The Charleston Food & Beverage Professionals You'll Meet on Monday

Jewish food has always existed first and foremost in the home, and for a significant period of American history, “Jewish” restaurants were limited to delicatessens or the neighborhood kosher store. Over time, Jews have become established within various dimensions of the Food and Beverage industry, and "Jewish food" has experienced a resurgence with Israeli cuisine influencing menus across the country. Charleston is no exception to these trends.

On Monday, September 12, the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program and Charleston Jewish Federation's Young Adult Division (YAD) have joined forces to bring you "Kibitz in the Kitchen: a Conversation with Charleston's Food & Beverage ProfessionalsModerated by Hanna Raskin, Food Writer and Critic for The Post and Courier, this panel will feature reflections from local F&B professionals on how their Jewish identities and culture have played a role in their occupational calling, the food they serve, and the restaurants or businesses they run. Confirmed panelists include Michael Shemtov of Butcher & Bee Charleston, The Daily and Mellow Mushroom, Joseph Jacobson of the Cafe at the Gibbes and Sweeney's, Marcie Rosenberg of Dining In and Noah Singerman of Wise-Buck Smoked Meats and Feathertop, and Randy Jarvis of Charleston Delicatessen and Bakery in Summerville.

More about our confirmed panelists :

Hanna Raskin is the food editor and chief critic of The Post and Courier. During her first full year in Charleston, Raskin wrote and directed a documentary on camp meeting fried chicken that was honored with an IACP nomination, and was named the nation’s best food blogger by the Association of Food Journalists. Most recently, in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance, she produced the paper’s first podcast, an exploration of Gujarati kitchens concealed behind the check-in desks of Southeastern motels. Raskin previously served as restaurant critic for the Seattle Weekly and the Dallas Observer, earning recognition from the James Beard Foundation and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies for stories about whiskey, artisan jam and cream cheese hot dogs. In 2013, she published “Yelp Help: How to Write Great Online Restaurant Reviews,” which received an M.F.K. Fisher Award from Les Dames Escoffier International. A food historian by training, Raskin wrote her master’s thesis at the State University of New York’s Cooperstown Graduate Program on the relationship between Jews and Chinese food; she’s since written about immigrant food culture and regional food history for publications including American Heritage, Garden & Gun, Imbibe, Punch, Modern Farmer, Belt, Cooking Light and Tasting Table. Raskin is a founding member of Foodways Texas, and active in the Southern Foodways Alliance. She is the vice-president of the Association of Food Journalists.

A successful restaurateur and entrepreneur, Michael Shemtov graduated from the College of Charleston School of Business before opening Mellow Mushroom on King Street. Now the co-owner of three Mellow Mushroom locations, Shemtov is also responsible for Charleston hot-spots Butcher & Bee (with a second location in Nashville) and The Daily.

A fourth generation Charleston native, Joseph Jacobson developed an appreciation for food at a young age, leading him to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. Inspired by large family dinners hosted by his grandmother and other close family members, Jacobson thrived in a home with a deep appreciation for food. Watching them, he cultivated a genuine love for cooking and Southern hospitality. His F&B career began as a 12-year-old bus boy at the Med Deli, and has included roles as Sous Chef and ultimately Chef de Cusine at a number of local restaurants. With over 20 years in the industry, Jacobson now brings his close relationships with local farmers and purveyors to the beautifully renovated Gibbes Museum in the heart of downtown Charleston to open and manage the awaited Cafe at the Gibbes.

Marcie Rosenberg knew she wanted to work with food since the second grade. She started working in the industry when she was 16. By 21, she had graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and moved to Charleston. She began working in restaurants such as Village Café and Supper at Seven, before venturing out on her own in 1989. Rosenberg now owns and operates Charleston’s kosher catering company, Dining In, Inc.  

Randy Jarvis grew up boiling bagels at his father's North Miami Beach bakery, and in 2012 opened Charleston Delicatessen and Bakery in Summerville with co-owner Kerry Botz.​

A native of California, Noah Singerman honed his chops as a sommelier in New York, NY before moving to Charleston in 2015. Singerman is now Beverage Director for Scarecrow & CO, which comprises three connected restaurants on Ann Street – Scarecrow, Feathertop, and Wise-Buck Smoked Meats. 

 

Beyond Bagels & Lox: The Culture of Jewish Food is a brand new series cooked fresh for you by the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program and Charleston Jewish Federation's Young Adult Division. Experience fun workshops, movies, speakers and more!  


Save The Date: September 26 | Basics of Jewish Pickling with Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz, co-owners of The Gefilteria, a culinary venture that reimagines Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, and co-authors of The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Foods. Pickling vegetables is at the heart of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. Learn how to make pickles using traditional methods. You will leave with a jar of soon-to-be pickled vegetables. 

*The target audience for this event is young professionals (under 35) and recent alumni of the College of Charleston. Space is limited, and an RSVP is required to swickmn@cofc.edu


Click here to see the full calendar of events in the Beyond Bagels Series.

 

0Comments

Add Comment