National dining event comes to Detroit showcasing local, talented chefs

A national dining event from the James Beard Foundation (JBF) is heading to Detroit for the first time. The foundation’s Taste America event brings together and celebrates local, independent restaurants and talented chefs amid an evening of specially curated food and drink.

Chef Omar Anani, owner of Saffron de Twah, a modern halal Moroccan bistro, is teaming up with chef Kiki Louya, executive director of the Detroit Food Academy, for the upcoming event. Both chefs are well-known in the community, Anani for his charitable initiative, Saffron Community Kitchen, and Louya for her work inspiring young Detroiters through culinary arts and food entrepreneurship.

"We are thrilled to host Taste America in Detroit and celebrate the city’s distinct and vibrant local food culture through the work of our phenomenal TasteTwenty chef, Omar Anani from Saffron De Twah,” said Siobhan Flaherty Haber, vice president of events at the James beard foundation, in a news release.

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The dinner, known as the TasteTwenty, takes place Oct. 9 at Saffron de Twah — a past Detroit Free Press Best New Restaurant — at 7636 Gratiot Ave., Detroit.

The one-of-kind, multicourse dinner will have 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. seatings. In addition, there will be wine pairings and cocktails.

Here’s the menu Anani and Louya have curated for the event:

First course Lamb Shishbarak: Palestinian lamb dumplings with garlic yogurt sauce and fresh mint

Second course Raw collard green salad with tonnato, lemon breadcrumbs, and radish

Third course Samak Bi Tahini with Sayadiya: tahini-glazed roasted wild-caught salmon with pomegranate-walnut salsa and fish stock rice pilaf

Dessert Apple cider puff doughnuts with labneh mousse and fennel sugar

Across the 20 U.S. restaurants selected for this year’s event, they share a mission of “Good Food For Good.” At the chef dinners, there are walk-around tastings with the chefs showcasing their culinary creativity and diverse communities.Anani is part of the JBF 2024-25 TasteTwenty class. Those selected for the annual class are considered “ones to watch” and “recognized for exceptional culinary talent and leadership in the industry.”

An award-winning chef, Anani’s accolades include being a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef Great Lakes region for two consecutive years to a win on the Food Network’s “Chopped: All American Showdown."

For his efforts in helping feed metro Detroiters in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anani was named a Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Food Fighter. In 2020, Saffron De Twah landed as the No. 3 Best New Restaurant by the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers.

Louya is the former chef/owner of Corktown’s Folk & the Farmer’s Hand and was a "Top Chef" season 18 contestant. She also was recognized as one of “16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America” by the New York Times. Louya is also a JBF boot camp alum.

Tickets for the Taste America Detroit dinner are $150 per person and are available at jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: National dining event comes to Detroit showcasing local, talented chefs