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Hurricane Irma wreaked a lot of havoc for restaurateurs, but there were touching moments of compassion on display, with some small business owners offering free meals to first responders or to the community at large.
Kristina San Filippo of Purple Spoon Culinary was one such chef who led by example. The Culinary Institute of America alum opened her studio for a gathering where people were just asked to contribute what they could in exchange for the menu she prepared (her calling card is farm-to-table cuisine—she even hosts a local produce market every Wednesday in her Bonita Springs space in addition to selling prepared foods daily and hosting special events and dinners at night).
Her first post-Irma meal was such a success that she decided to throw another—and then to continue them as a regular feature on Purple Spoon’s calendar.
“Our last community dinner was a wonderful turnout, with such an amazingly jovial energy to the event. I was thrilled to see a large percentage of our customers be new faces, people who would not sign up for a scheduled dinner or cooking class but who were enticed by the more casual atmosphere of our open-house-style dinner,” she says of the night, which also included visits from her Bonita neighbors, Tipsy Cow Ice Cream and Grumpy Goat Coffee, for well-deserved treats. “I love that we are bringing new people together to share their own stories with other people of the community and to enjoy some good food and wine.”
To catch the next scheduled event, visit Purple Spoon’s calendar.
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