Team Hidi returns
The Giving Kitchen’s fifth annual Team Hidi fundraiser brings together the best and brightest of Atlanta’s culinary scene
Back in 2012, the first Team Hidi fundraiser garnered $275,000 to help fund medical expenses for beloved Atlanta chef Ryan Hidinger, diagnosed with stage IV gallbladder cancer at age 35. Though “Hidi,” as he was known to close friends, passed away in 2014, his legacy lives on thanks to his wife Jen Hidinger, former boss Ryan Turner of Muss and Turner’s, and close friend Ryan Smith of Staplehouse. Staplehouse itself was inspired by the Sunday supper clubs Hidi and Jen used to host at their home in Grant Park, and is now a for-profit subsidiary of TKG.
Since its founding, the nonprofit has awarded over $1 million to help more than 500 restaurant workers find peace of mind during emergency situations.
This year, Team Hidi Five will bring together more than 50 of Atlanta’s top restaurants and bars for another round of giving back. TKG’s director of partnerships, Naomi Green, says they anticipate raising up to $500,000 in a single night. This year’s theme is Atlanta street art, meaning artists like Catlanta, Dozfy, and William Massey will be creating live artwork onsite.
The event will also be a Who’s Who of Atlanta’s top culinary destinations, with tastings from Staplehouse, Empire State South, the Unsukay group (Local Three, Muss & Turner’s, Common Quarter, Eleanor’s) Wrecking Bar, Table and Main, Canoe, Saltyard, Fifth Group (Ecco, La Tavola, South City Kitchen), Concentrics (Two Urban Licks, One Midtown Kitchen, TAP, NEXTO), Castelluci Hospitality Group (Cooks & Soldiers, Iberian Pig, Double Zero), Jim ‘N Nicks BBQ, Octane Coffee, and more.
“Chefs get behind this in a way they don’t get behind any other tasting event, because they’re doing it for themselves and their community,” says Green. “They’re going out on a limb for someone on their own team who might face some unanticipated hardship, and that’s something really special and really unique.”
Bartenders like Miles Macquarrie from Kimball House, Paul Calvert from Ticonderoga Club, Kellie Thorne from Empire State South, and Adam Rowe from Leon’s Full Service will keep the crowds lubricated. Local band Yacht Rock Revue will perform live.
This year’s live auction, one of the biggest moneymakers of the year, is stacked with items ranging from ultra-rare bottles of early ‘80s O.F.C vintage bourbon whiskey from Buffalo Trace Distillery to an all-expenses-paid weekend in New Orleans for the 2017 Hogs for a Cause celebration (including dinner for four at Shaya, one of NOLA’s newly named James Beard “Best Restaurants in the U.S.”). There’s a trip to Jack Daniels’ Distillery complete with a personal barrel of whiskey, a Pappy Van Winkle themed dinner, and Team Hidi’s now-famous “Waffle House lot,” which includes a Waffle House-inspired dinner for 12 and a customized Waffle House jukebox.
“This event is truly a testament to the power of the Atlanta restaurant community and the influence Atlantans have to really make a nonprofit successful and to make a mark,” says Green. “These are the bodies and these are the folks that make the event what it is. We just give out t-shirts!”
For good feels in your belly and your heart, Team Hidi Five is not to be missed. Tickets sell out quickly, so grab ‘em while you can.
Team Hidi Five. $150- $500. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sun., Jan. 29. The Stave Room at American Spirit Works. 199 Armour Drive N.E. 404-962-8702. www.teamhidi.com. Tickets here.