Cat Bunnag and Branden Levine - Glai Baan and Sel

Glai Baan: Giving truth to the saying “big things come in small packages” is Glai Baan in central Phoenix. Co-owner Cat Bunnag opened the cozy spot as an ode to her native Bangkok and the cuisine she grew up on. The restaurant focuses on traditional street food and snacks commonly found while visiting Thailand, particularly the Isan region in the northeastern part of the country.

Sel: An intimate 100-seat fine dining restaurant tucked among the art galleries and shops in Old Town Scottsdale, Sel serves contemporary American cuisine prepared by chef Branden Levine. Known for his bold and sophisticated flavors, Levine has been at the helm of such kitchens as Café Monarch in Scottsdale; Aureole in Las Vegas; and Elewana, a luxury resort in Tanzania.

Why this dinner is important:

"The biggest impact COVID-19 has had on our business is that we had to lay off some of our employees. We don’t usually have a lot of turnover, so these people have been with us for a while, both front of the house and back of the house, and it was difficult having to let them go. For employees we still have on board, we’ve had to cut their hours quite a bit. We’re lucky in that we’re still doing to-go business and we’re hoping to bring employees back one by one.

For the dinner, Branden Levine and I are doing it together. It’s a partnership and connection that I enjoy having with him. And that’s what this dinner is really about: connection. We want to go back to connecting with not only guests, but with other chefs and workers in the Arizona food community. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with other chefs who I haven’t had a chance to connect with because we were all so busy. This is a great opportunity to do that."

- Cat Bunnag

Please support Glai Baan and Sel by reserving seats to this dinner.