BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — It was the night of June 3. The Knicks were tipping off.
While much of the city had its eyes on Game 1, guests gathered at F&F turned their attention to a different challenge facing New York: summer hunger.
Food Bank For New York City’s latest Eat For Good dinner raised more than 45,000 meals for New York City kids facing summer hunger — brought together by four celebrated chefs, a room full of committed New Yorkers, and the kind of Brooklyn night that reminds you why this city is worth fighting for.
Culinary legends Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, known as The Franks, were joined by acclaimed chefs Dan Richer and Jamie Bissonnette. Elderflower and passionfruit cocktails courtesy of Tito’s Handmade Vodka greeted guests at the door. Grilled octopus skewers circulated and didn’t last long.
President and CEO Leslie Gordon thanked guests for showing up and led the room in a chant of “Go New York, Go New York, Go!” before turning to the reason everyone had gathered.
“Summer can be one of the most difficult times of year for families experiencing food insecurity,” Gordon said. “While much of the city is watching the Knicks tonight, we’re especially grateful that you’re here with us.”
The school year quietly feeds kids through breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and routines families count on every day. Then June comes. For too many New York City kids, summer isn’t a break. It’s a gap.
The guests in that room were there to help fill it.
Then the chefs delivered. Richer’s wild boar and mozzarella pizza from Razza disappeared from tables almost as fast as it arrived. Bissonnette’s Korean short ribs sparked conversation — and an unlikely discovery: sesame leaves and pizza, an unexpectedly perfect pairing that spread table to table.
Castronovo and Falcinelli moved through the room sharing stories and laughter all night, the kind of hosts who make everyone feel like a regular. The evening closed with a rich espresso-soaked tiramisu.
This is what a summer night is supposed to feel like — good food, good company, a table worth gathering around. The guests who filled F&F that evening got exactly that. And because they showed up, so will kids across the five boroughs.
Longtime Eat For Good supporter Sima Littman summed up the sentiment simply: “Every dinner is my new favorite.” A guest of Nationwide agreed: “I love the opportunity to try new foods, have new experiences, and give back while doing it.”
The Knicks won that night. So did New York.
A special thank you to leading sponsors MetLife and Nationwide, and official flight partner United Airlines — whose support helped make the evening, and a summer without childhood hunger, possible.
