For just a few years in a row within the time earlier than COVID, Nashville was an annual cease on the Crimson Beans Highway Present, a touring pop-up restaurant collection from New Orleanian chef/photographer/author/raconteur Pableaux Johnson, and it was at all times one in every of my favourite meals of the yr. I first met Johnson at a Southern Foodways Alliance occasion greater than a decade in the past, however the first time I spent a very long time with him was when he known as me out of the blue to ask if he may use my kitchen to cook dinner up an enormous pot of purple beans and rice. He had been making Monday evening purple beans for pals for a very long time, at all times inviting a different group of attendees and stirring the dialog pot with nice foods and drinks to see what kind of expertise emerged.
My girlfriend didn’t know who Pableaux was, so you may think about she was understandably perplexed as to why I used to be keen to show over our kitchen to an entire stranger (to her). However the deal was, we offered the cooktop and plates, Pableaux would deal with the remainder. We each obtained to ask pals who didn’t know one another till the visitor listing exceeded our desk measurement.
I met people who evening who’re nonetheless shut pals, and so they met new folks as nicely. We sampled Roy Milner’s saison beer that night, lengthy earlier than he grew to become the founding father of Blackberry Farm Brewery. I acknowledged one in every of Pableaux’s different invitees that evening as a result of she had as soon as dropped off a catering meal at our home from simply across the nook at Tayst, the place she was working as a server. I had no concept on the time that Molly Martin was such a proficient chef and musician who would go on to stage within the kitchen on the internationally famend restaurant Ottolenghi in London.Â
These are the sorts of connections that happen at a Crimson Beans Highway Present, and now that Pableaux has opened the occasion to the general public, you can also meet outstanding new pals over the course of a three-course social gathering.
He’ll be bringing the carbs to Biscuit Love Brunch in Hillsboro Village at 2001 Belcourt Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 11, for a convivial meal of a easy starter, purple beans and skillet cornbread plus one thing candy. Meat and vegetarian preferences can be accommodated, and you recognize that if Pableaux is sharing the kitchen with Karl and Sarah Worley, the meals and the vibe can be implausible. Tickets for the occasion are solely $50, and the enjoyable kicks off with mingling at 6:30 p.m. and sitdown time at 7. (You don’t need to miss the mingling; that’s just about the most effective half!)Â
Reserve your seats and share your meals choice at the official RBRS web site, and make certain introduce your self to me in case you examine this right here and determined to attend. I can by no means have too many cool new pals!
Replace: I wrote this put up previous to the horrible occasions in New Orleans on New Yr’s Day. In gentle of the tragedy, I really feel now, greater than ever, we may all stand to offer and obtain a little bit Massive Simple love, so I hope you will nonetheless take into account attending.
