As the days get shorter and the angle of the sun sinks a little lower to the point that driving west in the late afternoon can be a sketchy proposition, it can only mean one thing: It’s football season! Well, actually, it can mean two other things that should be important to Bites readers: National Food Service Worker Day on Thursday, Sept. 25, and Negroni Week running Sept. 22 through 28. If you’re not hep to the scene, read along and I’ll catch you up!
National Food Service Worker Day celebrates the wide variety of workers who help keep us fed and watered outside of our home, from baristas and bartenders to line cooks, servers, dishwashers and cafeteria workers. These professions represent a huge segment of our economy, and they often live on the edge of crisis.
According to Giving Kitchen, the Atlanta-based nonprofit that is laser-focused on assisting food service workers in need, someone in the hospitality industry reaches out for help every 28 minutes. The organization shares the sad reality that two-thirds of people in the industry find themselves in some sort of dire straits during at least some point of their career.
To help spread the plight of the food service worker, Giving Kitchen is promoting this day of awareness by encouraging people to share the fact that the organization is available to help. In August alone, Giving Kitchen awarded $277,175 in financial assistance, and according to a client survey, almost 84 percent of food service workers said the aid helped them avoid potential homelessness, and nearly 75 percent said they avoided eviction. The survey also found 71 percent of food service workers said financial assistance prevented them from having to skip meals to save money.
All a food service worker in need of assistance has to do is ask, and Giving Kitchen will review their request and assign a caseworker, if applicable. National Food Service Worker Day is about awareness, and you can help out by dining out and mentioning Giving Kitchen to anyone you encounter at a restaurant or bar. You can also participate by eating at a restaurant that has signed up with Giving Kitchen’s Dining with Gratitude program, where a host of local restaurants have agreed to give back to their industry by donating a portion of September’s proceeds. You can find a map of participating restaurants here.
Above all, take the time to notice the people who make your dining experiences possible. Recognize them, thank them and remind them that assistance is available if they need it!
While it’s not as heavy a topic as the plight of the American food service worker, the cause behind Negroni Week is still important. Organized in 2013 by Imbibe Magazine and Campari, this week celebrates the balanced simplicity of the 1:1:1 concoction of Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and Gin while raising money and awareness for Slow Food.
In a dozen years, the week has grown from around 120 venues to thousands of bars and restaurants around the globe, raising more than $5 million for charitable organizations. This year’s beneficiary, Slow Food, takes on weighty topics like cultural and biological diversity, equitable food policies and community-based food and beverage education. At the same time, they encourage diners to slow down and consider the source of their sustenance while appreciating how great food enriches our lives.
In my years as a food writer, I’ve had no larger turnaround in opinion than my thoughts surrounding Negronis. Maybe the past 15 years have made me more appreciative of being bitter (I hope not), but a Negroni before or after a meal is a great way to either get the taste buds tingling or to settle the stomach. Negronis just hit, right?!
Venues all over town will be featuring classic Negronis alongside clever variations, with a portion of the tab going to support Negroni Week and Slow Food. Some of the local spots I’m looking forward to visiting include The Sun Room at Drift Nashville with its Two Down, a tropical take on the classic Negroni made using coconut gin, Campari, sweet vermouth and a touch of mocha.
In the Gulch, Sunda New Asian will offer two fun variations. Whispers in Silk features Roku Gin, Bitter Bianco, dry vermouth, and lavender syrup, served in a coupe, and finished with a fragrant lemon twist. The Divine Wind uses Tozai Living Jewel sake, Fernet Amaro and Bitter Bianco, served over a crystal-clear ice ball with a lemon twist.
Carne Mare gets into the act with a trio of tweaks on the classic Negroni, with one made from mezcal instead of gin, a clear Bianco Negroni version and one of my favorite riffs on the original, a Boulevardier. Finally, Living Room at W Nashville, the lobby bar in the hotel that houses Carne Mare, keeps it simple with a classic Negroni with proceeds going to Slow Food. And we all know there’s nothing wrong with the original, right?
For more participating venues, check out the national Negroni Week website.
