Chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of JVR Hospitality Group (operators of Dandan, EsterEv and Fool’s Errand) have announced a goal of raising $35K for the Kennedy’s Disease Association in 2022.
To do so, they have rounded up five notable chefs from around the country to appear as guests in a five-part 2022 Dim Sum + Give Some dinner series.
The event series will kick off on Sunday, March 6 with a seven-course family style dim sum menu created alongside James Beard Award-Winning chef Zach Engel of Galit. The menu will feature dishes inspired by the Chinese American menu at Dandan, along with Middle Eastern inflection from Engel’s beloved Chicago eatery.
What is Dim Sum + Give Sum?
Dim Sum + Give Sum was birthed in 2017 following the news that Jacobs of DVR Hospitality Group was diagnosed with Kennedy's Disease, a rare, currently incurable and non-treatable, genetic neuromuscular disease that – over time – severely impact patients' mobility and their ability to speak.
Rather than giving in to the despondency that often accompanies news of a terminal illness, Jacobs used it as an opportunity to bring awareness to the cause [Listen to Chef Jacobs talk about his experience on FoodCrush].
His efforts began with the first annual Dim Sum + Give Some, a dine-around event hosted with the support of Jennifer Bartolotta and countless area chefs. The inaugural event raised $25,000 for the Kennedy's Disease Association. Additional events, both in Milwaukee and beyond, have assisted in creating awareness and raising over $85K in funds for research related to the disease.
Upcoming dinner series events
Following the dinner with Chef Zach Engel, Dandan will host four additional dinners with equally compelling chefs from across the U.S. Dinners will include:
May 22: Tory Miller of L’Etoile and Graze in Madison, Wisconsin
June 5: Mason Hereford of Turkey & the Wolf in New Orleans, Louisiana
August 28: Jorge Guzman of Petite León in Minneapolis, Minnesota
October 16: Ryan Pfeiffer of Big Kids and Kid's Table in Chicago, Illinois
Get tickets
Tickets for the seven course dim sum dinner with Chef Engel on March 6 are $75 per person and can be purchased online. All proceeds from the event benefit the Kennedy’s Disease Association.
Guests who cannot attend, but who wish to support the cause can donate directly to the Kennedy’s Disease Association online.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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