Maplewood is about to get a dinner that sounds part food festival, part comedy show, and part edible road trip. Bill Oakley, the Emmy-winning writer behind some of The Simpsons’ most memorable episodes, is teaming up with Blue Duck chef Trenton Garvey for a seven-course celebration of America’s regional dishes.
The second American Culinary Curiosity Dinner is set for September 1 at The Blue Duck, following an August 31 dinner that sold out. Tickets cost $90, including tax and gratuity, St. Louis Magazine reports.
Oakley’s Regional Food Tour Lands In St. Louis
Oakley’s dinner series focuses on obscure foods that are strongly tied to particular hometowns but rarely show up on restaurant menus outside those regions. His official event description promises a rotating menu of unusual American dishes paired with food history, commentary, and plenty of storytelling.
That makes the evening a natural extension of Oakley’s unusual second act. His official biography identifies him as a former Simpsons showrunner and writer of the cult “Steamed Hams” segment, as well as a food historian and frequent explorer of American culinary oddities.
Blue Duck Chef Trenton Garvey Joins The Menu
Garvey brings a Missouri connection and a national television résumé to the collaboration. As St. Louis Magazine notes, he won Season 20 of Hell’s Kitchen, later worked as executive chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak and chef de cuisine at Martha Stewart’s The Bedford in Las Vegas, then returned to Missouri and The Blue Duck.
Between courses, Oakley is expected to explain the often-surprising histories behind the dishes while Garvey handles the cooking. The format is less a conventional tasting menu than a guided tour through regional food lore—with dinner doing most of the traveling.
September Dinner Follows Sold-Out First Night
The Maplewood event is the latest stop on Oakley’s national tour, which visited 19 cities in 2025 and continues expanding in 2026. The Blue Duck is hosting the dinner as the restaurant continues its partnership with Garvey on a menu that puts a local chef in conversation with dishes from around the country.
The September 1 dinner is listed as a seven-course event at The Blue Duck, with tickets available through the restaurant’s ticket listing. With the first night already sold out, Maplewood’s second serving may be the one chance for local fans to hear about steamed hams while eating something considerably more ambitious.
