The nostalgic aroma of caramel, sweet corn, and ripe cherries drifted through the dining room at Linger. The source? Nic’s Wish Dish, a limited-run brunch special featuring a sweet corn waffle topped with airy caramel corn custard, tart Palisade cherries, candied caramel corn, and a drizzle of cherry maple syrup.
The playful creation was dreamed up in honor of 17-year-old Nic Whitmire of Aurora, whose Make-A-Wish experience transformed him from devoted cooking-show fan into a chef for the day. The nonprofit partnered with the LoHi restaurant to grant Nic’s dream, which culminated June 12 with the debut of that aforementioned dish. All weekend Nic’s Wish Dish remained on the menu as a way to raise money and awareness for the organization, known for granting wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The Wish Behind the Waffle
For Nic, the menu item bearing his name was just one piece of a much larger experience designed around what he loves most: Being in the heart of a bustling kitchen.
The teen with cerebral palsy and who is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair, finds joy in the rhythms and creativity of cooking. He loves being around the energy of meal preparation and gathering with family and friends around food. He also revels in taste-testing sauces with his mom, Sarah Ott, as she cooks.
Nic also loves watching cooking shows. His favorites include competition shows like Chopped and The Great British Bake Off, as well as Guy Fieri’s hit series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. So Make-A-Wish Colorado and Linger built a custom experience around those passions to make the teen’s dream a reality.
“We really wanted to get to the heart of what brings him joy,” said Kelcey Beckman, Nic’s wish coordinator with Make-A-Wish Colorado. “His moms told us he loves being in the kitchen with them, loves being a part of everything, and enjoys cooking shows.”
It “takes a village” to pull off Make-A-Wish requests, she said, and the result was a morning spent behind the scenes at Linger ahead of, and during, brunch service.
Chef For a Day
Nic attended the pre-shift staff meeting, helped with prep work, taste-tested sauces, and helped prepare an espresso ganache with the restaurant’s pastry chef. He participated on the expo line and worked alongside the restaurant’s culinary team while wearing a personalized chef’s coat and Union Stitch & Design apron emblazoned with his name. He got a firsthand look at the fast-paced choreography behind a busy brunch service.
“He loves what happens behind the scenes,” said his other mom, Rachel Ott. “Not just the food itself, but how it all comes together—the different methods of cooking, the teamwork, and the process.”
Nic’s love of cooking traces back to his childhood, Rachel Ott said. Born in Bulgaria and adopted by the Otts when he was 5, he bonded with a nurse who shared his enthusiasm for cooking shows. The pair would watch them together, and, by the time Nic was 7, his family realized his fascination with all things culinary had grown into a genuine passion.
“At home, if anybody is in the kitchen, he wants to be there,” she added. “Just watching and helping as much as he can.”
Lights, Camera, Chef in Action
While Make-A-Wish Colorado grants about 330 wishes each year and has fulfilled more than 7,100 since the organization’s founding in 1983, Nic’s chef experience stands out as a tailored example of the organization’s “I wish to be…” category. Over the years, wish recipients have wished to become everything from superheroes to fashion models, athletes, garbage truck drivers, and more.
“When the opportunity came our way, we had this pinch-me moment because it’s not as common for restaurants to get to be involved in a Make-A-Wish like this,” said Parsia Rezai, social media and marketing manager for Edible Beats.
The attention to detail when orchestrating Nic’s wish extended beyond the kitchen. Because Nic loves watching cooking shows, the nonprofit also arranged for a videography crew to document the entire experience.
“They’re going to edit this whole experience into Nic’s own cooking show so he can watch himself surrounded by family and loved ones while doing the thing he’s most passionate about,” Rezai said.
For his debut in the kitchen, family members, teachers, friends, Make-A-Wish supporters, and former wish recipients gathered in the dining room to cheer Nic on throughout the day. Between kitchen shifts, he stopped to greet brunch-goers before joining his table of friends and family for brunch.
Beckman added that Nic loves watching videos of himself, and the video will give his family a lasting keepsake from the experience.
“They are fully expecting him to rewatch it over and over again,” she said. And that sentiment is what makes the wish truly magical.
