Seven Courses to End Child Hunger
BY CARRIE HAVRANEK | PHOTOS BY ROBERTO QUEZADA-DARDÓN
A GOOD RESTAURANT KITCHEN RUNS LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE. Chefs share a tacit understanding of norms, a common language. But when you bring seven of them (and their teams) together in a kitchen, united by the mission of ending food insecurity, the experience is far more extraordinary than a routine night of work.
On March 26, chefs from Bolete, 3rd & Ferry, the Shelby, Top Cut, and Savory Grille gathered at Edge Restaurant in Bethlehem for a rare culinary event: to raise funds for Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry, a nationwide effort that addresses food insecurity among children. Chefs took turns across seven courses, each paired with a wine from South Italy Imports and expertly and seamlessly executed by Edge’s front- and back-of-house staff. It was epic. “We served 92 people seven courses in three hours,” says Karen Widrick, COO of Edge’s Lotus Restaurant Group.
The idea to hold a fundraiser sprung from conversations between Widrick and members of event’s local cycling team, Wheels of Thyme. Among others, the team consists of: Lee Chizmar, executive chef of Bolete; Dave Joachim, award-winning cookbook author and recipe developer; and William Binczak of South Italy Imports, among others. Edge hosted the near-sellout event, which came together in about a month. “It has been my dream for a long time to do a dinner like this with chefs of this caliber,” she says.
These photos offer a glimpse into the collaborative process that helped raise more than $22,000 for the cause. To date, the team has raised more than $40,000 and donations will be accepted until June 30 at p2p.onecause.com/chefscycle24/team/wheels-of-thyme.
