Host Jason Alley chats with dinner guests at last year's Off Broad Appétit event. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
The evening before Broad Street's annual smorgasbord, Broad Appétit, is always full of anticipation for the dozens of small plates to be offered at $3 a pop throughout that graze-y Sunday afternoon. But the Saturday night in question also offers its own event, one that's a bit more intimate but just as tasty, and still benefits local nonprofit FeedMore. Now in its fifth year, Off Broad Appétit's adding new chefs to its roster, filling one station at this dine-around event with Filipino food and hoping to raise even more funds for for FeedMore, which helps provide food and nutrition education for Richmond's hungry.
"FeedMore is such a hugely important charity in town that does such great work," says chef Jason Alley, who'll be hosting Off Broad in Pasture, one of his downtown restaurants. "You know, we put these chefs together because they're a ton of fun and we all really love each other but at the end of the day, it really is about maximizing that check we can write at the end."
Be sure to catch these chefs in action:
- Christine Flynn aka the Instagram-famous Chef Jacques La Merde and executive chef of Toronto's iQ Food Co.
- Michael Scelfo of Alden & Harlow in Cambridge
- Rob Newton of Nightingale Nine in New York City
- Thomas Pizzica of Big Chef Tom's Belly Burgers in San Francisco
- André Hueston Mack of Mouton Noir Wine near Portland, Oregon
- Stephen Gerike of the National Pork Board
- King Phojanakong of Kuma Inn in New York City
And, of course, Richmond's own Jason Alley of Pasture and Comfort will be there, too. Beth Dixon of Pasture and Comfort will be whipping up cocktails with local favorites Belle Isle Moonshine and Reservoir Distillery, and, as always, the chefs will be serving their dishes from each of their stations and mingling with the crowd.
"That's one of the things that makes this event really unique," says Alley. "The chefs aren't tucked away in the kitchen and come out at the end for applause; they're there engaging with the guests, so it feels a little more intimate."
Stop by Off Broad Appétit at Pasture this Saturday, June 4, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. and enjoy dishes from acclaimed national chefs for $125. The best news? All proceeds after the cost of food benefit FeedMore, which received more than $6,000 from last year's event. There are only 125 tickets available to Off Broad, which, full disclosure, is a Richmond-magazine-sponsored event. Get your tickets to this year's party right over here.
Without further ado, the 2016 Off Broad Appétit menu:
- King Phojanakong: grilled pork belly adobo with green papaya salad
- Rob Newton: grilled wild shrimp with sweet potato, bib lettuce and spiced cracklin’
- Michael Scelfo: chicken-fried head cheese with smoked snail and pimento gravy and a maple-wheat waffle
- Tom Pizzica: crispy scallops in pig and black lentil gravy with pickled apricot
- Stephen Gerike: longaniza sausage and clam “stuffies” with long pepper aioli, breadcrumb and basil; and a butterscotch budino with bacon caramel and whipped cream
- Christine Flynn: marinated tuna with whipped avocado on chicharrones
- Jason Alley: supplementary snacks
- André Hueston Mack: various Mouton Noir Wines
- With additional beverages provided by: Reservoir Distillery, Belle Isle Moonshine, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Champion Brewing Co., O’Connor Brewing Co. and Strangeways Brewing
Pasture is located 416 E. Grace St. and will host Off Broad Appétit this Saturday, June 4, from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
