Top Chefs Mentor Youth With Faces Students

Farm-to-Table Dinner Raised Funds for Youth With Faces Programs

Chefs from some of Dallas’ most popular restaurants mentored Youth With Faces Culinary Arts students at Field & Vine on May 6. The farm-to-table dinner raised more than $50,000 to benefit Youth With Faces programs that serve young men and women in the Dallas County Juvenile Justice Department.

The event took place on the lawn of the historic Turner House in Oak Cliff where 150 guests enjoyed perfect spring weather and the music of guitarist Miguel Antonio. Mature oak trees shaded the beautifully designed tables set for the family-style meal featuring local farm-to-table ingredients. Leslie Baker, director of marketing at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery, served as event chair. Matt Balke, executive chef at Bolsa, served as lead chef for the event that included courses prepared by:

Matt Balke, executive chef at Bolsa and lead chef for the Field & Vine event
Graham Dodds, culinary director, The Statler
Sharon Hage, restaurant consultant and chef
Jeff Harris, chef, Headington Restaurants/Commissary
Nathan Tate, executive chef, Boulevardier & Rapscallion

Ten Youth With Faces students helped prepare the meal and serve guests. The multi-course meal included appetizers such as lamb meatballs, smoked duck and pork collar ham by Nathan Tate. Matt Balke and Jeff Harris led a group of kids in preparation of baby kale salad and smoked pork jowl starters. Graham Dodd taught the youth how to prepare a pot roast on mashed parsnips. Sharon Hage worked with another group to create a cucumber salad, spiced tomatoes and Texas shell peas. Guests also enjoyed Emporium Pies’ Lord of the Pies deep dish apple pie and Blue Steel blueberry pie.

“Ten of our students will go home with experience cooking with some Dallas’ best chefs,” said Chris Quadri, CEO of Youth With Faces. “This is incredible opportunity for anyone who wants a great job in the culinary industry, but it’s a lot more than that for our kids. Opportunities like this help them see their futures can be different than their pasts and that they have what it takes to make the most of a second chance.”

Youth With Faces provides life-changing programs to more than 200 youth in Dallas County each year, including culinary arts, horticulture therapy, dog training and work readiness. These programs help prevent youth from returning to the juvenile or adult criminal justice systems, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

The 2018 Field & Vine sponsors included Platinum Sponsor – The Hoglund Foundation; Cocktail Hour Sponsor – Amy Warren; Supporting Sponsors – Leslie Baker, Greyhound, Cathy Hoover, Mac Adam Wealth Advisors, McKool Smith, Patti Moore with Ebby Halliday, Open-Rebees and Vin and Caren Prothro Foundation. In-kind sponsors included 44 Farms, Guitarist Miguel Antonio, Bolsa, Boulevardier/Rapscallion, Emporium Pies, Commissary, Frugé Seafood Company, Sharon Hage, Hardie’s Fresh Foods, Elizabeth Lavin, Mulcahy Farms, Posh Couture Rentals, Rain Fresh, Seersucker Gin, Small Brewpub, Southern Glaser’s, Spinner Printing and The Statler.