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| Co-Chair Nancy Gopez, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank Jan Pruitt, Co-Chair Kristi Bare |
by Alison Weinstein
Have you ever had a moment when you are out and about in Dallas where you look around and say to yourself, “I love living here!?” HARVEST, a culinary and cocktail tasting benefitting the North Texas Food Bank was just such a moment for me.
What better way to celebrate the philanthropic spirit of our great city then with a good-looking crowd of 500, the backdrop of our growing skyline lit up against the night and good eats? Held at The Farmer’s Market on Saturday, September 20, 2014, in the newly renovated and sprawling Shed, HARVEST featured food stations by some of Dallas’s favorite chefs and restaurants — all under the leadership of renowned chef, Sharon Hage.
Chairs Kristi Bare and Nancy Gopez simply nailed a cool, urban vibe with DJ Lucy Wrubel literally centered in a cut out above the dance floor. Seasonal cocktails flowed freely at floating bars brilliantly placed in the center of the nearly 20 food stations. I discovered a new Dallas favorite with every lap and grabbing generous bites from greats like Hibiscus, CBD Provisions, Place at Perry's and Pakpao - was exhilarating.
For my husband and I who circled the perimeter of the Shed many times, it became a sport, if not a competition to find our favorites! Topping our list: Bolsa’s rabbit & waffles (rabbit confit and candied carrots with a parsnip mousse), Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck’s spicy big eye tuna in sesame miso cones AND (can’t forget dessert!), Haute Sweet Patisserie’s (gluten free) popcorn pot de creme. Divine.
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| Top: Jim and DeeDee Lee, Lawrence and Katy Bock, Honorary Co-Chairs Katherine and Eric Reeves Bottom: Crowd shot of the scene |
In addition to Kristi and Nancy, Jan Pruitt, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank, also lauded Honorary Chairs Janet and Phil Cobb, Ruthie and Jay Pack and Katherine and Eric Reeves for their vision, “This team set the bar extremely high for future events and we are so grateful for their support and devotion to closing the hunger gap in North Texas." The evening, presented by VHA, inc., was also an opportunity to honor champions of the NTFB with "Golden Fork" Awards - an annual award that honors five local philanthropists who have made a significant impact in the pursuit of a hunger-free community. This year's honorees included: Robert Miller, The Dallas Morning News - Hunger Ambassador of the Year, Texas Second Chance - Volunteer of the Year, Christian Community Action, Lewisville - Agency of the Year, Walmart - Corporation of the Year, Janet & Phil Cobb - Lifetime Achievement Award, Ruthie & Jay Pack - Lifetime Achievement Award Award.
“The concept of HARVEST was exciting from the very beginning,” said Jan Pruitt. “We knew that we wanted to utilize a space in the Dallas Farmers Market, our new home. We were sure that this setting would be conducive to great food from local chefs in a fun, casual atmosphere.” Kudos to you for far exceeding your goals on all counts!
About Alison Weinstein A freelance writer and TV news producer, Weinstein started her career with Condé Nast Publications and ultimately followed her passion to television news at MSNBC in New York. Now in Dallas for over ten years, Alison has worked with NBC Network’s Southwest Bureau and other major network news divisions as a field producer. Making a difference in the community is also a terrific passion and Alison is honored to serve in leadership roles for Heroes for Children and The Dallas Holocaust Museum. Alison loves spending quality time with her husband, Michael and their two children, Carter & Ashley.
