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The Underground Kitchen made its first New York appearance in January and will be returning June 26 for a "Cultural Collaboration" dinner at the Beard House. (Photo courtesy Chris Johnson at CPJ Photography)
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The menu for the Cultural Collaboration dinner at the Beard House
“People work a lifetime to get to the Beard House,” says Micheal Sparks, the self-proclaimed “grandfather of pop-ups” and founder of The Underground Kitchen, an experience-centered dinner series that launched in Richmond in 2014 and travels across the country.
On Wednesday, June 26, Sparks will head to New York along with Richmond-area chefs to prepare a sold-out “Cultural Collaboration” dinner for 55 at the James Beard Foundation's Beard House.
For many chefs, the opportunity to cook at the Beard House is on their career bucket list and marks a pivotal moment in their culinary journey. Chefs are hand-picked and must make it past the official Chef Selection Committee, a group comprised of seasoned food and beverage professionals.
The Underground Kitchen hosted its first New York pop-up dinner in January, part of its "Retrospective" series. In attendance were members of the Beard House, and shortly following, Sparks received an invitation for The Underground Kitchen to cook there.
“The chefs [we've chosen] are really aligned with what the James Beard Foundation is doing with trying to branch out and embrace diversity,” explains Sparks.
Each chef on the team brings dishes reflective of his or her past, and the opportunity at the Beard House will allow them to share their personal stories and create a deeper connection with the guests.
“We've asked them to work amongst themselves to highlight their individual strengths,” explains Sparks. “It’s called a 'Cultural Collaboration,' and that’s what we’re interested in being.”
The bill of chefs includes an eclectic mix of backgrounds that spans the globe, including Jean Lorestil of the recently opened Mantu, who was born in Haiti and grew up in Turks and Caicos.
Lorestil will lead the second course, featuring a sous vide octopus carpaccio, and collaborate with Jason Bullard of the Graduate Richmond hotel, dubbed “The Forager” by Sparks. Bullard plans to prepare a wild mushroom and Gruyere bread pudding with cured venison and work with Lorestil during the fourth course to produce a citrus-marinated snapper.
They are joined by Giovanna Delli Compagni of Union Square Hospitality in New York, who draws influence from her Italian, Venezuelan and Cuban roots. Delli Compagni kicks off the first course of the evening and will partner with Natascha “Taz” Bowles of EAT Restaurant Partners for one of the courses.
Bowles, a 32-year-old New York transplant, grew up under the care of her single mother, a German-Jewish immigrant who didn’t speak English, and at times during her childhood experienced homelessness. She has been working with The Underground Kitchen for three years and is prepared to bring her talents to the Beard House.
“I’m extremely honored to represent Richmond in such a big way,” says Bowles, who will prepare a dessert course called “Paradise Sensation” and work with Delli Compagni on a koji beef dish. Bowles says they both know what it's like to be a female chef of color in a typically male-dominated field. She says they are pushing themselves to create memorable and meaningful plates.
“I thought, 'How we can collab and combine each other’s influence in a very interesting and different way?' And that’s what's fun about it — it’s an art,” Bowles says. “I want to represent certain aspects of myself on a plate. … I’m a melting pot, and it's kind of my life story and trying to develop something based off of who I am.”
Sous Chef Danielle Harris, 26, will assist the lineup of chefs. She grew up watching Emeril Lagasse and started cooking when she was 11. Her first restaurant job was in high school washing dishes part time, and she attended college for fashion design before leaving to pursue a culinary career.
“Now moreso than ever, I’m really inspired by global flavors with an American-style approach,” says Harris. “I’ve been kind of piecing together all these experiences I've had in my life over the years.”
One of the youngest chefs to cook at the Beard House is Sous Chef N’seya Gill, 19, a hospitality management freshman from Virginia State University who works specifically with Lorestil.
“It makes me feel like I’m getting ahead and getting my foot in the door,” explains Gill, a Caroline County native who has been working with The Underground Kitchen since November. The company began a partnership with VSU’s hospitality and culinary program, spearheaded by Dr. Marcus Comer and Dr. Berkita Bradford, five years ago.
“I’m accomplishing things people my age have never experienced," she says.
Beard House members will be able to watch a live stream from the kitchen during the dinner. The dinner will feature almost all Virginia wines, including selections from Early Mountain Vineyards, Pippin Hill Farms & Winery, King Family Vineyards, Paradise Springs Winery, and White Plains Farm. Keany Produce and Homer Laughlin China Company are sponsors.
Sparks says the dinner at the Beard House is simply the beginning for The Underground Kitchen. "We are really digging into the roots and the true understanding of food," he says. "People always go to look for a new experience and rarely find it; this is one."
Next month The Underground Kitchen will launch “The New Americana,” a dinner tour inspired by the Netflix show “Chef’s Table,” with the debut meal in Charlottesville on July 13 and a stop in Richmond July 27.
