Upcoming Dinner Events to Benefit Second Harvest and Nashville Children’s Theatre

Charitable and arts organizations are definitely working hard to figure out new ways to raise money during the pandemic, and two upcoming events look like fun additions to your drinking and dining calendar. 2021 will mark the return of the popular annual Generous Helpings fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, but with a new twist. 

Instead of the usual format of chefs from across the city coming together to cook a special meal, this year the event will be a series of three-course dinners prepared at four local restaurants on Tuesday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. Chefs Maneet Chauhan of Chaatable, Evan LoJacono and John Stephenson from Hathorne, Deb Paquette at Jasper’s, and Sinema’s Kyle Patterson have all planned special prix fixe menus for the evening. Sinema’s offering is designed as a carryout option for patrons who aren’t quite ready to dine out yet.

Tickets are now on sale, available at the event website. Tickets for dinner at Chaatable, Hathorne and Jasper’s are $100 per person for the three-course meal and a welcome cocktail at the restaurants. Tickets for the dinner at Sinema are $75 each, which includes a three-course dinner to go. Proceeds from Generous Helpings Through the City will benefit Second Harvest’s grocery-rescue program, which works to reduce both hunger and food waste by rescuing, sorting and distributing frozen meat, dairy, produce and dry groceries from more than 280 grocery stores and food donors. Last year, Second Harvest distributed 41 million pounds of food, including 7 million pounds that were rescued through this program. Make your plans and reservations now to help out this worthy cause.

Your creative side needs feeding too, and the Nashville Children’s Theatre has entertained generations of Nashvillians while introducing them to live theater for 70 years. To help support their efforts during this topsy-turvy school year, they have reached out to the Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association and Market Basket Wine & Spirits to help plan a special Online Spanish Wine and Dine event on Thursday, April 22, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Patrick Mata of Ole and Obrigado Wines will pair Spanish wines with a four-course dinner prepared by chef Javier Salado of Soy Cubano, with a menu that includes tapas, gazpacho, rice with chicken, chorizo and fish and flan for dessert. A vegetarian option will also be offered.

Tickets for the dinner are $125 for a single or $200 for a couple and can be purchased at the event’s website. Then all you have to do is pick up your meal and wine, jump on the video link, sit back and enjoy while you learn.