Covid-19 and Cooking
By Lin Reish, Campaign Intern
Like much of the world, this season has looked different for us here at Calvert Street Group as we learn to navigate a new normal and adjust to life on a smaller scale. For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed all aspects of life-- including work, school, travel, shopping, and even meals.
In May, we had the privilege of taking a step back from the chaos to learn from and cook with Nashville-native and acclaimed chef, Julia Sullivan.
Julia is a 2020 James Beard Award semi-finalist for “Best Chef: Southeast” and is the chef-owner of restaurant Henrietta Red and its sister catering company, The Party Line. Henrietta Red first opened its doors in the Germantown neighborhood in 2017 and has since become a staple of the Nashville food scene. Their menu features a variety of vegetarian-friendly dishes, a full raw bar, and a drink menu that includes craft cocktail Jell-O shots. Henrietta Red was one of Bon Appetit’s America’s 50 Best New Restaurants in 2017 and one of GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America (2018). Chef Julia has also been named one of the Best Young Chefs in America by Robb Report (2018) and one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine (2018).
Although the pandemic has placed in-house service and events on hold, Julia has been hosting live-streaming sessions and hosting cooking classes online—a unique experience that we were honored to be able to take part in.
On May 28th, 26 Calvert Street Group team members joined Julia on Zoom in kitchens across America. From San Diego to Dallas and Nashville to Atlanta, Chef Julia coached us through creating some of Henrietta Red’s famous staple recipes from the comfort of our homes. The Party Line delivered prepared boxes of fresh ingredients to our front doors before we signed onto Zoom and delved into our recipes for the night. Throughout the three-hour class, conversation flowed like wine as Chef Julia coached us through the preparation of fresh field pea hummus, charred corn salad, and homemade pesto gnocchi. We improvised and innovated our way through each recipe, holding our gnocchi up to the webcam for examination and troubleshooting our technique.
During our downtime, we snacked on crudités as we peppered Julia with questions about cooking, her restaurant, and her perspective on the pandemic. Like many restaurants in Nashville, Henrietta Red closed during the COVID-19 pandemic as states and cities around the country introduced lockdown measures and promoted social distancing.
As the hospitality has been severely impacted by the pandemic, Chef Julia and a coalition of other Nashville small business owners and restauranteurs have banded together. Their effort hopes to preserve the unique and flavorful culinary and hospitality scene in Nashville and ensure that our favorite eateries are able to welcome us back when we return. The Calvert Street team was thankful to collaborate with the group as they launched Tennessee Action for Hospitality, and we’re proud to support our local hospitality community as they prepare for the days ahead.
