Heather and D’Andre, along with volunteers from Evanston Community Fridges, stock the refrigerator and pantry outside the Soul & Smoke location at 1601 Payne St., Evanston year-round. The need increases during the winter and the holidays, and to address demand this year, they asked Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe & co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook to help organize additional contributions to the pantry.
Through dedicated outreach efforts, a group of chefs, many of whom are consistent participants in Chicago Chefs Cook events, have stepped up and joined together again to help stock the fridge. This will provide additional free meals to fill the fridge for anyone in need. The special chef contributions will be offered throughout the holiday season.
Community members that would like to help can also add items to the fridge, pantry, or freezer year-round, or can donate funds to Soul & Smoke’s community fridges program or by adding a community meal to a restaurant order.
Chefs participating by preparing meals include:
- Heather Bublick and D’Andre Carter, Soul & Smoke
- Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris, Prairie Grass Cafe
- Tigist Reda, Demera Ethiopian Restaurant
- Arshiya Farheen, Verzênay Chicago
- Mary Aregoni, Saigon Sisters
- Devon Quinn and Jodi Fyfe, eden, The Paramount Group
- Sandra Holl, Floriole
- Sam Rattanopas and Mina Sudsaard, Nakorn Kitchen
- Darnell Reed, Luella’s Southern Kitchen
- Beverly Kim Clark and Johnny Clark, Parachute and Anelya Restaurant
- Alex DeSalvo, DeSalvo’s Pizza
- Debbie Gold, Le Tour