February 20, 2015

On Tuesday, Chef Daniel Boulud, Co-President of the Citymeals Board of Directors, and Harlem EatUp! Co-Founders Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Herb Karlitz delivered meals to their homebound elderly neighbors in Harlem, commemorating the first anniversary of Chefs Deliver. They started the day at Samuelsson’s iconic restaurant Red Rooster Harlem, where they announced new details about the Harlem EatUp! festival before setting out on foot into the neighborhood.

Together Boulud and Samuelsson collaborated on the day’s menu for our meal recipients. Samuelsson cooked an entrée of fried yard bird (chicken), greens and grits while Boulud prepared a dessert of apple and raspberry clafoutis for one hundred frail aged New Yorkers. Then, they personally delivered some of the meals to vulnerable Harlem residents. Watch a video from the delivery.

The delivery coincided with the announcement that tickets are now on sale for Harlem EatUp!, a new four-day festival celebrating the food, culture and spirit of Harlem taking place from May 14-17, 2015. Citymeals is one of two charity beneficiaries for the events, including:

  • Dinners: Come Dine In Harlem where acclaimed chefs will create distinctive dining experiences inspired by the unique feel and breadth of today’s Harlem landscape.
  • Harlem Talks: Hear what’s on the minds of today’s tastemakers at panel discussions featuring celebrity chefs, restaurateurs, artists and more. Chef Boulud and other members of the Citymeals family, including Co-Founder Gael Greene, will be among the panelists.
  • Culinary Demos: Learn tricks of the trade, new cooking techniques, how to make a new favorite dish and have more fun with our talented chefs.
  • Walk-Around Tastings: Hit The Stroll, where Harlem’s food, art and culture will converge in Morningside Park. Come back to celebrate A Sunday Afternoon in Harlem with fare inspired by the home of the "Gospel Brunch."

"Harlem is such an important part of the city for me and I am so grateful to share this dynamic slice of New York this May at the Harlem EatUp! festival. Today’s deliveries exemplify the wonderful work the Festival’s charity beneficiary, Citymeals, does. And how wonderful it is to share this moment with Chef Boulud. I look forward to giving today’s meal recipients and Festival-goers a true taste of Harlem," Samuelsson commented before the delivery.

"I couldn’t have picked a more appropriate chef to help me and Citymeals celebrate the first anniversary of Chefs Deliver," Boulud explained. "I want to thank all of the chefs who have participated in the program in its inaugural year as well as those who will be part of this tradition in the future. As co-founders of the Harlem EatUp! festival, Chef Samuelsson and Herb Karlitz have been committed to solidifying Harlem’s importance as a culinary and cultural destination and I am grateful that they selected Citymeals as the charity beneficiary for the Festival."

Citymeals Executive Director Beth Shapiro added, "Just like the isolated older New Yorkers we nourish who have contributed to our great city, Harlem makes New York what it is today. We are so grateful to Chefs Boulud and Samuelsson for preparing and delivering these meals and look forward to May as the Harlem EatUp! festival spotlights the neighborhood’s captivating culture and cuisine. I’d also like to thank Chef Samuelsson and Herb Karlitz for their pivotal roles in the creation of the Festival. The generosity of everyone involved in these two important initiatives will not soon be forgotten."