For those in the know, Dux in Tux—the annual gala for the famed Anaheim Ducks hockey team—is one of Orange County’s largest philanthropic events. Heavily padded donors buy tables that feature a chef at each to cook for fourteen guests. Joining them is an Anaheim Ducks player—or coach or broadcaster—that sits tableside.
And this year, Long Beach’s culinary prowess was well represented. Chef Johnathan Benvenuti of Bar Becky. Marlena’s Chef Michael Flores. Chef Carlos Jurado of Selva. Chef Jason Witzl of Ellie’s. Owner Francesco Zimone of L’Antica da Michele… All brought flavor and finesse to the team’s signature black-tie gala.
“It only made sense to feature some of Long Beach’s finest Chefs in this year’s Dux in Tux,” said Senior Manager for Signature Events and Projects of the Anaheim Ducks, Sarah Bennett. “The city’s food scene has really taken off in recent years. And the Long Beach area has so many Anaheim Ducks fans.”
Adding to the spectacle, several of the Ducks’ top players traded their gear for tuxedos to join the chefs in the kitchen and on the floor. We’re talking Leo Carlsson. Cutter Gauthier. Mason McTavish. Troy Terry. Mikael Grandlund. Olen Zellweger. Each turning the night into a true crossover of culinary craft and hockey star power, where fine dining meets franchise icons. And all in the name of community and giving back.
So what, exactly, is Dux in Tux?
Each year, Dux in Tux transforms the Anaheim Ducks’ home ice into something closer to a ballroom than a hockey rink. An elegant, high-energy gala where tuxedos replace jerseys and the sport’s biggest names trade helmets for handshakes. The franchise’s signature fundraising event draws players. Coaches. Alumni. Sponsors. And, of course, fans. All for a night built around celebration, community, and culinary flexing.
“It was pretty wild,” Chef Carlos Jurado said. “When I shared Selva would be reppin’ at the event, I got a ton of messages. Some from chefs I haven’t spoken to in years. All saying how they have been trying to get into the event as a chef. It’s truly an honor.”
At its core, Dux in Tux is about more than spectacle.
Proceeds from the evening support the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, which invests in youth hockey, education, health initiatives, and local nonprofit organizations throughout Orange County and beyond. It’s where the team’s impact off the ice becomes just as visible as its performance on it—where a night of glamour quietly fuels year-round programs that introduce kids to the sport, strengthen community resources, and keep the Ducks embedded in the fabric of Southern California life.
How Long Beach became a cog—and impressed—at the OC-centric Dux in Tux event.
I had the distinct honor of not only helping Sarah procure Long Beach restaurants but also sitting at Selva’s table. Featuring none other than Mason McTavish, it was headed by Chef Carlos Jurado, bar manager Mike Borowski, and events manager Monica Canelos.
The table, purchased by Brewery X, saw some of Chef Carlos’s finest interpretations of his food, including the best version yet of his mushroom croquette atop a yeasted butter and fish roe sauce. And impressing most was his smoked and braised lamb shank atop queso fresco polenta.
“We’ve been here five years in a row and this is by far the best food we’ve experienced,” said master brewer for Brewery X, Trevor Walls.
And the participants agreed vice versa: “I really did have a good time,” Chef Michael said. “Thought it was a genuinely awesome event: extremely well-organized, thoughtfully laid out, solid people participating… And I couldn’t have asked for a better player to be a part of our table. Funny, charismatic, kind—just a really good guy.”
What did the other chefs serve and what players sat at their tables?
Chef Michael Flores was joined by forward Ross Johnston at a mini-recreation of Marlena for their table. Chef Michael, like others, wanted to introduce Orange County to the food of Marlena by way of his famed honeynut agnolotti, smoked swordfish potato tarts, and braised Wagyu cheek.
Chef Jason Witzl and the Ellie’s team, led by general manager Molly Sirody, offered one of the most extensive and ambitious meals of the evening. Recreating the chef’s much-loved Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, guests were taken on a seven-course culinary journey heavily focused on seafood and ending, as one does, with steak and prawns.
For Chef Johnathan Benvenuti, a return to roots while highlighting his new culinary home.
For Chef Johnathan Benvenuti, this wasn’t his first year at Dux in Tux—but it felt like the first year he belonged to the Long Beach side of things.
“Getting to represent Long Beach—the community I now call my culinary home—while going back to Orange County, where I grew up, to support charities that help families like mine… It’s incredibly meaningful. And this year, cooking alongside some chefs I’ve grown to know thanks to things like the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe and visiting their restaurants, it feels even more impactful.”
Chef Johnathan was joined by Ducks winger Chris Kreider, serving up Bar Becky classics: house-made focaccia, hamachi crudo, spatzle carbonara, and duck breast.
