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Pilot Light's August 26 Fundraiser at Honey Butter Fried Chicken is Fire

  • Writer: Bob Benenson
    Bob Benenson
  • Jul 22
  • 2 min read

Longtime Chef Supporters are Cooking for Leading Food Education Non-Profit


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Here's a tasty food non-profit fundraiser you don't want to miss: Pilot Light, one of the nation's leading food education non-profits, is presenting a "Wine. Chicken. Charity." event on the evening of Tuesday, August 26 at the hugely popular Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. Details are below.


I have been fortunate to engage with Pilot Light for more than a decade, since my early days as a full-time advocate for a better food system. I have long believed that we will best reach that goal by instilling Good Food values in our youngest eaters, and Pilot Light has blazed new trails in that area.


Started by award-winning Chicago chefs Jason Hammel, Paul Kahan and Matthias Merges, the program has blossomed over the past decade-plus under the leadership of Executive Director Alexandra (Alex) DeSorbo-Quinn. Based in Chicago, Pilot Light works with school systems across the nation to integrate topical learnings about food into their overall curriculums and provides guidance to many others through its Food Education Standards.


In fact, Pilot Light has just released an update to its Food Education Standards, and Local Food Forum will share an article about that later this week.


If that's not enough to light up your interest in their August 26 event, check out this chef lineup:


Featuring Chefs: Christine Cikowski, Josh Kulp, and Cam Waron (Honey Butter Fried Chicken) | Ernesto Rodriguez Carreño (El Molcajete Sauces) | Rodolfo Cuadros (Bloom Plant Based Kitchen, Amaru) | Dominique Leach (Lexington Betty Smokehouse) | Rishi Manoj Kumar (MIRRA)


With Appearances By: Pilot Light’s Founding Chefs: Jason Hammel (Lula Cafe) | Paul Kahan (One Off Hospitality) | Matthias Merges (Folkart Hospitality)


Wash that great food down with wine, and a good time is guaranteed.


Click the button below to get your tickets.


Photo by Bob Benenson
Photo by Bob Benenson

I also need to salute the event's hosts, Chef Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp. I met them while attending a food panel at University of Chicago in the early, early days of my second career. They had previous successes with their Sunday Dinner Club pop-up events and their Sunday Dinner Burger stand at Chicago's Green City Market.


The photo above, taken in September 2013, is of Josh and Christine just before the restaurant (at Elston Ave. and Roscoe St.) opened to a line down the block. Their popularity has never waned among diners, most of whom follow the prescription to put the honey butter on the chicken. Their dedication to sustainably produced ingredients and worker-friendly practices is also a draw for local food lovers.


Congratulations, chefs, and I'm already looking forward to the August 26 event.



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