Chicago’s very own Chef Cedric Harden of River Roast and Chef Darnell Reed of Luella’s Southern Kitchen are participating in the James Beard Foundation’s winter Taste America culinary series. Taste America, presented by Capital One, brings chefs and diners back together again to safely celebrate local independent restaurants and build support for industry recovery. Each event ticket includes a multi-course meal curated by Chefs Cedric and Darnell plus beverage pairings that reflects their signature styles and highlights the uniqueness of their restaurants and the Chicago community. Our local menu includes the following: 

CHOICE OF WELCOME BEVERAGE 

Old Fashioned > Rabbit Hole Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon with Demerara Syrup and Orange Bitters (created by River Roast) 

or 

White Claw® Hard Seltzer (Black Cherry or Mango) 

BREAD COURSE 

Cornbread, Buttermilk Biscuit, and Seeded Muffuletta Bread with Pimento Cheese and Kerrygold Butter 

APPETIZER 

King Crab–Pork Belly Gumbo 

ALTERNATIVE APPETIZER 

Gumbo z’Herbes with Vegan Dirty Rice 

ENTRÉE 

Crispy Pork Shank with Lentils, Corn, Torn Bread, and Apple Cider Nage 

ALTERNATE ENTRÉE 

Delicata Squash with Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Wild Rice, and Pumpkin Seeds 

DESSERT 

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Crispy Carrots, and Cinnamon Caramel 

Tickets can be purchased for $300 per pair at jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica, single tickets are not available. Taste America supports local chefs and restaurants directly while also driving philanthropic support towards industry-wide relief. In order to support their businesses, 65% of all tickets sold will go directly to the restaurant teams creating the meal, with 35% of proceeds supporting the Foundation’s national programming, including the Open for Good campaign.