Charitable News

30 Dallas chefs put themselves up for auction in heroic fundraiser

Get 30 minutes with David Uygur, chef at Lucia and Maicellaio.

Photo by Hoyoung Lee

A slew of Dallas chefs have joined a national campaign that aims to raise awareness and funds for the immigrant workforce of the food industry in cities across America.

Called #AskChefsAnything, it's an auction in which the prize is a 30-minute one-on-one conversation Zoom call with your favorite local food personality.

The Dallas auction page is live for viewing now. Bidding starts at $100, then increases in $20 increments.

Bidding begins at 10 am on Monday, June 22 and ends at 8 pm on Thursday, June 25.

When the auction closes, each winner receives an email from the organizers to coordinate a Zoom call with the chef or tastemaker they won.

The idea for #AskChefsAnything came from two New York food industry veterans, Gaeleen Quinn and Anna Polonsky, who wanted to help the community they felt was most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis within the restaurant world: immigrant workers.

Many immigrant workers are not included in federal relief packages and cannot claim unemployment benefits. Some can't find other jobs because their visas depend on a single employer. They cannot travel to their countries because borders might be closed or they may not be able to return if they had to leave.

The goal is to support 250 families per city connected to community centers in each city.

In Dallas, the charity partner is Harvest Project Food Rescue.

Harvest Project began in the summer of 2014 as a community project focused on assisting underserved communities in Dallas County. The organization’s focus remains committed to providing fresh produce to families in need. In five years, Harvest Project Food Rescue has redistributed more than 5 million pounds of produce and has fed more than 45,000 families in the Dallas area.

Participating chefs include:

Matt Balke, Peter David Barlow, Junior Borges, Keith Cedotal, Katherine Clapner, Bruno Davaillon, Tiffany Derry, Graham Dodds, Michael Ehlert, Dean Fearing, Omar Flores, Monica Greene, Jerelle Guy, Justin Holt, Peja Krstic, Matt McCallister, Misti Norris, Nikky Phinyawatana, AQ Pittman, Kent Rathbun, Teiichi Sakurai, Abraham Salum, Ricchi Sanchez, Donny Sirisavath, Stephan Pyles, David Uygur, and Tre Wilcox.

There are also four media participants you can bid on as well: Eve Hill-Angus, Leslie Brenner, Michaelene Busico, and Jim Schutze.

charity chefs

Sweet spot

Artisanal Venezuelan bakery with French flair rises in north Dallas

Courtesy photo

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A new bakery with Latin roots and European elan has debuted in north Dallas: Called Pan Pa’ Vos, it is a Venezuelan bakery at 3855 Frankford Rd., near the border with Carrollton.

Pan Pa’ Vos (which means “bread for you” in Spanish), features a unique balance of cozy neighborhood bakery and sophisticated French boulangerie.

The shop is from Jaiver Díaz, who first opened the bakery under the same name in 2017, in his hometown of Cabimas, Venezuela. Díaz later sold his shop and moved to Dallas in search of better opportunities. He continued to bake at home in Dallas and sold to neighbors and fellow Venezuelans who knew his brand from back home.

During his delivery rounds, he kept seeing this vacant space on Frankford Road, formerly home to a dry-cleaners, so he decided to open the shop to cater to the growing demand that his home bakery business was no longer able to keep up with.

Pan Pa’ Vos offers a “flour to final product,” which he says are 100 percent artisanal, additive- and preservative-free, never-frozen baked goods.

“This sets us apart,” Díaz says.

The vast menu created by Díaz includes beautiful bicolor croissants in assorted flavors including pistachio, chocolate, dulce de leche, Nutella, and strawberries and cream, for $6. They also have savory croissants such as brisket, chicken, egg, turkey, and pulled pork, for $8.

Other French offerings include mille-feuille and palmiers.

True to their Venezuelan roots, they serve cachitos, a crescent-shaped bread roll filled with ham, ham and bacon, or ham and cream cheese, and an assortment of savory empanadas.

Other popular items include New York rolls, cruffins, and doughnuts, ranging from $3 to $5, and cakes by the slice for $5, or 10-inch cakes for $35.

Pan Pa’ Vos also bakes hamburger and hot dog buns, sourdough bread and French bread for pick up.

The bakery's two-story space is designed in earthy colors for a fresh, comfortable feel, with plenty of tables and booths, and a wide window overlooking the kitchen. They offer a full coffee and tea menu to complement their pastry menu.

“Our concept is relaxing, clean and quiet,” Díaz says. “It is all about order and presentation.”

They are open daily from 7 am-9 pm.

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