Fundraising goes virtual for nonprofit

The Cookie Cart's annual chefs' dinner is turning to takeout.

The nonprofit bakery, which gives teens jobs and leadership training, usually tasks top local chefs with creating a single course as part of an elaborate meal. The Cookie Cart Chefs' Dinner is the organization's largest annual fundraiser.

This year, on Oct. 25, chefs from 18 Twin Cities restaurants — including ViV!R, the Grocer's Table, Jun Szechuan Kitchen & Bar and the Lexington — will be whipping up full meals to go.

Participants who purchase dinners for two, four or eight guests will be randomly assigned a chef based on their preferred area. Just head to the restaurant to pick up dinner, dessert and wine.

Then, at 7 p.m., tune in to a livestreamed program to learn about Cookie Cart's youth employees, hear from chefs and participate in a live auction.

Tickets start at $250 for a dinner for two. For more information and to register, visit cookiecart.org/chefsdinner.

Cook along with James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and chef Raghavan Iyer at Foods for the Souls: Food Rituals in the Diaspora, a free online event hosted by Northrop at the University of Minnesota.

Ragamala Dance Company's co-artistic directors Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy are co-hosting the event, which takes place Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are free. Register online at northrop.umn.edu or by calling 612-624-2345.

The new 50th-and-France location of Lynhall No. 3945 (3945 Market St., Edina) is introducing an afternoon tea service, served by reservation only at 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Parties are limited to four or fewer, and cost is $55 per person.

The menu includes four varieties of finger sandwiches, a bevy of sweets (pear-cardamom coffee cake, cream scones with jam and lemon curd, a ginger-toffee cake, and more) and of course, tea.

"We are doing this in conjunction with Bill Waddington [owner of TeaSource], and the teas he selected are amazing," said owner Anne Spaeth. For reservations, go to thelynhall.com/reservations.