Heather Southerland and Vivek Surti present a big check to The Nashville Food Project's Teri Sloan
With all the bad news floating around, I feel like we could all use a few rays of sunshine in our lives right about now. Luckily, three local companies have been working behind the scenes to raise funds for some important missions, and you can help out as well.
While Vivek Surti has been waiting for construction to be completed at the new location of his popular restaurant Tailor, he hasn’t just been binge-watching Netflix like the rest of us. Along with his culinary and service team under the leadership of the talented Heather Southerland, Surti has kept the spirit of Tailor alive, hosting a series of pop-up dinners at The Nashville Food Project over the past few months.
A portion of proceeds went directly back to support The Nashville Food Project's mission to "bring people together to grow, cook and share nourishing food, with the goals of cultivating community and alleviating hunger in our city." Surti and Southerland recently presented nonprofit's COO Teri Sloan with a check totaling more $20,000 as a result of this partnership. While everyone involved with The Food Project is still deeply saddened by the recent passing of founder Tallu Schuyler Quinn, this windfall for her beloved organization is at least a bright spot to celebrate.
In other Tailor news, Surti announced that construction is progressing at his future new location at 620 Taylor St. Walls are framed in, HVAC is being installed, and everything seems to be on track to reopen in a few months. Keep an eye on this space to see when you can enjoy Surti’s cooking and hospitality again.
As the Ukrainian refugee crisis continues to worsen, it has been no surprise to see chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen on the scene, arriving almost immediately as the need to feed thousands of people became apparent. WCK is currently operating more than 330 distribution points in more than 55 cities to feed Ukrainian refugees more than a million meals, and you can assist these noble efforts thanks to two local initiatives.
Chef's Market Chicken Kyiv
At Chef’s Market in Goodlettsville, owner Jim Hagy has moved his traditional Chicken Kyiv (a dish which we’ve apparently been misspelling and mispronouncing for years) to the top of his features list on the menu and donating 100 percent of the proceeds from sales to World Central Kitchen. He’s also encouraging guests to make additional donations on top of the $14.99 for the dish. While the breaded and fried cutlet served with lemon-herb garlic butter is already objectively delicious, this initiative makes it just a little bit sweeter.
Greensboro-based The Fresh Market has also announced a new campaign to help support chef Andrés and World Central Kitchen. At all their stores, including their Brentwood location, they are encouraging shoppers to round up their total at the register or help support the people of Ukraine by purchasing a five-stem pack of sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, or a special bouquet featuring the vibrant blue and yellow of the country’s flag.
“We are profoundly moved by the efforts being made by World Central Kitchen and the volunteer chefs who are providing a warm meal and food stability to the Ukrainian people who are fleeing their homes and homeland,” states CEO Jason Potter of The Fresh Market. “We understand the importance of fresh food and the comfort of a warm meal and welcome the guests of The Fresh Market to join us in these fundraising efforts to help provide food to those in need.”
I feel a little better just typing all that good news!
