Humble Table: A Night In Italy
Undoubtedly social media is a key part of our culture. It was only a few days ago when social media junkies experienced one of the most painful outages in history when Facebook and Instagram were down for over 14 hours. Did you panic? I immediately thought my account was hacked and incessantly tried to change my password. When I say incessant, I mean I tried for HOURS and to no avail failed miserably.
If you’re like me, you struggle not to check your phone first thing in the morning. Granted, my eyes are barely open, but I still want to see what I “missed” while I was sleeping. Admittedly, it’s a terrible habit and one I am trying to break. With Apple’s Weekly Screen Time Report, I‘m more mindful of how much time I am spending on my phone. As it becomes harder to escape the internet, it becomes increasingly important to create and foster positive, meaningful connections with people.
Enter the Humble Table founded by Lesley Lammers.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Humble Table is a new pop-up dinner series in Nashville that cultivates a sense of community by bringing together a Nashville chef and artist in a private residence for an evening of food, fellowship and live musical entertainment. Whether you are new to the Nashville area or a native like me, Humble Table is a great way to meet like-minded individuals who you may not have otherwise crossed paths.
I was fortunate enough to meet Lesley and attend the March installment of this pop-up which featured Joey Molteni, executive chef at Hathorne ( last seen here) and Josh Benus of Glass Dove. Aptly named “ A Night In Italy,” the evening began with wine, charcuterie and a pasta making class lead by Chef Joey Molteni.
As we put the finishing touches on the pasta, guests made their way to the communal dinner table for our first course, Panzanella. Needless to say, I worked up quite the appetite rolling out the pasta dough. This was the first time I’ve experienced Panzanella without tomatoes and I was pleasantly surprised. The flavors were mild but delicious.
Before I could finish my last bite, bowls of Lamb Ragout were coming out to the table. I was lucky to snap a quick photo before it was devoured. Guests really did work for their dinner as the pasta that we created during class was used in this delicious creation. Chef Joey Molteni created a Lamb Ragout with lamb sourced from Porter Road Butcher and it was to die for. Typically, I try to exhibit self-restraint when it comes to dishes that are shared among many, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to go back for a second helping. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one. Humble Table guests were raving about this dish for the remainder of the evening.
As we concluded our Italian feast and slipped slightly into a food coma, guests were offered coffee and homemade biscotti. Given my early morning ahead, I had to pass on the coffee but no biscotti were left behind.
While guests were caffeinating, Josh Benus took over and captivated guests with some of Glass Dove’s newest musical musings.
An evening in Italy would not be completed without Limoncello! Guests raised their glasses toasting the culinary and musical talent, our host and each other. My evening spent at the Humble Table reminded me why I love Nashville so much. There’s nothing I enjoy more than meeting new people who have similar interests and gaining exposure to the abundant talent that resides in Music City. Time is a precious commodity. It’s imperative that we pull ourselves away from our phone, get outside of our comfort zone and explore this amazing city live in.
If you are interested in attending the next Humble Table, information can be found below or you can follow them here for all the upcoming details.
Date: Monday, April 22, 2019 ( Earth Day!)
Event Details: This installment of Humble Table will focus on sustainability as it will feature a cooking demonstration and dinner by chef Laura Rodriguez of Creme, who specializes in organic, local, farm-to-table dinners. Keeping with the theme of the evening, two local farmers will be sharing their sustainable farming practices. Guests will also enjoy musical entertainment by Katie Boeck.
Location: TBD ( shared with guests once tickets are purchased)
Until Next Time!