If you’ve only ever seen chef Jacques Pépin on the television screen, now is your chance to get up close and personal. The James Beard Award-bedecked chef will be at Boston University on Monday, November 2nd for A Toast to Innovation. The celebratory gala and chef’s tasting will honor the famed French cook on his 80th birthday. The event also marks the 50th anniversary of BU’s Metropolitan College whose culinary arts and gastronomy programs Pépin co-founded with Julia Child.

From 6:00-9:00pm, Boston’s chef celebrities will be serving up samples of their specialty dishes, many influenced by Pépin‘s techniques. Folks like Jamie Bissonnette, Jackson Cannon, Cara Chigazola-Tobin, Dante de Magistris, Chris Douglass, Jeff Fournier, Lauren Kroesser, Michael Leviton, Barry Maiden, Frank McClelland, David Punch, Jacky Robert, Jeremy Sewall, Jasper White, Josh Ziskin and more will be on hand to toast to chef Pépin.

Tickets are available for $150 each and include an autographed copy of Pépin’s newest cookbook, Jacques Pépin Heart and Soul in the Kitchen. See more details on the exclusive evening and purchase your tickets online here.