Ben Bostdorf creates The Chef’s Table
WHO
Ben Bostdorf
WHAT
While polishing off “the most amazing bowl of gazpacho” at Veggie Planet in Harvard Square, Bostdorf was hit with a revelation – many people, financially strapped, would never have the chance to experience this dish or other culinary luxuries. Overcome by the realization, Bostdorf, a Marblehead-based writer, decided to create something positive: The Chef’s Table, a program that grants disadvantaged families with gift cards to various high-end restaurants along the North Shore. With the help of North Shore Community Action Programs (NSCAP), Bostdorf plans to send one family every month out for a fine-dining experience, starting in September.
Q. You work, first and foremost, as a writer. Why the interest in food?
A. My mom was a food critic for the Portland Press Herald in the ’80s and my dad was the executive chef at The Sonesta hotel, so I’ve been around food my entire life. I remember my father giving leftovers in the alley behind The Sonesta. Homeless people would congregate outside the back [of the hotel] and at the end of the evening, he’d give them any food that was left over. I was brought up in that environment of being socially conscious.
Q. How did your idea for The Chef’s Table come to fruition after your meal at Veggie Planet?
A. I left feeling depressed, I got back to Marblehead feeling disenchanted with the politics. I started thinking, there may not be enough [opportunities] for everyone, but that doesn’t mean individuals can’t have extraordinary experiences. I got in touch with NSCAP, which is a state agency that serves one thousand different families in the North Shore, and they thought it was a great concept. It exploded; the response I got was just amazing.
Q. Why do you think it’s important for families to experience fine dining?
A. Exposure is everything. I remember being exposed to [fine dining] as a kid and how much it changed my perception of life. It creates the feeling that life is a positive thing. This is something outside of necessity – it’s an experience that kids can see as a positive thing. This is an experience for families to have meals and memories they [otherwise] wouldn’t be able to.
Q. Do you have a business mantra?
A. The way I initially got the idea [for The Chef’s Table] was from a quote from James Beard: “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” There’s no reason why there can’t be experiences that are wonderful for the individual.
Q. If you could choose one meal to share with these families, what would it be and why?
A. My dad’s clam chowder. It’s the most amazing culinary experience. He won an award in Maine for the best clam chowder; he won’t tell anyone the recipe to this day.
Q. What’s next?
A. We’re starting the program in September, the first family is
going to The Adriatic in Salem. Right now we’re in the North Shore, but we want to get into Boston to expand. We’re confident this is going to be great, and you know, the sky’s the
limit.
Jessica Teich
Interview has been edited and condensed. Jessica Teich can be reached at jessica.teich@
globe.com
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