Kevin Finch, the founder of Big Table, describes his efforts as a type of “underground railroad” built to bring assistance to our area’s hospitality workers in need. Wisely, he shares that although our industry is among the most giving of warm welcomes, assistance and ourselves, it is often that we all work daily among some who could benefit from our own outreach. This is not your typical outreach effort, but an approach that strives to bring “health and wholeness in their lives” (from the Big Table mission statement). Bringing us together through our common love of our industry, Kevin is truly onto something special.
So, with our favorite bottle of red wine in hand, we set out to celebrate our love-affair of food…
On Monday, April 12th, my husband and I joined 36 others from the hospitality community for a dinner experience with Big Table. Surrounded by others with a passion and commitment to our area’s food and beverage industry, we deeply enjoyed the company of others who also claim food as their true love.
In all honesty, I was really the only black sheep at the table. My husband, Matt, is one of the best non-industry chefs I know – sometimes I am convinced the only reason my family has not kicked me to the curb is the trade-off of losing Matt’s cooking in the process.
The setting for the night was clean, crisp and classy. The Purple Turtle is a hip, downtown graphic arts studio at 117 West Pacific – this stylish venue serves as the headquarters for their creative services agency, and tonight, home to our newly-formed band of diners extraordinaire. The environment and atmosphere was inviting, and the kitchen area in the back of the room reminded me how much food preparation is an art form in itself.
The table was long, slender and resplendent with freshly-cut daffodils – a sure indicator that the long-awaited spring was indeed upon us. Photos of the previous two Big Table dinner events were displayed on the in-wall monitors flanking the table…sharing the candid pleasure and celebrations that had come before this evening’s gathering. We meandered around the room, visiting with those who would be dining with us and smelling the taunting preparations coming from the kitchen.
Pour a glass of wine and take a chair? Surely! Let the feasting begin!
The night’s delights were the creations of Jim Barrett, Executive Chef of The Club at BlackRock. Having worked with Chef Barrett since 1997, I knew tonight would be special. One word for the night – WOW.
Assisted by Tyler Schwenk, Chef de Cuisine at Beverly’s, and (energetically) delivered by a pleasant service team of all ages, plates were tirelessly served and cleared as we at the table oooohed-and-aaaaahed through each of the six courses.
The first course – the amuse bouche. The whispered wonder among our seating sidekicks of “how did they do it?” on the presentation of the course did not drown out the comments and compliments on the uniqueness of its taste. This sultry presentation started the night out on the right note. Scallop (personal favorite), salmon, oyster, white cheddar and housemade jerky were all neatly seated under a clear glass dome – which was then filled with smoke, a “reveal” presentation that truly set the night in motion.
The appetizer was next – the most scrumptious pesto-grilled prawns I have ever eaten! Not only were they grilled to perfection, but wrapped in prosciutto to boot. Fantastic! They were accompanied by a spring pea salad tossed with water chestnuts that arrived on-site fresh that afternoon – in fact, Chef Schwenk was peeling them as we arrived. Their crisp freshness was the perfect companion to the lightness of the salad.
You know how sometimes the presentation of a plate overshadows its taste? Or vice versa? Not so with the next course. The Wild Mushroom Cappuccino arrived in a petite cappuccino cup on a stark white plate. The grated dried mushrooms atop the white truffle foam completed the coffee vision frequently found at your neighborhood barista. The beauty of this course was that it tasted as good as it looked. Wish I would have ordered the Grande...
Next up – Spinach and Frisee Salad with Smoked Quail and Huckleberry Vinaigrette. A small mound of caramelized onions provided an additional element of flavor to the salad. It is most common for me to pick through a salad plate, eating the parts I like and leaving a lot of the greens left over. Not so tonight. By taking a little bit of each of the elements of the plate onto each bite, the depth of flavors was so delightful that when finished, I looked at my empty plate in wonder (mom would have been proud, too).
Arriving next was the entrée course. Braised for twelve hours in a cabernet-demi, the beef was dubbed “Zabuton” by Chef Barrett to describe it’s tenderness upon serving. I’ll admit it, I did have to look up “zabuton” before we got to dinner that night – sure enough, it means “little pillow”, just like Chef Barrett said. And it certainly was tender. Didn’t have to use the knife at all. The parsnip potatoes that joined in on the entrée course were delicious, as well.
Ok, dessert. Chef Barrett’s “Little Table” was constructed from chocolate for the conclusion of our Big Table dinner. Each diner was presented with a petite table made from chocolate. Atop each table was a trio of chocolate tastes – pistachio cluster, chocolate rum cluster and an orange paste wrapped in chocolate. The plate was decorated with both a sabayon and a raspberry sauce. Exceptional.
At the end of the night, Kevin shared the vision he had when creating Big Table, and asked how each of us could continue with the community-building project with him. Whether identifying people we know in the industry who may need assistance, preparing a future dinner or joining on a future dinner service team, we were all willing to join in the efforts to strengthen our hospitality community. A community that comes to work each day willing to serve others, now being served. Outstanding, Kevin, outstanding!
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