Appetite for Good

I was very fortunate to meet Michael Anthony, Executive Chef of Gramercy Tavern, at Taste of the Nation NY back in May. Months before the event, I saw an episode of Beyond the Dish where Chef Anthony went to the Green Market to pick out produce and taught the audience about the importance of fresh local food. I felt inspired and educated, and was interested in learning more from him.

I rarely think about donating to a charity right before I leave on vacation. I mean, between packing and trying to find my misplaced passport, I’m up all night until the minute before my flight. But for New York’s 21 Club restaurant and Executive Chef John Greeley, vacation means being generous.

On Tuesday, June 22, Patrick and I found ourselves at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea for the 9th annual Summer in the City event hosted by Generation Harvest – the young professionals offshoot of City Harvest.

How many people can you feed with 200,000 pounds of food? Lots and lots, I hope! On June 29th, City Harvest rescued 200,000 pounds of food from the Fancy Food Show to feed hungry New Yorkers.

Take a sneak peak of City Harvest’s Summer in the City event at the Metropolitan Pavilion, held this past Tuesday, June 22nd. Stay tuned for Francesca’s full write up of this fun event with interviews with Chef Marc Murphy, Miss Universe, and more!

Next week, City Harvest will host its 9th annual Summer in the City event at the Metropolitan Pavilion. The event, which attracts the city’s hottest chefs and mixologists, will be Tuesday, June 22 from 7:30PM to 10:00PM.

Mother’s Day 2010 in New York City arrived on a chilly and windy day that was very unfitting of its May setting. Luckily, I was able to give my mom (and dad) a cozy spring-like experience at EN Japanese Brasserie last Sunday, with the Sakura Kaiseki menu.

Matsuri’s interior is a perfect mirror reflection of Chef Tadashi Ono and his cooking – understated and unpretentious. Not meant to be ostentatious or flashy, the décor takes you to Japan – more specifically, a welcoming modern izakaya – where you can enjoy the food in its natural habitat.

We live in a city of affluence but every year, over 1 million New Yorkers go hungry. One-third of that million are children! Tomorrow, May 12th, you can skip lunch to help fight hunger in our lovely city. The price of an average NY lunch – $10 – can help feed 15 hungry children and their families.

Compassion. That’s not a word that comes to mind when someone mentions a Michelin star restaurant in New York City. You probably think “extravagant” or “exotic”. But compassion is exactly what Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and David Chang of Momofuku Ko are.