Community Corner

Community Plates Celebrates Rescue of Tons of Food

Several Fairfield restaurants participated in this fundraiser for food rescue in Fairfield County.

Community Plates "Food for All 2013" fundraiser Tuesday night was an exercise in contrasts.

While on the outside, The Loading Dock event venue on Fairfield Ave. and nearby buildings are reminiscent of Stamford's history as a manufacturing center, nearby, the gleaming steel and glass of downtown's officer towers seem a world away.

And though Fairfield County's thriving restaurants serve up everything from ethnic food to farm-to-table meals, and American fare alike, persistent hunger and food insecurity exist in their shadow.

Community Plates' co-founder Kevin Mullins found it difficult to reconcile the amount of food wasted with the existence of food pantries and soup kitchens struggling to feed the hungry.

Community Plates' goal is to keep surplus food from the trash can, dumpsters and landfills and divert it to where it can make a difference in shelters, soup kitchens, food banks and food pantries. 

Using training and its new "Go Rescue" mobile app, Community Plates connects volunteer food "runners" who move otherwise wasted food from restaurants, grocers, caterers, farms, hospitals and cafeterias and deliver it straight to receiving agencies. 

Using the mobile app, a volunteer is able to sign up for a food run when, perhaps they have a spare half hour and are already in their car.

Not long ago, Laurie Jones of Norwalk joined the growing ranks of Community Plates volunteer food runners.

"I got sucked in because I was enamored by the idea," Jones said. "It is the best volunteer experience I've had. It's simple, quick and reliable every time. Food that gets saved today, gets eaten today." 

The fundraiser featured restaurants from throughout Fairfield County, all busy offering up samples throughout the night.

The table featuring food from The Spread, a restaurant on North Main Street in SoNo, was a popular stop.  The Spread's executive chef Carlos Baez worked alongside Andrey Cortez and Chris Hickey, two of the restaurant's four owners. The threesome offered up samples of "eclectic comfort food." 

"Tonight we brought lamb tartare with a little olive oil, garlic, shallots and preserved meyer lemon," said Cortez.

Representing Baro in Fairfield, Christopher Rosario, Richard Reyes and Morgan Vondle kept busy. Baro features a Latin and contemporary menu with a small plates concept.

Executive chef Forrest Pasternack sampled food from Bailey's Backyard Restaurant in Ridgefield, which he described as an American farm-to-table restaurant.

"We source from local farms. Our tomatoes are from Connecticut. Goat cheese from Westfield Farm in Hubardston, MA. And we do all of our own pickling," said Pasternack.

From Bar Sugo on Wall St. in Norwalk, owner Pasquale Pascarella, manager Megan D'Amico and graphic artist Rob Forti sampled authentic Italian cuisine.

Community Plates is always looking for donors and volunteers. More information is available on their website.


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