POCOLA, Okla. (Aug. 4, 2026)- Chef Geoffrey Zakarian is hosting a restaurant takeover at Seven Ponies inside Choctaw Casino & Resort – Pocola on Sept. 11 and 12.
Zakarian is an Iron Chef, a staple of Food Network and a restauranteur who opened five restaurants over the course of his career, including Country at the Carlton Hotel, which earned him a Michelin Star. Zakarian has also been tapped as a consultant for decades, revamping numerous hotel restaurants and opening Zakarian Hospitality Consulting.
Zakarian will be hosting a four-course meal inside Seven Ponies Restaurant on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12, with seatings at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each night. Tickets are $250 for a table of two and $500 for a table of four. They can be purchased here.
Zakarian will make appearances in the dining room throughout the evening, while also working with Choctaw’s chefs to prepare delicious dishes, including warm Castelvetrano with olives and citrus, Castelfranco lettuce and endive salad, tuna tonnato, lamb niçoise, honey oregano glazed chicken and orange olive oil cake.
Zakarian is the first chef of Choctaw Casino & Resort’s fall 2026 chef series. Past restaurant takeovers have been hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli, Scott Conant, Jet Tila and Maneet Chauhan among others.
Media who wish to cover the event, please contact Sally Huggins at sdhuggins@choctawnation.com or Kelli Stacy at kstacy@choctawnation.com.
About Choctaw Casino & Resort – Pocola
Choctaw Casino & Resort in Pocola, Okla. is a one-stop entertainment destination that offers distinguished amenities, premier dining and gaming throughout the Fort Smith metro area. The property features a spacious casino floor, oversized rooms, a lounge, more than 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a variety of on-site restaurants. For more information, visit http://www.choctawcasinos.com/choctaw-pocola/.
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