To help rebuild the lives of those impacted by the tornadoes that ravaged western Kentucky on December 10 and 11, chef and restaurateur David Burke will orchestrate simultaneous Kentucky-themed dinners benefitting the Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund on Thursday, January 13, 2022. The events will take place at nine of his restaurants in New Jersey, New York, and North Carolina.
"Taking care of people during a crisis is what we do in the hospitality industry; it's the right thing to do. My organization did it in New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy and during the pandemic. Now we're embracing the people of Kentucky, where our Bluegrass F1 Wagyu beef partners are located. They've got family members who have been severely affected by the tornados; it's our honor, duty, and pleasure to do what we can to help," said Burke in a statement.
The three-course $150 per person meal will showcase Kentucky's most famous export—bourbon—courtesy of Woodford Reserve Distillery, and the state's newest Wagyu beef. Exclusive to Burke, the small batch-raised Kentucky grasses-and-grains-fed full-blooded Wagyu and Black Angus hybrid meat will make its official national debut at the events.
The beef and bourbon dinners are the first multi-location, single beneficiary charitable initiative in Burke's long history of assisting important life-enhancing causes like the Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund, which was established by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to aid tornado victims.
The dinners will commence with a Woodford Reserve bourbon-based cocktail reception followed by a seated dinner of Burke's signature lobster dumplings and clothesline maple pepper bacon, dry-aged Bluegrass F1 Wagyu steak, and chocolate bourbon bread pudding. A wine pairing will include Burke's new Red Horse label.
Tickets will be available through the participating David Burke restaurants' websites. One third of each ticket sale will be donated to the fund, the goal being to raise more than $30,000.
Related: Retailer Q&A: Supporting Local Charities; Hy-Vee Mobilizes Disaster Recovery Fleet to Aid Tornado Victims.