As Detroit’s burgeoning fine dining scene continues to grow, so does the responsibility the city’s chefs feel towards their community. Which is why Detroit Food Academy, an organization working to bring a culinary arts education to young Detroiters, partnered with area executive chefs Anthony Lombardo (SheWolf Pastifico and Bar) and Mike Conrad (Leña) on March 5 to create a dinner with a purpose.
The five-course prix fixe meal, which took place at Leña, offered a chance for the two culinary teams to blend more than just their flavors — it was an opportunity to share their passion for inspiring the next generation of Detroit chefs.
“This is a way for us to give back to the community at large, and if there’s anything we can do to help the city succeed and go further, it’s through mentoring the youth,” Conrad says.
For Conrad, getting into the food industry felt natural. His father, JR Conrad, has owned Jake’s Pub & Grill, a sports bar in his hometown of Rochester, New York since Mike was a child. But for kids who don’t have this early exposure to food service, becoming a chef may feel out of reach. DFA is working hard to change that, and this collaboration dinner is another step towards fulfilling their mission.
Founded by Noam Kimelman and Jen Rusciano in 2011, DFA is working to make cooking more accessible to Detroit-area students. Kiki Louya, executive director of DFA, and former chef-owner of Folk, believes in the significance of bringing the kitchen to the kids.
“We have what’s called a kitchen in a box, so we can bring all the cooking equipment we need, and cook on a countertop,” Louya says. “We try to create the experience for the youth no matter where they are.”
Through the Afterschool Leadership Program, students ages 12 to 24 can begin the culinary learning process at one of 13 different program sites partnered with the DFA, which include several high schools and nonprofit centers in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park (virtual classes are also available). Here, students learn the basics of cooking, including instruction on knife skills, where their food comes from, and how to prepare ingredients from their local grocery store.
It’s vital for the students to feel comfortable around all kinds of food, which is why DFA invited several of their Advanced Afterschool Leadership Program students to attend the dinner.
“I think it’s really important for the youth to have exposure to different cuisines, and to not feel intimidated by multi-course menus like this,” Louya says. “We want them to feel as though the dining scene here is theirs to enjoy too, so we invited them here to experience it alongside us.”
For some of the students in attendance, this was their first experience dining in a high-end restaurant, and there couldn’t have been a better opportunity to taste the rich blend of flavors both Leña and SheWolf have to offer.
Standouts from the menu included txistorra and piparra, a one-bite sausage and pepper skewer utilizing two traditional Basque Country staples. The third course, gnocchetti sard, is a hardy semolina pasta, accented with smoked sausage meatballs and a generous ladle of ragu atop this classic Sardinian dish. The meat course consisted of lamb shoulder braised for 24 hours paired with a savory celery root puree and roasted jus. A decadent chocolate creme caramel and amaretti cookie dessert prepared by Leña’s James Beard-honored pastry chef, Lena Sareini, rounded out the meal on a sweet note.
While the meal may have ended, the partnership between DFA and these restaurants hasn’t. Lombardo is a board member and Conrad is starting a mentorship program in the coming months where DFA students will be assigned to a station partner, and learn how to work during busy services in Leña’s open kitchen.
The DFA also offers career placement opportunities through their workforce development program Small Batch Detroit, where they partner with local restaurants like Baobab Fare, Selden Standard, SheWolf, Coriander, The Kitchen by Cooking with Que, and Folk to find jobs for students ready to take the next step in their culinary journey.
But whether or not the students choose to pursue a culinary career, they will learn valuable life skills like teamwork, personality responsibility, and hard work. There’s no one more familiar with these traits than Dan Campbell, who attended the dinner with his wife Holly. And as Conrad recalls, just like all good coaches, Dan knew exactly what to say to the staff after their big performance: “Working in a restaurant is a team sport, just like football.”
For future events and to learn more, visit detroitfoodacademy.org.
For more Metro Detroit food news, visit hourdetroit.com.
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