In normal times, reservations at a popular New York City restaurant could be hard to come by. A chance to meet the magician in the kitchen felt like a matter of luck– especially now.
But as chefs look for ways to take care of their staff and customers, new opportunities to gather around a (virtual) table are taking place.
This week, the #AskChefsAnything online auction launched, giving foodies a chance to Zoom with their favorite New York City-based chefs and support the families of restaurant workers.
The fundraiser catalogue offers 37 conversations– each 30-minutes long– with culinary celebrities like Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert, Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio and cookbook author, Alison Roman. The auction closes on May 3rd.
Proceeds will be donated to 250 immigrant families in the Bronx. “Immigrants feed our city: they cultivate our produce, they cook our food, they wash our dishes,” says an Instagram post. “It’s our time to feed them.”
So run your mussel recipe by rising star chef Victoria Blamey of Gotham Bar & Grill, talk through that zucchini strudel with Rita Sodi and Jody Williams and dig in for the real story behind chef-couple Don Angie’s cinnamon roll-style lasagna. Your time has come.
Stay tuned! The auction’s founders, Gaeleen Quinn and Anna Polonsky, are planning more auctions in cities across the US, including Los Angeles and Philadelphia.