Chefs Chauhan, Bancroft and Walker
In addition to running her own empire of restaurants, chef Maneet Chauhan has taken on a few other fun projects this summer. She has partnered up with chef Devin Walline of The Harpeth Hotel in Franklin and Made South for a series of Sunday Suppers featuring guest chefs from around the South. Each event offers a five-course dinner plus wine and cocktail pairings served in the 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails restaurant inside The Harpeth Hotel.
Tickets for each dinner are $189 — that includes drink pairings — and a portion of proceeds from each dinner benefits One Generation Away, a nonprofit that distributes healthy foods to families in need throughout Middle Tennessee. The first dinner of the series was held in May with chef Cheetie Kumar of Raleigh’s Garland participating as guest chef.
The upcoming dinners will feature some other genuine culinary rock stars, including an Alabama favorite and the chef-owner of a Charleston restaurant whose upcoming Nashville outpost is anxiously anticipated. There will also be two August dinners, but details are still being finalized. Here’s who we know is coming in July:
July 11, 5-8 p.m., with special guest David Bancroft of Acre and Bow & Arrow, both in Auburn, Alabama — ticket link
July 25, 5-8 p.m., with special guest Joshua Walker of Xiao Bao Biscuit in Charleston, South Carolina — ticket link
Additionally, they are offering a new VIP experience with The Golden Ticket, which will be available for the Sunday Supper on July 11. This ticket allows as many as 12 guests to enjoy an ultra-VIP Sunday Supper experience inside the private dining room at 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails. The three chefs will introduce each course personally, and guests will get the chance to enjoy one bonus course that will be prepared table-side. At last check, there was only one Golden Ticket remaining, so be prepared to go it alone and make some new friends!
As if she didn’t have enough going on, Chauhan has also partnered with Pooja Bavishi, founder and CEO of Brooklyn-based Malai Ice Cream on a limited-edition Chaat Party Box of snacks paying homage to their Indian roots. Each box features one pint of ice cream, one pint of frozen yogurt, a pint of sorbet and three toppings. Chauhan describes the box as “brimming with flavors of fresh herbs that meet complex spices, the tartness of pomegranate, a tang of yogurt, richness of dates, and crunchy toppings to build a chaat sundae that is best when shared with others.”
Here’s exactly what you’ll find in the box, which can be shipped nationwide:
Chaat cookbook written by Maneet Chauhan with signed bookplate.
Trio of Pints
Roasted Cumin Frozen Yogurt: Creamy with a bright tang, the rich, sweet notes of frozen yogurt are balanced by toasted cumin’s smokiness and subtle fruitiness.
Date Tamarind Ice Cream: Tart, sweet and lightly spiced, this pint plays on the rich caramel sweetness of dates, balanced by the tang of the tamarind, and rounded out with subtle spice notes of fragrant cinnamon, clove and a hint of cayenne pepper.
Cilantro Mint Sorbet: Refreshing and herbaceous, our Cilantro Mint sorbet is a scoop of a summer garden with a kick of heat from serrano chilis to wake your taste buds.
Trio of Toppings
Strawberry Pomegranate Coulis: Sweet notes of summer strawberries blend with bright, tart flavors of pomegranate and woodsy notes of fennel seeds in this sauce.
Boondi: Tiny, soft, crunchy bits of fried chickpea flour, this topping adds a savory balance to the box.
Shakarpara: This crispy, sweet topping adds the perfect crunch to any scoop.
An interesting note is that all of these treats are made without the use of eggs to honor Pooja’s culture. Her family is from the Gujarat region of India where much of the population eats dairy but not eggs.
Pooja and Maneet will be collaborating on in-person events in both Brooklyn at Malai’s scoop shop later in July and locally at Chaatable on Aug. 4. A portion of sales from the box will be donated to World Central Kitchen to provide fresh meals to the frontline medical staff in India. The box that will be available from July 1 through Aug. 31 for $89 with free shipping with pre-order beginning this week at Goldbelly.
