilda. Cassandra Volbrecht, The Lakely’s events and marketing director, said the event is just as much about the experience of seeing and hearing the creators as it is about the food itself.

“It’s an organic experience that we are so passionate about, and it feels so good to us,” Volbrecht said. “It’s truly what The Lakely is about: supporting the community, supporting local, giving an experience to our guests, and also to our staff. There’s such a broad scope of what this will do and what this will bring to us, and we are just so honored to be able to bring it back.”

The Lakely is located inside The Oxbow Hotel, 516 Galloway St., Eau Claire. This Lakely Loves event will take place on Wednesday, April 27, at 6pm, by reservation only. Reservations can be made by calling (715) 839-0601.